The Theater Department at Moraine Valley Community College offers a valuable base from which to launch a theater career in stage, film, television, management, marketing, education, social work, and much more. Students interested in a degree in theater can begin here with transferable coursework in the Associate in Arts degree program.
Whether you choose to perform on stage or work behind the scenes, our courses and productions develop confidence that helps you succeed in whatever profession you choose.
On Stage
Gain experience as an actor in one-of-four stage productions yearly, as well as scene showcases through acting classes with award-winning faculty and workshops with guest artists.
Off-Campus Opportunities
A select group of students attends the Kennedy Center American Theater Festival every year. Many of our students go on to four-year programs (often with scholarships) to prestigious theatre programs such as Illinois State University, Columbia College, DePaul University, and Western Illinois University.
Behind the Scenes
Get hands-on experience with costuming, props, lighting, sound, and special effects. Our scene shop regularly hires student employees for crew.
By earning your associate in arts degree at Moraine Valley can make it more likely that you will transfer to a four-year school with junior status. Learn more about how you can complete the first two years of your college education at Moraine Valley before transferring to a four-year school to earn a bachelor's degree and further your training in Theater Arts.
Training in the Theater Arts provides a broad range of career choices:
- Actor
- Agent
- Casting Director
- Dance Choreographer
- Director
- Producer
- Production Manager
- Screenwriter
- Set / Costume / Sound / Lighting Designer
- Stage Manager
- Theatre Professor or Teacher
Transfer Agreements
You can transfer credits from Moraine Valley's Theatre program to most four-year colleges or universities across the country.
The college is proud to partner with four-year colleges and universities to ensure a seamless transfer experience for its students who desire to earn a bachelor’s degree. We currently have 2+ 2 agreements with Lincoln College and Western Illinois University in addition to our always growing articulation agreements.
View our Transfer Programs page for more transfer guides and articulation agreements.
Moraine Valley 2017 Faculty of the Year
Fondly referred to as Doc by his students, Dr. Craig Rosen, the coordinator of the Academic Theater Program, directs many of the productions and is involved in the auditions. Dr. Rosen has expanded student opportunities on campus through the academic theater season, course offerings and extracurricular activities. He consistently hires artists from the Chicago theater community and area four-year colleges to work on the Academic Theater shows, which ultimately connects Moraine Valley students with theater professionals of all types.
Past productions include:
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My Fair Lady
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After Ashely
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No Exit
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A Midsummer Night’s Dream
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Avenue Q
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Waiting for Lefty
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Angels in America, pt. 1
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Hamlet
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Into the Woods
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The Diary of Anne Frank
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Crimes of the Heart
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Measure for Measure
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Cabaret
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Harvey
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A Day in the Death of Joe Egg
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The Tempest
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Reefer Madness
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Betrayal
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Playboy of the Western World
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The Taming of the Shrew
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A Christmas Carol
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Spring Awakening
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A Doll’s House
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The Merchant of Venice
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Hair
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Hand to God
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Rabbit Hole
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The Winter’s Tale
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Evil Dead, the musical
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American Griot
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Little Women
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Antony and Cleopatra
Theater Facilities
Dorothy Menker Theater
The 600-seat Dorothy Menker Theater is a proscenium theater with a movable orchestra pit. The theater is beautifully designed with excellent acoustics, sightlines, and cutting-edge theatrical equipment. Our theater productions are performed here, and you can enjoy superb professional productions in theater, dance, and music throughout the year.
John and Angeline Oremus Theater
Featuring an overhead “trampoline grid” for dynamic light and sound design, Moraine Valley’s flexible theater space is the 150-seat John and Angeline Oremus Theater. In this “black-box” setting, productions can be mounted arena, thrust, proscenium, or environmental style, depending on the play’s needs and the director’s vision. It’s also used as an acting and stagecraft classroom.
Questions?
Contact the program coordinator Craig Rosen.