You won’t spend your first year watching from the wings. From semester one, you are in rehearsal, on stage, and doing the work, building the experience that casting directors are looking for.
Serious theatre training goes beyond technique. It’s about putting in the work, night after night, production after production, until your craft becomes second nature.
Florida Southern College’s BFA in Theatre Performance is a conservatory-style program for artists aiming for a professional stage career. You’ll train in acting, stage movement, vocal production, script analysis, improvisation, and directing, alongside theatre history and literature to build the analytical foundation the field requires. From your first semester, you’ll step into real roles in front of real audiences—not just classroom scenes, but fully produced, faculty-directed performances spanning Shakespeare, Agatha Christie, and contemporary comedy. The program culminates in a New York City Industry Showcase, putting you in front of agents and casting directors who can launch your career.
In a conservatory-style program, personal attention is not a perk — it is the whole point. At FSC's 14:1 student-faculty ratio, faculty-artists know your strengths, your growth edges, and how to push you toward your best work. That preparation takes graduates to regional theatre, touring productions, and Broadway.
Perform in the Loca Lee Buckner Theatre, a 336-seat thrust stage, Branscomb Auditorium, an 1,800-seat proscenium, and the only Frank Lloyd Wright–designed theatre-in-the-round in existence.
Each year's lineup includes two musicals and spans comedy, classical theatre, and contemporary drama, plus a second-stage lab production. BFA students can audition for lead roles starting their first year.
BFA seniors finish in a New York City showcase, performing for national agents, casting directors, and industry professionals: the room they've trained four years to walk into.
Florida Southern is the only Florida school on The Princeton Review's Best College Theater list, a recognition of the quality of our productions and performers.
Train in a rigorous, conservatory-style environment where the classroom, rehearsal hall, and main stage are all part of your education. Small class sizes, award-winning faculty, and a full season of productions mean you're always learning by doing.
Admission to the BFA in Theatre Performance is competitive and requires an audition in addition to the standard FSC application. Here's what you need to know.
All freshman applicants to Florida Southern Colleges full-time degree programs must submit the following information:
Applying to Florida Southern as a transfer student is easy. Submit:
If transferring fewer than 24 credits, also include your official high school transcript and SAT/ACT scores.
Learn More about transfer admissionsAfter gaining acceptance to FSC, BFA candidates must audition for entry into the Theatre Performance program. For the BFA in Theatre Performance, you will need to prepare:
Auditions are offered on designated dates throughout the year or by appointment. All BFA audition candidates are automatically considered for theatre scholarship eligibility.
Not ready to audition? FSC also offers a B.A. in Theatre Arts, which does not require an audition for program entry. Scholarship assistance is available to B.A. candidates who choose to present an audition or portfolio.
BFA in Theatre Performance students complete a rigorous, four-year curriculum built around craft, production, and professional preparation. Coursework covers acting technique, stage movement, improvisation, vocal production, script analysis, directing, and theatre history, giving you both the artistry and the analytical foundations the profession demands.
From your first year, you'll have the opportunity to perform major roles on FSC's main stage, putting classroom learning to work in front of live audiences. The program culminates in a New York City Industry Showcase, placing you directly in front of national agents, casting directors, and industry professionals.
Because all programs are structured in four-year formats, students intending to pursue the BFA should consult with the department about the appropriate courses to take in their very first semester.
Florida Southern's theatre facilities are a production environment unlike most undergraduate programs. The department presents four main stage productions each year, including two musicals and a second-stage lab production, with additional opportunities for student-led work.
Theatre Arts: B.F.A. in Theatre Performance
A. WRIGHT Foundations Requirements …. 34 hours
B. Major Requirements............................... 75 hours
THE 1101-1106 Production Practicum I–VI
THE 1213 Acting I
THE 1220 Stage Movement
THE 1240 Improvisation and Creative Expression
THE 1413 Stagecraft and Production Practice
THE 2210 Acting II
THE 2220 Voice and Dialect for the Actor
THE 2313 Script Analysis
THE 2413 Scene Design
THE 2420 Lighting Design OR
THE 2430 Costume Design
THE 3323 Directing
THE 4210 Acting IV: Advanced Acting Topics
THE 4299 Senior Project - Performance
THE 4513 Theatre History and Literature I
THE 4523 Theatre History and Literature II
One of the following courses:
THE 3110 Musical Theatre Audition
THE 3120 Musical Theatre Scene Study
THE 3214 Acting III: Acting for the Camera
Five hours selected from:
THE 2153 Applied Production Experience
(repeatable up to 6 hours and may be used as elective hours)
THE 3153 Applied Production Experience (repeatable up to 12 hours and may be used as elective hours)
Four hours selected from:
THE 1231–1238 Applied Voice for the Theatre
C. Electives.............................................................................. 15 hours
D. Total............................................................................................... 124 hours
NYC Industry Showcase (capstone experience)
Theatre at FSC isn't just what happens on stage, it's a community. Get involved with the Vagabonds, the oldest continuously running student organization on campus, which produces annual staged readings, biennial ten-minute play festivals, and fully staged studio productions. Or join Studio Box, FSC's improv troupe, who regularly perform for enthusiastic, sell-out crowds on campus.
Beyond the stage, theatre students are part of a department that's woven into the cultural life of the entire college and the broader Lakeland community through productions and community service.
FSC theatre graduates go on to careers as professional performers, directors, educators, arts administrators, and more. Within six months of graduating, 99% of FSC students are employed or in graduate school.
The path most BFA graduates are training fo: performing in regional theatre, touring productions, Off-Broadway, or on the national stage. FSC's NYC Industry Showcase puts you in the room with the agents and casting directors who can make it happen.
For students who want to deepen their craft or move into directing, design, or academia, FSC's conservatory-level training and faculty mentorship provide a strong foundation for MFA programs at leading conservatories and universities.
Disciplined, detail-oriented, and essential to every production, stage managers are in demand at every level of theatre. FSC's production-heavy curriculum gives you the hands-on experience to step into this role with confidence.
Many theatre professionals build careers leading the organizations that make the art possible: managing theatres, running education programs, and overseeing community arts initiatives. FSC's engaged learning culture and community partnerships open doors in this growing field.
Teaching the next generation of performers is one of the most meaningful paths a theatre graduate can take. FSC's rigorous academic training prepares you to bring theatre to life in schools and studios at every level.
“Professors encourage us to be active participants in our fields. They give us their personal contact information and invite us to reach out. They use their networks to get us connected with opportunities that propel us towards our goals, even if our dream is to star on Broadway!”
I loved that the faculty treated you like professionals. It made the move over to professional theatre easier because I was used to it already. I loved getting a full education in theatre. I loved lighting design, scene design and it made me much more knowledgeable being a working actor"
"I love how close-knit the community is and how the faculty push me every day to learn and challenge myself"
"I picked a place where I’d have access to faculty and individualized attention. Engaged learning mattered. I could experiment, make mistakes, and get real feedback. And the alumni network is real. My first postgrad job came through an FSC alum stage manager."
From the stage to the streets of New York City, FSC theatre students are always in the work. Internships, study abroad, faculty-mentored productions, and an industry showcase mean every semester builds toward a career.
FSC's theatre faculty are working artists and scholars with professional careers on and off the stage. They include recipients of the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival award, design award winners from the Orlando International Fringe Festival, and a finalist in the BBC's Voice of Musical Theatre International Competition; professionals who bring the industry into every classroom, rehearsal, and production.
Professor of Musical Theatre, Musical Theatre Program Coordinator
Assistant Professor of Theatre, Theatre Performance Program Coordinator
Associate Professor of Theatre Arts
Assistant Professor of Musical Theatre
The BFA in Theatre Performance at Florida Southern College is a conservatory-style, audition-based bachelor's degree designed for students pursuing professional careers in theatre. The four-year program combines intensive training in acting, movement, voice, and production with a full season of mainstage performances, culminating in a New York City Industry Showcase before national agents and casting directors.
After gaining acceptance to FSC, BFA candidates audition for entry into the Theatre Performance program. You will need to prepare two contrasting monologues. Auditions are offered on designated dates throughout the year or by appointment. All BFA audition candidates are automatically considered for theatre scholarship eligibility. Visit flsouthern.edu/theatre-auditions for current dates and submission details.
Florida Southern is the only school in Florida ranked by The Princeton Review among the nation's best college theatre programs. FSC students perform in three professional-grade venues — including the only collegiate Frank Lloyd Wright-designed theatre-in-the-round in existence — from their very first year. The program culminates in a NYC Industry Showcase, and the department's production season spans Shakespeare, Agatha Christie, contemporary comedy, and two full musicals each year.
FSC's Department of Theatre Arts offers students three distinct performance environments: the Loca Lee Buckner Theatre, a 336-seat intimate thrust stage with full hydraulic lifts; the Frank Lloyd Wright Theatre-in-the-Round, the only collegiate Frank Lloyd Wright-designed theatre-in-the-round in existence and entirely student-run; and Branscombe Auditorium, a 1,800-seat proscenium theatre that hosts the Festival of Fine Arts and world-class professional productions.
The NYC Industry Showcase is FSC's capstone experience for BFA Theatre Performance graduates. Students perform in New York City in front of national agents, casting directors, and industry professionals — the professional equivalent of a final audition that can open doors to regional theatre, touring productions, Off-Broadway, and beyond.
Yes. FSC also offers a BA in Theatre Arts that does not require an audition for admission. The BA exposes students to all areas of theatre: performance, design, directing, history, and literature, with the flexibility of a liberal arts degree that allows double majoring. Scholarship assistance is available to BA candidates who choose to audition.
FSC theatre graduates work in theatres from New York to Washington, D.C. to San Francisco. Graduates have continued their training at top MFA programs, including Brandeis, CalArts, Purdue, and Harvard. Florida ranks fourth in the U.S. in actor employment, giving FSC graduates a meaningful local and regional market to build their careers.
Theatre students can get involved with the Vagabonds, the oldest continuously running student organization on campus, which produces staged readings, ten-minute play festivals, and fully staged studio productions. Studio Box is FSC's improv troupe, performing regularly on campus for sell-out crowds. Both organizations give students performance opportunities beyond the department's main season.
Get an inside look into the Florida Southern College experience with on-campus tours and events designed to show you what it will be like to live, study, and play at FSC.
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Meet FSC Mocs before a fun-filled experience at Southern Select! You can enjoy light refreshments...
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Read the latest from FSC's Department of Theatre Arts and Dance, from main stage production announcements and casting news to student achievements and faculty recognition.
Ready to take the stage? Our team is here to answer your questions about the BFA in Theatre Performance, audition requirements, and what life in FSC's theatre department looks like.
Professor of Musical Theatre, Musical Theatre Program Coordinator
Explore the full range of degree options in FSC's School of Arts and Sciences:
A career in theatre takes courage, and it starts with a single step. Learn more about the BFA in Theatre Performance, plan a campus visit, or start your application today.
