Theatre
BACHELOR OF ARTS | MINOR
Immerse yourself in the art of theatre — its techniques, history and criticism — with an emphasis on learning by doing
Our Bachelor of Arts in Theatre provides an education that focuses on all aspects of the field. From acting, to design, to management, your coursework will help you understand each part of a successful production. Theatre students also partner with other programs across the university, creating an expansive creative foundation to pair with in-depth studio training.
Our award-winning faculty, our home in one of the busiest theater cities in the country, and our strong interdisciplinary approach gives our students incredible opportunities to become experts in the art of theatre. With courses in theatre design, acting, directing, theory, dramaturgy, history and production, you’ll understand both the theory and practice required to create theatre. Our degree programs also make it easy for students to double major or double minor, producing well-rounded graduates ready to take on their goals.
PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS
CURRENT STUDENTS
INFORMATION SESSIONS
Date: Tuesday, September 17, 2024
Time: 6:00-7:00 p.m. ET
Location: Online
Date: Tuesday, November 12, 2024
Time: 6:00-7:00 p.m. ET
Location: Online
WHAT YOU'LL STUDY
The curriculum of our 39 credit major and 12 credit minor focuses on theatre design, acting, playwriting, directing and production work along with the study of aesthetic theory, theatre history and other conceptual and theoretical topics. It is designed to give students a firm grounding in all aspects of theatre, while providing opportunities to focus on a particular aspect of study (e.g. acting, design, directing), by the end of senior year. Study Abroad opportunities are encouraged, as is the opportunity to do a Senior Honors Thesis, which can have a performance, design, creative or scholarly focus.
MINOR IN THEATRE REQUIREMENTS
These requirements must be fulfilled: 18 credits, including a 3-credit required course and 15 credits in elective courses.
AUDITIONS
All GW students are invited to take dance, music and theatre classes and audition for music ensembles, plays and performances.
Where You’ll Go
Over the course of the program you’ll discover yourself as an artist and creator. Many of our students enter and exit the program as actors, while others learn that they are more passionate in other aspects of the craft such as costuming, lighting or directing. Through experiences in and out of class, you’ll gain the skills and knowledge to succeed anywhere in the field you choose to go.
Our alumni have gone on to a range of successful careers including working actors and actresses, to stage managers, production designers, producers, writers and more.
WHAT WE CREATE
From TikTok Contest to Backstage with Michael Bublé
Maya Levine, B.A. ’23, and GW junior Katelyn Kovach served as social media correspondents during the star-studded 46th Annual Kennedy Center Honors.
Alumnus Sets the Stage at Prudential Center
Joe Altenau (BA '08), vice president of event operations and guest experience at the Prudential Center, shares how theatre prepared him for his career.
Kerry Washington's Inspiring Return to GW: A Master Class, a Book Launch and a Revolutionary Revelation
The actor and alumna hosted an intimate discussion with theatre students before her sold-out book tour event at Lisner Auditorium.
Hannah Sessler (B.A. ‘20) knew she wanted to be an actress since the age of four years old when she got a standing ovation for her first role as Ursula the Sea Witch. She has always been inspired by how acting encourages people to consider life from different perspectives. Hannah hopes to use theatre as a tool to spur social change and shine a light on stories that need to be told. Jeremy Pinson (B.A. ‘20) is an actor who believes that all theatre is produced within a sociohistorical moment and that all aspects of production ㄧ from writing to casting to staging to performing ㄧ should point to exigent issues of the time. Although he came to GW as an actor, he hopes to broaden his theatrical horizons by getting into directing and writing after he graduates.
Their joint thesis Shutterbug was part of the 2020 NEXT Exhibition. View more here.
ALUMNI PROFILES
Kerry Washington, BA, 1998
Washington, an actress, pursued performance studies with a double major in anthropology and sociology. She gained wide public recognition for starring in ABC’s Scandal. In 2023, Washington established a $1 million fund for undergraduate students.
Maggie Contreras, BA, 2006
Contreras has taken the film community by storm as the producer of Gilbert, a documentary following the life and experiences of legendary comedian Gilbert Gottfried. The film premiered at the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival, where it was bought by Hulu.
Cody Lindquist, BA, 2002
Lindquist is a comedian tickling political funny bones as the voice of Melania Trump in a Stephen Colbert animated series.
FACULTY HIGHLIGHTS
Faculty Highlight: Sidney Monroe Williams Selected as Fulbright Scholar for 2024-25
Assistant Professor of Theatre and Dance Sidney Monroe Williams has been selected as a Fulbright Scholar for the 2024-25 academic year. Professor Monroe plans to embark on a project that connects Colombia’s history and present, with contributions from Afro-Colombian artists; they also seek to explore the intersections within Afro-Colombian and African-American resilience as is reflected in their respective cultures and ritualistic performances.
CONTACTS
Campus Address
Building XX
814 20th Street NW, 3rd Floor
Washington, DC 20052
[email protected]
Phone: 202-994-8072 | Fax: 202-994-9403
Program Information
Program Administrator
Isabella Matousek
[email protected]
Program Head
Holly Dugan
[email protected]
Assistant Professor of Production Management & Technology
John Traub
[email protected]