Theatre

Opportunities

Internships

Carthage theatre students are encouraged to pursue internships with regional theatres to gain valuable professional experience and establish a network of contacts. In recent years, students have interned with the Chicago Children's Theatre, Goodman Theatre, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Peninsula Players, and the Northwestern University's Cherubs Program. Their responsibilities have included stage management tasks, production management tasks, casting assistance, and acting. Academic credit may be earned. Students looking for internship opportunities can contact Theatre Department faculty and Carthage's Career Services office.

J-Term

J-Term is a special month-long period of study in January in which Carthage students take innovative courses on campus or participate in study tours to other states or countries. The Chicago Theatre Department offers on-campus courses and trips every J-Term. Recent J-Term courses offered by the Theatre Department include:

Ensemble and Experimental Acting, in which students developed and performed a play using theory-driven experimental acting techniques. In 2010, students in this course performed their show in a director’s showcase of new work at Renaissance Theaterworks in Milwaukee.
The Performing Arts in Ireland (2007). Students spent a week on campus studying Irish music, instruments, dance and theatrical tradition. Students then traveled to Ireland, where they attended plays and concerts, participated in workshops and lectures, and visited significant sites in Irish history.
Greece: Theatre, Art and Architecture (2009). Students visited historic sites, and participated in workshops of mask-making, costume design and Greek folk dancing.
Berlin Theatre: Religious Myth and Political Vision (2010). Students spent a week on campus studying German social history and the religious symbolism found in modern German drama. Students then spent three weeks in Berlin attending a variety of stage performances, and visiting historic sites and theaters.

Travel Opportunities

The Carthage Theatre Department has offered trips through J-Term to Greece, Ireland and Berlin, among other destinations. Students and faculty also travel to see some of America's best regional theatre, and attend the acclaimed Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Stratford, Ontario, every fall. Learn more.

Scholarships

Admitted students intending to major or minor in theatre, performance, or technical theatre production and design are strongly encouraged to audition for a Carthage Theatre Scholarship. Learn more.

Main Stage and Studio Productions

Carthage theatre students are involved in every aspect of production of five Main Stage shows a year. Student directors stage two to three full-length productions a year in the 80-seat Studio Theatre. For information on getting involved in an upcoming Carthage Theatre production, please contact Herschel Kruger, department chair. Learn more about the current season.

Guest Artists

Carthage theatre students meet and work with an array of respected professional theatre practitioners on a regular basis. Recent visiting artists include Oscar-winning filmmaker Eric Simonson, Steppenwolf casting director Erika Daniels, and Milwaukee Repertory Theater associate artistic director Sandy Ernst. Learn more about guest artists at Carthage.

Carthage Theatre

The Rail Splitter

Emmy Award-winning playwright Rick Cleveland works with students to write and stage The Rail Splitter. Read more.

Shakespeare Festival

A 43-year love affair with Shakespeare: Carthage's annual trip to Stratford, Ontario for the Stratford Shakespeare Festival. Read more.

J-Term 2011: Ensemble and Experimental Acting

Students in the J-Term course Ensemble and Experimental Acting brought a month of weird and wild work to the stage. Read more.