UNC Charlotte Department of Theatre

Department of Theatre

The Department of Theatre inspires students to expand their vision of the world and themselves, preparing them for leadership as practitioners, educators, and artists. We offer a student-focused, liberal arts education that develops theatre artists, scholars, and teachers emphasizing current best practices and entrepreneurial methods. Aligning with the university’s open-access education, we integrate the values of ethical and informed community engagement and innovative creative research practices.

explore what life is like in our department!

Step into the shoes of a Theatre major as part of our theatre major for a day! Experience our program up close and in person as you visit campus, observe classes, meet faculty and staff, chat with students, or attend a performance!

be a theatre major for a day

We invite high school theatre students and teachers to attend our special day of workshops and fun during Theatre Arts Day! The day will provide students with opportunities to take workshops and find out more about careers and community practice in theatre.

visit us during theatre arts day

about the Department of Theatre

Coursework in the Department of Theatre is available to all students enrolled at the university, as are the auditions for our productions. We see theatre education as a path to a career in the professional and educational theatre industries as well as any profession that requires innovation, creative thinking, strategic collaboration, and communication skills. Our vision for the future aligns with our commitment to the following actions and values.

Community and Collective Action

We embrace our institution’s commitment to an open access education and welcome students from across the state and beyond regardless of their prior level of preparation in the theatre field.
We serve the rich cultural life of our urban region and facilitate partnership-oriented projects with the Charlotte metro area and its diverse communities.
We nurture a community of citizen artists engaged in theatre practices that facilitate community change through partnerships and collective action.

Collaboration

We embrace a wide range of approaches to the study and practice of theatre .
We seek the voices and perspectives of all students, faculty, and staff and strive to create an environment that includes room for thoughtful discussion and the active practice of compassion.
We engage in collaborative processes while celebrating the individual voice, the synthesis of multiple perspectives and the acknowledgement of all contributions.

Investigation and Discovery

We center the role of creativity in all of our research modalities.
We examine the impact of theatre beyond our stages and interrogate how theatre challenges and/or reflects the current state of society.
We engage in research that fosters innovative theory and practice.
We emphasize a process over product approach to the study and practice of theatre.
We create opportunities for students to develop critical thinking, analytical and problem-solving skills and to apply them to theatre-making and theatre studies with an ultimate goal of shaping the next generation of creatives/scholars/citizens.

The University of North Carolina at Charlotte is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Theatre.

upcoming events

Hear from current students

“My favorite thing about the Department of Theatre is how many opportunities there are to get involved in things on or off campus. I also love how varied the opportunities are. You get chances to play an integral part in all kinds of unique work.”
Deity Brinson
BA in Theatre Performance, BA in Applied Dance, and Musical Theatre Certificate

“My favorite thing about the Department of Theatre is the people. The professors make a huge impact on the students, but I find the biggest impact comes from my peers. I find myself learning from watching their craft as well as collaborating with them.”
Julio Hernandez
BA in Theatre with a Performance Concentration and a Musical Theatre Certificate

“Receiving a theatre scholarship has allowed me to focus on the work I came here to do, rather than constantly worrying about whether or not I’ll be able to afford my classes… It means there’s more room for my three little brothers to be covered for their own college/career journeys.“
ZiYonna Brown
BA in Theatre with a Minor in Psychology