Expert Faculty
Our faculty aren’t just theatre professionals with a wide range of backgrounds and experiences. They are also masters at the craft of teaching.
With a low faculty-to-student ratio, you will get to know your teachers and receive personalized guidance and career planning from professionals who know your name.
BFA Theatre Performance Opportunities
At Chapman, first-year students can audition for and perform in any production, including lead roles in:
- Four or five main season productions a year, usually including a musical. These shows include professional directors and production designers.
- Student-led theatrical productions across campus.
- Film and television student productions at Dodge College of Film and Media Arts.
We hope you can see a production for yourself! Visit our event calendar to view and get tickets to upcoming theatre productions.
Learn and Perform in Professional-Grade Spaces
You’ll have the opportunity to perform in front of large and intimate audiences in our on-campus venues.
- Musco Center for the Arts: This 88,000-square-foot center is a state-of-the-art venue to help foster your education in the arts. Musco Center boasts 1,044 seats on three levels and has been named one of the finest performance venues on the west coast.
- Waltmar Theatre: A 244-seat performance and classroom space for students to hone their skills as professional artists.
- O.L. Halsell Foundation Studio Theatre: This black box theatre is a flexible space used for both classes and performances and can seat up to 50 patrons.
Study Abroad
We encourage you to study abroad in one of our many study-abroad programs. Our Theatre Academy London program (TAL) is especially popular for Theatre Performance majors. You will study with some of London's leading theatre artists and earn academic major credit towards your degree.
Our London Theatre Tour is a popular interterm course. You will attend British theatrical productions in London and Stratford, England, while developing visual literacy and critical analysis skills.
There are several other options, and we will work with you to find the right program to match your interests and goals.
Student Clubs and Organizations
Chapman has hundreds of student clubs and organizations. These range from academic to spiritual to cultural to just having fun. Some clubs that are popular Theatre Performance majors include:
- C.A.S.T.: Coalition of Artistic Students of Theatre: C.A.S.T. is committed to igniting professionalism, unity and collaboration within the theatre community.
- Chapman on Broadway: Provides performance opportunities in fully staged musicals, plays, revue shows and cabaret nights. Chapman on Broadway provides these opportunities to all majors, especially those who have a lifelong passion for theatre but chose another path as their official major.
- Guerilla Shakespeare: Members produce a full production of a Shakespeare play every fall and a selection of scenes for a scene review every spring. Members also participate in monthly play readings and events focused on expanding our knowledge of Shakespeare’s works and classical acting.
- Improv Incorporated: Chapman University's longest-running improvised comedy troupe, Improv Incorporated typically performs two live shows a month.
Where This Degree Will Take You
Most graduates pursue acting careers in theatrical productions or film and television.
In addition to acting, you can use the skills you develop in the program (including collaboration, time management and creative thinking) to go on to a variety of meaningful careers such as:
- Casting director
- Theatre director
- Screenwriter
- Artistic management
- Artistic director
- Literary agent and manager
- Lawyer
- Business leader
- Designer (lighting, scenic, costume, sound, makeup/hair)
Admission and Tours
With a cohort size of about 14 students, admission to the Theatre Performance program is very competitive. You can find more details on our page about applying to the Theatre Performance program or check out the curriculum on our catalog page.
Want to learn more about Chapman? We are always available for tours and information sessions. We’d love to meet you!
