A NOTEfrom the department chair
Welcome! Thank you for taking the time to explore theatre at Berry. Our program will encourage you to dive deeply into your specialization while gaining experience in other areas and acquiring a broad liberal arts foundation. We offer in-depth academic studies, state-of-the-art facilities and practical, hands-on work in our very own theatre company that will give you years of experience before graduation.
At Berry, theatre is a way of being. Our faculty are committed to broadening the consciousness of student artists and patrons about theatre worldwide while instilling a sense of collaboration on the local level among students from diverse backgrounds. You’ll find opportunities for self-expression and creative fulfillment while developing time management and emotional/social intelligence — qualities highly valued by employers.
Get to know us. When the time is right, I encourage you to visit our beautiful campus, see a show as our guest and discover why Berry College is a great place to learn your craft.
Warm regards,
Adam Hayes, D.M.A.Chair, Department of Fine ArtsAssociate Professor of Music
INTO YOUR HUMANITY.
THE ROLE OF A LIFETIME.
Why our theatre program will WOW you.
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50+fine arts performances and
art exhibits annually
YOU DO IT ALL WHILE FINDING YOUR FOCUS
When it comes to planning a career in theatre, the program at Berry is as real as it
gets. With a firm liberal arts grounding, the B.A. in theatre ensures a combination
of academic and co-curricular studies that results in transferable skills across
disciplines and career paths within the theatre industry and beyond it.
You’ll receive the academic studies and professional foundations essential for
your fulfillment as a human being as well as your success in the field. Breadth and
depth characterize the student experience — in all levels of theatrical production.
Understanding the role of each company member gives our graduates a competitive
edge. For example, if acting is your primary focus, you can still learn about directing, set
construction, lighting, props, costuming and makeup. Or you can dive into playwriting,
script analysis and theatre history. If the business side of theatre appeals, you can
concentrate on house management, box office, marketing, publicity and sales.
Putting theory into practice is the hallmark of our curriculum. Frequent productions
will allow you to use skills learned in class. As a theatre major, you will be involved
in at least six main-stage productions by graduation. Through these experiences,
collaboration with other students and close faculty mentoring, you will mature
artistically while cultivating discipline, humility and tolerance.
With a B.A.
18students per class
on average
11:1student-to-faculty ratio
97%of faculty have a Ph.D.
For Better or For Worse, an interactive cyber theatre production, directed by Visiting Artist-in-Residence, David Alford
BACHELOR OF ARTS IN THEATRE
MINORSTheatreMusical Theatre
DEGREES
Instead of a narrow focus on just tech or performance, a
theatre degree at Berry takes a comprehensive approach
to academics and professional training. The integration of
liberal arts disciplines ensures you’ll graduate as a well-
rounded individual who will thrive in your career and lead in
your community.
Strategically combining a theatre major with a minor —
bolstered by LifeWorks opportunities — delivers a package
that is more than B.F.A. worthy. For example, a theatre
major and a minor in musical theatre, along with hands-on
experience, are comparable to a B.F.A. in performance. A
theatre major plus a minor in creative technologies, as well
as work with state-of-the-art equipment, offers the career
preparation of a B.F.A. in theatre design and technology.
GAIN YEARS OF PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE — AND GET PAIDHere’s your chance to learn by doing — and prepare for
professional opportunities! Through Berry’s LifeWorks
program, the Berry College Theatre Company employs
about 50 students in various areas — with on-campus jobs
guaranteed every semester. More than 95% of our students
work at some point during their four years, with more than
85% working during any given year. Choose from a variety
of positions in the following areas: administrative, box office,
publicity, costume shop and scene shop.
EXPERIENCE
WHERE OUR STUDENTS TAKE THEIR CRAFT
Training in our theatre program leads to summer and post-graduate opportunities with: Berkshire Theatre GroupDisney Cruise LineGeorgia Theatre ConferenceJacob’s PillowPorthouse TheatreShenandoah Summer Music TheatreSoutheastern Summer Theatre InstituteTheatre AspenThe Lost Colony
An immersive
that goesBEYOND A B.F.A.
Open to the college community, Berry College
Theatre Company (BCTC) operates on
professional principles, offering three main-stage
shows and a student-produced, second stage show
during the academic year. Students and theatre
faculty work together to produce the season.
Through BCTC, you can participate in service
projects and social outings, including a fundraising
event to benefit the broader community.
Recent productions: l Molière’s Tartuffe l 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee l Dogfight (written by Pasek and Paul, creators
of Dear Evan Hansen) l Silent Sky (written by America’s most
produced playwright of 2017, Lauren
Gunderson) l Neil Simon’s Rumors l Broadway musical Urinetown l Make Merry (an original student-written piece)
Students also participate in the Kennedy Center
American College Theater Festival, Georgia
Theatre Conference and the Southeastern
Theatre Conference, the largest regional theatre
conference in the country.
Membership in the Kappa Alpha chapter of Alpha
Psi Omega, the national theatre honor society, is
awarded for hard work and dedication on BCTC
productions. Members work continually to discover
and perfect methods of performance, playwriting
and tech/design. They also study and understand
classical and contemporary theatre, and support
the work of their peers.
Get involved!
At Berry, you’ll have the space to learn and grow while practicing your
craft in the Sisters Theatre at Blackstone Hall. You’ll work with faculty
and fellow artists in all disciplines to craft a story that entertains while
tapping into the audience’s empathy.
Dedicated in 2017, the 9,226 square-foot theatre has a black-box
stage and adjustable seating for up to 276 audience members. This
simple, open space readily connects performers to the audience and
CUTTING-EDGE FACILITIES
WHERE STORIES COME ALIVE
allows flexible staging and lighting from minimal to elaborate. It’s the
perfect environment to support high production values while offering
opportunities for professional hands-on learning. Moreover, it’s the
ideal venue for staging an experimental theatre experience known
as Interactive Cyber Theatre — in which the audience interacts with
players to steer the outcome of the story. Innovative uses of technology
and improvisation result in a different performance every time.
IN THE SPOTLIGHTwhere our graduates shine
TRIPLE THREAT TALENT: PLAYWRIGHT, EDUCATOR, DIRECTOR
Emily McClain ’04 is a professional playwright and head of the
theatre program for the Gwinnett County School of the Arts in
Lawrenceville, GA. A member of Working Title Playwrights and
the Dramatists Guild, she currently serves as board president for
Gwinnett Classic Theatre. Her playwriting credits include: l Julie’s Place: full-length comedy selected for JOOKMS
Spotlight Series (2020) l Cheek by Jowl: featured playwright with Elephant Room
Productions; featured in Essential Theatre’s Bare Essentials Play Reading
Series (2020) l Children of Combs and Watch Chains: finalist for Risk Theatre International
Competition (2020). l Slaying Holofernes: co-winner of Essential Theatre’s New Play Festival, with
world premiere production (2019) l Terminus Andronicus: finalist, Shakespeare’s New Contemporaries
Competition (2019) at the American Shakespeare Center l Short plays: Santa after Hours (2018, 2019 ) and Women’s Shorts (2019)
at Out of Box Theatre; Amplifest (2019) at Merely Players; Culture Series
(2018) at Atlanta AppCo; Los Angeles Library Series (2019) at Raze The
Space; Ten-Minute Play Contest Winner (2019) and Ten-Minute Play Finalist
(2020) at Theatre Oxford; Courtroom Drama Series (2019, 2020) at Actor’s
Express; Snowdance (2020) at Sixth Street Theatre l Audio dramas: Copper Angel (2021) by Borderless Productions; My Brother’s
Secret Keeper (2021) and Children of Combs and Watch Chains (2021) by
Quarantine Players l Published through Smiths Script and Stage Rights, with additional work found
on New Play Exchange
David Hanks Photography
THRIVING AS AN ACTOR IN REGIONAL THEATRE
Lyndsay Ricketson ’09 graduated from Berry College with a B.A.
in musical theatre. She has performed regionally, including Next to
Normal (Geva Theatre Center) and A Chorus Line and An Evening
with Andrew Lloyd Webber (Mill Mountain Theatre).
Based in Atlanta, Lyndsay has worked at Alliance Theatre, Atlanta
Lyric Theatre, Synchronicity Theatre, Stage Door Players, Georgia
Ensemble Theatre and the Center for Puppetry Arts. Represented in film and television
by the People Store, she enjoys writing, directing and producing her own projects.
IN THE SPOTLIGHTwhere our graduates shine
FROM BACKSTAGE VOLUNTEER TO STAGE DESIGNER
Bitten by the theatre bug her freshman year, Lindsey Purvis ’16
jumped into the theatre program working backstage. After four
years of theatre-based student work and a New York internship, she
earned a master’s degree in stage design at Cincinnati’s prestigious
College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) — certain her work at
Berry set her up for success: “Not everyone has the opportunity to
build and paint entire sets, weld, hang lights or run shows. Having
actual practical experience put me ahead of the curve.”
Lindsey’s productions include The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Government Inspector and
Lady Windermere’s Fan at CCM; Winnie the Pooh, It’s a Wonderful Life and Go, Dog. Go! at
Rose Theater; and Cabaret at Northern Kentucky University. She has also won awards from the
Southeastern Theatre Conference and Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival.
IN THE SPOTLIGHTwhere our graduates shine
MENTORS AND NETWORKING SPARKED CAREER SUCCESS
Ashley Rutkowski ’18 earned a B.A. in theatre and is now
pursuing a Master of Fine Arts in costume technologies from
Ohio University. She previously worked with The Alley Theatre
in Houston, Texas; Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida; Berry
College Theatre Company in Rome, Georgia; Kennesaw State
University Theatre & Performance Studies Program in Kennesaw,
Georgia; Central Piedmont Community College’s Professional
Summer Theatre program in Charlotte, North Carolina; and Georgia Ensemble Theatre
in Marietta, Georgia.
“My time at Berry taught me so much!” Ashley says. “The faculty members were always
encouraging me to be better and helping me find the best opportunities that were perfect
for me. I have created lifelong friends and, thanks to our program’s fundraising to go to
conferences, an abundance of networking opportunities and connections. The training
and diversity of options allowed me to be so well-rounded.”
GRAD PURSUES MUSICAL THEATRE IN THE BIG APPLE
After earning kudos for theatre roles and a Bachelor of Music
in Performance at Berry College, Kenny Morgan ’20 enrolled
in the prestigious New York University Steinhardt to earn a
Master of Music in vocal performance with a concentration
in music theatre. Trained in voice, acting and dance,
Kenny accumulated an impressive list of credits during his
undergraduate career, including: l 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Dogfight, Urinetown and
Peter and the Starcatcher at Berry College l A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Cheating Death, Seussical, Stopping at
Ellis Island and The Tempest at Providence Theatre
A three-week musical theatre intensive experience in London (partially funded by
a grant from Berry’s Office of International Experiences) solidified Kenny’s decision
to follow his passion in theatre: “Being able to perform in a broad spectrum of things
over my four years really helped establish my hunger for this as my profession. I did
everything from singing Mozart’s Requiem to performing in a play that was a spinoff
of Peter Pan, from dance concerts to singing a lead in a musical my senior year.
Berry simply floods you with opportunity, and that puts you at a great advantage
over many of your peers that come from larger programs.”
IN THE SPOTLIGHTwhere our graduates shine
New York University
The Ohio State University
University of California, Los Angeles
University of Cincinnati
University of Florida
University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill
University of Southern California
School of Cinematic Arts
University of Southern Mississippi
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
WHERE OUR GRADS GO
Appalachian Creative Theatre, Black Hills Playhouse, Buford City Schools,
Concordia College, Georgia Department of Education/Fine Arts Department,
Georgia Ensemble Theatre, Georgia Public Broadcasting, Gulfshore Playhouse,
Horizon Theatre Company, Kennesaw State University, Northwestern University,
Ohio University, Oxford College of Emory University, Santa Fe Opera Company,
The Second City, The Prizery Theatre, “The Walking Dead,” Universal Orlando
Resort, University of Maryland, Walnut Street Theatre, Walt Disney Studios,
Walt Disney World, Yale Repertory Theatre
RECENT EMPLOYERS
THEATRE SCHOLARSHIP AUDITIONS/INTERVIEWS Join us!
WE INVITE YOU TO APPLY IF YOU’RE A STUDENT: l With plans to major or minor in theatre or musical theatre at Berry l With experience and demonstrated talent in acting, stage management,
playwriting or design/technical
IF YOU’RE AN ACTOR, prepare two memorized, contrasting monologues from a
published play, approximately 60 seconds each in length. You might pair classical
and contemporary monologues OR serious and comedic monologues. Here are a
few helpful tips: l Choose material that you respond to personally, and read the entire play
before the audition. (Successful applicants prepare their pieces several
days to weeks in advance.) l Go beyond demonstrating an emotion or personality. Use your
imagination. What is the character’s objective? Which vocal and physical
choices will you make to accomplish this objective? l Five questions to get started:
1. Who am I?
2. Where am I? (Consider environment — time and place.)
3. Who am I talking to?
4. Why am I saying this now, or what makes it important to say
this now?
5. What am I hoping to achieve by saying this? Or, how do I hope
things will change because I say this?
IF YOU’RE A DESIGNER OR TECHNICIAN, prepare to share a portfolio with
design renderings, technical drawings (ground plans/light plots/costume renderings,
etc.) as well as production photos.
IF YOU’RE A STAGE MANAGER, prepare to share prompt scripts.
IF YOU’RE A PLAYWRIGHT, bring several writing samples.
Be sure to bring a headshot, current resume and two letters of recommendation
from teachers, directors, etc., who can speak to your qualifications and dedication to
theatre.
FOR AUDITION DATES AND THE THEATRE AUDITION APPLICATION, VISIT
(more information will be available in early Fall 2021):
berry.edu/theatre/auditions.
Typically, we welcome visits by students with opportunities to observe a class,
tour our space and meet with students and department faculty. We also offer
complimentary tickets to productions. Currently, rehearsals and performances are
scheduled. However, please contact BCTC for updated information on situational
changes due to COVID: [email protected]
QUESTIONS?
Contact Tessa Nedvin, admission counselor, at [email protected] or 706.368.6909.