Program Overview

Your passion for theatre deserves its time in the spotlight. Gain formal training in performance while you hone your research, writing and production skills.

Why Study Theatre?

?This is your opportunity to follow your dreams. Studying theatre takes your talent to new heights. It teaches you how to captivate audiences and lets you explore humanity from different angles.

Theatre education offers essential skills relevant to our fast evolving society in the 21st century. You develop creativity, mental resilience, problem solving, and interpersonal communication skills in collaborative environments.

As a Theatre major, you will learn the tools you need to succeed from our renowned faculty. You'll work on stage and behind the scenes to learn the ins and outs of production.

You'll graduate ready to pursue graduate studies or embark on a career in theatre, cinema or television. The skills you acquire can also work in a variety of fields like education, psychology, and law.?

Why Study Theatre at CSUN?

Live the World of Theatre

Our curriculum is designed to give you the experience of staging a production from start to finish. We cast, rehearse, and mount full-length productions throughout the year. As a student you can audition to be part of the cast or volunteer to be part of the technical crew.?

Renowned Faculty

CSUN's theatre program offers a liberal-arts based, well rounded education by dedicated faculty and staff. Located only 20 miles from the heart of the Hollywood entertainment industry, our faculty are professional theatre artists who will connect you to internship and professional job opportunities.

Professional Performance Spaces

Our campus boasts the 400-seat Campus Theatre, the 200-seat Little Theatre and a black box theatre inside The Soraya. You will also have access to a rehearsal room, scene shop, costume shop, and lighting design studio.

National Recognition

The Theatre Department is accredited by National Association of Schools of Theatre (NAST). CSUN Theatre is also a member of the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (KCACTF). Students regularly attend the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival and have been recognized for their work there. Featured alumni include Charles Martin Smith, Teri Garr, and Donald Petrie.

What You'll Learn

Over the course of your studies, you will receive a broad overview of every component of theatre. All students take classes in:

• Acting
• Movement
• Voice
• Directing
• Textual analysis
• Theatre history and literature
• Scenic, costume and lighting design
• Stage management

As an upper-division student, you will study the history of theatre, principles of directing and stage management. Electives include advanced work in production techniques and different theatre traditions.

Our curriculum is designed to give you real-world experience through active participation in different productions. As an upper-division Theatre major, you will be required to participate in four department productions.

Acting and Directing Option

The Acting and Directing option enables students to focus their study more deeply in techniques of performance including acting, directing, voice and movement. The curricular core of the program is consistent with the Theatre Arts option, but allows for a deeper specialization in performance courses.

The Acting and Directing core will focus on:

• Acting
• Movement
• Voice
• Directing
• Textual analysis

Electives include advanced work in:

• Acting for the Camera
• Musical Theatre Workshop

Our curriculum is crafted to give you real-world experience through active participation in different productions. As an upper-division Theatre major, you will be required to participate in four department productions. With the Acting and Directing Option we encourage you to audition and participate in department productions.