The theatre program provides quality student centered education and performance experiences within Grand Valley State University’s liberal education environment. The theatre program enables students to fully explore their potential as productive, literate, articulate, humane, and culturally engaged members of a global public through a close study of theatre theory and practice. Students so educated are able to bring highly developed aesthetic and critical skills, flexibility, and creativity to a wide range of graduate school and career opportunities.

Students may use the major as a preparation for graduate or professional work; the required courses provide basic training in essential theatre areas, and students planning to pursue more advanced work should take well-chosen electives in areas designed to increase specific skills. All theatre majors are required to participate in university theatre productions as actors, designers, production technicians and managers; academic credit is given for all such involvement. The program also supports students pursuing regional, national, and international internships as managers, publicists, technicians, and production assistants with major professional theaters and arts organizations. Theatre courses from overseas schools can substitute for GVSU theatre requirements for those students pursuing international studies.

Course Catalog: Theatre, BA/BS Student Learning Outcomes: Theatre, BA/BS 

Minors must complete 20 hours of theatre coursework. Minors must complete one course in the design/tech/management area, one in the theatre studies area, and one in the performance area. Most of these select courses also serve as prerequisite courses for more advanced theatre study. Minors must complete additional courses in any theatre area to fulfill the 20 hours minimum credit requirement.

Course Catalog: Minor in Theatre

Each year, our department presents four Mainstage productions, as well as many special events. All production roles are open to all GVSU students.

Actors: Audition notices will be posted here as they become available.

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Technicians/Crew Members: Please email your interest to Chris Mahlmann at [email protected]

We conduct scholarship auditions at Michigan Thespians Festival and our annual Theatre Day. 

The Grand Valley Shakespeare Festival is Michigan's oldest and largest Shakespeare Festival, having operated annually since 1993. More than 6,000 patrons attend our Festival activities each season, which include mainstage performances of the Bard's works, high school touring shows, workshops, new plays projects, symposia with visiting scholars, an all-campus student art competition, a Renaissance Festival, and other events. 

For more information, head over to the GVSF website at gvsu.edu/shakes.

ReACT! Anti-Violence Peer Education Group: ReACT! performs live scenes and uses interactive theatre methods, with GVSU student actors on the GVSU campus, which aim to help prevent incidents of dating and domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking in a college-age population.  Audience members explore how they can engage in realistic, safe, and effective methods of preventing violence.  ReACT! is the product of a partnership between GVSU’s Women’s Center and the Department of Music, Theatre, and Dance, and is funded by the Office of Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice. Since the group's premiere in 2010, ReACT!'s professional peer theatre educators have performed for thousands of college students and social service providers across the state of Michigan. Please contact Dr. Alli Metz about the process of becoming a ReACT! student actor.

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In addition to our department's theatre season, there are always student-run projects on campus looking for actors, directors, writers, and theatre technicians. We post these opportunities as they come in to our Theatre Blackboard site. If you would like to be added to the Theatre Blackboard site, please email Bridgett at [email protected]