Department of Theatre

Lehigh University’s department of theatre provides a comprehensive academic and production experience suitable to the needs of majors, minors and university-wide theatre students. The department encourages multi-cultural participation in all areas of the theatre.

The production program is an integral part of the department’s academic program, and all majors and minors must meet a participation requirement. Academic credit may be earned for all production positions, which are open to all students. Students may act or work in stage management, set and costume construction, scene painting, lighting, sound, properties management and house management. Advanced students often direct or design department productions. The department is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Theatre.

Facilities and Related Opportunities
The department regularly hosts directors, designers, playwrights and others to participate in productions and/or teach courses and workshops in their areas of specialization. An on-going working relationship with Bethlehem’s professional Touchstone Theatre provides multiple opportunities in performance and theatre management for the department’s students and faculty. The department provides significant opportunities for advanced students in performance and design through independent studies and leadership positions in the production program.

Baker Gifted Arts Scholarship in Theatre
Talented, motivated students with a desire to grow and excel in the world of theatre arts are eligible for a scholarship that provides an annual tuition award of up to $3,000 (renewable in each of four years). The scholarships will be available in both performance and in design/technical theatre. In addition, scholarship recipients would be expected to take advantage of the numerous production opportunities – on or off stage – offered through Lehigh’s theatre department, which stages numerous productions annually. The deadline for scholarship applications is January 15. For more information, click here or e-mail Professor Kashi Johnson or Deb Laub.

Internship, Research, and Study-Abroad Opportunities
The department regularly hosts directors, designers, playwrights and others to participate in productions and/or teach courses and workshops in their areas of specialization. An on-going working relationship with Bethlehem’s professional Touchstone Theatre provides multiple opportunities in performance and theatre management for the department’s students and faculty. The department provides significant opportunities for advanced students in performance and design through independent studies and leadership positions in the production program.

Five-Year Programs and Selected Double Majors
The major in theatre is designed to encourage students to take a variety of courses outside the department, even complete a minor or an additional major in another discipline. The minor in theatre is available to students from any of the university’s undergraduate colleges and offers a maximum of flexibility of course selection.

Individually Structured Programs
Undergraduates may choose a major with options in acting/directing, design technical theatre, history/ literature or general theatre studies.

Pursuing a Career or Further Education
Theatre students have pursued successful careers in design, technical production, stage management, directing and acting in New York City and in regional theatres across the country. Graduate education is considered a logical progression for most theatre majors and degrees such as the M.F.A and Ph.D. have been pursued at such schools as New York University, Yale University, University of Texas at Austin and the University of Southern Florida. Other theatre students have pursued careers in such fields as education, engineering, law, medicine, computer science, marketing and social services.