Theater
Tradition and innovation are hallmarks of theater at Connecticut College
The Connecticut College theater major provides students with the opportunity to study and work on all aspects of theatrical production - acting, directing, design, technical theater, playwriting and dramaturgy - so that they understand the process of creating theater from initial idea to closing performance.
Recent theater productions demonstrate a broad stylistic scope, from "The Centennial Project," an original ensemble-developed exploration of the one hundred year history of Connecticut College; to Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill's revolutionary musical theater milestone, "The Threepenny Opera"; to the classic 1940s comedy "Harvey," by Mary Chase. The College's performing arts series, onStage, brings professional theater companies to campus for performances and workshops.
Other highlights:
- The theater department produces four mainstage and several smaller shows each year.
- Wig and Candle, the student theater organization, produces six to 10 shows in a year.
- Experimental productions often evolve from advanced students' work in playwriting, directing, lighting and stage design.
- Any student can audition for virtually any theater production. You don't have to be a theater major to audition or take part in a production.
- Internships exist locally through the College's long-standing affiliations with the nearby Eugene O'Neill Theater Center and nationally at a variety of professional theaters. In recent years, students have completed summer internships at NYC's Pearl Theatre, the Culture Project, and the Signature Theatre, among others.
- Many theater students choose to polish their skills in conservatory-based study away programs, such as the National Theater Institute at the O'Neill Theater Center. Our students have studied theater in Russia, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom.
Many theater majors intend to make theater their career, either as actors, directors, playwrights, stage-managers, technicians, producers or educators. Connecticut College alumni are administrators in New York theaters, stage-managers for professional companies and actors in regional repertory companies, on Off-Off Broadway and on television and in film.
Visit the theater department's website for more on the student experience, study away, research and news and events.
