UNC Charlotte Theatre

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Charlotte, NC
UNC Charlotte Theatre

We offer culturally responsive pedagogies and production practices in service of equity, inclusion, diversity and anti-racism.

The Department of Theatre provides a student-focused liberal arts education integrating the values of equity and inclusion to drive vibrant intellectual inquiry, ethical and informed community engagement, and innovative creative research practices. Our curriculum develops theatre artists, scholars and teachers through engagement with current best practices and emerging entrepreneurial methods in p

rofessional theatre. Aligning with the university’s commitment to open-access education, we see theatre education as a path to a career in the professional and educational theatre industries as well as any profession that requires innovation, creative thinking, strategic collaboration and communication skills. We foster an inclusive student community of citizen artists engaged in theatre practices that facilitate community change and social justice through partnerships and collective action. We embrace a wide and inclusive range of approaches to the study and practice of theatre with respect to race, nationality, gender, age, sexuality, ableness, economic status, and disciplinary focus. We center the role of creativity in all of our research modalities and create opportunities for students to develop critical thinking, analytical and problem-solving skills and to apply them to theatre-making and theatre studies with an ultimate goal of shaping the next generation of creatives/scholars/citizens.

09/02/2026

Theatre students and faculty celebrating the start of the school year in Robinson Hall!

09/01/2026

It was wonderful to welcome alumna KoKo Thornton back to the Theatre Department last week for the 2026 College of Arts + Architecture Distinguished Alumni Awards. KoKo met with students in the musical theatre workshop and the applied theatre class. Current theatre student K Zapata introduced KoKo and presented her with the award at Friday's ceremony. Congratulations!

08/21/2026

// "I was fully engulfed in theatre," said Toby Lewis, "16 hours a day, six days a week, for seven weeks."

This summer, theatre major Toby Lewis completed an internship as a Costume Assistant/Dresser at Peach State Summer Theatre in Valdosta, Georgia!

Summer stock is grueling by design, and Toby calls his seven weeks in Valdosta a "baptism by fire." He also calls immensely satisfying.
Toby came to UNC Charlotte as a transfer student from Gaston College and joined the Department of Theatre last fall, pursuing a B.A. in Theatre with a concentration in Design/Tech.

A fourth-generation upholsterer, he has been sewing his whole life. He learned about the Peach State Summer Theatre job from recent theatre graduate Max Martin, who encouraged Toby to apply.

Toby worked on the costume crew for two productions: Cole Porter’s “Anything Goes” and “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” by Andrew Lloyd Webber. He helped actors with quick changes, cleaned and cared for costumes and even built several costumes, most notably the 1930s wedding dress for lead character Reno Sweeney in “Anything Goes” and a purple vest and skirt for the Pharoah’s butler in “Joseph.”

Follow our series all year for more spotlights on COAA students taking what they learn in the classroom into real-world work.

08/14/2026

We are excited to welcome new full-time faculty member Jennifer Bradford this academic year!

08/05/2026

Congratulations to all involved in the inaugural year of the Carolina New Works Play Festival! 🎭

In partnership with Three Bone Theatre the UNC Charlotte Department of Theatre presented three professional staged readings of new works by Carolina playwrights. The performances took place over the past two weekends in Rowe Recital Hall on campus and The Arts Factory.

Special congratulations to all UNC Charlotte alumni and students who were involved!

"How I Got Forgotten"
Stage Management by Lydia Elder

"TRE"
Directed by Renee Welsh-Noel
Stage Management by Ashlin Heise
Micah Jordan as Reynardo

"You Can’t Smoke In Burbank"
Jordan Goddard as Skylar
Anna Bailey as Students/Waiter
Katherine Macguire as Taylor Bell/Instructor

We are excited to announce that there will be a second year of the festival! More details coming soon!

07/27/2026

What a special 10 year anniversary showcase from our Summer Circus Arts class! 💚

07/21/2026

Congratulations to KoKo M. Thornton '97 for being named our 2026 Distinguished Theatre Alumni!

07/08/2026

Last month, the UNC Charlotte Department of Theatre welcomed students from the Dottie Rose Foundation to campus for a week-long theatre camp!

The Dottie Rose Foundation is a Charlotte-based non-profit dedicated to enhancing education and empowerment for young girls interested in science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics.

Led by UNC Charlotte Production Manager Hali Hutchison-Houk and Stage Management Lecturer Rachel Watkins, with help from recent theatre alumni and current theatre students, this is the department's 6th summer hosting the theatre camp.

The students participated in a variety of classes, working with our students and faculty to learn the different facets of theatre performance and production. They also toured campus and our theatre facilities, as well as based creative projects on the children's book, "Dragons Love Tacos." Classes included:

🎪 Cirque Class with Associate Professor of Physical Theatre CarlosAlexis Cruz
👚 Shaving Cream Tie-Dye Shirts
🖌️ Scenic and Props Design
🎶 Sound with Assistant Professor of Clarinet Jessica Lindsey
💡 Introduction to Lighting Design and Projections
🔦 Light Theory and Creating Light Looks with Gels
🎭 Stage Management: Presenting and Cueing with Stage Management Lecturer Rachel Watkins
and more!

The week ended with a final performance and presentation by the students.

We love having the Dottie Rose Foundation with us on campus!

📸 Toby Schuetze

06/24/2026

Join the UNC Charlotte Department of Theatre in partnership with Three Bone Theatre for the inaugural Carolina New Works Play Festival! 🌟

Three plays by North and/or South Carolina playwrights were selected through a comprehensive review, after a three-month solicitation phase. This summer, CNWPF presents professional staged readings of each new work over the course of two festival weekends. After each reading, playwrights and artists will host post-show discussions with the audience. Audiences will witness the creative process, and their feedback will actively be a part of the plays’ future life.
📍 July 24-26, 2026, at Rowe Recital Hall, UNC Charlotte
📍 July 31-Aug. 2, 2026, at The Arts Factory

Check out this year’s plays!

TRE
Written by T.J. Lewis
Directed by Renee Welsh-Noel (!)
Stage Management by Ashlin Heise (!)
Dramaturgy by Melissa Robinson

How I Got Forgotten
Written by Glenn Rawls
Directed by Jeff Epstein
Stage Management by Lydia Elder (!)
Dramaturgy by Chris Ortiz

You Can’t Smoke In Burbank
Written by Skylar Schock
Directed by Marcella Pansini
Dramaturgy by Donna Marie McMillan
Stage Management by Ashadé Altine

Admission to all staged readings is FREE! Learn more at cnwpf.charlotte.edu.

06/19/2026

Three theatre students had an amazing opportunity last month! Supported by the Department of Theatre, Emma Baker, Naomi Diaz and Ashlin Heise, accompanied by Lecturer in Stage Management Rachel Watkins, attended the 2026 Broadway Stage Management Symposium in NYC! 🌟

Led by professionals who have managed Broadway hits like “Wicked,” “Mama Mia” and “Beetlejuice,” as well as the Tony Awards extravaganza, the symposium was filled with lectures and events focused solely on issues in stage management.

“My favorite part about the symposium was the variety of panelists," said Naomi, “from stage managing an immersive show to working abroad in Korea. That opened my eyes to how you can do so much with stage management, and it can take you to great places – not just Broadway.”

For Emma, the session on mental health really resonated: “Stage managers most of the time have to take care of the cast and crew and make sure everyone is OK. It was important to have a reminder to check in on yourself, make sure you’re doing good.”

And Ashlin loved the sense of community and “being validated by people who know exactly what it is like being a stage manager.”

To top it off, they attended the Broadway musical "Death Becomes Her" and had a private Q&A with the show’s entire stage management team!

Address

9201 University City Boulevard
Charlotte, NC
28223

Telephone

+17046870229

Website

https://theatre.charlotte.edu/

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