Department of Theatre & Dance
At Otterbein, you will be immersed in experiential learning, creating theatre while working closely with our experienced artist-teachers and guest professionals. You will learn the techniques of your discipline, the art of our collaborative endeavor, and build the critical networking and professional skills needed for a career in the professional theatre.
Otterbein University is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Theatre.
How To Apply
Audition Information
Theatre Performances
Ticketing & Information
See Us in Action
Theatre & Dance Video Clips
Programs of Study in Theatre & Dance
BFA
BFA in Acting
Develop your own personal acting methodology through intensive training and performance capped with the NYC Senior Showcase!
BFA
BFA in Musical Theatre
Preparing the true triple-threat actor/singer/dancer through multidisciplinary training, culminating in the NYC Senior Showcase!
BFA
BFA in Musical Theatre with an Integrated Dance Minor
All the benefits of a BFA in Musical Theatre with enhanced dance training!
BFA
BFA in Design Technology
Take leadership roles in Scenery, Costumes, Lighting, Sound, and/or Stage Management, utilizing today’s technology to create robust productions!
BA
BA in Theatre
A flexible program for self-motivated explorers interested in areas such as directing, arts administration, play creation, and stage management, as well as those seeking to double major in theatre.
Minor
Dance Minor
Allows advanced training in ballet, tap, modern, jazz, and musical theatre every day while pursuing your chosen major.
Theatre & Dance Spotlights
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
The greatest value of an Otterbein degree is in the connections made with the real world. We work within a theatre that actually has the technology seen in regional theatres, Broadway, LA and Chicago. The value is in being able to walk in the door of your first job and starting three steps ahead of everyone else.
Jacob Gooch ’23
BFA, Design Technology
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
My favorite thing about Otterbein has to be the student-produced work. I love seeing the talents and creativity of my friends when given free reign. I’m surrounded by the most amazing artists here, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Abby Messina ’22
BFA Acting
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
I have loved being able to work in leadership positions on shows and being able to collaborate with and learn from my peers. I have also really enjoyed being able to be involved in classes and campus activities outside of my major and department.
Anna Walker ’22
BA Musical Theatre
Specializing in stage management.
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
I have had opportunities that I never would’ve imagined as a dance minor, including partaking in Main Stage productions, assisting the choreographer on multiple shows, choreographing a piece in Dance 2020: The Wild Within, and completing an advanced choreography independent study.
Rachel Fish ’22
Dance Minor and Communications Major
Our students had the distinct privilege of working with Guest Lighting Designer Jonathan Spencer for our recent production of Cabaret. His work has been seen around the world and in major New York theaters, on National Tours, and in regional theatres throughout the US.
Bradford Sadler presented a workshop for our Acting and Musical Theatre majors about opportunities in Standardized Patient work which allows performers to use their acting skills to help nursing and med school students polish their interpersonal skills, thereby making them stronger medical providers in the future.
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
The skills and lessons I acquired at Otterbein are invaluable.
Desmond Fernandez ’21
Desmond Fernandez (BFA Acting ‘21) signed with not one, but two agents before graduation – one for voice over and one for legit acting work.
BFA in Acting
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
Otterbein helped shape me into the person that I am today, and I am grateful for the knowledge, community, and experiences that I get to take with me for the rest of my life!
Olivia Crawford ’18
Dance Minor
Olivia Crawford continues her passion for dance as a teacher, choreographer, and performer on top of her day job as a Program Manager.
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
The biggest thing I learned at Otterbein was don’t stifle your voice.
Alayna Jacqueline ’13
BA Theatre
Alayna Jacqueline (BA Theatre ‘13), Playwright, was commissioned to write a new play for Lakeshore Players Theatre in Minnesota. “An Evening with Ella and Harold” premiered in February 2022.
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
The theater department at Otterbein is especially helpful in getting you ready for the real world after college.
Jessica Palagano ’19
BFA in Design Technology
Jessica Palagano is an Entertainment Technician for Walt Disney World where she specializes in lighting for special events and WDW concerts.
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
Otterbein really helped me focus my energy on my dance skills and movement quality, and shaped me into a well-rounded dancer.
Cameron Hobbs ’12
BFA Musical Theatre
Cameron Hobbs (BFA Musical Theatre ‘12), is an Ensemble cast member of Broadway’s Aladdin the Musical, with many other professional credits as well.
Department Features & Student Opportunities
Experienced Teaching Artists
All faculty members in the Theatre & Dance Department at Otterbein are professional artists working in their field of study, bringing their experiences and contemporary practices to the classroom.
Learning by Doing
Experiential learning is at the core of our curriculum and a signature part of an Otterbein education. We deliver large-school professional training with the individual attention and opportunities that only a smaller program can provide.
Student Driven Work
Otterbein students are engaged, creative individuals with a passion for generating their own theatre. Our Theatre majors and Dance minors have many opportunities to create the work they are driven to create in the ways they want to create it.
Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
The Department of Theatre & Dance has made a strong commitment to Equity and Inclusion, outlined in our Departmental Statement. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are works in progress and you can follow our progress on this important work through the updated Timeline Document.
NY Senior Showcase
Each spring, our BFA Senior Showcase is produced for a live audience in NYC and filmed for casting directors and talent agents all over the country. As the capstone experience for eligible Acting and Musical Theatre majors, it is their final audition as college students and their first of many as professionals.
Performance Venues & Facilities
Theatre & Dance performances are primarily hosted in our 1100 seat proscenium house, the Fritsche Theatre at Cowan Hall and the 244 seat black box Campus Center Theatre. In addition to these, our students utilize three dance studios, state of the art classrooms for design and discovery, and Riley Auditorium.
Theatre & Dance Department News
Otterbein Theatre & Dance presents “The Laramie Project”
News - February 13, 2025
The Otterbein University Department of Theatre & Dance is taking on a deeply complex study of a tragedy that impacted a community, a nation, and a generation of young adults 27 years – but remains as relevant as ever today. “The Laramie Project” is a moving drama of how one community comes to terms with the tragic injustice that has unfolded in their midst in their very own words. In October 1998, 21-year-old Matthew Shepard was kidnapped, beaten, and left…
“Natasha, Pierre, & the Great Comet of 1812” Hits Otterbein Stage
News - November 8, 2024
Otterbein’s Department of Theatre & Dance and Department of Music are collaborating to bring you an exciting production, the likes of which have never hit the Fritsche Theatre stage before! In fact, Otterbein Theatre & Dance is one of the first collegiate theatres to receive permission to produce the work. The production runs Nov. 14-17 and Nov. 21-13. “Natasha, Pierre, & the Great Comet of 1812,” based on a scandalous 70-page slice of Leo Tolstoy’s “War and Peace,” is an…
Celebrate Groovy Girl Groups with Otterbein Summer Theatre’s “Beehive the ’60s Musical”
News - July 10, 2024
The 2024 Otterbein Summer Theatre season closes with a celebration of the groovy ‘girl groups’ from the 1960s, “Beehive the ’60s Musical,” with performances from July 11-13 and July 18-20 in the Fritsche Theatre at Cowan Hall, 30 S. Grove St., Westerville. Explore the powerful and iconic female voices that made up the 1960s in this energetic, rockin’ show! Told through the perspective of six women coming of age, the show follows the journey and changes America underwent in the…Mission Statement
In our desire to develop theatre artists and artisans of the highest ability, the Department of Theatre and Dance at Otterbein University provides a select number of undergraduate students with training, education and experiences necessary for the successful pursuit of careers in the American professional theatre. In support of the liberal arts goals of the University, we also seek to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to live full, rewarding and productive lives. Artists bring who they are to what they do, the deep understanding of oneself and others, as well as those who have lived in other times and other places. This understanding is essential in order to create works of theatre that are compelling and entertaining. Through the Bachelor of Fine Arts and Bachelor of Arts degree programs and the Integrative Studies program, Otterbein University undertakes to develop and graduate theatre artists who are sensitive and aware human beings.
Through its public performances, one of the primary tools of training, the department also serves as an important cultural resource for the University, the local community, and the entire Columbus and central Ohio region.
Our Institutional Partners
The Otterbein Department of Theatre and Dance is proud to partner with great organizations across the spectrum of theatre education and practice, including:
