About

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

The responsibilities that constitute the mission of the Department of Theatre Arts are congruent with the generally recognized mission of the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences in the University of Pittsburgh, which supports our collaborative efforts in garnering a community of learners that are actively engaging in interdisciplinary research, teaching, and creative practice. The department makes every effort to support diversity and inclusion by bringing together faculty, staff, and students who have a broad range of viewpoints, practices, and interests in the performing arts and its practices. These encompass our BA, MFA, and PhD programs, faculty teaching and course development, research, and scholarship. We seek to provide the widest possible spectrum of practical and educational opportunities to the theatre artists and scholars of the future. We pursue our mission through rigorous course work combined with direct practical experience in theatre research, performance, design, and production, as occasions for self-development and artistic challenge. We expect our faculty to enrich human knowledge through disciplinary and cross-disciplinary research and creative activity issuing in scholarly and artistic projects accessible to the campus and the Pittsburgh community of citizens and scholars. We work to create theatrical and scholarly leaders in the cultural life of the University and the global community.

The University of Pittsburgh Theatre Arts Department promotes an awareness of diversity and inclusion in our curriculum, classrooms, and departmental productions a priority. We have structured the season selection process to ensure that our production choices are focused on the department’s pedagogical goals of giving practice in the history of performance and drama as well as promoting our goals of diversity, inclusion, and principles of equal opportunity for all who research, study, and work on departmental productions. We will support these choices within our curriculum to ensure that each student who majors in Theatre Arts graduates with well-rounded academic experiences and perspectives.

If you are planning a trip to our campus, you can personalize your visit by scheduling a meeting with a professor, sit in on a class, or take a tour of our theatres by emailing Kate Vargish to schedule an appointment.

Pitt Stages

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:

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).
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).
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.

Proud Member

Student Organizations

A wide variety of organizations allow students the opportunity to explore all areas of the art from technical theatre to production, performance, and even improv. Examples of our student organizations include:

Performance Spaces

The Department of Theatre Arts boasts three performance spaces: the Charity Randall Theatre and the Henry Heymann Theatre, both housed in the Foster Memorial, and the Richard E. Rauh Studio Theatre, located in the Cathedral of Learning. All three provide state-of-the-art performance and technical experiences for Pitt students.