Theatre Arts

The Department of Theatre Arts commits to a liberal arts education through a balanced program of hands-on and scholarly coursework with holistic exposure to theatre’s varied practice areas. We maintain the highest standards in academic pursuits and production, while actively investigating the literature, history, cultural resonance, and current processes of theatre from critical viewpoints. We also value theatre as a form of creative communication, one that illuminates pathways 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

University Theatre’s annual season includes productions ranging from Shakespeare or other classics to musicals to contemporary and experimental works to student-written plays. Auditions and backstage opportunities are open to all UO students. Visit the University Theatre website to learn more about the current season. Tickets are free to students with UO ID.

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 prepare students to audition and interview professionally or to pursue graduate training programs. 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

Our University Theatre serves as a laboratory for theatre arts majors to apply what they learn in their classes and to develop professional skills through experiential learning. Majors, minors, and all University of Oregon students can participate in various areas of production. This commonly involves acting, assistant directing, costumes, dramaturgy, lighting, projections, scenery, sound, or stage management.

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

THEATRE ARTS – Coming to University Theatre's Hope Theatre in February is "POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive." The all-female feminist satire looks at sex and politics and women working in the confines of the patriarchy.
THEATRE ARTS – Ever since she stepped on the stage in middle school, University of Oregon alum Jerilyn Armstrong '17 knew she wanted to be an actor. Her curiosity and eagerness led her to build valuable connections with instructors and explore every opportunity the Department of Theatre Arts in the College of Arts and Sciences, setting her up to pursue her passion after college.
THEATRE ARTS – At the North Pole, Victor Frankenstein has finally caught up with his Creature with the intent of killing him to right his wrong of creating him in the first place. Before he can, the Creature asks, “Why did you make me?” This simple question is the premise of the University Theatre's production of "Frankenstein: Playing with Fire," which opens Nov. 8 and plays for three weekends.

All news »


Info Session for the Kidd Creative Writing Workshops
Feb6
Info Session for the Kidd Creative Writing Workshops Feb 6 Alder Building
Composition Writing Lab Drop-In Hours
Feb6
Composition Writing Lab Drop-In Hours Feb 6 Willie and Donald Tykeson Hall
Department of History Documentary Screening: "Men with Cameras: Filming the 1923 Kantō Earthquake in Japan"
Feb6
Department of History Documentary Screening: "Men with Cameras: Filming the 1923 Kantō Earthquake in Japan" Feb 6 McKenzie Hall
“Palestine and the Future of US Campus Activism” with Prof. Eman Abdelhadi
Feb6
“Palestine and the Future of US Campus Activism” with Prof. Eman Abdelhadi Feb 6 Ford Alumni Center
UO Women in Economics x UO Investment Group
Feb6
UO Women in Economics x UO Investment Group Feb 6 Anstett Hall
Impossible Futures: Why Women Leave American Muslim Communities
Feb7
Impossible Futures: Why Women Leave American Muslim Communities Feb 7
Studio Art in Athens Information Session
Feb7
Studio Art in Athens Information Session Feb 7 Lawrence Hall
Organic/Inorganic/Materials Chemistry Seminar: Data are a Girl’s Best Friend: From High-Throughput Computation to Generative Deep Learning
Feb7
Organic/Inorganic/Materials Chemistry Seminar: Data are a Girl’s Best Friend: From High-Throughput Computation to Generative Deep Learning Feb 7 Willamette Hall
POTUS or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive
Feb7
POTUS or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive Feb 7 Miller Theatre Complex
POTUS or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive
Feb8
POTUS or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive Feb 8 Miller Theatre Complex

All events »