Are you creative? Do you love to explore innovative ways to tell your stories? Are you looking for an exciting career where you can let your creative ideas run wild?
Then Missouri Western’s bachelor of arts program in theatre and cinema is for you! New in the Fall of 2012, this degree program is one of only a handful in the United States and the only one in the region, and it will provide you with an outstanding education and hands-on experiences that will prepare you for a successful career.
You choose your path – stage or screen!
This bachelor of arts degree offers an outstanding integration of both cinema and theatre. You decide which field to specialize in – theatre or cinema – but you’ll gain experience and knowledge in both! If you love Theatre, you can go that route with this degree, but you’ll have the opportunity to take electives in Cinema, and vice versa. You create your path to a successful career!
Each course in this program provides you with the professional training necessary to develop technical, creative and storytelling skills, and allows you the opportunity to focus and hone your craft, finding your own expressive voice. If you are interested in performance and you want to gain the necessary skills for both the stage and film, this program is for you. You choose your path to learn the technical skills to write, produce and direct for both stage and film.
Our graduates go on to successfully, pursue master’s degrees in their respective fields or seek careers as actors, editors, directors, cinematographers, lighting designers, audio engineers and more. This degree will give you the edge in today’s competitive job market.
Freshmen can touch stuff! From the very beginning of your college career, you’ll be using the state-of-the-art HD equipment in the cinema and theatre program, including the Stedi-cam, dolly and jib work. You’ll also have the opportunity to audition for lead roles in the mainstage productions or get involved backstage, even in your first year here!
In the classroom, you’ll have opportunities to work with professional "real world" clients on commercials and music videos. The professors use their professional contacts to bring in guest speakers and artists in the classroom, and take you on trips to studios, agencies and professional theatrical productions. You also get hands-on experience in producing commercials for the university’s theatre productions.
Right from the start, you will be writing scripts, directing and creating sets for productions. The experiences you gain will jump start your career!
Missouri Western Theatre produces four mainstage productions each year, so you will have plenty of opportunities to gain both on-stage and backstage experience. The outstanding productions, sets and costumes bring in sellout crowds who return for show after show. We also collaborate with the Music Department to produce two musicals each season.
Recent productions include "Arsenic and Old Lace," "Christmas Carol," "Laughter on the 23rd Floor," "Little Shop of Horrors," "Phantom," and "Romeo and Juliet."
Click here to see the 2012-13 lineup.
We also perform each year with the Music Department at an annual Renaissance Feast, a real audience-pleaser.
From scriptwriting to marketing and everything in between, you will learn how to produce high quality commercials, viral videos, short films and more. Many of those productions are for real clients. You will graduate with a wealth of experience and a portfolio that will launch you into your career.
Beginning in Fall 2012, many exciting new courses will be offered:
Cinema Courses -
- Advanced Production
- Cinematography and Lighting
- Editing II
- Fim Theory and Criticism
- Production Design
- Social Media Marketing and Producing
Theatre Courses -
- Improvisation
- Voice and Diction
- Shakespeare in Performance
- Directing for the Stage II
- Scenic Painting
- CAD (Computer-Aided Design) Drafting for the Stage
The Script for Success: Degree Requirements
Outstanding Equipment: Missouri Western’s cinema and theatre program contains state-of-the-art equipment, and you’ll have many opportunities to use it!
Facilities: Missouri Western features outstanding facilities to enhance your college experience!
- The Thompson E. Potter Theater is a 430-seat venue that is home to all the university’s main-stage theatre productions. It is fully equipped with sound, lighting, fly rail and a fully operational hydraulic orchestra pit. Dressing rooms and green room are located underneath the theater for easy access, and there is a live feed to the green room. There is an isolated lighting booth and an in-house sound booth.
- The Black Box Theater is a versatile space that is used for student-run workshop productions. The Black Box lends itself to manipulation and creativity, allowing you to experiment with the staging and audience layout. The space is equipped with lighting and sound and is also used as a performance classroom.
- Media Lab Most cinema production courses are held in our state-of-the-art media lab. You will edit your work on 19 Mac edit stations that feature the latest versions of Final Cut Studio and Adobe Creative Suite. An HD projection screen with blueray viewing capabilities? We got it.
- The Scene Shop is behind the Potter theater stage. The shop contains equipment for woodworking and metal fabricating, scenic art needs and construction of motion control systems.
- The Costume Shop is located in the newly renovated basement of the Potter theater. It is fully equipped with industry-standard machines and excellent resources for cutting, patterning, construction and finishing, fittings, and storage. The shop is busy all year round, not only with departmental productions but also with classes.
- There is also a Studio on campus for your use. A set, a green screen for special effects and a computerized lighting grid offer a professional studio experience.
The Directors: Our dynamic, award-winning professors are ready to work with you so you gain a hands-on, high quality education that will launch you into an exciting career in theatre, cinema, or a combination of the two. Thinking about graduate school? You’ll be well prepared for that, too!
- Dallas Henry
- Don Lillie
- Don McBride
- Tee Quillin
- Kelly Wittenberg
Scholarships/Auditions: Missouri Western offers a number of scholarships.
