Find your passion and expand your creative abilities through the Bachelor of Arts in Theater Arts.

Mary Moody Northen Theatre' production of "Rhinoceros"

 

Major Roadmap

Explore your options — classes, internships, research and study abroad. Find what interests you, discover what you love, and create a major experience that jumpstarts your future.

Theater Arts — General Major Guide

Theater Arts — Design and Technology Major Guide

Learn every aspect of the craft — acting, directing, design, administration — and graduate prepared to work in any part of a theater organization.

You’ll have the option to focus on design and technology: lighting, costumes, hair and makeup, props and scenic design. Or specialize in management, coordinating the logistical aspects of a show and the business side of a theater. Or be a part of the next generation storytellers and chose our new Emerging Forms track.

No matter what you choose, you’ll learn from working alongside professional artists. You’ll also have the chance to earn your membership in Actor’s Equity, the union of professional actors and stage managers.

Write and direct your own play. Design a costume, from drawing to finished product. Make your friends laugh until they cry in a show with your improv troupe. Learn music, dance and theater history. And work on four productions a year at the intimate Mary Moody Northern Theatre, which consistently receives awards from Austin critics.

What do our graduates do?

Theater Arts majors go on to a variety of careers and graduate schools from St. Edward’s. Here’s a sample.

  • Production manager for the Broadway production house of Juniper Street in New York City
  • Assistant production manager for Hudson Scenic Shop, a commercial scenery construction shop
  • Head of wardrobe for Cirque de Soleil’s LUZIA tour
  • Development associate for Theatre for a New Audience, in New York City
  • MFA in Design from Yale University

For more information about the Theater Arts major, please contact Assistant Professor Kathryn Eader. The Theater Arts major is part of the Department of Performing Arts.

The Classroom and Beyond

Guest Artists

Guest artists from the world of professional theater, film and television work with faculty and students in production. Students will also have the opportunity to engage in hands-on work in acting, writing, design and directing.

Learn in a City Thriving on Artistic Culture and Creative Expression

In addition, students in the Theater Arts major are uniquely positioned to take advantage of the variety of arts supported by the vibrant culture of Austin. While studying at St. Edward's, you will be connected to the pulse of a cosmopolitan city. Austin is home to a community of people who appreciate the beauty of human expression. Engaging with the local culture will feed your soul. It's also an epicenter to creativity and attracts world class events. Your immersion in such a colorful art scene will enrich your educational experience and connect you to people who share your passion. 

Scholarship Audition Weekend

Interested in our program? Join us for a unique preview of what it is like to be a theater student at St. Edward's. Prospective theater students who have applied for university admission and been accepted to St Edward’s are invited to join us in February for a weekend of theater program activities. You'll have opportunities to sit in on classes, tour the campus, dine with current students, audition for a theater scholarship, see a show, meet the cast and crew and take workshops with university faculty. Scholarship Audition Weekend is a perfect way to test your 'fit' with the theater program as you are making that all-important college decision. Learn more about Scholarship Audition Weekend.

Voices of the Massacre Generation

Theater Arts major Kit Taylor ’19 reflects on the era of mass shootings in a solo performance for her Performing Nonfiction class.

SEU To You

Adjunct Theater Arts instructor Cara Firestone and university accompanist Susan Finnigan are partnering to teach Musical Theater Showcase this spring, an upper-level course that's part of the Musical Theater minor — perfect for anyone considering a career in it or just has a passion for musicals.