Theatre Major & Minor | Luther College

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Further your skills in acting, design, stage management, technical theatre, and directing through practical experiences in the classroom and production. Create an education path in theatre that suits your career goals at Luther College.

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Why Study Theatre?

Studying theatre helps you understand diverse perspectives, think creatively, and develop your artistic skills. It also teaches you how to innovate and express yourself through collaboration and exploration.

Why Study Theatre at Luther?

Luther College provides you with the foundation you need to prepare for a variety of roles in theatre. You’ll work closely with our theatre faculty as well as across the disciplines of dance, music, and art. You’ll gain experience in the classroom and in productions to help you excel in auditions and internships.

The experience you gain through Luther’s theatre program will improve your technical skills and help you chart your own career path. Luther faculty members will also invest time and energy in helping you discover your strengths and interests.

In Luther’s theatre program, you’ll not only practice your craft—you’ll also develop your intellect. Through discussion and exploration, you’ll learn how plays are both a product of and an influence on their culture and historical context.

In addition to preparing you to be a performing artist, a Luther theatre major or minor also prepares you for work in a variety of fields like law, computer science, management, or architecture. You might also become an entrepreneur and start your own company.

Performance Opportunities

Get firsthand experience by participating in the theatre department’s productions, student-run SPIN Theatre, or Top Banana theatre improv club.

Collaborative Spaces

The Center for the Arts offers rehearsal and performance spaces, including a 225-seat theatre, two studios, a lighting lab, and costume and scene shops.

Scholarships

Get recognized for your outstanding potential! Luther’s theatre program offers scholarship opportunities regardless of your chosen major/minor.

What You’ll Learn

As a theatre major at Luther, you’ll learn how to become an actor, designer, stage manager, technician, and director. You might also consider roles in administration, management, or communications.

Theatre Major

As a theatre major, you’re required to take courses in acting, technical theatre, and design. This will help you further your skills through practical application. You’ll learn a variety of acting techniques, how to create costumes, how to apply makeup, and how to construct scenery for theatrical productions. You’ll also study a wide variety of plays and performance styles to prepare you for a career in theatre.

To round out your major, you’ll choose a correlative requirement from a variety of dance courses. You’ll also develop a written reflection of your past experiences and potential future pathways as a senior project.

Theatre Minor

As a theatre minor, you’ll take courses in acting and technical theatre. In addition, you can customize your minor to suit your interests by choosing a four-credit elective course in theatre or dance.

Curriculum

The Luther theatre department offers a truly immersive environment. From the main stage productions and student-led productions to the performance opportunities offered through acting classes, it is easy to be engaged in the art form year-round. And with knowledgeable faculty and talented peers, it’s not hard to feel yourself growing as an actor.

Evergreen Wildingway '22

I've been lucky enough to stage-manage A Midsummer Night's Dream and Chicago under Dr. Bobby, and I've learned so many skills I hope to use in my future. I also work in the scene shop, so being able to see productions go from a drawing on paper to an actual set is so amazing.

Cleo Garza '21

Theatre Management Concentration

The theatre management concentration provides you with the skills to be a leader in the arts. Coursework in theatre and management provides you with experience in developing marketing plans. You’ll also discover how to oversee budgets and manage personnel to advance your career as an artistic or managing director of a theatre company or arts organization.