Student Kim Parson backstage with lighting equipment.

Theatre Arts Department

Overview

McDaniel Theatre Arts rests on a simple philosophy: Tell a story. Bring it to life. Change the world. Through our coursework and training in creative production and performance, we love witnessing a new generation of artists develop strong creative, analytic and interactive abilities that will impact culture.

Theatre Arts Major: A comprehensive study in theatre history, dramatic literature and criticism, with hands-on training in performance and production skills.
Acting Minor: A critical and creative foundation in acting methods, stagecraft and performance.
Musical Theatre Performance Minor: Provides training in acting, singing, theatre improvisation, dance, applied music study, and the history of musical theatre.
Theatre Arts Minor: An overview of stagecraft, the history of western and non-western theatre, Shakespeare, and the fundamentals of acting, improvisation and costume and makeup design.

Photo of professor Shana Joslyn standing outdoors in front of green bushes.

Faculty Spotlight Shana Jung Ah Joslyn, M.F.A

Theatre Arts is for actors and writers, but it is also for innovators like Assistant Professor Shana Jung Ah Joslyn, who isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty when painting and building sets, or working on lighting. Joslyn's passion for theatre began in high school, but since then, she has assisted in design work for theatre, opera, dance, bands, and two world-premiere plays. At McDaniel, she teaches all technical Theatre Arts classes and the First-Year Seminar Theatre Appreciation course.

Read a Q&A with Shana Jung Ah Joslyn, M.F.A

McDaniel senior directs "Wanda's Visit" Student Experiences

Shakara Sapp, a senior Theatre Arts major from Upper Marlboro, Maryland, directs "Wanda's Visit," Christopher Durang’s comedic one-act play. "Even though this is my first time directing a full production, I think my classes have prepared me for this moment, and I am so thankful to my professors that have helped me along the way and continue to help me," she says.

Read about the production.

Meet Graduates of the Theatre Arts Department

We're proud to call these recent graduates alumni, and prouder still to share a selection of their stories here – told as only they can tell them, in their own words.