About us...

Program Overview

The Drake University Theatre Arts Department believes in balance.

• Balance in our curriculum:
  Drake is a liberal arts institution, not a conservatory.
• Balance in our productions:
  What you learn in class is reinforced with a variety of production experience.
• Balance in our lives:
  Faculty and students are engaged in life outside of the Harmon Fine Arts Center.

Faculty

The Department of Theatre Arts is comprised of seven full-time faculty members. All full-time faculty are engaged in teaching classes from the introductory to advanced levels. The inclusive nature of the curriculum means that students will take classes from every member of the Department of Theatre Arts as they pursue their degree.

Internships & Opportunities

The Theatre Department strongly encourages all students to participate in internship opportunities. In theatre, however it may not be called “an internship,” it will be called a job. Our students regularly audition and interview for summer theatre employment. Recently, students have worked with the Santa Fe Opera, Utah Shakespearean Festival, Goodman Theatre, Guthrie Theater, and Memphis Playhouse on the Square.

Drake Theater students also have the advantage of our special relationship with the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center in Connecticut. Select students are invited to spend a semester studying with our colleagues there and with their partner programs in Russia or London. Additionally, theatre students may elect to spend a full semester or January Term at an accredited study abroad experience.

Career Options

Typical career paths for theatre arts graduates include regional theatre, teaching, and radio/TV. Recent graduates have gone on to work in Chicago, Minneapolis, New York, and Los Angeles. A number also have entered and completed graduate programs throughout the country. Learn more about what Drake grads have done with their Theatre Degrees.