Dramatic Arts Program

The Dramatic Arts Program at Cleveland State University is dedicated to producing educated citizens who have identified theatre as their primary academic and vocational focus. The theatre is among the oldest documented venues for human expression and has been a powerful medium in practically every culture to explore religious beliefs, shape communal viewpoints, question authoritarian behavior, support or subvert public opinion, and provide an imaginative escape from daily routine. Given this rich and diverse legacy, we believe that the theatre and its practitioners bear a responsibility to keep, and in many cases reinvigorate, the theatre as a vital communicative tool in the community. It is our goal that our graduating students will have the necessary qualifications to enter the profession or pursue graduate work at the program of their choice. We also recognize that many students who consider the theatre as a vocation will eventually choose another field for their lifework, but we are determined that the foundational theatre experiences on the undergraduate level shall provide a valid educational basis for a myriad of eventual careers. Accordingly, our students will focus on the theatre within the context of a strong liberal arts education. The student will focus on the study and practice of theatre in addition to the full compliment of accredited academic classes. Within the theatre major itself, the student will receive rigorous training specializing in either theatre performance or the design/technical fields. This practicum training will be accomplished in tandem with a thorough grounding in the history, literature, theory and social contexts of theatrical production. With this broad based approach, our students will have the foundational education and training for traditional choices such as acting, directing, design and technical support, as well as such ancillary fields as dramaturgy, criticism, drama therapy, marketing, facilities coordination, arts advocacy, marketing and education, among others. With this springboard, our students will have the training and education to actively and positively contribute to the theatre and their communities.

Any questions can be directed to Ginger Williams