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Students dancing

Theatre and Dance

“I regard the theater as the greatest of all art forms, the most immediate way in which a human being can share with another the sense of what it is to be a human being. This supremacy of the theater derives from the fact that it is always "now" on the stage.”
― Thornton Wilder

South Dakota State University Theatre is accredited by the

National Association of the Schools Of Theatre

Theatre and Dance at SDSU offers opportunities for all students to participate in the performing arts. Theatre majors and minors, dance minors and any interested State student may become involved in our robust schedule of productions each year. Our auditions are open to any enrolled student. Students may also be involved offstage as well. They may work in design/tech areas such as: stage management, costume design and construction, scenic design and construction, props design and construction, lighting and sound design and execution, theatrical rigging, publicity/promotion, ticket sales and front-of-house management.

We take great pride in offering our students a liberal arts bachelor’s degree in theatre. Theatre majors and minors will find that their coursework informs production work and vice-versa. Our aim is to provide a solid and practical foundation in both theatrical theory and practice. While students usually find a focus in a particular area of theatrical study (performance, direction, technical/design), we encourage and support students to gain experience and knowledge in all areas of theatre. In our program a performer may well be on the stage in a costume they constructed or performing in a musical under lights they designed or focused. The theatre faculty not only encourages the cultivation of multiple skills but regularly employs those various skills themselves. Our graduates have a solid understanding of all aspects of creating, promoting and performing theatre and dance.

The Theatre major requires 45 credit hours, though many students take more credits than required during their undergraduate experience. One of the advantages of a liberal-arts Theatre degree is the ability to double-major. Students may tailor their undergraduate studies to their specific needs or interests. Our Theatre students often pair that major with disciplines such as: English education, speech education, marketing/advertising, interior design or even electrical engineering. This allows for even greater potential opportunities after graduation.

Students may complete a theatre minor by taking the required 18 credits. Our minor in dance also requires 18 credits (many of our theatre majors also minor in dance). Students may also elect to earn a minor in performing arts administration, a multi-disciplinary minor featuring 18 credits of coursework in theatre and music as well as courses from across campus in accounting, non-profit management, facilities administration, digital promotions and others.

Theatre and Dance News

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SDSU Theatre and Dance to open season with ‘Fuddy Meers’

South Dakota State University Theatre and Dance will kick off its 2024-25 season with the wonky comedy “Fuddy Meers.”...
Andrea Carlile, director of forensics and assistant professor of communication studies, shown at Jackrabbits Forensics' Night Before Nationals event in April, will speak on reinvigorating speech and debate team culture at the Speech Communication Association of South Dakota annual conference on South Dakota State University’s campus July 24-25.

SDSU to host Speech Communication Association conference

The Speech Communication Association of South Dakota will hold its annual conference on South Dakota State University’s campus July 24-25.

SDSU Theatre and Dance to present ‘James and the Giant Peach’

South Dakota State University Theatre and Dance will bring a popular children’s story to life with its production of “James and the Giant Peach.” Performance dates and times are April 18-20 at 7:30 p.m. and April 21 at 2 p.m. at the Oscar Larson Theatre in the Oscar Larson Performing Arts Center on campus.