Theatre & Dance

Department of Theatre & Dance

Why Choose IU South Bend for Theatre & Dance

We know that which college you choose to attend is a very important decision. At IU South Bend, we pride ourselves on creating a professionally minded community of theatre makers with the goal of helping each of our students find their most trained, flexible, creative and unique artist within while preparing students for further study and/or the next steps in the industry.

Here are some of the highlights our program has to offer:

  • An undergraduate only program. This means much more access to opportunity for you from your first semester to your final semester.
  • The ability to work onstage and/or backstage from your first semester through your entire degree track.
  • A small faculty to student ratio. This means a large amount of faculty access and individualized mentorship across classes and production experiences.
  • A robust season with a focus on creating opportunities for students to learn across a variety of genres of theatre.
  • IU South Bend produces an annual children’s show called “Michele’s Little Hearts Children’s Theatre Program,” reaching as many as 8,000 elementary-aged students per year. 
  • A professionally minded, pedagogically driven faculty looking to help you achieve your highest levels of individual artistry in the field.

Entrance Auditions

For students interested in pursuing the BFA in Theatre with a Musical Theatre Performance concentration, or the BFA in Theatre with a Design & Technical Production concentration, please follow this link for entrance audition/portfolio review requirements.

For students interested in pursuing the BA in Theatre degree, there are no entrance auditions required. BA student progress will be reviewed on an annual basis at year-end reviews.

Meet the Faculty

Please click on this link to get to know the faculty of the IU South Bend Theatre & Dance Department.

Interested in working on one of our theatre productions? For season audition information or to let us know you'd like to be involved behind the scenes, please email Justin Amellio-Ashbrook at: jamellio@iu.edu

Interested in joining our IU South Bend Tap & Kickline? Please e-mail Karen Pajor at: kpajor@iusb.edu

Theatre and Dance Majors and Minors stop for a photo on a Department trip to see Hamilton at the CIBC Theatre in Chicago.

Major Degree Tracks

At IU South Bend, the Theatre and Dance department offers the following degree tracks and concentrations:

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre

The B.F.A. degree in Theatre prepares students for the professional theatre or additional training at the graduate level via an intensely-focused concentration in their specific area of study and extensive production experience designed to promote excellence.

Concentrations offered:

Bachelor of Arts in Theatre

The B.A. degree gives students a broad acquaintance and experience with the various ways theatre artists study, interpret, and express the world in which we live via the theatrical genre.

This is a highly well-rounded degree that aims to create a foundational knowledge of theatre from which students can pursue work in their chosen field and/or further graduate study as stage managers, directors, designers, performers, technicians, and much more. The B.A. student chooses much of their focus and ultimate path through this degree experience.

Department of Theatre & Dance Mission Statement

To empower students to thrive as creative and compassionate theatre and dance artists through rigorous liberal arts-based curricula guided by professional faculty for career preparation.

 All students are provided opportunities for: 

  • Extensive and diverse production and artistic work.
  • Academic research, scholarship, and creative activity in the arts and beyond.
  • Establishing a work ethic of collaboration, personal discipline and respect.

Arts Events Calendar