Theatre Performance Programs
Develop Your Talents
Shenandoah's rigorous theatre programs equip you for highly successful professional careers in the theatre business. Your talents are nurtured and challenged by our professional faculty and staff, whether your major is in performance or design and technical areas. Graduates from Shenandoah's theatre programs work on Broadway, in regional theatres, on national and international tours, on cruise ships, as well as in film, television and commercials.
At Shenandoah, we engage you from the first day you arrive on campus. A robust season of musicals, plays, and youth theatre productions on two stages keeps you active and involved and helps you hone your skills in a practical setting. Hands-on attention from faculty and a belief in cultivating the individual artist–as opposed to the "cookie cutter" approach–prepares you to compete in the industry with the confidence that comes with knowing how to market your unique "brand."
Theatre at Shenandoah
Shenandoah’s theatre programs prepare students for professional careers both on and off stage. Our rigorous programs will equip students for successful careers in theatre, film, television and new media.
Students are nurtured and challenged by our professionally acclaimed faculty, whether they major in performance or design and technical areas. The faculty works closely with students in the classroom and challenge them to grow as theatrical practitioners.
Shenandoah Conservatory acting students learn the Sanford Meisner Technique from one of the pre-eminent master teachers in the craft.
Between auditions, production and classroom work, our students graduate with a competitive edge in an ever-changing art form.
Theatre News

Article Co-written by Stepniak Published in Inside Higher Ed
“A Case for Mischief Makers,” an article co-written by Shenandoah Conservatory Dean and Professor of Music Michael Stepniak, Ed.D., and Dean of the Conservatory at Lawrence University Conservatory of Music Brian Pertl, Ph.D., was published by Inside ... Continue Reading Article Co-written by Stepniak Published…

Covert and Musical Theatre Program Featured in American Theatre Magazine Article
Shenandoah Conservatory Coordinator of Recruitment for Musical Theatre, Charles B. Levitin Chair in Musical Theatre, Director of Musical Theatre Program and Assistant Professor of Theatre Kevin Covert, B.F.A., contributed to “Years of Preparation for ... Continue Reading Covert and Musical Theatre Program…

New 2020/21 ShenCoLAB Task Force Student Members Announced
Shenandoah Conservatory welcomes three new members to the 2020/21 ShenCoLAB Task Force. New members include Maggie DeFrees ’23 (Bachelor of Arts in Dance), Brianna Jaeger ’21 (Master of Music in Collaborative Piano) and Jonathan Toomer ’21 (Bachelor ... Continue Reading New 2020/21 ShenCoLAB Task Force…
Theatre Alumni

Elhamalawy ’21 Featured in Q&A Article by Broadway World
Drew Elhamalawy ’21 (Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre) was featured in a Q&A article published by Broadway World with other “Sticks & Stones” cast members which shares responses from ... Continue Reading Elhamalawy ’21 Featured in Q&A…

New Work by Burbridge ’20 Featured in Portland Playhouse Mini-series
“Heaven is Overrated,” a new work by Carmen Burbridge ’20 (Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting), was featured in Shortcuts, an apprentice company mini-series produced by Portland Playhouse that premiered ... Continue Reading New Work by Burbridge ’20…

Spencer ’91 Performs Virtually for Homecoming 2020
The Shenandoah Alumni Association and Shenandoah Conservatory are hosting a live performance by alumnus J. Robert “Bobby” Spencer ’91 (Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre) at 7 p.m. (EST) on ... Continue Reading Spencer ’91 Performs Virtually for…
Theatre Faculty
Caring and Accomplished
Shenandoah Conservatory’s Theatre faculty are fully immersed in creative practice and engaged in cutting edge scholarly work within the diverse fields of theatre. Highly respected as artists, educators and scholars, their studio classes and rehearsals are richly informed by professional practice, as they are frequently engaged in professional theatres as actors, directors and designers. Our faculty have literally “written the book” about entrepreneurship in the theatre profession and are world-class experts in acting techniques. They accompany students to theatre festivals and performances both within the United States and abroad, and frequently invite casting agents and guest directors to campus. Students graduate with a strong network that supports them as they transition into the “real world” of professional theatre.
Meet the Theatre FacultyShenCoLAB
Shenandoah Conservatory turns over the programming and facilities to its students for a week of unbridled exploration, collaboration and creativity.
ShenCoLAB is the only such week of its magnitude and scope offered by a university performing arts program in the United States.
The week culminates in an extraordinary event: the Festival of Arts, Ideas & Exploration, which featured 27 performances and five presentations in the inaugural year!
We're an All-Steinway School
Great music stirs the heart and inspires the soul, and Steinway pianos are celebrated as the instruments used by renowned artists to cultivate their talent and produce great music. Similarly, uncompromising excellence in performing arts education sparks the imagination and inspires the future.
