Theatre

Overview

From our rehearsal rooms to our stages, our spaces serve as a catalyst for your theatrical journey. Combined with our supportive environment and faculty and staff dedicated to your success, our department has what you need to be inspired and empowered on your journey toward artistic growth. 

The emphasis on forging meaningful connections through theatrical storytelling sets us apart. Our accomplished faculty of working artists, dedicated staff and the wider arts community will become your collaborators and mentors. These connections are seamlessly woven into your education, providing you with a strong network of industry professionals.

Situated in Milwaukee, our department grants you access to Wisconsin’s thriving creative economy. As a theatre student, you’ll have exclusive opportunities to intern and collaborate with leading performing arts organizations. Outside of the classroom, our students are involved with all the city’s professional theatre companies, including the Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, First Stage, Skylight Music Theatre, Renaissance Theaterworks, MKE Black Theatre Festival and more.

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Faculty and Staff

Our inspirational faculty and staff make sure students feel welcome and empowered to think outside the box and explore all possibilities of making art at UWM. Visit the Peck School of the Arts directory to meet these artists, explore their biographies and engage with recent work.

Scholarships and Aid 

Financial constraints shouldn’t hinder your artistic dreams. Our comprehensive range of scholarships and aid programs is designed to empower and support artists like you.

Study Abroad

We believe that a complete education in the arts should take you beyond the classroom and the local community. By studying abroad, you’ll gain more than a change of scenery. You’ll embark on a transformative educational experience and bring a global perspective to your field of study. Explore upcoming trips offered in partnership with the Center for International Education.

Mission

The Theatre Department’s mission is to educate students in the practice and study of theatre and encourage students’ creative and critical development. The Department supports the application of theatre skills in lasting, strong, and meaningful ways throughout their lives. 

Our urban setting provides access to a thriving professional arts community with opportunities to engage with the region’s many cultural groups and institutions through service learning, internships, and fieldwork. These experiences support students interested in developing as artists, educators, and scholars and by actively encouraging them to be theatre makers.

Programs

Undergraduate Majors

Undergraduate Certificates

Minors

Peck School of the Arts Advising

Undergraduate Advising

Academic advising is a collaborative process that empowers students to realize their maximum educational potential. Students are encouraged to visit the Peck School of the Arts Advising & Student Services page to meet with your advisor prior to each semester’s registration period. Advisors provide students with individualized appointments to assist with degree requirements, course selection, campus resources, college success strategies, graduation assessment, academic policies and more.

Theatre Courses

NameRankDegreeSchoolGraduate FacultyEmeritus Faculty
Jessica Berlin Krivsky Teaching Faculty II MA Goucher College No No
Steve Decker Associate Professor MFA Indiana University No No
Christopher Guse Professor BFA University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee No No
Rebecca Holderness Professor MFA Columbia University No Yes
Jake Horstmeier Assistant Professor MFA Purdue University No No
Ralph Janes Teaching Faculty III MFA University of California-San Diego No No
Christopher Kurtz Teaching Faculty II MFA Wayne State University No No
Jeffrey Lieder Professor MFA Ohio State University No Yes
Ana McHenry Teaching Faculty II BFA University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee No No
Raeleen McMillion Teaching Faculty II MFA Ohio University No No
Robin Mello Professor PhD Lesley University No No
Jason Orlenko Assistant Professor MFA Indiana University No No
Sheri Williams Pannell Associate Professor MFA University of Wisconsin-Madison No No
Alvaro Saar Rios Professor MFA Northwestern University No No
Dana Rochester Teaching Faculty II MFA University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee No No
LeRoy Stoner Associate Professor MA Indiana University No Yes
Sandra J. Strawn Professor BSE Emporia State University No Yes
James Tasse Teaching Faculty II BFA University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee No Yes
Emily Vitrano Assistant Professor MFA Northern Illinois University No No
William Watson Professor MFA University of Washington No No
Stephen White Associate Professor MFA Northwestern University No No