Department of Theater
Delve into global theater studies and hands-on practice within a premier professional school setting.
Theater
Our students become well-rounded artists and researchers by immersing themselves in their chosen areas as well as exploring the other creative disciplines that are available.
Undergraduate Programs
The UCLA Department of Theater is a vibrant community where diverse voices and disciplines converge to shape the theater and live experiences of tomorrow.
Here, academic rigor fuels creativity, and performers, designers, directors, playwrights and scholars are supported by world-class faculty who champion collaboration, critical thinking, and innovation. The department’s training engages with our complex, changing world and integrates the unique opportunities available at the nation’s top public university.  We cultivate artists and thinkers who go on to excel across theater, film and television, themed entertainment, and many other fields.
World-Class Faculty
James Darrah
Marike Splint
Theater News
Theater Season –
Upcoming Performances
Bruin Fringe Festival 2025
November 6-8, 13-15 & 20-22, 2025
Bruin Fringe Festival (BFF) is a festival of short student-generated pieces directed by and featuring department undergraduate students. This workshop setting is modeled after fringe festivals around the world that celebrate new and innovative performance.
Prior BFFs have included original short plays, improv sets, musicals and more!
Faculty Advisor: Professor J. Ed Araiza
Macgowan 1340
The Turn of the Screw: Opera
in collaboration with the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music
Directed by Professor James Darrah
Composed by Benjamin Britten
Libretto by Myfanwy Piper
Performance dates: November 20, 21 & 23, 2025
About the show: Based on the Henry James novella of the same name, The Turn of the Screw follows a young, inexperienced governess sent to a country house to care for two children, who she is gradually convinced have been corrupted by the ghosts of a previous manservant and governess.
Freud Playhouse
MFA Directing Project I
Directed by MFA student Zenaida Smith
*Title To Be Announced
About the project: In one of the first uses of the newly renovated Macgowan Hall 1330 (see p.23), MFA directing candidate Zenaida Smith will direct her MFA Project I. The focus of the project is to work in depth with the text and the actors, while keeping production design intentionally minimal.
Macgowan 1330
Actors Showcase
This annual event spotlights the talents of UCLA TFT acting students, both undergraduate and graduate.
Theater Internships
Get a head start on your career! Internships are open to enrolled juniors, seniors and graduate students from UCLA TFT and the university at large.
UCLA General Catalog
The definitive listing of all departments, programs, majors, minors and courses offered, the Catalog includes degree requirements, as well as academic and administrative policies. It outlines essential information about registration, financial aid, and academic advising, and describes many student services, activities, and resources.