Theater

Our Theater degree, a Bachelor of Arts (BA), offers a comprehensive education across all aspects of theater, from performance & technical production to design & theater business. We are a close-knit family of creative, supportive peers & mentors. Our small class sizes & dedicated faculty foster deep professional relationships & help you cultivate a diverse skill set, ensuring you stand out in the theater industry.

Theater & Dance Brochure

Contact the Office of Admissions

One University Parkway High Point, NC 27268

THEATER TICKETS EVENTS CALENDAR Undergraduate Admissions Request More Information

(800) 345-6993

(336) 841-9216

(336) 888-6382

Doug Brown, Department Chair

(336) 841-4525

[email protected]

Daily from 8:30am — 5:00pm.

Faculty and Staff

View All Theater Faculty and Staff

Doug Brown

Chair and Associate Professor of Theatre and Performance

[email protected]

+1 (336) 841-4525

Jay Putnam

Associate Professor of Theater

[email protected]

+1 (336) 841-9012

Lindsey Howie

Associate Professor of Dance

[email protected]

+1 (336) 841-9439

Caitlyn Baldwin

Assistant Professor, Scenic Design & Assistant Professor, Theatre and Dance

[email protected]

+1 (336) 841-2976

Jesse Galas

Assistant Professor, Musical Theater

[email protected]

336-841-9801

Zane Kealey

Assistant Professor, Costume Design

[email protected]

(336) 841-9270

Brandon Wallace

Assistant Professor of Technical Theatre; Technical Director

[email protected]

336-841-9315

Mallory Wampler

Costume Shop Manager

[email protected]

(336) 841-4643

View All Theater Faculty and Staff

Get Tickets

Join us for spectacular Theater & Dance performances!

Get Tickets

Auditions 2025

Theater & Musical Theater! All are welcome to audition.

Auditions 2025

Creative Arts Fellows

CAF Program offers students a four-year, hands-on, collaborative academic journey.

Learn More about CAF

Theater and Dance.

The Department of Theater & Dance at High Point University proudly offers two comprehensive bachelor of arts degrees that combine rigorous course work and practical production experience.

Recognition:

Top 30 College Acting and Performing Arts Programs for 2019-2020 by OnStage
Top 25 B.A. Theatre Programs for 2018-2019 by OnStage
No. 1 “underrated” theatre college in the Mid-Atlantic Region
Top 10 BA Theatre Programs for 2016-2017 by OnStage

Students have gone on to present their work at the Kennedy Center/ American College Theatre Festival, the North Carolina Theatre Conference, the Southeastern Theatre Conference, and the American College Dance Association Conference.

We feature an active production program, producing at least 6 productions per year including our big fall musical and two dance concerts! At High Point University, you will learn by doing. We practice the “Company Philosophy” where all of us – faculty and students alike – work as a theater ensemble on each of our productions.

Developing an Artistic Career and Practice: A course designed to help graduates transition from university life to the real world. Audition and interview techniques, resume preparation, portfolio development, New York and Los Angeles survival techniques, how to make and stick to a budget, and developing an artistic philosophy are some of the topics covered in the course.

Theory and Practice: These four courses combine historical study of tech/design areas with practical, hands-on experiences in production.

Four “mainstage” productions a year
Two dance concerts each year
3-5 student directed/created productions a year
Workshops, lectures, and collaboration with guest artists
Over 20 new plays developed and produced
Exclusive permanent relationship with the Chesapeake Shakespeare Company where students work/perform for CSC during the summer
38 experiential course offerings

Creative Arts Fellows

Creative Arts Fellows receive a $3,000 scholarship renewable annually based on academic performance and continued participation in the program. This is in addition to the High Point Scholarship, Presidential Scholarship, or Presidential Fellowship.

Alpha Psi Omega, the theatre honor fraternity
The HPU Dance Company, a student run organization open to all students. The company is dedicated to providing exciting dance experiences for its students and the High Point community. Students will be able to sign up for weekly classes taught by students, faculty, and guest artists, and perform through community outreach events.
The National Honors Society for Dance Arts

Course Requirements 2023/24

Bachelor of Arts in Theater

Degree Requirements	Credits
Major Requirements	52
University Core Requirements	36-44
Electives	36-44
Total	128

Please note that students entering in Fall of 2023 will be using the course requirements listed below. All existing students can graduate with 4 credits of THE 1100 instead of 8.

Minor in Theater

Minor Requirements	Credits
Theater	21
Musical Theater	20

The Department of Theater and Dance offers minors in Theater and Musical Theater. Scroll down to see the requirements for the Minor in Musical Theater.

Requirements for B.A. in Theater

Course	Course Title	Credits
THE 1100	Theater Participation (1 credit for 8 semesters)	8
THE 1200	Fundamentals of Acting	4
THE 1410	Playscript Analysis	4
THE 2010	Fundamentals of Design and Theater Architecture	4
THE 3000	Studies in Theater	4
THE 3800	Directing	4
THE 4510	Theater Arts Administration	2
THE 4520	Developing an Artistic Career & Practice	2
Select one of the following courses:
THE 1710	Lighting and Sound Crafts: Theory and Practice	4
THE 1720	Stagecraft: Theory and Practice	4
THE 1730	Costume Crafts: Theory and Practice	4
THE 1740	Make-up Crafts: Theory and Practice	4
Performance Emphasis (16 credits)
THE 2210	Voice and Dialect	2
THE 2220	Movement for Actors	2
THE 2250	Intermediate Acting	4
Select two: THE 3210, THE 4200, THE 4500	Select two: Studies in Performance (3210), Performance Studio (4200), Shakespeare in Performance (4500)	8
Technical/Design Emphasis (16 credits)
THE 3300	Scenography	4
THE 4800 or a Theater Elective	Internship or a Theater Elective	4
Select two from the following, for a total of 8 credits:
THE 1710	Lighting and Sound Crafts: Theory and Practice	4
THE 1720	Stagecraft: Theory and Practice	4
THE 1730	Costume Crafts: Theory and Practice	4
THE 1740	Make-up Crafts: Theory and Practice	4
THE 2710	Theater Applications of CAD and Technology	4
THE 2888/3888/4888	Special Topics	4
Collaborative Theater Emphasis (choose 4 to total 16 credits)
THE 2310	Playwriting	4
THE 3210	Studies in Performance	4
THE 3230	Devised Theater	4
THE 3300	Scenography	4
THE 4200	Performance Studio	4
THE 4500	Shakespeare in Performance	4
THE 4800 or a Theater Elective	Internship OR a Theater Elective	4
Course Descriptions

Requirements for Minor in Theater

Course	Course Title	Credits
THE 1000 or THE 1410	Foundations of Theater or Playscript Analysis	4
THE 1100	Theater Participation	1 credit for one semester
THE 1200	Fundamentals of Acting	4
Two 2000-level or higher courses within the student's area of emphasis
Select one course from the following list:
THE 1710	Lighting and Sound Crafts: Theory and Practice	4
THE 1720	Stagecraft: Theory and Practice	4
THE 1730	Costume Crafts: Theory and Practice	4
THE 1740	Make-up Crafts	4

Suggested Course Rotation

Please note that this is a suggested course rotation and may change based on when courses are taught. Your faculty advisor will work with you when planning your schedule.

Fall	Spring
Fall	Spring
Junior Year 13 credits
Performance
THE 3000 Studies in Theater	THE 3800 Directing
THE 3210 Studies in Performance	THE 1100 Theater Participation
Technical
THE 3000 Studies in Theater	THE 3800 Directing
THE 3300 Scenography	THE 1100 Theater Participation
Collaborative
THE 3000 Studies in Theater	THE 3800 Directing
THE 3300/3210 Scenography/Studies in Performance or Elective	THE 1100 Theater Participation
Fall	Spring
Senior Year 9 credits
Performance
THE 4200 Performance Studio	THE 4510/4520 Theater Arts Administration/Developing and Artistic Career and Practice
THE 1100 Theater Participation
Technical
Theater Elective or Special Topics	THE 4510/4520 Theater Arts Administration/Developing and Artistic Career and Practice
THE 1100 Theater Participation
Collaborative
Elective	THE 4510/4520 Theater Arts Administration/Developing and Artistic Career and Practice
THE 1100 Theater Participation
Sophomore Year 13 credits
Performance
THE 1200 Fundamentals of Acting	THE 1410 Playscript Analysis
THE 1100 Theater Participation	THE 1710/1720/1730/1740 Theater Crafts
Technical
THE 1710/1720/1730/1740 Theater Crafts	THE 1410 Playscript Analysis
THE 1100 Theater Participation	THE 1200 Fundamentals of Acting
Collaborative
THE 1200 Fundamentals of Acting	THE 1710/1720/1730/1740 Theater Crafts
THE 1100 Theater Participation	THE 1410 Playscript Analysis
Fall	Spring
Freshman Year 13 credits
Performance
THE 2010 Fundamentals of Design	THE 2250 Intermediate Acting
THE 2210/2220 Voice & Dialect/Movement for the Actor	THE 1100 Theater Participation
Technical
THE 2010 Fundamentals of Design	THE 2710 Theater Applications of CAD or Special Topics
THE 1710/1720/1730/1740 Theater Crafts	THE 1100 Theater Participation
Collaborative
THE 2010 Fundamentals of Design	THE 3230 Devised Theater or Elective
THE 2310 Playwriting	THE 1100 Theater Participation

Requirements for a Minor in Musical Theater (20 credits)

Course	Course Title	Credits
DNC 2200 or DNC 2300	Jazz Dance or Tap	4
Two 1 credit dance studio experiences. Choose from:
DNC 2001	Contemporary Dance Studio	1
DNC 2101	Ballet Dance Studio	1
DNC 2201	Jazz Dance Studio	1

MUS 1200	Voice Lessons	One credit per semester for 2 semesters (2 credits total)
MUS 2200	Voice Lessons	One credit per semester for 2 semesters (2 credits total)
MUS 1360	Musical Theater Scenes	One credit per semester for 2 semesters (2 credits total)
MUS 3540 or MUS 3600	Musical Theater Literature or Musical Theater History	2
THE 1200	Fundamentals of Acting	4
THE 2210 or THE 2220	Voice & Dialect or Movement for Actors	2
Total Credits			20

Career Opportunities

We strongly believe that the skills gained through an education in theater are varied and in demand in today’s world. Skills like improvisation, project management, presenting and public speaking, budget management, and communication are all developed through studying theater at High Point University. Because of these kinds of skills, our graduates have gone on to have great success, both in and out of the theatre.

We like to brag (with some strong evidence) that the theatre major is actually more prepared to work in a variety of fields than many other undergraduate majors. The reason for this lies in the skills that are embedded in every experiential opportunity (productions) in which a theatre major participates; they learn, practice, and demonstrate the skills necessary to succeed in any career. For example, making deadlines (“the show must go on”), time management, creative problem solving, collaboration (working well with others), being a “self-starter,” working well with the public, communication skills, and many more marketable skills are gained from participating in close to 20 productions in their four years.

Keep Reading

Lauren Engler- Resident Technical & Design Company Member at Chesapeake Shakespeare Company
Robert Kratz- RJ Reynolds High School Technical Theatre Instructor
Jared Goldenberg- Blue Man Group Orlando- Lighting and Video Supervisor
Dani Criss- Dancer & Choreographer in Brooklyn, NY
Alex Rugato- Lead Electrician at International Tour Marvel Universe Live
Brandon Lee Browning- Television Actor
Amanda Rossi- MA Dance Theories & Dance Teacher
Courtney Feiman- Actress and Teaching Artist
Marie Nicole- Singer at 7th Ave/ Director/Choreographer at Stagedoor Manor
Dan Moldovan- Playwright, Actor, and Director in NYC
Sierra Ewert- Performer at Walt Disney World
Sarah Jackson- Stage Manager for the National Tour of Lion King
Justin Beard- Walt Disney World Entertainer
Jared Lindsay- Entertainment Host at Disneyland
Victoria Dixon- Production Stage Manager at Mountain Rep Theater in Cripple Creek, CO
Nathan Ruffin- Owner/Fabricator at Hammerhead Design Build in Winston-Salem, NC
Kelsey Swann- Singer & Dancer at Celebrity Cruise Lines
Fiona White- Performer on Disney Cruise Line

Student Outcomes

Read full story

Here’s a quick glimpse at one of many impressive outcomes HPU graduates achieve. Name: Shreya Rena, Class of 2023 and 2024 Hometown: Grosse Pointe, Michigan Major: , B.A. Journalism…

Read full story

Here’s a quick glimpse at one of many impressive outcomes HPU graduates achieve. Name: Hannah Hutter, Class of 2024 Hometown: Mt. Pleasant, Pennsylvania Major: Broadcast journalism with a…

Read full story

Here’s a quick glimpse at one of many impressive outcomes HPU graduates achieve. Name: Madelyn Mudd, Class of 2024 Hometown: Newburg, Maryland Major: Strategic Communication and Theater Performance; minor in Social Media…

Read full story

Here’s a quick glimpse at one of many impressive outcomes HPU graduates achieve. Name: Jack LaSalla, Class of 2024 Hometown: Garden City, New York Major: Finance, marketing and international business with minors in…

Read full story

Rebecca Korn

Wolf Trap Opera

HPU graduates are leading prestigious career paths around the world at Fortune 500 companies, international service programs, public school systems, top-tier law, medical and graduate school programs, and many other…

Read full story

Hailey Turner

Spoleto Festival

Read full story

Ragan Keefer

With another Commencement behind us, High Point University graduates will be commencing prestigious career paths around the world at Fortune 500 companies, international service programs, public school systems, top-tier law,…

Read full story

Emma Russell

Read full story

With another successful Commencement behind us, recent High Point University graduates are kicking off prestigious career paths around the world at Fortune 500 companies, international service programs, public school systems,…

Read full story

Name: Meredith Matsakis Hometown: Asheville, North Carolina Major: Matsakis will graduate with a degrees in Visual Merchandising Design and a minor in Theatre Performance on May 6. Post-graduation plans: Matsakis will begin her career…

Read full story

Lauren Engler- Resident Technical & Design Company Member at Chesapeake Shakespeare Company
Robert Kratz- RJ Reynolds High School Technical Theatre Instructor
Jared Goldenberg- Blue Man Group Orlando- Lighting and Video Supervisor
Dani Criss- Dancer & Choreographer in Brooklyn, NY
Alex Rugato- Lead Electrician at International Tour Marvel Universe Live
Brandon Lee Browning- Television Actor
Amanda Rossi- MA Dance Theories & Dance Teacher
Courtney Feiman- Actress and Teaching Artist
Marie Nicole- Singer at 7th Ave/ Director/Choreographer at Stagedoor Manor
Dan Moldovan- Playwright, Actor, and Director in NYC
Sierra Ewert- Performer at Walt Disney World
Sarah Jackson- Stage Manager for the National Tour of Lion King
Justin Beard- Walt Disney World Entertainer
Jared Lindsay- Entertainment Host at Disneyland
Victoria Dixon- Production Stage Manager at Mountain Rep Theater in Cripple Creek, CO
Nathan Ruffin- Owner/Fabricator at Hammerhead Design Build in Winston-Salem, NC
Kelsey Swann- Singer & Dancer at Celebrity Cruise Lines
Fiona White- Performer on Disney Cruise Line

Keep Reading

Study Abroad

At High Point University, our emphasis on global perspectives is designed to provide students with opportunities to enhance their international awareness and to develop their cross-cultural communication skills. Study abroad is strongly encouraged as a part of this emphasis on global studies. With a variety of extraordinary options at some of the most prestigious universities in the world, students at High Point University are encouraged to study abroad as early as the summer after their freshman year. Employers are looking for more than just a degree; they want well-rounded individuals who have familiarity with diverse cultures, special skills, and knowledge of the world around them.

Learn More

Learn More about Theater and Dance at HPU

Apply

You have completed your search and found your perfect match at High Point University. Let’s begin.

Begin Application

Visit

See for yourself what an extraordinary education in an inspiring environment with caring people looks like.

Schedule a Visit

Discover

The Premier Life Skills University is focused on preparing YOU for the world as it is going to be.

Request Information

Theater and Dance.

The Department of Theater & Dance at High Point University proudly offers two comprehensive bachelor of arts degrees that combine rigorous course work and practical production experience.

Recognition:

Creative Arts Fellows

Suggested Course Rotation

Fall

Spring

Junior Year

Performance

Technical

Collaborative

Fall

Spring

Senior Year

Performance

Technical

Collaborative

Sophomore Year

Performance

Technical

Collaborative

Fall

Spring

Freshman Year

Performance

Technical

Collaborative

Requirements for a Minor in Musical Theater (20 credits)