The Acting/Directing specialization in the Theatre program is part of the Department of Theatre and Film in the BGSU College of Arts and Sciences.   

Acting/Directing
  • Bachelors Available
  • Bachelors Available

Theatre: Acting/Directing

In the theatre program, students are exposed to every aspect of theatre: literature, history, theory, acting, directing, design and technical theatre. Students gain practical experience in acting and directing through an array of productions presented annually by the theatre department. These productions represent a wide range of literature in a variety of styles, including both drama and musicals.

Quality classroom experiences

Students receive a solid liberal arts foundation and develop refined analytical and communication skills, in addition to the skills and techniques required for acting and directing. A variety of production opportunities provides practical experience in theatre. Mainstage performances are held in the Donnell Theatre and the Eva Marie Saint Theatre, both located on campus in the Wolfe Center for the Arts. In addition to our Mainstage shows, students have the opportunity to direct and act in our Elsewhere productions.

Stand Out in courses like

  • Script Analysis
  • Voice and Movement
  • Character and Range
  • Directing
  • Acting and Directing for Film

Curriculum

Students in this program earn a Bachelor of Arts in Communication degree with a specialization in acting/directing. In addition to the liberal arts curriculum, theatre majors complete a series of three seminar courses on professional development and career preparation culminating with a senior portfolio review and audition. A liberal arts program in acting and directing cultivates an array of skills needed in the 21st Century workplace such as problem-solving, creativity, communication, and collaboration.

BGSU alumni include award-winning actors Eva Marie Saint, Tim Conway and James Pickens Jr.

Internships and Careers

The department annually awards a number of competitive scholarships to qualified undergraduate students and has various student employment opportunities, which allow students to develop their craft while receiving financial compensation.

Students may apply for the BGSU exchange program with the University of Wales, the largest undergraduate theatre program in Great Britain and home of the prestigious Performance Research Centre. The London Experience, an intensive immersion in the London theatre scene, offers students another education abroad opportunity.

Go Far in your career

  • Acting
  • Directing
  • Radio and Television Production
  • Stage Management
  • Theatre Production

Average Starting Salary & BGSU Placement Rate

$29,739* - Theatre graduates average starting salary according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers

96.55% of graduates report they're employed, in graduate school or starting a business within six months of graduation

(BGSU data compiled from students who completed the related questions on the graduation survey.)

BGSU Arts and Sciences white

The Acting/Directing specialization in the Theatre program is part of the Department of Theatre and Film in the BGSU College of Arts and Sciences.   

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the baccalaureate degree, students in theatre will be able to:

  • Analyze diverse performance texts from various historical periods and cultural backgrounds in order to make effective aesthetic decisions as a theatre scholar/artist;
  • Use performance as the site and process for critical, cultural, and historical understandings;
  • Research and communicate ideas and feelings in written, visual, and/or oral forms in order to articulate a conceptual and critical approach to theatrical production;
  • Work collaboratively to solve specific production requirements as actor, director, designer, and/or technician;
  • Present skills and knowledge as a theatre scholar/artist in a professional format.

Bowling Green State University [BGSU] is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. BGSU has been accredited by the Higher Learning Commission since 01/01/1916. The most recent reaffirmation of accreditation was received in 2012-2013. Questions should be directed to the Office of Institutional Effectiveness.

The Theatre program is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Theatre (NAST) and is in good standing.

More information on accreditation

Bowling Green State University programs leading to licensure, certification and/or endorsement, whether delivered online, face-to-face or in a blended format, satisfy the academic requirements for those credentials set forth by the State of Ohio.

Requirements for licensure, certification and/or endorsement eligibility vary greatly from one profession to another and from state to state. The theatre program does not lead to professional licensure.

More information on professional licensure



* Job placement and salary information was compiled by the Office of Academic Assessment through the Graduation Survey from AY2015-2018. The data are gathered around the time of Commencement and a follow-up survey six months post Commencement. For the salary question, data for programs with fewer than fifteen responses are not included. Salaries for those programs are from the National Association of Colleges and Employers Summer 2019 Survey. For questions regarding the data, contact assessment@bgsu.edu.

Updated: 03/04/2021 03:54PM