Whether it's through acting, stage management, costume design, scenery creation or lighting design and control, there's a place for you on the Lakeland University theatre team.
Twice a year – during autumn and spring – our theatre department produces a major production for the Lakeland community to enjoy. These productions, which involve five to eight weeks of preparation, have varied from classics like "Romeo and Juliet" to musicals like "Chicago" and more!
"We have a lot of people that come from high school who are very interested in doing theatre, and when they come here they say, 'I always wanted to do shows but I never really did when I was in high school, and I'd like to give it a try while I'm in college'," says Charlie Krebs, Associate Professor of Theatre and Speech. "We really like to give all students the opportunity to be a part of what we do."
Performances take place at the on-campus 500-seat Bradley Theatre, which features a 40-foot-wide and 40-foot-deep stage and a full orchestra pit.
Students with many different levels of acting experience participate in our shows and can earn credit for performing or even working crew for them. There's a stagecraft class in which students design and build scenery and work on lights and props too.
"The thing that excites me most is when a student has an idea, and then that idea comes into living color on the stage," says Krebs. "To watch the excitement in their eyes or hear them tell their parents or friends that was their idea … that's terribly exciting."
Lakeland's Cooperative Education program will provide Theatre students with the ability to earn 12-18 months of full-time work experience, academic credit for their work, and a combination of scholarships and wages that will significantly reduce or eliminate post-graduation debt.
