Ithaca College

The Department of Theatre Arts offers a powerful combination of intensive classroom and performance experience that has made it one of the most effective and highly respected training programs in the nation. The goal is to prepare students for careers in the theater and entertainment businesses. It is a highly selective program, taught by faculty members whose academic training and professional theater experience have prepared them for the focused, personalized instruction that is the key to successful theatrical training.

The Bachelor of Fine Arts programs in acting and musical theater are performance oriented, providing professional training and experience. The Bachelor of Fine Arts in theatrical production arts and the Bachelor of Science in theater arts management prepare students to enter the design, technical, and managerial areas of the theater and entertainment industry. As with other programs at Ithaca College, the emphasis is on learning by doing. Students pursuing the technology concentration in production, for example, are involved in scenic carpentry, costume construction, drafting, electronics, sound, properties, stage management, and technical direction. The theatrical design concentration provides instruction in scenic design, costume design, lighting design, figure drawing, rendering, and art history, in addition to the technical areas. Students pursuing the Bachelor of Science in theater arts management have the opportunity to develop knowledge in marketing, advertising, publicity, fundraising, grant writing, accounting, personnel management, and other areas. For students who elect the liberal arts–based drama degree, courses include directing, acting, theater history, stagecraft, dramatic literature, dance, stage management, dramaturgy, and playwriting.

In addition to the annual senior showcase for New York City agents and casting directors, students and faculty members travel to see plays and participate in special theater events. Faculty members advise students about summer stock opportunities, graduate program admission, and work after graduation, taking extra time with individual students to prepare them for auditions or interviews. Design, technical, and theater arts management students have an outstanding record of acceptance at some of the nation’s finest graduate programs.

Students direct all No Bucks Theatre productions; seniors may also direct studio theater productions. Student playwrights are encouraged to submit their plays for production.

Theater students may take advantage of courses outside their major within the School of Humanities and Sciences or in the College’s Schools of Business, Communications, Health Sciences and Human Performance, and Music and the Division of Interdisciplinary and International Studies. A comprehensive college, Ithaca offers some 2,000 courses and more than 100 different degree programs. Theater students may be particularly interested in exploring communications courses in areas such as audio production or film directing.

The city of Ithaca is one of the country’s premier college towns, with about 26,000 students at Ithaca College and Cornell University. Surrounded by magnificent gorges, lakes, and countryside in the Finger Lakes region of New York State, Ithaca is a thriving cultural center. The community supports an impressive array of concerts, gallery shows, and movies as well as theater productions mounted by two local theater companies.

The combination of excellent undergraduate theater programs, a vibrant community, and a beautiful location make Ithaca College an exceptional choice for talented and motivated young artists who wish to make the theater and entertainment business their profession.

Program Facilities

Performance facilities at Ithaca include a 520-seat proscenium theater, a 280-seat flexible theater, and a small studio theater, all featuring state-of-the-art equipment. Modern studios for acting, dance, and design combine with shops and workrooms for scenery, costumes, sound, electrics, and props to create a stimulating environment for artistic work. The school is a fully accredited member of the National Association of Schools of Theatre.

Faculty, Resident Artists, and Alumni

With 18 full-time theater faculty members and an extensive professional staff, the Department of Theatre Arts offers small classes and individualized instruction. Since there are no graduate students, many production opportunities in acting, directing, managing, technical direction, and design exist for the undergraduate student. Guest artists regularly visit campus, sharing their experience and insights and becoming valuable professional contacts. Ithaca alumni in the theater and entertainment world also actively provide career assistance.

Special Programs

One of the most popular options for theater students is a semester at Ithaca College’s London Center. Students spend their time studying and seeing plays—as many as twenty-five productions in a semester. Senior theater majors have an opportunity to participate in a field study for a week in New York City. Ithaca alumni discuss the theater and entertainment business, and qualified acting and musical theater majors present their annual showcase for agents and casting directors at an off-Broadway theater.

Application Procedures

Deadline--freshmen: February 1; transfers: March 1. Notification date--freshmen: April 15. Required: essay, high school transcript, college transcript(s) for transfer students, letter of recommendation, SAT I or ACT test scores, audition for acting and musical theater applicants, portfolio and interview for production arts applicants. Recommended: minimum 3.0 high school GPA. Auditions held 15 times on campus and off campus in New York, NY; Houston, TX; Dallas, TX; Washington, DC; Chicago, IL; San Francisco, CA; Los Angeles, CA; videotaped performances are permissible as a substitute for live auditions when distance is prohibitive. Portfolio reviews held 15-20 times and by appointment on campus and off campus in New York, NY; Houston, TX; Dallas, TX; Washington, DC; Chicago, IL; San Francisco, CA; Los Angeles, CA; the submission of slides may be substituted for portfolios when distance is prohibitive.

Ithaca College

Program Facilities

Faculty, Resident Artists, and Alumni

Student Performance Opportunities

Special Programs

Application Procedures

Undergraduate Contact