The Department of Theatre gives emphasis to both production and scholarship, with training in acting, theatre history, dramatic literature, and theory & criticism. The Ph.D. program trains students in theatre scholarship and encourages a knowledge of theatre history and dramatic literature that is complemented by an awareness of old and new theoretical trends. The department's professional actor training program offers a Master of Fine Arts degree and is organized in a conservatory structure.

With the addition of Swine Palace, the LSU Department of Theatre is one of the few programs in the country with an affiliate Equity theatre. Students may thus gain experience with a professional theatre company while pursuing their degrees. The LSU Department of Theatre fosters creativity and originality in its stage productions, training methods, and scholarship, and offers a learning environment that is unique to the region.

The Claude L. Shaver Theatre, one of the finest examples of art deco theatrical architecture in the South, was built in 1932 and remains the major stage space for our extensive production program. The department's production programs enrich the academic programs, and the Ph.D. curriculum provides a like enrichment for production training.


Degree Programs
→ Bachelor of Arts
→ Master of Fine Arts
→ Doctor of Philosophy in Theatre