A well-executed performance, whether live or onscreen, appears to audiences as a seamless piece of entertainment. For the hours that their attention is held, their reality is suspended and thoughts focused only on the visual and plot elements before them. If you've ever worked on one of these productions, though, you know that anywhere between weeks and years of detailed preparation go into putting on a successful show. Theater degrees prepare you for just that, taking you backstage to learn everything from the challenges of adapting a written story for the stage to designing sets and costumes. If you're ready to study dramatic literature, build elaborate sets, and really get into the skin of a character, there's a good chance the theater major is right for you.

Theatre Degrees and Careers
A theater student's curriculum prepares him for all aspects of a theater production. In this major, you can expect to take courses in acting, directing, theater history, dramatic literature, costume design, and stage/lighting design. You may write and direct your own plays and star in school productions.

Because so much varied work goes into putting on a memorable play or producing a high-quality television show or film, this industry generates a range of highly specialized jobs. These include:
  •   Costume design, where you'll research a time and place for optimum visual accuracy in your designs
  •   Acting
  •   Directing
  •   Playwriting/Screenwriting
  •   Set design
  •   Arts administration, which entails event planning, talent recruitment, and budget management
  •   Stage/Screen technology, encompassing practical details such as lighting, sound, and props

If you're passionate about developing your theatrical creativity and fusing the elements of acting, writing, and design to bring audiences a memorable show, enroll in a program of theater arts today.