Pioneers Steal the Show
Designed for students intending to enter the entertainment industry, the Bachelor of Fine Arts Theatre program is perfect for artists serious about developing their talents and honing their craft.
As part of our close-knit community, students in the recently-updated program take foundational theatre courses and complete one of three tracks: Performance, Directing, and Design and Technology. In two of the tracks, Directing and Design and Technology, they further specialize into one or more emphases to help reach their individual interests and goals.
Beginning their freshman year, students apply their growing skills to productions to create dynamic theatre experiences. Those involved in productions earn academic credit hours through our practicum courses. Each track requires specific practicum courses providing significant hands-on experience in theatre productions.
Students complete a theatre internship to practice their expertise professionally and culminate their Marietta College education with a capstone project to demonstrate mastery of theatrical skills.
Because each track includes classes across multiple disciplines, this program is exempt from the general education secondary concentration requirement.
A strong foundation: the Theatre Core
In addition to completing a liberal arts core curriculum, BFA Theatre majors prepare for success in the entertainment industry by completing a rigorous course load that begins with the Theatre Core, classes required of all three tracks.
The Theatre Core courses provide the solid foundation on which each track stands. By experiencing each main area of theatre and exploring plays from historical and analytical perspectives, students gain skills necessary for better collaboration and artistic creation.
Theatre Core courses
| THEA 106 | Acting I | 3 credit hours |
| THEA 210 | Backstage Experience | 3 credit hours |
| THEA 211 | Theatre History I: Ritual to Renaissance (500 BCE to 1800 CE) | 3 credit hours |
| THEA 212 | Theatre History II: Romanticism to Post-modernism (1750 to present) | 3 credit hours |
| THEA 266 | Auditioning and Professional Preparation | 3 credit hours |
| THEA 303 | Directing I | 3 credit hours |
| One 300-level dramatic literature course | 3 credit hours | |
| THEA 397 | Theatre Internship | 3 credit hours |
| THEA 481 | Theatre Capstone | 3 credit hours |
| 27 credit hours | ||
Majors should take Acting I and Backstage Experience in their freshman year and Theatre Capstone their senior year but have the flexibility to schedule their remaining Core courses when offered throughout their time at Marietta College.
Take the stage: our Performance track
Students in the Performance track develop a variety of techniques to analyze scripts, collaborate with fellow theatre artists, create believable characters, and consistently deliver evocative performances.
Performance track courses
| THEA 214 | Intermediate Topics in Acting – Stage Combat | 3 credit hours |
| THEA 215 | Voice and Movement | 3 credit hours |
| THEA 233 | Stagecraft: Makeup | 3 credit hours |
| One Stagecraft course* | 3 credit hours | |
| THEA 314 | Advanced Topics in Acting – Meisner | 3 credit hours |
| THEA 314 | Advanced Topics in Acting – any topic excluding Meisner | 3 credit hours |
| COMM 110 | Human Communication | 3 credit hours |
| COMM 201 | Fundamentals of Interpretation | 3 credit hours |
| DANC 110 | Dance for Theatre | 3 credit hours |
| ENGL 350 | Shakespeare | 3 credit hours |
| ENGL/LING 320 | Introduction to Linguistics | 3 credit hours |
| PHED 133 | Concepts of Wellness | 3 credit hours |
| PSYC 101 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 credit hours |
| PSYC 212 | Social Psychology | 3 credit hours |
| Five hours of Performance Practicum courses and one hour of a Technical Theatre Practicum course* | 6 credit hours | |
| Nine hours of electives* | 9 credit hours | |
| 57 credit hours (84 total credit hours including the Theatre Core) | ||
*For the complete list of courses required in this track, see the Performance audit form.
The whole picture: our Directing track
Don’t let the name fool you… the Directing track is not just for directors! This track takes a wider view by looking at how the various theatrical arts combine, making it a great choice for future stage managers, playwrights, directors, and artistic directors. Students in this track choose an emphasis: Artistic Direction and Management, Playwriting, or Communication.
Directing track courses
| Two Stagecraft courses* | 6 credit hours | |
| THEA 236 | Stage Management | 3 credit hours |
| THEA 304 | Directing II | 3 credit hours |
| THEA 314 | Advanced Topics in Acting – any topic | 3 credit hours |
| Two Design courses* | 6 credit hours | |
| THEA 371 | Project in Directing | Minimum 2 credit hours |
| ART 241 | Introduction to Photography | 3 credit hours |
| COMM 110 | Human Communication | 3 credit hours |
| ENGL 350 | Shakespeare | 3 credit hours |
| Two hours of Performance Practicum courses and two hours of Technical Theatre Practicum courses* | 4 credit hours | |
| Nine hours of emphasis courses* | 9 credit hours | |
| Twelve hours of electives* | 12 credit hours | |
| 57 credit hours (84 total credit hours including the Theatre Core) | ||
The Artistic Direction and Management emphasis includes courses in marketing and management. The Playwriting emphasis includes courses in writing. The Communication emphasis includes additional courses in communication.
*For the complete list of courses required in each emphasis of this track, see the Directing audit form.
Behind the scenes: our Design and Technology track
The Design and Technology track emphasizes the behind-the-scenes artistry of theatre through advanced stagecraft and design courses. Future designers and theatre technicians choose one of the following emphases: Scenic, Costume, Lighting, Sound, or Digital Media and Projection.
Design and Technology track courses
| THEA 231 | Stagecraft: Scenery | 3 credit hours |
| THEA 232 | Stagecraft: Costume | 3 credit hours |
| THEA 234 | Stagecraft: Lighting / Electrics | 3 credit hours |
| THEA 304 or THEA 314 | Directing II OR Advanced Topics in Acting – any topic | 3 credit hours |
| THEA 341 | Scenic Design | 3 credit hours |
| THEA 342 | Costume Design | 3 credit hours |
| THEA 344 | Lighting Design | 3 credit hours |
| THEA 347 | Advanced Topics in Technical Theatre and Design – Sound Technology and Design | 3 credit hours |
| ART 101 | Drawing I | 3 credit hours |
| ARTH 161 | Art Appreciation | 3 credit hours |
| GRPH 201 | Software for Design | 3 credit hours |
| Five hours of Technical Theatre Practicum courses and One hour of a Performance Practicum course* | 6 credit hours | |
| Nine hours of required emphasis courses* | 9 credit hours | |
| Nine hours of elective emphasis courses* | 9 credit hours | |
| 57 credit hours (84 total credit hours including the Theatre Core) | ||
Each Design and Technology emphasis includes relevant required and elective courses from some of the following fields: art, art history, communication, graphic design, mass media, and music, as well as options for more topics courses in technical theatre and design.
*For the complete list of courses required in each emphasis of this track, see the Design and Technology audit form.
Auditions and Interviews
In addition to applying to Marietta College, the BFA Theatre program requires acceptance to the program through an audition or interview process. To be considered, you must:
- Provide a resume of theatre experience and a letter of reference from a teacher or director
- Complete an audition or interview, either in-person (preferred) or electronically
- For a Performance track audition, prepare two contrasting monologues. Your audition should be memorized.
- For a Directing track interview, prepare a stage manager's production book or a sample of academic or dramatic writing. As an option, you may add a directing portfolio.
- For a Design and Technology track interview, prepare a design or technical portfolio.
The audition or interview for the BFA Theatre program also can be used to apply for a Theatre Talent Scholarship, so we highly recommend you choose to apply for both.
The deadline for auditions and interviews is March 1st. After this date, decisions will be made on an individual basis depending on spaces available. Acceptance decisions are made on a specific timeline and a waitlist may be employed.
If you miss the interview deadline, we encourage you to audition or interview for the program's waitlist. Those on the waitlist will register as a BA Theatre major and should apply again to this program during their first year at Marietta College, as priority is given to current Marietta College students.
Learn More
Interested in learning more about our programs? Contact Cas Felt in the Department of Theatre at:
740.376.4698
cas.felt@marietta.edu
or use our department's Contact Form.
Be sure to ask about our Talent Scholarships!
