Welcome
The mission of the Theatre Department at McMurry University is to provide a comprehensive, generalist education in the craft of theatre. Through a balanced curriculum that integrates performance, design, technical production, theatre history, and playwriting, we cultivate versatile theatre artists, scholars, and educators, preparing them for meaningful engagement with the arts in a global society.
Areas of Study
The study of theatre is a vehicle for illuminating ideas, emotions and the range of human experience while in active engagement with a live audience. We offer degrees in two of the field’s key areas.
Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Arts Education
Theatre Arts EducationBachelor of Arts or
Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre
Theatre
Student Opportunities
Do you like to aim high and achieve more? You may want to pursue departmental honors in theatre. If you achieve a GPA of 3.25 or higher, you’re considered an honors student. For a richer academic experience, take honors courses to graduate from the McMurry Honors Program. When you maintain a 3.25 GPA for your honors work and a 3.5 for all McMurry coursework, you are eligible for scholarship money.
Incoming freshman and transfer students majoring in theatre may audition for scholarships toward tuition costs that are awarded over the course of four academic years. In addition to a sample performance audition, scholarship requirements include a portfolio and resume, interview, and letters of recommendation.
Other scholarship opportunities within the theatre department are available to extend support to students for the duration of their education at McMurry. These include scholarships rewarding outstanding academic performance within the department and those offered in the form of faculty awards. Faculty awards recognize stellar students in the categories of Best Actor and Actress, Best Supporting Actor and Actress, Most Promising Freshman/Newcomer, Outstanding Junior, and the Golden Mask Award, which goes to the outstanding graduating senior.
Students majoring or minoring in theatre also may interview for hourly paid positions working at the Amy Graves Ryan Fine Arts Center on campus. Available opportunities include four student leader positions: scene shop foreman, costume foreman, properties manager and box office manager. Interviews for these work-study theatre jobs are held by appointment.
Other scholarship opportunities within the theatre department are available to extend support to students for the duration of their education at McMurry. These include scholarships rewarding outstanding academic performance within the department and those offered in the form of faculty awards. Faculty awards recognize stellar students in the categories of Best Actor and Actress, Best Supporting Actor and Actress, Most Promising Freshman/Newcomer, Outstanding Junior, and the Golden Mask Award, which goes to the outstanding graduating senior.
Students majoring or minoring in theatre also may interview for hourly paid positions working at the Amy Graves Ryan Fine Arts Center on campus. Available opportunities include four student leader positions: scene shop foreman, costume foreman, properties manager and box office manager. Interviews for these work-study theatre jobs are held by appointment.
Join a theatre department dedicated to producing new work. Every other year, we stage original plays crafted by students in the previous year’s playwriting class.
Our theatre students get abundant hands-on experience with their own directorial and design projects, which are presented to the public. Typically, directorial projects and design work related to sets, lighting and costumes are part of the senior capstone requirement, along with acting and stage combat presentation.
Well-prepared McMurry theatre students earn accolades! Numerous McMurry playwrights have been recognized statewide with awards during the annual Texas Educational Theatre Association’s TheatreFest. Within the space of four years, six of the eight playwriting awards bestowed at the university level went to McMurry students, and 14 of our playwrights earned TETA PlayFest awards. McMurry students also participate in the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (KCACTF).
The Global Learning Endorsement provides an opportunity for students to highlight academic achievement in global/international studies on their transcript. This endorsement will provide helpful documentation of the student’s expertise for employment in an increasingly globalized world.
Beyond McMurry
Careers
An undergraduate education in Theatre is an excellent foundation for a broad range of careers and advanced study.- Acting
- Arts Management
- Costume Construction
- Costume Design
- Creative Drama
- Creative Writing
- Dramatic Literature
- Fundraising
- Improvisation
- Lighting Design
- Literature
- Musical Theatre
- Playwriting
- Production Management
- Public Relations
- Scenery Construction
- Scripting
- Social Media
- Technical Production
- Theatre Arts Education
- Theatre Criticism
- Theatre History
- Theatre Management
- Video Production
- Voiceovers
Join the Ranks of Accomplished Alumni
You’ll find McMurry theatre grads under the bright lights, bringing characters to life in a script, running shows, mastering all the moving pieces behind the curtain, rocking the box office and sparking the imagination of youngsters in schools. Our theatre alumni are currently working or have worked as:- Performers in television shows, at theme parks and on cruise ships
- Theatre arts educators
- Executive directors of theatre companies and historic theatres
- Freelance directors and published playwrights
- Auditorium curator
- Lighting technician touring with recording artists and on independent assignments around the world
Faculty and Staff
Dr.
Charlie Hukill
Professor Emeritus