Theatre Department FAQ

What’s the difference between Theatre and Musical Theatre at The Chicago Academy for the Arts?

In the theatre department, we are training students to think about the entirety for the discipline of theatre-making and the expansive range of opportunities therein. Students who graduate from our program may want to pursue acting, directing, playwriting, devising, improv, stagecraft and production, stage management or all of the above. 

In the musical theatre department, graduates have pursued the necessary tools to become performers in the genre of musical theatre with rigorous training in singing, acting, and dancing.

What do graduates from the Theatre Department go on to do?

Lots of things. Many of our students matriculate into schools that specialize in actor training. Many others pursue liberal arts colleges that have strong theatre programs within. Still others pursue a wide variety of study courses in college. Occasionally, students will enter into the business of acting and theatre straight from high school.

How many hours a week do I attend my theatre classes?

In a typical week, you can expect to study in your department for a minimum of 15 hours and a maximum of 25 hours while in rehearsals for one of our productions.

Where did the theatre department faculty receive their theatre training?

Our faculty all have extensive training and professional work. Check out their bio here to find out more about them.

How do you handle casting for your department productions?

Each play produced in the department (fall mainstage, spring mainstage, and Shakespeare Festival) is chosen with the current ensemble of actors in mind. By the time our students are seniors, our faculty is intimately familiar with their unique skills and talents. Our shows take into account the specific makeup of our ensemble, which changes from year to year, and attempts to intersect that with the most vibrant and exciting plays in the contemporary and historical range of drama.