Theatre Arts
February 3, 2022 2026-01-06 18:40Theatre Arts
Theatre Arts at Rocky Mountain College
What better proof of a theatre program’s quality than the success of its graduates? Rocky Mountain College counts industry professionals like Jason Earles (Hannah Montana) and Bill Bowers (Broadway’s The Lion King) among its alumni. Whether your dream is center stage, designing lights, or a tech booth, Rocky sets the scene for you to shine.
Here, the talent is in you—and the difference is in the school. Our committed, experienced faculty guide, train, and mentor you personally, helping you fulfill your artistic potential. Unlike most programs, Rocky offers focused degrees in performance or technical production, with advanced coursework and mainstage roles open to majors, minors, and anyone in the student body with a passion for theatre.
Why Choose Theatre at Rocky
This is a place where productions are cast around student talent. Mainstage shows are chosen to highlight the unique abilities of performers and expose you to a full spectrum of genres—classical Greek drama, modern tragedy, musicals, and everything in between. As a student, you won’t just watch—you’ll do. From lighting and painting to costume or set design, RMC ensures you gain real, resume-building responsibility. The program embraces both the creative and technical sides of theatre, and devoted faculty are there to prepare you for grad school, employment, or that next big audition or interview.
99%
of students receive scholarships or grants
Major and Minor Learning Outcomes
Theatre Arts: Performance majors will:
- Explore themselves and their creative roles through performance and the rehearsal process
- Gain comfort and skill across a wide variety of styles and theatre periods
- Build characters as actors or directors using movement, emotion, imagination, and voice
- Develop practical professional skills for placement in graduate school or the performing arts workforce
Minors in Theatre Arts will:
- Acquire practical experience in both performance and technical production
- Learn the vocabulary and process of theatre as a collaborative art
- Broaden their skills and confidence for any field in which creativity and communication matter
- Develop practical professional skills for placement in graduate school or the performing arts workforce
$48K
average annual pay for Bachelor’s Degree in Theatre Arts in Montana according to ZipRecruiter
88%
of students are placed in internships
Coursework and Requirements
Your journey begins with foundational acting, voice, and technical courses, then expands as you tackle upper-level performance, directing, and theatre history. Specialized classes allow you to focus on period acting, Shakespeare, puppetry, or musical theatre, supported by consistent opportunities for stage and backstage production.
Every major completes a senior capstone project, and everyone participates in mainstage productions from freshman year onward. Students are encouraged to explore technical, design, and management roles for well-rounded theatre training.
Course highlights include:
You’ll start with Acting I and Introduction to Theatre, advancing to movement, characterization, Shakespeare, and audition prep. Theatre Practicum means you’ll work behind the scenes and on stage with real productions. Technical courses in stage makeup, lighting, and design put you in control of what the audience sees and feels. Directing, theatre history, and special topics courses round out the experience, ensuring you’re exposed to everything from Greek tragedy to post-modern works, and well-prepared for whatever comes next.
Explore Areas in Theatre Arts
Theatre Arts Major: Performance
Performance is a focused, immersive program for students serious about developing their craft as actors, directors, or theatre professionals. From your very first semester, you’ll dive into foundational training in acting, voice, and movement, building toward advanced coursework in Shakespeare, audition techniques, and period styles. The curriculum is designed to give you practical stage experience every year—so you’ll perform, direct, or work backstage in mainstage productions spanning comedy, tragedy, musicals, and experimental genres.
Career Pathways:
Pursue professional acting, stage management, directing, or technical design for theatre, film, or live events. Many graduates go on to MFA or conservatory programs, arts administration, or leverage their presentation and creative skills in teaching, media, nonprofit work, or business leadership.
Theatre Arts Minor
The Theatre Arts minor is ideal for students in any major who want to enrich their college experience—and future careers—with creativity, collaboration, and public speaking skills. The minor covers the basics of acting, theatre production, stage makeup, technical work, and theatre history, giving you practical exposure to both performance and backstage roles.
Pair With:
English, Education, Communication Studies, Business, or Art—these combinations are great for students wanting to strengthen their public speaking, creative collaboration, or leadership abilities in any field.
Career Pathways:
The minor enhances preparation for teaching, arts administration, human resources, marketing, law, or any career where communication and creativity matter. Many students participate in community theatre or support arts organizations alongside their main profession.
Productions
At Rocky Mountain College, plays are selected based on current students and their needs. Our primary focus is education, and students are guaranteed to be involved from their freshman through senior year. Over the course of those four years, our goal is to expose students to productions of as many genres as possible. The following is a list of styles that our program embraces:
- Modern Comedy
- Modern Tragedy
- Musical Comedy
- French Farce
- Shakespeare
- Moliere
- Greek Tragedy or Comedy
- Post-Modern
Student Conferences
Each year, the RMC theatre department takes students to several conferences. Among those we choose from are:
- KCACTF (The Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival) is a national organization that hosts eight regional festivals that ultimately lead to national recognition.
- USITT (United States Institute for Theatre Technology, Inc.) hosts an annual conference for over 3,000 educators, students, and professionals focusing on theatre design, production, and technology.
Local Venues
Billings offers a number of exciting performing arts venues.
Career Ready
Graduates from Rocky’s theatre program pursue acting, stage management, directing, technical design, event production, education, and arts administration. Many go on to top graduate and conservatory programs, while others leverage their training in fields like communications, education, and business—where creative thinking, project management, and public speaking set them apart. RMC alumni regularly find success on stage, behind the scenes, or wherever compelling storytelling is needed.
Field Experience and Mentorship
Students at Rocky are involved from their first semester—on stage, backstage, and in production leadership. You’ll attend professional conferences like KCACTF and USITT, where you can compete, network, and explore the latest industry technology. Mainstage productions are cast around current students and guarantee involvement at every level, in every genre, every year. Individual mentorship and close faculty relationships ensure you receive the feedback and support to grow as an artist and as a professional.
Connect and Learn More
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