Inspiring Artistic Excellence and Community Leadership through Theatre & Dance
Theatre & Dance at the University of Michigan-Flint fosters a vibrant learning environment, blending intensive training with social awareness. Our programs prepare students for artistic and community leadership, valuing collaboration, empathy, and service.
Theatre Bachelor’s Degree Programs
Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre
This is our most flexible degree, as you can choose different tracks: performance, musical theatre, literature & history, or the broad general track, where you can devise your course of study and mix-and-match courses across design, technology and performance.
Bachelor of Science in Theatre Design & Technology
This flexible program allows you to glean skills and knowledge across theatre production: costumes, scenic, lighting, sound, & stage management. Many classes are hands-on studio-style, meaning you’ll dig right into props, carpentry, sewing, hanging lights, and managing rehearsals. You’ll also take classes in design theory that allow you to study plays and learn how to create a three-dimensional world for the characters.
Bachelor of Arts in Theatre General
This is our most flexible degree, as you can choose different tracks: performance, musical theatre, literature & history, or the broad general track, where you can devise your own course of study and mix-and-match courses across design, technology and performance.
Minors
Academic Advising
At the University of Michigan-Flint, we are proud to have many dedicated advisors who are the experts students can rely upon to guide their educational journey. Explore all the possible pathways for your future with Therasa Martin, the dedicated academic advisor for Theatre majors. You can contact her at tsimpson@umich.edu or 810-424-5496.
2024-25 Season Performances
Here’s what our Theatre students and faculty have planned for this coming year. We hope to see you at an upcoming performance!
Want to stay up to date on all of our upcoming theatre performances? Sign up for our Community Events email list.
Sounds Good — Sign Me Up!
Exit, Pursued by a Bear
By Lauren Gunderson
Directed by William Irwin
- Nov. 8, 9, 10
- Nov. 15, 16, 17
Nan has decided to teach her abusive husband, Kyle, a lesson.
With the help of her friend Simon (acting as her emotional — and actual — cheerleader) and a stripper named Sweetheart, she tapes Kyle to a chair and forces him to watch as they reenact scenes from their painful past.
For the grand finale, they plan to cover the room in meat and honey so Kyle will be mauled by a bear.
Through this night of emotional trials and ridiculous theatrics, Nan and Kyle are both freed from their past in this smart, dark revenge comedy about marriage, friendship, love, betrayal, taking a stand, and revenge that’s surprisingly uplifting, with a touch of delightfully overplanned, overthought and overdramatic vengeance.
A Year with Frog and Toad
Book and lyrics by Willie Reale
Music by Robert Reale
Based on books by Arnold Lobel
Directed by Stephanie Dean
- March 21, 22, 23
- March 28, 29, 30
Based on Arnold Lobel’s well-loved books, this whimsical show follows two great friends – the cheerful, popular Frog and the rather grumpy Toad – through four fun-filled seasons.
Waking from hibernation in the Spring, Frog and Toad plant gardens, swim, rake leaves, go sledding and learn life lessons along the way. The two best friends celebrate and rejoice in the differences that make them unique and special.
Part vaudeville, part make believe… all charm, A Year with Frog and Toad tells the story of a friendship that endures throughout the seasons. The jazzy, upbeat score of A Year with Frog and Toad bubbles with melody and wit, making it an inventive, exuberant and enchanting musical, perfect for introducing theatre to youngsters while keeping adults entertained, as well.
The Laramie Project
By Moisés Kaufman and Members of the Tectonic Theater Project
Directed by Janet Haley
- April 17, 18, 19
- Show available for booking at High Schools
In October 1998, a twenty-one-year-old student at the University of Wyoming was kidnapped, severely beaten, and left tied to a fence in the middle of the prairie outside Laramie, Wyoming. His bloody, bruised, and battered body was not discovered until the next day, and he died several days later in an area hospital. His name was Matthew Shepard, and he was the victim of this assault because he was gay.
Moisés Kaufman and fellow members of the Tectonic Theater Project made six trips to Laramie over the course of a year and a half, in the aftermath of the beating and during the trial of the two young men accused of killing Shepard. They conducted more than 200 interviews with the people of the town. Some people interviewed were directly connected to the case, while others were citizens of Laramie, and the breadth of the reactions to the crime is fascinating. Kaufman and Tectonic Theater members have constructed a deeply moving theatrical experience from these interviews and their own experiences in Laramie. The Laramie Project is a breathtaking collage that explores the depths to which humanity can sink and the heights of compassion of which we are capable.
Scholarships for Theatre & Dance Students
UM-Flint provides many scholarships that are specifically for theatre and dance students. They include:
- Carl and Sarah Morgan Theatre Fund
- Carolyn M Gillespie Fund for Theatre and Dance
- Stephen Landon Memorial Endowed Scholarship Fund
- Ralph M. and Emmalyn E. Freeman Theatre Scholarship
- Kay Sampson Kelly Theatre Merit Scholarship Fund
- UM-Flint Theatre and Dance Friends Scholarship
- Brian K. Mcdonald Scholarship Fund
- Shakespeare Club of Flint Scholarship Fund
- Jeffrey F Garfield Scholarship Fund
Our Office of Financial Aid also offers a variety of other scholarships, grants, loans, and work-study opportunities. They’re all part of our effort to make your world-class University of Michigan-Flint education affordable.
Mon’Quez Deon Pippins
Theatre Performance 2003
Mon’Quez is a singer, songwriter, actor, and chef. Before starring in such productions as the first Broadway tour of The Color Purple, he honed his craft with UM-Flint Theatre & Dance. He remembers his professors fondly for pushing him to constantly improve.
“All of my professors, they pushed us to use our chops. They didn’t want us to sit comfortably. They wanted us to work hard to make these characters come through…UM-Flint Theatre taught me to DRIVE and fight for my goals.”
Career Paths in Theatre & Dance
The skills and abilities developed through your coursework in theatre and dance serve as the building blocks for a wide range of occupations and career paths. It is important to realize that the activities represented by these job titles might be found in business, government, educational institutions, non-profit agencies, or arts-related businesses. These job titles are examples of how theatre and dance students have applied their skills and abilities. In general, an advanced degree is required for those occupations marked with an asterisk (*) on the list that follows:
- Actor/Actress
- Choreographer/Stunt Coordinator
- Playwright/Screenwriter
- Production Support Services
- Carpenter
- *Arts Council Director
- *Arts Administration
- Director/Producer
- *Theatre Librarian
- Theatre Teacher
- Designer
- Scenic, Costume, Lighting, Sound, etc.
- *Community Arts Center Director
- Marketing Positions
- Theatre Teacher
- *Managing Director, Publicist/Public Relations
- And more!
Courageous – Flexible – Compassionate
The central focus of Theatre & Dance at the University of Michigan-Flint is to provide our students with a challenging educational environment and richly diverse learning experiences. We strive to provide students with opportunities to work alongside professionals on and off the stage. We are committed to providing our students with the necessary artistic and personal tools to meet the demands of an ever-evolving world and profession.
Through intellectual inquiry, imaginative daring, intensive training, social awareness, and practical experience, our students stand ready to assume responsibility in the community and excel as courageous artists, flexible workers, and compassionate citizens.
We value collaboration, responsibility, balance, empathy, and service.
Skills Applied
The study of theatre and dance equips a student with a broad range of communication and organizational skills applicable to many careers, including those in the performing arts. A theatre and dance student’s presentation skills, ability to perform in public, and control of the voice and body provide a solid basis for working effectively with others.
Theatre and dance also develop the ability to concentrate intensely, listen introspectively, observe keenly, solve problems creatively, think critically, develop a project collaboratively, work independently, work under pressure, meet deadlines, and maintain composure when faced with the unexpected. Well-developed communication skills enable graduates to contribute and to succeed in many professions. A sample of representative skills and abilities follows:
Analysis
- Problem-solving
- Understanding ideas within historical/social context
- Comparing and contrasting ideas/information
Artistic/Technical
- Explaining concepts
- Sound, lighting, costuming, makeup, and design techniques
- Good health, stamina, and body coordination
Communication
- Public speaking
- Speaking articulately and listening introspectively
- Voice control/modulation
- Body language
Organization
- Self-discipline
- Interacting and collaborating with colleagues in a team setting
- Ability to maintain composure when faced with the unexpected (improvisation)
