Theatre Major
Major or Minor
As Theatre majors, our students explore all aspects of theatre. Using an experiential education model, our students are provided hands-on opportunities:
• Perform in plays and musicals
• Design and construct sets
• Choreograph and perform stage combat
• Design, hang and focus stage lighting
• Stage-manage mainstage productions
• Design marketing and media
• Write their own plays to be performed
• Create stage makeup effects
• Direct their peers in productions
Each of these hands-on learning experiences allows our students to hone their skills, deepen their understanding, and build a portfolio of work that can be shared with future employers.
Students may also choose to double major (theatre plus another academic area). Some majors that integrate well with Theatre include Communication Arts, Education, English, and Political Science. Students may also elect to add a minor to a Theatre Major. Communication Arts, Music, and Art are excellent minors to add to a Theatre Major.
Our students also have opportunities to engage in theatre-making and learning outside of the classrooms and mainstage productions. On campus we have the student-lead Educational Theatre Company (ETC), vocal ensemble groups, and arts-centered guest speakers. Students also attend events off campus like seeing live professional productions, volunteering at area theatres, and working internships with arts organizations. During the summer, WC students are helped to find internships away from campus or with local groups such as Wilmington College Community Summer Theatre and Clinton County Kids & Co.
Wilmington College Theatre productions are open to all students, not exclusively majors. You do not need to be a theatre major or minor to audition for the shows or work in a technical area.
*There are financial scholarships and talent awards available for theatre majors and minors. Talent Awards are available for students who major, minor or participate in theatre and sign agreements to be involved in the productions each semester. Please contact Bryan Wallingford for more information on amounts available, applications, and deadlines.
2024-25 Theatre Season
Twelfth Night
A musical by Kwame Kwei-Armah & Shaina Taub
November 21, 22, 23
7:30 PM, Heiland Theatre
2024-25 Theatre Season
Antigone
by Sophocles
February 27, 28, 
March 1
7:30 PM, Heiland Theatre
2024-25 Theatre Season
Student-Directed One-Act Plays
April 10 and 11
7:30 PM, Heiland Theatre
24
Credits to earn a Minor
38
Credits to earn a Major
86%
Respondents stated that they were employed six months post-graduation from Wilmington College.
Boyd Cultural Arts Center
Boyd Auditorium/Fine Arts Center was the center for art, music and theatre for 50 years. Begun in the summer of 1951 and dedicated on Dec. 8, 1953, the L-shaped structure featured an auditorium seating 622 and a single-story academic wing for classrooms, offices and laboratories for art, music and drama. The auditorium’s spacious and well-equipped stage was the scene for scores of impressive theatre and music productions and the second floor above the lobby housed the campus art gallery. The auditorium, which had air conditioning from its inception, was dedicated in honor of Oscar F. Boyd, whose affiliation with the College extended. In 2004, the College razed the Fine Arts Center and began a renovation of the auditorium and expansion of an academic wing. Dedicated in 2005, the new Hugh G. Heiland Theatre features significantly fewer seats, 433, but provides a modern comfortable setting for enjoying the performing arts. The lobby is large enough to host dinners, receptions and even mini-concerts while the expanded center also features the Harcum Family Art Gallery, Meriam R. Hare Quaker Heritage Center and the T. Canby Jones Meetinghouse. The academic wing includes classrooms, a music rehearsal space, conference room, lounge area, faculty offices and storage areas.
Theatre Core Curriculum
Here’s a sample of the coursework you will complete for the Theatre major.
| TH130 | Introduction To Theatre |
| TH140 | Stage Makeup |
| TH235 | Stagecraft |
| TH240 | Acting |
| TH340 | Directing I |
| TH342G | Theatre History |
Degree Requirements
Alumni & Careers
Our graduates find themselves in a wide variety of jobs after obtaining a degree in Theatre from Wilmington College. A highlight of some of those jobs include artistic producer at a Tony Award-winning regional theatre, line producer for Viacom/MTV shows, high school theatre teacher and director, professional actor, professional stage manager, director of live events for a concert and event company, manager of a large metropolitan convention center, award-winning screenwriter, professor of scenic design, and documentary filmmaker.
By studying theatre in a program with a nearly 100-year-old history, our students are able to tap into a network of alumni who can provide valuable mentorship, career advice, and networking.
Clinton County Kids & Company
Founded in 1993 as The Children’s Theatre Project ’93, is dedicated to providing quality dramatic arts experiences for the children and youth of Clinton County, regardless of their economic level or special need.
Our mission is to involve and educate young people through the arts so that they develop creativity, cultural awareness, team building skills, and self-esteem. The Clinton County Kids & Company is a non-profit, grant-driven organization under the direction of Lois A. Hock, Emeritus Professor of Theatre at Wilmington College. She is currently the managing director for the organization and taught theatre for more than 43 years.
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