Theater offers students opportunities to study acting, directing, design and production, theater history and criticism, and playwriting within the broader context of a liberal arts education. Students participate in all aspects of performance, both artistic and technical.

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Faculty

Theater faculty, who are accomplished professionals in their own right, teach a range of courses that nurture the natural and developing abilities of students, thus providing a sound liberal arts grounding in theory and practice of theater. Faculty support student-directed work and actively mentor them throughout their academic progress.

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Department Overview

Oberlin College is an ideal choice for students who are looking for a highly selective liberal arts school with a strong theater program committed to serious artistic training. Oberlin students have the flexibility of taking conservatory-caliber theater classes while simultaneously pursuing a broad, individually designed undergraduate education. Because of Oberlin’s dual emphasis on academic and artistic excellence, the college attracts multitalented individuals. Our students are our theater program’s greatest asset. Collectively, they make up a dynamic and mutually supportive artistic community like no other.

Construction is complete on both the Hall Annex renovation and the Eric Baker Nord Performing Arts Annex! Follow along from the beginning of both projects by viewing the album on our Flickr page.


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Theater Bulletins

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Theater News

A portrait of a man wearing glasses.

Who Am I?

January 26, 2021
Anton Crooks has worked with such shows as Return to the Forbidden Planet, Angels in America, Treasure Island, and Dracula. Read more about Crooks in this installment of Who Am I?
Three students play guitar on stage.

This Week in Photos: The Soundtrack of Fall

November 27, 2020
A guitar ensemble performance in Kulas Recital Hall featured Suvan Agarwal '23, Aidan Wiley '20, and Craig Slagh '21. The passion demonstrated in their live streamed performance was captured in photos and chosen to be among the images included in this week’s photo series.
four pepple spread out in a room making an audio recording.

From Main Stage to Airwaves

November 17, 2020
The curtain has closed on many professional, community, and college theaters throughout the country due largely to the global pandemic. Yet those who have the audacity to reimagine the theater and the arts in new ways are discovering the options are varied and rewarding.
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Theater Facilities

exterior view of performing arts annex

Eric Baker Nord Performing Arts Annex

The Eric Baker Nord Performing Arts Annex brings together these three theaters to allow the Department of Theater to stage a range of productions—from experimental works to full-scale plays.
metal and glass doors entrance of kander theater

Hall Annex

Hall Annex is a two-story building just behind the Sophronia M. Brooks Hall Auditorium and near the Allen Memorial Art Museum. It houses the Kander Theater, a 75-seat space for student-produced theatrical works.
Hall Auditorium

Hall Auditorium

This 501-seat theater is used for large-scale opera, drama, and dance productions.
stage and seating area of wurtzel theater

Irene and Alan Wurtzel Theater

The Irene and Alan Wurtzel Theater is part of the Eric Baker Nord Performing Arts Annex. The accessible and highly adaptable theater can accommodate up to 300 seats.
exterior entrance to kander theater building

Kander Theater

Kander Theater is a new 75-seat performance space in Hall Annex that replaces the Little Theater, part of a major renovation project to enhance Oberlin’s Department of Theater. It is an ideal venue for smaller scale, intimate, and experimental productions presented by faculty and students.
Warner Center

Warner Center

Originally built as a gymnasium in 1901, Warner Center is now home to Oberlin's theater and dance programs. On the first floor are faculty offices and spacious acting studios.