Department of Theatre and Performance Studies

Welcome to the Department of Theatre & Performance Studies (TPS). In this Department, we engage in the pursuit of excellence--in the classroom, in research, and in creation. The scholar-artist is nurtured here. We want to meet our students where they are and encourage their growth and the pursuit of excellence in all facets of their work as undergraduate students. It comes with practice. Our award-winning faculty engages students in a supportive community that combines academic rigor with artistic excellence. That balance is worth pursuing.

We create together in two unique performance spaces: the Stillwell Theatre, a 315-seat proscenium theatre, and the Onyx Theatre, an intimate, flexible seating black box theatre. Our diverse season of student work includes plays, musicals, spoken word performances, adaptations of classic literature, storytelling, improv comedy, and new works. In addition to performing at home, our celebrated storytelling ensemble, the KSU Tellers, and K.I.S.S., KSU’s hilarious improv troupe, perform frequently around the metro Atlanta area at schools and professional venues like the Atlanta Fringe Festival.

Each year, our students also have the opportunity to observe and work with a range of accomplished regional, national and international guest artists and scholars. Opportunities to study abroad include programs in Montepulciano, Italy, as well as in London and Paris, and at the Gaiety School of Acting, Ireland’s National Theatre School.

Our program offers students a BA degree with a choice of four concentrations: acting, performance studies, musical theatre, and design/technology. These concentrations allow students to create their own path to pursue their passions. Our unique curriculum, grounded in the professional practice of theatre and performance studies, encourages students to investigate and question circumstance. Our coursework sharpens a student’s ability to critically observe the world. We develop skills in creative problem solving, critical thinking, collaboration, presentation skills, conflict resolution, and empathy. We develop through practice. Our faculty of professional scholars and artists work to create partnerships, internships and student job opportunities within the top arts organizations in our region.

Whether you are a theatre patron or a prospective student, I would welcome the opportunity to tell you more about who we are and what we do. Come join us to see where craft and curiosity meet to create unique storytelling.

Chuck Meacham
Chair and Professor
Department of Theatre & Performance Studies