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.
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
Nathan Johnson, a celebrity Makeup Artist and Skin Care Specialist, gave a presentation about the importance of the care and maintenance of actor skin and provided consultations with our senior performance majors in preparation for the NY Showcase.
Marcus Wuebker, president of Luminative Design and guest lighting designer for “The Pajama Game,” gave our students a demo presentation of the grandMA lighting console, which is often used for concerts, film, television production, and large events such as the Olympics.
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 Summer Theatre’s Man Behind the Curtain: Dennis Davenport
Posts - June 16, 2023
There is always a lot going on behind the scenes of any Otterbein Summer Theatre production: Props are coming and going, scenery is moving, and costumes are changing. Perhaps the hardest working member of our “backstage” crew is Musical Director and Pianist Dennis Davenport, our one-man-band during the 2023 season. Dennis Davenport Dennis, Professor of Music here at Otterbein, has been at the keys for at least 5 hours a day since our season began back in May, coaching and…
Otterbein Summer Theatre 2023 Presents Musical Production, “Baby”
News - June 13, 2023
Westerville, OH—You are invited to experience the highs and lows of being a soon-to-be parent with “Baby,” the 1983 Broadway musical coming to the Otterbein University stage. The Otterbein Summer Theatre production of “Baby” will have performances at 7:30 p.m. on June 15; 8 p.m. on June 16-17 and 22-24; and at 2 p.m. on June 18 and 24 in the Fritsche Theatre at Cowan Hall, 30 S. Grove St., Westerville. Tickets cost $33. Call 614-823-1109 or visit www.otterbein.edu/drama. Is…
Otterbein Summer Theatre Presents “I Do!, I Do!”
Posts - June 1, 2023
Join us June 1-4 and 10-11 for I Do! I Do!, a musical valentine and celebration of one couple’s 50 years of marriage. Agnes and Michael, played by Musical Theatre majors Kateri Condon (’25) and Benjamin Hoover (’24), are two soulmates navigating the perils of life through the good times and the bad. Kateri says she finds work with her character relatable despite the gap in age. “She (Agnes) goes through several periods of self-growth and discovery over the course…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:
Contact Us
Dawn Horne
Director of Recruitment
& Administrative Assistant
614-823-1657
horne2@otterbein.edu