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CLASSES

The Theater Program offers classes in acting, directing, playwriting, design, and technical theater. We frequently have guest professors who teach their specialty for a limited time (This year, McKenna Kerrigan will be teaching Acting 1; Shannon Zura will be teaching a section of Performance Ensemble this fall aimed at designers, technicians, and performers called Sound and Radio Lab; and Meghan Brodie will be teaching classes on theater history, women in theater, and queer folks in theater. Meghan will also be directing the spring theater show!).  There are also classes in drama offered by language departments, movement and dance classes, and film studies classes. In addition, there are opportunities for self-directed students to do for-credit supervised work in specific areas—as a sound engineer, lead electrician, assistant director, stage manager, and more. While the theater program is housed at ºÚÁÏÉçÇø, and the majority of classes are taught at ºÚÁÏÉçÇø, we are a Bi-College program, and all of our offerings are open to all Bi-College students.

AUDITIONS

We produce a variety of shows, including contemporary plays, Greek classics, Shakespeare, made-from-scratch devised work, traditional and non-traditional musicals, and more. Being involved in a show is an intensive experience, but it can be counted as an academic class, and it’s one of the best ways to learn about theater. Our auditions are open to all Bi-College students, you don’t need any prior experience, and first year students are often cast. Our auditions are designed to be low-stress (and even fun!) and we want you to leave feeling like you did the best work you could and learned something new. You don’t need to prepare anything in advance—just come as you are. While there’s not room for everyone in every show, even if you don’t get cast, we encourage you to get involved in other ways and to come audition for us again in the future!

PRODUCTION TEAM

Email Amy Radbill (aradbill@brynmawr.edu) for information about doing technical theater work. You can learn to do sound, video, lights, carpentry, welding, props, costumes, and backstage work. Our technicians help to produce all events that happen in Goodhart Hall, including Theater Program and Dance Program performances, professional performances from the Performing Arts Series, events and lectures sponsored by groups within the college, and performances produced by outside organizations that rent our theaters.

MAJOR OR MINOR

Many of our students pursue a minor in theater—if this sounds interesting to you, see us to get more details! If you’re particularly passionate about theater as an academic subject, you may want to consider designing an independent theater major, tailored to your specific intellectual interests. We’ve had students whose self-designed majors emphasized acting, design, or technical work; as well as Russian theater; a combination of education and theater; and a combination of playwriting and acting, just to name a few. We would love to support you in developing your major; if you think you’d like to do this, come speak with us so we can help you get started.

CONTACT WITH PROFESSIONAL ARTISTS

Our faculty members are all working artists themselves, and they’re passionate about teaching young artists and building creative relationships with them. In addition, visiting artists from our Performing Arts Series regularly teach workshops, lead talk-backs, and spend time with us over extended residencies. That means that you’ll have opportunities to talk with them, learn from them, and see how they create their work. And of course, the program attracts loads of other student artists who are eager to meet you!

STUDENT THEATER

There are groups on both campuses that specialize in a variety of performance types, including improv, contemporary plays, stand-up comedy, musicals, and Shakespeare. Ask around, attend the activities fair, and watch your email, as all the student theater groups have open auditions. And if nobody’s doing what you’re interested in, it’s easy to start your own group!

PERFORMANCES ON CAMPUS AND OFF

First of all, we always want you to see the work we produce right here in our Theater and Dance Programs—keep your eyes open for posters around campus and announcements in the Arts Newsletter and the Daily Digest! And don’t miss the extraordinary professional performers the Performing Arts Series brings to campus from all over the world—you’ll often have the chance to take workshops with these artists, in addition to attending their performances. All of these events are always free to Tri-College community members. In addition, Philadelphia has a vibrant, thriving theater and dance community, and it’s fast and easy to take public transit to Center City. If you’re feeling adventurous, it’s also pretty easy to travel to New York to see performances there! Feel free to ask us for recommendations, and remember that most performance venues offer student ticket prices.

INTERNSHIPS

Students have done internships in Philadelphia, New York, their hometowns, and elsewhere—we’ll be happy to help you figure out how to find or create internship opportunities.

CREATE

If you want to create your own production, start your own performance group, or step out on your own in any other capacity, we’ll be happy to help you to brainstorm and connect to the resources you’ll need.

ALUMNI

Our alumni work in theater, education, politics, the sciences and medicine, finance, and more. Studying theater teaches critical thinking, deep reading and research skills, compassion and empathy, discipline and organization, collaboration, and so much more—it’s a path that can lead you anywhere your future self might want to go.

LEARN MORE

If you want information about auditions, plays, artists, workshops, etc., follow @bicotheater on  and @BrynMawrArts on , and like Bi-College Theater Program at ºÚÁÏÉçÇø on .

2025 - 2026 Faculty and Staff Contact Information:

Catharine Slusar, Director and Associate Professor of Theater cslusar@brynmawr.edu

Maiko Matsushima, Visiting Assistant Professor                mmatsuhim@brynmawr.edu

Meghan Brodie, Visiting Professor                                           mbrodie@brynmawr.edu

Shannon Zura, Visiting Professor                                                  szura@brynmawr.edu

McKenna Kerrigan, Visiting Assistant Professor                   mkerrigan@brynmawr.edu

Justin McDaniel, Technical Director                                       jmcdaniel@brynmawr.edu

Kat Larson, Assistant Technical Director                                   klarson@brynmawr.edu

Amy Radbill, Production Manager                                             aradbill@brynmawr.edu