The artist-scholar. That is the animating principle behind Middlebury Theatre, where students immerse themselves in all aspects of theatre making and in the rigorous study of theatre’s many histories, theories, practices, and literatures.

Through a process that is both creative and collaborative, students delve into the latest movements in theatre design, acting, stage management, playwriting, and directing. 

At its core, the department aims to be an artistic home where students reimagine traditional distinctions and strive to become innovators and collaborators, capable of shaping our culture.

Interdisciplinary Curriculum

The Theatre Department offers a diversity of courses designed to provide a balance between the study of history, literature, and theory, and the making of theatre.   

Theatre itself is inherently interdisciplinary, and our students enjoy exploring connections between classes offered in dramatic literature, visual creativity, the creative process, playwriting, acting (improvisation, scene study, acting styles), directing, set design, lighting design, and costume design. As a program in a liberal arts setting, students also reference classes taken outside the discipline in order to provide depth and context.

Introducing Visiting Assistant Professor of Theatre: Sheila Bandyopadhyay

photographic portrait of Sheila Bandyopadhyay

Sheila Bandyopadhyay is an actor, director, devisor, movement specialist and Director of Training at Shakespeare & Company’s Center for Actor Training in Lenox, Massachusetts. As a theatre maker, Sheila is interested in non-traditional performance that champions physical story-telling, heightened text, and ensemble work. Recent acting credits include Dog People (Jesse/Betty) at Great Barrington Public Theatre and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Puck/Starveling) at Shakespeare & Company. In New York, Sheila has directed shows at the Brick, the United Solo Festival (Theater Row), the Tank, the Women in Theater Festival (the Gural), the West End Theater, and the 72nd St Theater Lab. For eight years Sheila served as Head of the Movement Department at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Manhattan. In 2021-22, Sheila was Head of the Professional Training Program at the Dell’Arte International School of Physical Theater. An AmSAT certified teacher of the Alexander Technique, Sheila teaches movement, physical acting, devising, & Shakespeare. Sheila has served as a guest artist or faculty member with: California State University Summer Arts, Westfield State University, Brandeis University, FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training, NYU Gallatin, the Linklater Center, the Upright Citizen’s Brigade, and Emerson College. Sheila is a proud member of Actor’s Equity.

Our Facilities

The Seeler Studio Theatre in the Mahaney Arts Center.

The performing arts are central to Middlebury’s life and culture. Students have a multitude of facilities available for their use, including a design lab with plotters, drafting, and rendering stations, two scene and costume shops, a lighting lab equipped with a grid and an ETC Ion console, and acting labs. Venues include Wright Memorial Theatre, Seeler Studio Theatre, and Hepburn Zoo Theatre. 

 

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Seeler Studio Theatre

The Seeler Studio Theatre is a modern black-box theatre with flexible seating for up to 165 audience members, a full catwalk system, and a fully-equipped shop adjacent to it. 

Wright Memorial Theatre

Wright Memorial Theatre is a 350-seat proscenium theatre with a full fly system, lighting grid, and removable fore stage. It is adjacent to a fully equipped scene shop. 

Learning Spaces

- Rehearsal Studios
- Design Studios
- Lighting Lab
- Scene Shops
- Costume Shops
- Hepburn Zoo Theatre

Dogteam Theatre Project

Introducing The Dogteam Theatre Project

The Dogteam Theatre Project provides transformative experiences for emerging and professional artists, creating meaningful theatrical engagements for diverse audiences. Among its programs, the Dogteam Theatre Project provides training opportunities for emerging theatre artists in all realms of the field, including but not limited to acting, directing, playwriting, and design disciplines. The Dogteam Theatre Project produces theatrical works, including works in translation, reflecting the stories of our more connected world.

 

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