Theatre

Theatre

Details

Our students learn theatre by doing theatre, not just watching it. Expect an immersive experience at Carroll where you will participate in every aspect of production work. Here everyone is on the same footing. You will receive one-on-one attention while you develop as a theatre practitioner. We work hard and succeed together.

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About the Program

In addition to multiple productions each year at the FLEX Theatre, there are opportunities for you off-campus in the vibrant Helena theatre community. Carroll students are welcomed at Grandstreet Theatre, Raven's Feather Productions, the Last Chance New Play Fest, and Helena Avenue Theatre. These experiences deepen the learning and resumes of our students while enriching the Helena community.

At Carroll, being involved in theatre is a choice available to all. We welcome students who are pursuing other educational goals while participating in our shows. Theatre students create a place of refuge for all lovers of art, and are enriched by the nursing students, engineers and veterinarians in our midst. If you want to belong to an active theatre program, Carroll is the place for you.

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The Season

Our season consists of four productions a year, chosen to expose students to a range of theatrical styles. There is plenty of variety, with at least one musical, one classical play, and one theatre for young audiences production complete with sold-out school day matinees. Our December production is always directed and produced by theatre majors and minors.

Featured Courses

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TH 121

Stagecraft

This is a practical course in stagecraft. This includes construction and design of scenery and properties, stage lighting and sound. Skills involve carpentry, painting, reading design plans, and methods of assembling the set on stage.

THT 310

Women in Theatre

This course examines the role women have played in theatre history, and reckons with the current inequality of female leadership in the field. Students will read plays written by female playwrights and will culminate the semester with a staging of a collection of scenes written by women and chosen by the students.

THT 311

Directing

A practical course in the principles and techniques of bringing a play from the page to the stage. The course provides step-by-step practice in how to approach the play, how to find its dramatic values, and how to direct the production with these aims in mind. 

Lily Hoelscher

At first, I wasn't planning on diving into theatre so quickly in college. My professors and classmates were all so encouraging and welcoming to me, and their passion is contagious. I'm so glad I was a part of this... I had such an amazing time broadening my theatre experience at Carroll. The skills I learned in Stage Makeup and Corsetry have made me really excited to keep exploring and embracing more aspects of theatre.

Lily Hoelscher Baker City, OR; Hispanic Studies and Languages (M), Theatre (M), Anthrozoology (m)

Life After Graduation

Our graduates often go on to further theatre studies at top graduate programs around the country and continue on in the profession. Other students are able to use their theatrical skills in other fields, such as law, education, technology, forestry, and business.

Carroll’s theatre graduates are:

  • Acting in Tony-winning Broadway plays
  • Acting in Hollywood and other film locations
  • Acting in major regional theatres around the country
  • Stage combatants and choreographers
  • Professional stage managers and production managers
  • Producers/Directors/Playwrights
  • Theatrical riggers
  • Film consultants and researchers
  • Technical Directors and Designers
  • Scenic Artists
  • Studio owners and operators
  • Teachers: elementary, high school, and college
  • Lawyers, foresters, special events coordinators, and many more
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Kim Shire

The Director

Kimberly Shire has an MFA in Directing Theatre for Young Audiences and Costume Design is passionate about making lives better through theatre, and has a special place in her heart for TYA, Shakespeare, and musical theatre. She would love to talk to you about Carroll’s theatre program.