Theatre Arts Daily Schedule

Learning Together, Specializing Together

Theatre Arts students spend much of their day learning alongside peers from all tracks. Morning core classes, division meetings, and evening rehearsals bring the entire division together.

Track-specific learning takes place during the afternoon, when students focus on classes tailored to their chosen area of study. This structure creates opportunities for everyone to collaborate, learn from one another, and build a shared artistic community throughout the program.

Morning

All students in the Theatre Arts Division begin their day together. Each student takes the following "core" classes:

• Acting
• Voice & Movement 

Students also attend a division-wide morning meeting featuring program updates, presentations from Northwestern Undergraduate Admission, guest artists, and other special activities.

Afternoon

After lunch, students follow an individualized schedule based on their chosen track:

• Performance: Electives, Performance Theory, Text Analysis
• Stage Management & Design/Tech (SMDT): Stage Management, Design Theory
• Musical Theatre: Acting the Song, MT Dance

In addition to track-specific classes, all students participate in an afternoon production crew, helping create the sets, costumes, lighting, and other technical elements for the final productions.

There are 4 periods in the afternoon block, and the classes are offered on alternating days, similar to a "block" schedule. Students may have one afternoon schedule on Mon/Wed, and another on Tues/Thurs. Some afternoons include a free period during this time as well.

Evening

Following dinner, students come back together for rehearsal. Students in the Performance and MT tracks rehearse in ensembles of approximately 13–16 students, while SMDT students serve on stage management teams during rehearsal, working alongside the director of their play. Throughout the 5 weeks, these rehearsals follow the same format of a professional production: starting with table work and character building, moving through blocking and world-building, and incorporating all elements in a tech rehearsal before opening.

Weekends

Weekend schedules may vary. Guest lectures, performances, master classes, and other activities can occur throughout the program.