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Missouri Southern State University

Southern Theatre

Taylor Performing Arts Center
Main Office - Room 243
(417) 625-9393

MSSU Theatre | Degree Options | Scholarship Auditions
Course Descriptions | Taylor Auditorium | Walton Black Box

Faculty / Staff | Season Calendar | Pictures In The Department

MSSU Theatre - Overview

Southern Theatre can offer you experience and training that bring out and strengthen your social and leadership skills and qualities. We also offer a strong liberal arts background that can open career opportunities in many fields. If performance and directing are your interests, quality instruction and practical experience in acting, movement, speech, oral interpretation, makeup, audition techniques, and stage direction are yours at MSSU. If technical theatre is your niche, you can gain knowledge and experience in theatre technology, stage and costume design and construction, lighting and sound design and execution, stage management and backstage work with mainstage, experimental and student productions. You will also become acquainted with the latest equipment, including computer applications for theatre technology.

You can earn a bachelor of arts degree or a bachelor of science in education degree. If you are looking at theatre as a second field, MSSU also offers a minor in theatre.

MSSU Theatre offers:

Theatre faculty members who have professional experience in their teaching specialties;
Individual instruction and attention to students in their classwork and projects;
A flexible, well-equipped mainstage theatre with power equipment, a complete costume/wardrobe room and state-of-the-art computer controlled lighting and sound systems as well as a blackbox theatre that is used for departmental productions;
Five to seven productions each year, including two children's plays as part of the Show-Me Celebration Company's long-established and successful program, performing for more than 15,000 people annually from the Four State area;
Play participation open to all Southern students, faculty and staff. Hands-on experience for students in acting, house and stage management, directing and technical design and execution;
Careful advisement and guidance in university curriculum and career planning. Faculty and student directed major and studio presentations. Opportunity for participation in the Regional American College Theatre Festival and other professional meetings;
Two theatre organizations: Backstage and Alpha Psi Omega, a national honorary fraternity;
A departmental computer lab.

Career opportunities

Ever wonder what you might do with a degree in theatre? Former Southern Theatre students are presently working in all of these areas:

Theatre Performance	Personnel Management
Professional Radio & Television	Government Service
Production/Performance	Employee Training
Industrial (Commercials)	Administrative Position
Public Relations	Teaching
Stage Management	Graduate Studies
Executive Leadership in Business	Ministry
Recreational Directorship	Community Social Services
Technical Theatre (design and construction)

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