Theatre

Theatre arts programs at the University of Minnesota offer a variety of perspectives to students on both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Students become part of a community of artists and learn collaboratively through production opportunities, internships, leadership roles, apprenticeships, classroom work, and one-to-one projects with faculty and guest artists.

Located in a large urban area with a vibrant theatre community, our BA in theatre arts offers rigorous practice-focused train­ing with a nationally recognized faculty of working artists and scholars. Our students learn to be versatile, cross-disciplinary thinkers and artists, adept in collaboration and critique, and committed to a practice of cultural citizenship that sees theatre as an act of political and social consequence. Students benefit from access to an eclectic range of local theaters, and from our unique emphasis on devised, ensemble-created theatre, and physical approaches to performance. 

The BA curriculum provides students with the opportunity to both grow fundamental skills and challenge traditional forms and to understand the history and theory of theatre art and innovate its future. The BA offers five tracks: generalist, performance creation, design and technology, history/literature, and social justice/applied drama.

The University of Minnesota BFA Actor Training Program offers an undergraduate training curriculum, that leads to a bachelor of fine arts (BFA) degree. In a unique actor-training relationship, the University of Minnesota College of Liberal Arts and several local theaters combine outstanding academic preparation with an artistic vision.

Immerse yourself in rigorous training founded on an innovative liberal arts curriculum, while working directly with a company of professional artists in a wide range of atmospheres in the theater hub that is the Twin Cities.

This program seeks exceptional students who are: serious about acting, curious and inquisitive, show raw talent rather than slick polish, passionate about literature and history—rather than dream of fortune; and who demonstrate a sense of humor, a willingness to take risks, and even a willingness to fail trying.