NP. Muhlenberg and Denison are both terrific suggestions. Great programs, with tons pf opportunities for non majors.

Anonymous wrote:Would you consider Denison? Their theatre is somewhat newish and supposedly really nice.

I think productions are open to all students.
https://denison.edu/academics/theatre

Steve Carell and Jennifer Garner both graduated from Denison. The Michael Eisner Performing Arts Center first opened in 2019. I think it closed for a bit due to COVID and then reopened in 2021.

Muhlenberg College

Anonymous wrote:Skidmore
Northwestern

You aren't going to get onstage at Northwestern if you aren't a theater major.

Rice has an amazing theater scene for non-theater majors. Rice Players is a student-run organization (https://players.blogs.rice.edu/) that puts on a number of shows a year and also sponsors “play in a day” which happens in the beginning of the school year - students write, stage and act in plays in a 24-hour time frame. A number of the residential colleges also have their own theater groups. It’s been a wonderful experience for my daughter.

Davidson has both great theatre and music programs with ample opportunities for non majors.

Beware the posters who mention top programs like Syracuse or Northwestern (or the VCU or CMU poster will inevitably comment). These programs are highly focused on the majors. I think the people who mention them really don't know much about them.

I would focus on liberal arts colleges that only offer BA in Theatre (not BFA) but seem to have several productions (mainstage and student). Look for department pages that look active. Most theatre departments have a web page with productions.

Bennington and Skidmore were good suggestions of LACs more known for theatre. Also Bard. For someone more academically competitive-- Middlebury, Wesleyan, Swarthmore and Vassar are strong and open to nonmajors. The talent will be good there. Muhlenberg is open, but lots of aspiring actors who don't get into BFA programs or who want to major in other areas go here, so it would be very competitive for roles. I would check out LACs and call up theatre departments to ask how many productions they do a year and if they have a lot of nonmajors participating. Look for photos to get a sense of production value. I was a professor at a small LAC not known widely for theatre. Our productions were excellent and incorporated a lot of non and double majors. In fact, we had more mainstage shows than my kid's Ivy, and of similar production value. Several of my students went on to MFAs and several others went in totally different direction. Lots of opportunities at LACs.

Thanks all, this is helpful! She’s a girl (who is happy to play male roles 😂). We will take some of these suggestions and ask about theater on the tours. Definitely looking for opportunities for non-theater majors.

-op

Oklahoma City University has a terrific musical theater program. They also have a high school summer program (run by the director) where they put on a full musical.

Look at the SLACs. DD is not a theater major(thought she might double major or minor in it-no career intentions- but opted not to). She got the lead role as a Freshman in her schools Fall production and a significant role in the spring production). She wasn’t the top performer at her high school with a string theater program. She knew if she wanted to be able to participate in productions, then strong smaller programs that aren’t uber competitive was the way to go. She is having an amazing time.

Also - is your child a boy or girl? It’s frankly so much easier to get cast as a boy. There are a million girls for every part. Boys- not as much. It sucks, but that’s how it is.

Anonymous wrote:Lots of extracurricular theatre opportunities at William & Mary. I’m amazed at how many productions seem to be going on each year and non theater majors can participate.

+1 .
I have a non-theater major child there now who has been involved in productions.

One school she considered was Muhlenberg in PA. They also have a strong theater program with lots of opportunities for non-theater majors to participate.

Lots of extracurricular theatre opportunities at William & Mary. I’m amazed at how many productions seem to be going on each year and non theater majors can participate.

Bennington

Would you consider Denison? Their theatre is somewhat newish and supposedly really nice.