Theatre Arts Major/Minor
In Taylor’s Theatre Arts program, you will build on your God-given passion for theatre through an immersive experience that seeks excellence on and off stage.
Majoring in Theatre Arts will develop your skills in acting, stagecraft, management, and play direction. Plus, you will have opportunities to consider the biblical foundations of theatre arts, face difficult questions in pursuit of Truth, and integrate your faith into a theatrical art form.
By joining our national award-winning theatre program, you can add to Taylor Theatre’s legacy of high-quality production and build your personal repertoire.
Theatre majors at Taylor are willing to do the hard work. They sacrifice time and energy to immerse themselves into their crafts—working together and challenging each other to create quality performances that honor God and exemplify their own pursuits of excellence.
Through Theatre Arts courses, you will study in-depth stage diction, set design, play directing, and dramaturgy. You will explore theatre's history and development since its supposed origins in ancient Greece and Rome, practice character development techniques, and audition for theatre performances.
Every Theatre Arts student will participate in two productions each year, eight in total. Senior Theatre majors also direct their own productions in Taylor Theatre’s One Act Festival each year.
Theatre Arts Minor
A Theatre Arts minor allows students in all majors to gain immersive experience in the theatre. Expound upon your passion for theatre by participating in Taylor productions and taking courses in theatre history, acting, play directing, and stagecraft. Students in Educational Studies, English, and Film and Media Production majors may be inclined to add this minor.
Theatre Arts Curriculum & Degree Options
Contact the Theatre Program
Tracy Manning, Department of Music, Theatre & Dance Co-chair & Professor of Music & Assistant Professor of Theatre Arts
765-998-5248
trmanning@tayloru.edu
Judy Kirkwood, Theatre Program Assistant
765-998-5255
jdkirkwood@tayloru.edu
Related Majors
Related Minors
Music, Theatre, and Dance Department
The department of Music, Theatre & Dance emphasizes active learning in every program. By joining our Music and Theatre majors, you won’t just sit and study methods and theories—you’ll put them into action.
Through ensemble rehearsals, concerts, theatrical productions, student recitals, and fully staged musicals and operas, our students take their learning from the desk to the stage. You’ll also gain a technical background in music theory, acting methods, and dance techniques to take your gifts and skills to the next level and pursue industry-related careers on top of performance.
All prospective music and musical theatre majors must audition for admission into the Music, Theatre & Dance department. Our programs offer both merit- and need-based awards that are designed to enhance the University’s financial aid package. To be considered for music scholarships, students interested in music majors or minors must be complete their auditions by March 15.
To sign up for an audition time, speak with a Taylor Music or Theatre professor, or to receive additional information about music auditions and scholarships, please contact Lisa Royal, the music program assistant.
Audition and Scholarship InformationAudition Guidelines
Some of our Music, Theatre & Dance graduates have gone one to complete their master’s degrees at the following colleges:
- Bowling Green State University
- Ball State University
- Indiana University
- Southern Illinois University
- University of Michigan
No matter which Music, Theatre & Dance major you pursue, you will have a wide range of career opportunities, from music composer to performer to teacher to stage manager. The Music, Theatre & Dance department has a 96% career placement rate, and our faculty and Calling and Career Office work hard to connect students to employment and internship opportunities throughout their time at Taylor.
Learn more about Taylor University’s Music & Theatre philosophy.
Listen to Tracy Manning, Managing and Artistic Director of Theatre, describe her passion for theatre at Taylor.
Taylor Theatre practices and performs in Mitchell Theater, a space uniquely designed for flexibility in full-length production set design. Theatre majors also have access to a black box theatre in Rupp Communication Arts Center, which they can use for small productions or theatrical exercises, and two specially equipped dance instruction spaces.
Students with diverse interests—such as in writing, media, history, and arts education—can gain valuable dramaturgical experience by working directly with Artistic Director Tracy Manning to create production casebooks. Presenting research, analysis, and reflections, casebooks provide supplementary materials that offer valuable insight to performers and stagehands throughout rehearsals and invite audiences into the world of the play. Check out some casebooks made for previous Taylor productions:
- Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard
- Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet
- Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro
- Moliere's Tartuffe
- I Love a Piano: The Music of Irving Berlin
