James Madison University Theatre

James Madison University (JMU) houses its Theatre and Dance programs within the Forbes Center for the Performing Arts—a cutting‑edge facility spanning over 175,000 square feet that includes the Dorothy Thomasson Estes Center for Theatre & Dance and the Roberts Center for Music Performance. The Center contains five performance venues affiliated with Theatre and Dance: the Mainstage Theatre (450 seats), Studio Theatre (200 seats), and the Earlynn J. Miller Dance Theatre (200 seats), alongside rehearsal, classroom, and design spaces.

The School offers undergraduate Bachelor of Arts degrees in Theatre, Musical Theatre, and Dance, with theatre students able to concentrate in areas such as Performance, Design & Technology, Theatre Studies (Directing, Dramaturgy, Playwriting), or Theatre Education with licensure. Dance majors experience an immersive curriculum that includes technique courses in modern, ballet, jazz, tap, and improvisation—plus choreography, dance history, and teaching pedagogy with an option for Pre K–12 licensure.

Performance opportunities are plentiful: the Mainstage season typically features four theatre and three dance productions each year, including a show produced jointly with the School of Music. An Experimental Theatre season presents 8–12 student-produced shows annually, and directing classes stage multiple one-act festivals in the fall. Dance students may participate in studio concerts, ensemble performances, and touring with the Virginia Repertory Dance Company—JMU’s pre-professional touring ensemble. International and domestic study abroad opportunities in London and Russia are also available.

The School of Theatre and Dance is committed to equity, access, and inclusion—striving to cultivate “citizen artists” who are both creative makers and socially engaged thinkers. Its curriculum blends liberal arts education with intensive studio work, focusing on mentorship, critical inquiry, experimental risk-taking, and collaboration. Students are encouraged to develop leadership, self-authorship, and advocacy through interdisciplinary coursework and participation in campus organizations.

Enrichment beyond academics includes involvement in the student-run Stratford Players—JMU’s longest-standing theatre organization—and the departmental chapter of Alpha Psi Omega, the national theatre honors society. Opportunities also exist in technical theatre, production crews, and improvisation ensembles, all of which operate in fully student-run contexts. These experiences, combined with modern facilities and a supportive faculty, prepare graduates for careers in performance, directing, design, education, arts administration, or further study with confidence and creative leadership skills.