The Department of Theater at Case Western Reserve University is one of the first academic theater programs in the United States, founded in the 1930s by Barclay Leathem. We are strongly committed to educating students in the art and technique of theater, developing artists who have a mastery of craft, breadth of vision, and liveliness of thought. The liberal arts education we offer our Bachelor of Arts students provides a strong preparation for careers in the performing arts, and also in a variety of fields where interdisciplinarity, collaboration, and critical thinking are key components, while the Master of Arts and Master of Fine Arts programs prepare students to become esteemed artists and leaders in their respective professional worlds.
Case Western Reserve University has made merit-based scholarships available for prospective theater students. Each year, the department of theater awards four full-tuition scholarships to students who intend on majoring in theater, and two $10,000 scholarships to students who intend on minoring in theater, or those interested in pursuing theater as an extracurricular activity at CWRU. For the full-tuition awards, the student must declare theater as a major by the end of their freshman year.