Mission

The mission of the UIS Theatre program is to offer UIS students the opportunity to further develop their talents as theatre artists, by working with great dramatic literature in the classroom and on the stage. The program fosters the idea that theatre is a vital artistic event, which brings people together to respond to one another’s experiences/stories and to the world in which we live. Students who graduate from UIS with work accomplished in our theatre program not only become more sophisticated theatre patrons, but for some, may also begin a career in the theatre.

Curriculum

The program exposes students to the work of the world’s great theatre artists. As students develop an effective and reliable process of working in the theatre, they gain an appreciation of how theatre works and how its history is made. In addition, students participating in theatre also develop a strong sense of teamwork, as the process of creating theatre is largely collaborative.

Opportunities

The program provides the aspiring theatre student with a professional setting in which to work as an actor, a director, a playwright, a stage manager, a dramaturg, a designer, a make-up artist, or as a lighting, sound, or props technician. In addition, the program believes that the study of theatre becomes more enjoyable when students apply in the lab (the theatre) what they learn in the classroom.