Theatre Arts Department

Participate in a dynamic and thriving theater program that presents provocative and exciting productions.

Welcome to the Theatre Arts Major at Westmont College where students develop creativity, technical skills, and disciplinary knowledge within a rigorous, collaborative environment. Rooted in an incarnational perspective on theater and faith, the Theatre Arts Department helps prepare students for lives in the professional, educational, and/or community theatres; provides distinctive artistic experiences for Westmont and the immediate Santa Barbara communities; and offers opportunities to all students for developing personal, social, and artistic skills essential for life-long learning and creativity.

THEATRE ARTS AT WESTMONT

‎All the world's a stage...

Area of Concentration

Theatre in the Liberal Arts

Our Theatre in the Liberal Arts program provides a focused, hands-on foundation for students to become creative theatre makers.

Area of Concentration

Theatre Studies

Our Theatre Studies program provides a comprehensive exploration of both craft and artistry to prepare students for a career in theatre.

Area of Concentration

Film Studies

Our Film Studies program is an integrated liberal arts foundation that emphasizes the intersection of film with many disciplines and aspects of culture.

Career Paths

Numerous alumni are pursuing careers in acting and have appeared on both stage and screen, including television and major motion pictures or work in theater-related jobs. Others teach theater at the primary, secondary, and college/university levels. Alumni have attended top-tier graduate schools such as Harvard University/ART, CalArts, UCLA, UC Santa Barbara, UC San Diego, UMASS Amherst, the University of Arizona, San Francisco State University and UT Austin.

  • Acting
  • Directing
  • Teaching
  • Independent filmmaking
  • Producing
  • Theatrical design
  • Public relations
  • Church drama
  • Properties artists

Theater Arts Alumni

Rachel Herriges '23 reflects back fondly on her experience at Westmont as she pursues a life in the arts in Chicago, IL. During her time at Westmont, Rachel spent much of her time on stage acting in shows such as Kitty Hawk or Kill Devil by Hannah Kenah, and She Kills Monsters by Qui Nguyen. "Being on stage in these shows really helped me adapt to working with different directors, and showed me the deep joy and gratitude that comes from making art in a small community." Additionally, many of the classes Rachel took prepared her for life as an actor. "In our Launchpad class, we were given assignments like making an acting reel, a resume, and a five-year plan - all of which I've used in auditions and conversations with other creatives." However, her time at Westmont wasn't only spent as an actor. Rachel wrote many plays for the Fringe Festival which prepared her for writing her Capstone project, Hysteria. "Out of all the lessons Westmont taught me, the most important would be: you aren't just one type of artist. Having knowledge of many different facets has helped me grow as a playwright, producer, and director - as well as an actor. Knowing what each role of a production entails makes me a much more well-rounded actor, and Westmont gave me the chance to try many different roles and learn what really excites me as an artist."

 

Sam Stroming ‘21 is a Chicago-based actor passionate about creating and performing theatre that inspires activism. Westmont's theatre program showed her the wild, artistic possibilities of what theatre can be, from her first mainstage experience in The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui (2017) to the untamable creations made annually in the student-led Fringe Festival. Professors and directors in the department always kept an open door encouraging collaboration and conversation, and they have continued to provide a support system to her in her artistic endeavors since graduating. She says, “this is a place where you don't have to limit your artistry to one label of actor, designer, playwright, etc, but you have the opportunity to try anything that piques your curiosity. Here you can explore, experiment, and create without fear”.

Theatre in the news