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Part of the University of Pittsburgh's School of Arts and Sciences, the Department of Theatre Arts (founded in 1982) offers BA, MA, MFA, and PhD degrees in theatre arts. All faculty members are active in both teaching and artistic or research activities.

The department shares a philosophy of theatre education, the chief feature of which is a firm conviction that theory and practice, academic and creative work, and educational and professional theatre must be integrated for a successful program of theatre education.

We likewise share the conviction that the study, practice, and experience of the art of theatre directly aid the power of imagination and our understanding of our place in the world. Critical, theoretical, and historical approaches to theatre involve methodologies drawn from the range of the humanities and social sciences, and themselves contribute to our understanding of the function of the arts in society. The practice of theatre is an ongoing exploration of the potency of human expressivity, and the experience of theatre is the occasion for the focusing of values and the celebration of community.

Pitt Repertory Theatre

Productions presented to the public—and the roles assigned to students therein—are selected in line with the three-fold objectives of the theatre arts department:

  1. To provide the widest possible spectrum of educational and training opportunities to the theatre artists and scholars of the future (inter-departmental courses and guest lecturers/instructors are widely utilized).
  2. To give as many students as possible a direct experience of the theatre as the occasion for self-development and artistic expression (three theatre venues provide versatility and a breadth of performance opportunities).
  3. To contribute to the cultural life of the University and the community by presenting classic drama along with contemporary plays and musicals, as well as various ethnic and intercultural productions.

Click here to read the Department of Theatre Arts Mission Statement, Goals, & Objectives. (PDF)