Theatre - Albright College
Theatre
Perform. Create. Collaborate. Discover your artistic voice.
Theatre at Albright offers a rich, hands-on education grounded in collaboration, performance, design, and creative leadership. Students work in a
nationally recognized
department that champions originality and artistic exploration.
About the Program
Here, you will immerse yourself in your art by experiencing theatre through production, history, literature, and theory, working side by side with faculty and students who share your passion for the craft. You will have the opportunity to expand your skills and professional horizons, and you will be encouraged to combine majors to create a path that helps you achieve your goals. Whether you are an aspiring actor, a budding playwright, an industrious technician, or someone who simply loves theatre, Albright will help you set the stage for success.
Hands-On Learning
Students perform in mainstage productions recognized by KCACTF, participate in the Domino Players, tour performances, and collaborate with Music Industry Studies and other departments.
Program Goals
Course Requirements
Opportunities
Faculty
CREATIVITY:
Explore and refine their individual creative intuition and develop successful ways of communicating those ideas and visions to their collaborative colleagues.
AESTHETIC:
Acquire and develop the vocabulary and temperament required to critique theatrical productions as a sensitive, insightful and informed audience member.
ANALYSIS:
Acquire and develop the ability to read and analyze a play script using appropriate vocabulary and learn how to recognize a variety of narrative structures when assessing the theatrical components imbedded therein.
ORIGINAL WORK:
Gain experience with creating original theatrical material through writing, improvising and/or devising and refining it through the new play development and/or rehearsal process.
SKILLS:
Acquire and develop basic skills in a wide range of theatre job descriptions, including writing for performance, design, dramaturgy, performance and technology. Upon graduation, students shall have achieved a level of proficiency in at least one area sufficient to enter the workforce.
HISTORY:
Comprehend the role theatre has played, and still plays, in cultures and societies and possess knowledge of various different theories, architectures and methodologies of these periods.
SCHOLARSHIP:
Acquire and develop the ability to research and write at the collegiate level within the discipline of theatre studies.
INDUSTRY:
Grasp the range and scope of the theatrical industry and the career options within that industry, as well as to have begun to forge connections with working theatre professionals through interactions with guest artists here and internships or summer jobs elsewhere.
Full Course Catalogue
Course Descriptions
Major Requirements
THR 101 Creative Process
Either THR 110 Intro to Theatre Technology OR THR 120: Intro to Costume Design
THR 150 Acting Studio 1
THR 201 Production Experience (4 semesters)
THR 210 Design Fundamentals
THR 280 Script Analysis  • Either THR 378 Great Ages of Theatre I OR THR 379 Great Ages of Theatre II
THR 310 Stage Management
Either THR 401 Advanced Production Experience OR THR 482 Advanced Internship
THR 491 Senior Seminar
3 Major Electives - This includes any other Theatre class offered, as well as ENG 354 Shakespeare, ARA 220 Intro to Arts Administration, ARA 390 Project Management for Arts Administration
Theatre Costume Design & Technology Track
Students interested in the history and creation of costumes for live performance are recommended to pursue this track. This concentration will focus on fashion history, textiles, costume technology skills, script analysis, fundamentals of design, and cocurricular production experience.
THR 101 The Creative Process
THR 120 Costume Construction I
THR 201 Production Experience (4 experiences = 1 unit)
THR 210 Design Fundamentals
FAS/THR 220 Costume Construction II
FAS 230 Fashion Illustration
THR 280 Script Analysis
THR 320 Stage Costuming
FAS 340 Draping
FAS 342 Patternmaking I
THR 330 Stage Management
THR 491 Senior Seminar
History Course:
FAS 202 History of Fashion
One from the following 200-level Theatre History courses
THR 288 Great Ages of Theatre I
THR 289 Great Ages of Theatre II
One 400-level practicum - choose from
THR 401 Advanced Production Experience
THR 482 Advanced Internship
Suggested Free Elective: THR 214 Stage Makeup
Combined Major Requirements
Many students opt to combine theatre with another major, such as Arts Administration, Education, Communications, English, History or Music Industry. There is lot of flexibility within the combined major in Theatre to offer you the ability to create the program that best suits your abilities and career goals.
THR 101 Creative Process
THR 150 Acting Studio I
THR 201 Production Experience (4 semesters)
THR 210 Design Fundamentals
THR 280 Script Analysis
THR 310 Stage Management
Either THR 378 Great Ages of Theatre I OR THR 379 Great Ages of Theatre II
THR 491 Senior Seminar
Minor Requirements
For those students who wish to augment their scholarly experience with a peripheral focus in Theatre, we offer a five-course minor.
THR 101 Creative Process OR THR 150 Acting Studio I
THR 280 Script Analysis
One 200-Level Skills Course – THR 210, 211, 212, 213, 214, 220, 250, 252, 255, 260
One 300-Level Theatre Course – THR 350, THR 361, THR 378, THR 379, THR 383, THR 388, THR 389, ENG 354
One other Theatre Course
Dance Minor Requirements
THR115 - Movement Styles (3 credits)
Dance Practice/Technique (4 credits)
Students take 2 2-credit classes, such as THR140A Jazz & Tap, THR140B Ballet & Modern; THR140C Historical Movement Styles
Special Topics under THR 183
Dance Performance/Experience (4 credits)
4-semesters participating in Albright College Dance Team (THR201E) or Xion Step Team (THR201F)
OR, THR401 Advanced Production Experience: Choreography Studio
Dance Special Topics Courses (6 credit hours)
The Domino Players Theatre Company
One of the Kennedy Center’s most highly decorated programs, Albright’s resident theatre company has delighted audiences with bold and brilliant performances for nearly a century.
Albright Improv
Have a love for unscripted comedy? Albright is for you! Under the direction of our award-winning resident improv artist, Professor Matt Fotis, we offer two unique opportunities to develop your improvisational skills: our open-access ensemble and our traveling audition-based company.
Internships and Career Support
Students can connect with the
Career Development Center
to find internships, job listings, and other professional opportunities, helping build real‑world experience while in the program.
ACRE Undergraduate Research
Students in any major can engage in interdisciplinary undergraduate research through the
Albright Creative Research Experience (ACRE)
, partnering with faculty mentors to pursue independent research or creative projects and present their work beyond the classroom.
Matt Fotis , Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Theatre
Jeff Lentz , M.M. , 85
Senior Artist in Residence of Theatre, Coordinator of Vocal Performance Program
Elizabeth Polley , M.F.A., '07
Assistant Professor of Theatre
Nathan Rothermel , MFA
Corporate Sponsorship and Grants Manager, Adjunct Faculty
Jessica Warchal-King
Adjunct Faculty
Curriculum Highlights
Development of the Dance Minor and Production Experiences courses
National recognition through KCACTF nominations
Student-run production model offering real-world leadership
Playwriting course expansion and original work assessments