» Department of Fine and Performing Arts
Pursue your passion for theatre in our community, which includes performers, designers, directors, stage managers, and creators. Learn from experience and faculty who are working professionals active in their fields.
Theatre Northwest is like a family business and a home to students who are perfecting their craft with each performance as well as in the classroom and labs. Theatre Northwest majors successfully find work as professional actors, directors, and designers in theatre. Students jump into productions in their first year to accelerate their profession-based learning experiences. First-year students have the opportunity to begin their first mainstage university play in their second week of fall classes.
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Please contact Katheryn Bilbo with questions: kbilbo@nwmissouri.edu
Friday, February 21, 2025 (spring)
This visit day is for high school students interested in learning more about theatre programs available at Northwest. You will have the opportunity to observe classes, meet with faculty and students, tour facilities, and learn about internship and career opportunities. You will also have the opportunity to audition for a scholarship!
Are you ready to apply, schedule a visit or want to know more about Northwest?
Theatre scholarships at Northwest are awarded annually to New First-Year Theatre Majors (including Transfer students) and Returning Theatre Majors and Minors.
“I chose the Speech/Theatre Education program at Northwest because of the many exciting theatre opportunities given to me and how my education can be crafted to fit my personal interests. In my first year, I acted in several productions and have already had the opportunity to be Associate Director of a mainstage production.”
Billie McCoy
Speech/theatre education major
The First-year Student Showcase play introduces audiences to Theatre Northwest’s new performing arts majors while orienting the students with the people and practices of the theatre program. As in the past 31 years, the production is performed by an all-first-year student cast with tech by new Bearcats as well. Previous productions include The Laramie Project, The Voice of the Prairie, Stop/Kiss, and the Diviners.
(APO) is a national honor society for theatre majors. Highlights for this group are an annual touring children’s show that donates proceeds to local charities and sponsorship of the annual year-end theatre awards banquet.
Northwest students have opportunities to create theatre in up to five venues. The venues include the Mary Linn Auditorium, which seats 1000. The Studio Theatre is a black box space with flexible seating for up to 150, and the Black Box Director's Studio is an intimate space that seats up to 50. These three venues are all in the Ron Houston Center for the Performing Arts. In addition, there is the 500-seat Charles Johnson Theatre in the DeLuce Fine Arts Building and an outdoor amphitheater, the Ray Courter Pavilion.
Each spring, Theatre Northwest students at all levels have the opportunity to select and direct a play to present as part of a series of staged readings. Shows can range from short one-acts to full-length productions.
The Department of Fine and Performing Arts coordinates numerous guest artist presentations throughout the year, including choral ensembles, jazz musicians, studio artists, comedians, one-person shows, workshops, and many other outstanding shows and networking opportunities. Many of these guest artists also utilize Theatre Northwest’s technical theatre group, often in paid positions, for everything from sound and lighting to props to makeup to scenic work.
