About the Department of Theatre Arts

The Department of Theatre Arts provides instruction in the theory and practice of theatre performance and production in order to prepare students for success in their personal and professional lives. The Department of Theatre Arts offers a Bachelor of Arts degree. Students choose to concentrate in performance, production, or teacher liscensure. 

Phantom of the Opera, Spring 2011

Central to the departmental purpose is the development of observant, sensitive theatrical artists, who with skills, training, knowledge and professional attitudes may glorify Christ in the world through the practice of their craft and the testimony of their lives.

Theatre Honor Society

Kappa Theta Alpha is Liberty University’s proud chapter of Alpha Psi Omega, the National Theater Honor Society. In order to be inducted, students must have participated in a minimum of seven productions, completed 15 hours of theatre classes (not including productions) while maintaining a GPA of 3.25 or higher, be of good ethical standing with the University, and be voted into the Chapter by department faculty and staff.

2012 Inductees — Zach Battiste, Allison Braun, LaShonda Brown, Rachel Day, Shawn Doremus, Jacob Filegar, Natasha Goetz, Sarah Howard, Gordon Lewanowicz, Erica Mini, Adam Parker, Kaitlin Patterson, and Will Smith, 

• Past Productions & Awards

  Recent Productions

  Liberty University has a history of over 25 years of theatrical productions, ranging from Greek tragedies to musical comedies, from classics to new plays. Thousands of students have performed on our stage, with many pursuing professional acting careers. The Liberty University stage produces six main shows a season, as well as student produced work, cabarets, and operas. Past shows include:

  2010-11: Hairspray, The Last Night of Ballyhoo, A Christmas Carol, The Civil War, Enchanted April, The Phantom of the Opera.
  2009-10: Annie Get Your Gun, Raisin in the Sun, Jane Eyre, Big River, The Inspector Calls, The Scarlet Pimpernel
  2008-2009: Fiddler on the Roof, Dancing at Lughnasa, My Fair Lady, The Crucible, A Doll’s House, The Music Man
  2007-2008: Crazy for You, The Rainmaker, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Much Ado About Nothing, Shadowlands, West Side Story
  2006-2007: Ribs for Dinner, Parade, The Importance of Being Earnest, Little Women, Love’s Labour’s Lost, Once Upon a Silence, Thoroughly Modern Millie

  Irene Ryan Awards

  Liberty Theatre has competed in the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival for the past eight years. Through participation with the KCACTF, several of students have been nominated for the Irene Ryan, a national acting award for excellence in the craft and art of acting and design. Past nominees include:

  2006: Aaron Bennett as The Baker, Justin Oliver as Jack, Erica Smith as Little Red, Kelly Langdon for Sound Engineering, Chad Kennedy for Stage Management -- all in Into the Woods; Aaron Bennett as Professor Bhaer, Justin Oliver as Laurie Lawrence, Ashley Wasson as Amy March -- all in Little Women
  2007: Andy Geffken as Trevor Graydon, Katrina Hatcher as Mrs. Meers, Brad Southards as Jimmy Smith, Sarah Hooks for Stage Management, Robert Sanderson for Stage Management --all in Thoroughly Modern Millie
  2008: Andy Geffken as Riff, Tim Osgood as Action, Kayla Powell as Anita, David Brady for Stage Management -- all in West Side Story; Josh DeVries as Henry Higgins, Kayla Powell as Eliza Doolittle, Tyler Turner as Colonel Pickering, Blake Cooper for Sound, David Brady for Stage Management -- all for My Fair Lady
  2009: Kathryn Williams as Jane Eyre, Rebekah Anwyll as Mrs. Fairfax, Kyle Rodgers as Edward Rochester, Jodi Orndorff for Stage Management, Blake Cooper for Sound Engineering, Brittany Adkins for Hair and Makeup Design -- all in Jane Eyre
  2010: Sarah Seaman as Tracy Turnblad, Brittany Adkins as Edna Turnblad, Brendan Jones for Stage Management, Tyler Williams for Wardrobe, Blake Cooper for Sound Design -- all in Hairspray; Thomas Scott as Joe Farkas, Ruth Hitckcock as Sunny Freitag -- both in The Last Night of Ballyhoo; Hannah Blough as Mrs. Cratchit, Kyle Rodgers as Bob Cratchit -- both in A Christmas Carol
  2011: Davis Mercer as Ensemble, Taamu Wuya as Ensemble, Jacob Filegar for Stage Management -- all in The Civil War; Hannah Blough as Rose, Ruth Hitchcock as Lottie, Michael Wrape for Set Design -- all in Enchanted April; Caleb Hughes as Raoul, Rachel Day as Christine Daae, Kaitlin Patterson for Stage Management, Blake Cooper for Sound Design -- all in The Phantom of the Opera; Jeff Sundheim as Will Parker, Will Viriato as Ali Hakim, TC Williams for Stage Management--all in OKLAHOMA!; Sarah Seaman as Audrey, James Bock as Mr. Mushnik--both in Little Shop of Horrors; Ruth Hitchcock as Juliet, Jamie Cloutier as Nurse--both in Romeo and Juliet
  2012: Carson Burkett as Tateh, Taamu Wuya as Coalhouse Walker Jr., Zach Battiste as Stage manager--all in Ragtime; Gordon Lewanowicz as Man 1, Kyle Rodgers as Richard Hannay--both in The 39 Steps

  Additional Awards

  In 2004, Liberty Theatre was asked to showcase Monte Cristo at the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival. Director of Theatre, Linda Nell Cooper, has received multiple Awards of Merit for Excellence in Directing for Secret Garden (2004), AIDA (2005), Into the Woods (2006), Thoroughly Modern Millie (2007), West Side Story (2008), and Jane Eyre (2009).

For more information about the Theatre Arts program, contact Amanda Poch: alpoch@liberty.edu, Mrs. Linda Nell Cooper: lncooper@liberty.edu, or call (434)582-7078.