Training
•Dual-track curriculum combining theatre acting courses with applied voice (8 credits), applied piano (2 credits), music theory, and dance (tap or jazz)
•Additional coursework in diction/dialects, movement for the stage, and directing
•Casting based on talent, not class year — freshmen compete for leads
•Performance faculty includes Matt Schwader Harbor (MFA, University of Delaware PTTP) — professional actor with credits at The Goodman, Chicago Shakespeare, The Old Globe, and Actors Theatre of Louisville; SAG-AFTRA and Actors' Equity member
•Students swept KCACTF Region 5 Design & Technology Expo (2025) with awards in lighting, costume design, and stage management
Performance & Productions
•Four mainstage productions per year including musicals (recent: Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, RENT, Spelling Bee, First Date)
•200-seat Frantze Family Black Box Theatre for intimate and experimental performance
•Minor options in Music and Dance complement MT training
Professional Development
•Guaranteed internship before graduation through Kansas City theatre partnerships
•Partner companies include New Theatre & Restaurant, Theatre for Young America, and Heart of America Shakespeare Festival
Facilities
•Goppert Performing Arts Center (opened 2020): 16,000+ sq ft with main stage, black box, expanded scene shop, and dedicated rehearsal spaces
•Sue King Willcox Music Hall with acoustical design for vocal training
Location
•Kansas City, MO — vibrant performing arts scene with 100+ arts organizations
