Interested in our undergraduate program? We answer some frequently asked questions below.
The Department of Theater currently offers in-person tours Monday through Friday, 10:30am-3:30pm (apart from days when the university is closed, such as for federal or state holidays). Tours are forty-five minutes long. To schedule a tour, email Administrative Assistant Bethany Sherwood with at least forty-eight hours' notice. Walk-in tours will be accommodated as tour guide availability allows.
No. If you are admitted to the University of Massachusetts Amherst, you do not have to audition to become a major or minor. However, once you declare your major or add on your minor, we do require you to keep up a minimum GPA in theater classes and to complete required classes.
Our BA program takes a broad, liberal arts approach to theater, preparing well-rounded, knowledgeable artists who understand the many facets of the theater world. This philosophy applies to both our majors and those pursuing the minor in Theater.
Theater thrives when collaborators share a common language and vision. Whatever your focus might be, you'll be stronger in that area through knowledge of related disciplines. An actor might make more nuanced performance choices by understanding a play's dramaturgy. A costume designer who has taken acting classes can communicate more effectively with performers, creating designs that truly support their work.
Our curriculum also creates space for discovery. You may uncover unexpected passions—perhaps for directing, design, or dramaturgy—that reshape your artistic path and open new professional possibilities.
See our Major page to learn about different areas of theater you can study here.
While our minor only requires students to pursue two of the three areas in depth, we still believe a broad perspective is helpful. See our Minor in Theater page to learn about how we apply our philosophy to the minor.
We hear you — many students are a little overwhelmed at first. The best way to begin to feel at home in the department is to come to events and seize opportunities! We usually have a meet and greet at the start of the year where we introduce you to faculty and staff, tell you about upcoming shows, and fill you in on opportunities. Look for events by the Spotlight Network, a student-run group that offers events to grow as an artist and build a career, as well as fun hangouts.
Keep an eye out for our annual audition workshop if you're a performer, and audition for everything — class projects, independent and Fringe stuff, mainstage shows.
Bookmark this website and follow us on social media.
Finally, check your inbox every Tuesday—that's when our in-department newsletter, The Purple Lobbyist, comes out, and it has important information about classes, registration, auditions, workshops, internships, and more.
We have a lot of double-major students, and many of them do finish in four years. The key is to be goal-oriented and to start working on getting your general education and other required classes completed as soon as possible. You should also be in close communication with your advisor (well, you should do that anyway, really!) to figure out the most efficient and effective way to plan your courses.
Yes! You must audition if you want to be in a production. And yes, you do have a chance at being cast as a freshman, a minor, or a non-major. That said, we don’t want to create an expectation that you’ll get the lead role your first time. A strong work ethic, a willingness to learn, and a commitment to working supportively with the rest of the cast, crew, and creative team are really important. If you approach this discipline seriously, and you’re ready to take on the challenge of a particular part, you will be cast.
Department mainstage auditions are posted in the department and on our audition page; we often host pre-audition workshops and recommend attending those, especially if you're new to the department. Being part of our productions is a key part of majoring in Theater, and acting in a show is credited through our 210 course. Mainstage shows are not the only performance opportunities; look for announcement about roles in independent student productions, Frineg Fest, and end-of-semester class projects.
Yes! This is an area in which we are growing year by year. We regularly offer a musical theater course. Usually, our mainstage season includes a musical or a play with strong music and/or movement elements, and students frequently get the chance to put on their own independent musical theater productions. Music and Dance folks are frequent collaborators on our mainstage productions, and we are actively building creative partnerships with those disciplines as a whole and with individual faculty, staff and students. The Stephen Driscoll Musical Theater Endowment helps fund musicals.
We offer a minor in Theater for UMass students who cannot commit to the demands of the major. In this 17-credit minor, students choose two areas of study from Performance, Dramaturgy, or Design for greater exploration. Classroom instruction and production experience go hand-in-hand as students apply what they learn to the mainstage season and/or independent student work. Details about the course requirements are on the minor in Theater Page.
Additionally, we offer a Multicultural Theater Certificate, which is open to all majors and offers students an opportunity to look at the theater history, theory, and practice of people of color. Contact Dr. Priscilla Page, who is the Director of the Certificate program, if you want to learn more.
Finally, non-majors are welcome to be part of our department in a variety of ways. Students from all areas of campus take our introductory performance course, Theater 140, and artists find value in the cross disciplinary challenges offered by our design classes. Many of our classes are open to non-majors, although majors are prioritized in some upper-level courses. Non-majors are invited to audition for our shows; if you’re committed to doing the collaborative work a successful production requires, we’d love to see you try out for a role!
If you are a UMass student thinking about switching into the major or adding a minor, welcome! We are thrilled to have you! Contact the Undergraduate Program Director, Elisa Gonzales, to join the department, discuss your progress toward the degree, and sign up for an advisor.
We recognize students with scholarships and awards in a variety of areas. Our students also are regularly represented in the college- and campus-wide awards given out every year. You can learn about these kinds of opportunities, as well as the internship support offered by our department, on our Scholarships and Awards page.