Why Choose Theater?
Whether you want to study theater as a launching pad for a career in performing arts, or as a way to pursue a passion and supplement your major, our theater minor offers great opportunities.
The City
New York City is home to some of the best and most diverse live theater in the world on Broadway and off-Broadway. For theater fans, there’s no better place to be. Many theater classes at Manhattan College involve trips to Broadway and other venues to see live performances. Some field trips involve backstage tours or hands-on lessons about how theaters operate behind-the-scenes. At Manhattan College, you have the opportunity to turn your passion for theater into actual college credit.
Maybe you are considering turning that passion into a career. There are internship opportunities with theater companies and dance studios throughout New York City. Our students have interned at:
- Atlantic Theater Company
- Disney Theatrical Group
- Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
- Manhattan Theatre Club
- New York City Center
- Playwrights Horizon
- Roundabout Theatre Company
Our location in New York City also lends itself to visits from professionals troupes and industry guest speakers. The National Shakespeare Company visits each year to conduct workshops with students and perform one of Shakespeare’s classics.
Performance Opportunities
There are many opportunities to hone your acting skills on campus. The Players is Manhattan College’s student-led performing arts troupe. While anyone is welcome to join, Players is also offered as a theater course for credit. Students who take part for credit receive 10 individual lessons from the director or an outside professional. The Players put on two main stage productions throughout the year produced by professionals in the industry, along with a number of cabaret-style shows.
For students who are quick on their feet, there’s Scatterbomb, the College’s improvisational comedy group. Learn about the different forms of improv, and how to set up scenes by working with a team. Scatterbomb hosts monthly shows throughout the year for the campus community.
Our theater students also attend the Kennedy Center and American College Theater Festival each spring. This program gives you the opportunity to perform at a competitive level against other college students, and explore many areas of theater including:
- Theater administration
- Design
- Dramaturgy
- Stage management
- Construction
The Skills
As a student of theater, you will develop skills for succeeding in a theatrical or performing arts career. But you will also develop sought-after professional business skills. You will learn how to control a room with presence and voice, and how to think quickly and creatively under pressure. You will also learn to be a team player, because theater (and business) is rarely a one-person show.