Theatre Arts – acting, directing, playwriting, set design, literature, and costuming – enable us to explore the experiences of humans and the universe. Theatre Art studies human ideas, values, relationships, obsessions, and accomplishments. At the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire, the theatre arts program offers students training in various aspects of theatre including technical theatre, acting, directing, dance, dramatic literature, playwriting, and arts management. The majors and minors offered by the Department of Theatre Arts include a comprehensive liberal arts major in theatre arts, a standard liberal arts major, a major in early adolescence/adolescence teaching, and minors in middle childhood/early adolescence teaching, early adolescence/adolescence teaching, and a liberal arts minor. 

What will I learn from studying Theatre Arts?

Knowledge:

Students who choose to study theatre at UW – Eau Claire will receive a well rounded theatre education from both experiential learning and coursework – from participation in a theatrical production and enrollment in the theatre arts courses. The UW – Eau Claire Department of Theatre Arts offers students training in various aspects of theatre including technical theatre, acting, directing, dance, dramatic literature, playwriting, and arts management.

Skills:

• Concentrate and practice intensely for long periods
• Speak articulately, listen introspectively, and observe keenly
• Good health, physical stamina, and body coordination
• Communicate emotions and ideas creatively
• Proficiency in memorization

What are some of the interests and values related to Theatre Arts?

• Aesthetics
• Self-expression and fulfillment
• Creativity
• Physical stamina
• Sense of drama
• Determination
• Imagination
• Dedication
• Confidence

What are related student and professional organizations?

Student:

• Concert Dance Company
• The United States Institute for Theatre Technology
• Players of UW-Eau Claire
• Irish Ceili Dance

Professional:

• Theatre Communications Group, Inc.
• Stage Managers Association
• American Dance Guild
• Educational Theatre Association
• American Association of Community Theatre

What career fields are related to a Theatre Arts Degree?

Potential Employers:

The theatre major helps prepare students for many career opportunities including careers in booking agencies, theater production or performance, as well as many related areas such as advertising, television, film, recreation, and academia.

Potential Job Titles:

• Costume Designer
• Film Editor
• Drama Therapist
• Casting Director
• Set Designer
• Stage Manager
• Talent Manager
• Playwright
• Teacher
• Stage Actor

What are some entry-level jobs held by UW – Eau Claire Theatre Arts graduates?

• Drama Teacher, Monore County, Madison, WI
• Professional Acting , Freelance
• School Age Teacher , Kids Come 1 st Learning Center, Rochester, MN
• Actor , Climb Theatre, St. Paul, MN
• Children’s Theatre Director , City of Eau Claire, Eau Claire, WI

How can I learn more about Theatre Arts?

Department

• Contact someone in UW – Eau Claire’s Dept. of Music and Theatre Arts
• Haas Fine Arts 156, 836-2284

Career Services:

• Meet with a career counselor
• Take interest inventories and self-assessment tests
• Ask An Alum & Friends, a database of UW – Eau Claire Alumni & Friends available for informational interviewing

Career Discovery Center :

• 100 Careers in Film & Television , Tanja L. Crouch
• Great Jobs for Theater Majors , Jan Goldberg
• Opportunities in Theatrical Design and Production, Ann Folke and Richard Harden
• Career Opportunities in Theater and the Performing Arts, Shelly Field
• Opportunities in Acting Careers, Dick Moore
• Opportunities in Television & Video Careers , Shonah Noronha
• Opportunities in Performing Arts Careers , Bonnie Bjorguine Bekken
• Careers for the Stagestruck & Other Dramatic Types , Lucia Mauro

• Backstage Jobs
• The Entertainment Professionals Network
• The Actor Site
• Job Listings and Internships for Entertainment Careers
• Actors, Producers, and Directors from the Occupational Outlook Handbook

What are some opportunities for experiential learning in Theatre Arts?

Students who participate in on-campus and off-campus productions gain hands-on performance skills necessary for all successful actors and students of theatre. At UW – Eau Claire, the Department of Theatre Arts puts on multiple genres of plays. For more information regarding opportunities in theatrical productions, see: http://www.uwec.edu/Mus-The/theatre/callboard.htm

Internships are a way to gain hands-on experience in a position that interests you as a potential career. To find an internship in Theater that suites your interests, visit Career Services (Schofield 230) and speak with a Career Associate about the many available internships. Contact your advisor or the Theater department chair about enrolling in THEA 498 to obtain academic credit for your internship.

Directed Studies or Independent Study Class

By participating in an Independent or Directed Studies course, students will be able to research an area that they find particularly interesting. Contact your advisor about enrolling in THEA 395, 399 or 499.