Theatre Arts



I regard the theater as the greatest of all art forms, the most immediate way in which a human being can share with another the sense of what it is to be a human being.

― Oscar Wilde

The Cypress College Theatre Arts Department offers a full range of classes for students interested in transfer or vocational pursuits in acting, directing, musical Theatre, and all areas of technical Theatre and design. We also produce two plays and two musicals each year, supported by our 580-seat Campus Theater, and our intimate Studio Theater.

Our faculty provide a disciplined, practical and supportive environment where you can cultivate and advance your skills to pursue an AS degree in Theatre Design, an AA degree in Performance, or an AA-T degree in Theatre Arts, which provides a path to guaranteed admission to one of California’s CSU campuses, as well as certificates in Costume/Makeup Design, Lighting/Sound Design, Musical Theatre, Acting for Stage and Screen, or Technical Theatre.

Students acting on stage

What You’ll Study

  • Theatre
  • Play Analysis
  • World Theater History
  • Diversity in American Theatre
  • Playwriting
  • Stage Management
  • Industry Prep
  • Acting
  • Dynamic Movement for the Stage
  • Improvisation Technique
  • Musical Theatre Techniques
  • Acting for the Camera
  • Voice and Diction
  • Acting Workshop
  • Musical Theatre Performance
  • Rehearsal Performance
  • Auditions for Theater/Film
  • Summer Musical Theatre Workshop
  • Theatre Design
  • Video and Projection Design
  • Sound Design
  • Stagecraft
  • Lighting Design
  • Costume Design
  • Scene Painting
  • Stage Makeup
  • Production Techniques
  • Stage Crew Running
  • Stage Crew Production Preparation
  • Stage Crew Costume/Makeup
  • Stage Crew House Box Office
  • Production Techniques
  • Computer Drafting
  • Scenic Design for Theatre
  • Directing for the Theatre
  • Directing Actors for Film and TV
  • Experimental Theatre
  • Prosthetic Makeup

Catalog

Visit our catalog for more information about the degrees and certificates, courses, and program learning outcomes for students majoring in Theatre.


Careers & Salary

Careers

  • Actor
  • Teacher, Postsecondary
  • Entertainer
  • Performer
  • Producer
  • Director

Salary

  • Low: $18k
  • Average: $63k
  • High: $208k+

Program Mapper

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Visit our Program Mapper for more information.

Faculty

  • Donny Jackson
  • Jennifer McMillin-Brick

Adjunct Faculty

  • Marcella Alberti
  • George Allen
  • Keenah Armitage
  • Doug Cooney
  • Jamal Douglas
  • Shaylene Garber
  • Raymond Gibson
  • Paul Hadobas
  • Michael Kirby
  • Bradley Lock
  • Cailin Luneburg
  • Beckett Ogden
  • Jenna Riley
  • Arthur Ross

Theatre Arts Department

Location: Campus Theater, Room 222
T: (714) 484-7201
Department Chair: Donny Jackson, ddjackson@cypresscollege.edu