Theatre Arts

The Department of Theatre Arts at the University of Oregon is committed to a liberal arts approach to theatre education and to maintaining the highest standards both in academic pursuits and performance. We deeply believe in the value of theatre as a form of cultural formation and communication as well as a pathway for personal growth.

3-5

PROFESSIONAL PRODUCTIONS EACH YEAR
 

1
student-run playhouse
100+
students across majors participate in productions
Students in a play

 

Left Hand of Darkness, 2017

University Theatre

The University Theatre’s annual season includes productions ranging from traditional musicals and Shakespearean classics to contemporary and experimental works to student-written plays. Auditions are open to all UO students. Visit the University Theatre website to learn more about the current season and purchase tickets.

What You Can Do with a Degree in Theatre Arts

Theatre arts majors use their skills and liberal arts foundation for a wide range of professional employment, including professional theatre and other creative media, as well as education, law, and marketing. Theatre arts provides students with a foundation for employment in:

  • Community, regional, and commercial theaters
  • Repertory companies
  • Amusement and theme parks
  • Cruise lines
  • Radio stations
  • Television and motion picture studios
  • Acting conservatories
  • Arts councils
  • Talent agencies
  • Colleges and universities
Sean Andries, Executive director, Chehalem Cultural Center

How Theatre Arts Launches Your Career

“Studying theatre arts at the UO laid the foundation for me to build my life and career in the arts. Whether I am directing a show, delivering on stage, presenting in a boardroom, balancing budgets, or myriad other things I never imagined then, I know my time in Villard Hall prepared me well for all of it. All these years later, I have a career I'm proud of and a job I love.”

—Sean Andries '05, executive director, Chehalem Cultural Center

Our Degree Programs

Undergraduate students can major or minor in theatre arts. Graduate students can pursue a master’s or doctorate.

Students in a play

The Home Planet, 2019

Learn from Experts in the Field

As mentors, collaborators, and coaches, our faculty advise and coach students who are auditioning for professional training in acting or pursuing graduate training in stage management. They maintain a longstanding tradition of excellence and innovation as well as a liberal arts approach to theatre education.

Student in a play

Hay Fever, 2022

Get Real-world Experience

Students in the Department of Theatre Arts have many opportunities to participate in productions as actors, directors, designers, choreographers, playwrights, composers, musicians, technicians, dramaturgs, publicists, and arts managers. Our University Theatre serves as a laboratory for theatre arts majors to apply what they learn in their classes and develop practical job skills.

Scholarships and Funding

All theatre arts graduate and undergraduate students are encouraged to apply for annual departmental scholarships. Students can also seek funding from a variety of additional sources.

Undergraduate Scholarships Graduate Funding

Academic Support

Our academic advisors can help students understand their major or minor requirements, plan their course of study, explore study-abroad opportunities, and more.

Undergraduate Advising
Support for Graduate Students

Department of Theatre Arts News and Events

When Damon Jones '84 was diagnosed with cancer, he was determined to make some dreams come true. One of those dreams was reviving "The Last Dragon," a stage production he was part of in his last year in the Theatre Department at University of Oregon. Through sheer determination he pulled together the majority of the original cast, and they are staging it live in Portland Aug. 8-10, 2024.
THEATRE ARTS - Jeanette deJong, associate professor of costume design, history and technology in the College of Arts and Sciences, brings decades of experience to the theatre arts. Whether leading a lecture or writing a book, deJong draws from her professional journey and offers methods and techniques that have been honed over the years.
CINEMA STUDIES - Dive into the art of producing with a hands-on immersive experience through the University of Oregon’s “The Art of Producing” Visiting Filmmaker Series 2024. Hear firsthand from the producer who brought “The Last of Us” to the screen, explore the craft of horror cinema and learn about a variety of possible careers in the film industry.

All news »


2024 Electrochem PNW Conference
Sep19
2024 Electrochem PNW Conference Sep 19 Willamette Hall
2024 Electrochem PNW Conference
Sep20
2024 Electrochem PNW Conference Sep 20 Willamette Hall
Graduate Employee Day of Teaching
Sep25
Graduate Employee Day of Teaching Sep 25 Willamette Hall
The Achievement of James Joyce
Sep28
The Achievement of James Joyce Sep 28 Baker Downtown Center
Theatre Arts - New Student Welcome Party
Sep30
Theatre Arts - New Student Welcome Party Sep 30 Miller Theatre Complex
Department of History Undergraduate Get-Together
Oct1
Department of History Undergraduate Get-Together Oct 1 McKenzie Hall
Free Navarasa Dance Workshop at the UO Campus
Oct4
Free Navarasa Dance Workshop at the UO Campus Oct 4 Gerlinger Annex
Department of History Coffee Hour
Oct8
Department of History Coffee Hour Oct 8 McKenzie Hall
13th Annual SPICE Science Open House 2024
Oct9
13th Annual SPICE Science Open House 2024 Oct 9 Willamette Hall
Dept. of History Graduate Student Welcome Back Barbecue
Oct10
Dept. of History Graduate Student Welcome Back Barbecue Oct 10 Wayne Morris Family Farm Picnic Shelter

All events »