Your Education Is Our Passion
Marietta College’s Department of Theatre offers programs designed to meet the varied needs of students, whether you seek to pursue a career in the entertainment industry or are interested in studying theatre as part of a broader liberal arts education.
As part of our close-knit community, students explore topics from acting to dance to directing and from stage combat to projection design, depending on their major and interests. Beginning their freshman year, they apply their growing skills to productions to create dynamic theatre experiences.
The Department of Theatre offers two degree programs: Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Theatre and a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Theatre (with concentration areas in Musical Theatre, Performance, Directing, Playwrighting, and Theatrical Design & Technology). We also offer a Theatre Minor and a Dance Minor. For more information on which may be right for you, go to Theatre Programs.
Creating a Customized Theatrical Experience
Each season for The Theatre at Marietta College, the production arm of the Department of Theatre, is chosen carefully to provide our students with the high-quality experiences needed to succeed in professional theatre.
Even the number and types of productions are tailored to our current students’ goals. In recent years, we have increased our offerings of large- and small-scale musicals to provide additional opportunities as our Musical Theatre program has grown.
Majors, minors, and students from across campus apply their growing knowledge and develop their skills collaborating to create high-quality theatre experiences throughout our production season. We strive to provide a selection of plays and musicals that is diverse in style, subject matter, historical period, staging, and technical requirements so students can explore how each attribute impacts the craft.
Through our season, we endeavor to make a meaningful contribution to the cultural conversation for both the Marietta College community and the Mid-Ohio Valley region.
Shakespeare by the River provides further opportunities for students to work with professional directors and designers to explore different artistic methods and points of view.
Where the Art Happens
Originally designed as a proscenium space, the Friederich Theater can be arranged in a variety of staging formats and features three full-stage wagons, an orchestra pit, and a counterweight fly system. Outfitted with the latest sound and lighting technology from LED lighting and intelligent fixtures to a new line array speaker system, the Friederich is constantly being improved to provide quality hands-on experiences for designers and technicians.
Nearby, a black-box space with a sprung floor houses small productions, performance and dance classes, and a design lab. Dedicated and stocked costume, scenic, electric and sound shops provide the resources for hands-on training in construction methods and equipment maintenance and repair.
Besides these theaters, plays and musicals are produced in other locations on campus and in downtown Marietta, including the 940-seat Peoples Bank Theatre vaudeville touring house, the Gathering Place nightclub-style stage, the East Muskingum Park gazebo, and other site-specific locations.
The Dreamweaver Recording Complex in McKinney Hall boasts a creative atmosphere equipped with the tools students need to create world-class recordings. The complex features two state-of-the-art control rooms, a computer lab for learning and editing in Avids Protools software, and microphone inputs throughout the facility to capture a variety of room sounds. Throughout the studio are numerous guitars, basses, Category 5 amplifiers, keyboards, drums, a grand piano and an organ available for use during recording sessions.
The multipurpose room in our campus recreation center is where many of our dance classes and department rehearsals are held. The expansive room, measuring 65' by 35', is outfitted with Marley flooring, mirrored walls, dance barres, and high ceilings with big windows that let in lots of natural light. There is plenty of room for students to spread out, dance in groups, and perform combinations across the floor.
Learn More
Want to know more about our programs and which one may be right for you? Go to Theatre Programs. Potential students, direct your questions about Theatre programs and scholarships to Aurora Held-Dodd in the Department of Theatre at aeh003@marietta.edu.
Wondering about our upcoming productions? Check out our Theatre Season and our Box Office.
Have a question not related to our programs or productions? Contact the Department of Theatre office at thea@marietta.edu or 740.376.4696.