Theatre Arts Performance

Do you want to act professionally on stage, in film, tv or new media? The performance concentration offers the intensive focus you need to start your journey.

Preparing You For Success

As a performance major, you take advanced coursework in acting technique and styles, voice and movement, and audition and business skills. Plus, electives are available in acting for the camera, stage combat, dialects and more. You can start building a diverse resume your first year with mainstage productions and student shows ranging from the classics to cutting-edge contemporary works. An audition is required, and you meet with your advisor each year for an annual review to ensure you’re advancing as a student and performer.

In addition to classroom and stage experiences, you work with extraordinary guest artists, and Beyond that, you can study theatre abroad in London and other locations or participate in Bradley’s Hollywood Semester. Through these opportunities, you will receive the intensive personal mentorship that’s a hallmark of theatre arts at Bradley. You will develop a robust creative process and graduate with confidence in your training, a strong acting resume and a solid foundation for further training in graduate school or work in the professional world.

By the time you graduate, your experiences may include:

• Workshops with acclaimed professional companies like the Tectonic Theatre Project and celebrated contemporary playwrights like Kate Hamill
• Producing your own work with dynamic student organizations like BBQ Kitten improv troupe, Ministry of Experimental Theatre (MET) and Bradley’s student chapter of the U.S. Institute of Theatre Technology (USITT)
• Excursion courses to London theatre and Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas
• Internships in theatre production and administration at theatres like Chicago Shakespeare, Lookingglass Theatre Company, and the Illinois Shakespeare Festival.

Making Your Mark

Bradley theatre performance alumni have appeared on Broadway in recent shows including “School of Rock,” “Shrek,” “Escape to Margaritaville” and “Be More Chill.” They’re starring at acclaimed Chicago theatres like Steppenwolf and The Lookingglass and top regional companies including the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Kansas City Rep and Portland Stage. In addition, they’re represented on tv series like “The Chi” and serving as producers on shows like Broadway’s “The Prom.” Many also are working throughout the U.S. in a variety of other theatre-related fields, as well as education, business, finance and public relations.

Admission to Concentrations

Students admitted in Theatre Performance and Theatre Production must complete the scholarship requirements (see our “Scholarships” page), and the following requirements to secure admission to the concentration of their choice.

Audition for students admitted in Theatre Performance

Prepare two (2) memorized, contrasting monologues (for example, comedic/dramatic, or classical/contemporary), each about a minute in length. If you sing, you may also present 16-32 bars of a song, a cappella or to your pre-recorded accompaniment. You can expect to present your pieces and then work on them with the acting faculty.

Timetable and Scheduling

For optimal consideration, Scholarship and Concentration interviews and auditions should be completed and written materials received by June 1 of the summer prior to Fall entry. Please contact us if you need to request additional time.

Major Requirements

THEATRE ARTS MAJOR WITH A CONCENTRATION IN PERFORMANCE.

Theatre Core

• THE 115: Fundamentals of Acting - 3 hrs.
• THE 121: Contemporary Theatre Practice - 3 hrs.
• THE 123: Script Analysis for the Theatre - 3 hrs.
• THE 125: Stagecraft - 3 hrs.
• THE 226: Fundamentals of Design - 3 hrs.   
  OR
  THE 230: Costume Construction - 3 hrs.
• THE 316: Fundamentals of Directing - 3 hrs. 
  OR
  THE 318: Stage Management
• Two of the following Theatre History courses:
• THE 336: History of Theatre and Drama I - 3 hrs.
• THE 337: History of Theatre and Drama II - 3 hrs.
• THE 338: History of Theatre and Drama III - 3 hrs.
• THE 410: Senior Seminar/Capstone Project - 3 hrs.
• THE 439: Global Encounters - 3 hrs.
• Theatre Practicum: A total of 3 hours (6 sections) from the following.
• THE 107: Theatre Practicum - .5 hrs.
• THE 108: Theatre Practicum - .5 hrs.
• THE 207: Theatre Practicum - .5 hrs.
• THE 208: Theatre Practicum - .5 hrs.
• THE 307: Theatre Practicum - .5 hrs.
• THE 308: Theatre Practicum - .5 hrs.
• THE 407: Theatre Practicum - .5 hrs.
• THE 408: Theatre Practicum - .5 hrs.

Additional Required Courses

• THE 201: The Actor’s Instrument I – 3 hrs.
• THE 215: Intermediate Acting – 3 hrs.
• THE 311: Professional Development Seminar, Performance – 3 hrs.
• THE 315: Advanced Acting (Meisner Technique) – 3 hrs.
• THE 415: Acting Period Styles (Shakespeare) – 3 hrs.
• THE 401: Acting for the Camera – 3 hrs.
• One of the following Performance courses:
• THE 301: The Actor’s Instrument II – 3hrs.
• THE 303: Stage Combat – 3 hrs.
• THE 305: Stage Dialects – 3hrs.
• THE 494: London or Las Vegas Excursion – 3 hrs.
• THE 498: Explorations in Theatre Performance (various topics) – 3 hrs.

Total Hours: 54