The Program in Theatre Arts and Studies offers a comprehensive approach to the arts of acting, directing, and playwriting along with the fundamentals of technical direction, play production, play analysis, theatre management, and theatre history. The program offers an undergraduate minor.

The program’s mission is to develop artists who create performances of credibility, power, imagination, and spontaneity; who promote new theatre; and who actively seek opportunities to collaborate with other artists and disciplines.

For those students not focused on a career in theatre arts, the courses offer a broader perspective, an understanding of societal traditions and culture, and an appreciation for the arts, whether theatrical, literary, musical, or visual. Johns Hopkins undergraduates pursuing careers in medicine, engineering, law, international relations, science, and other fields have been challenged and enriched by the school’s courses in theatre arts.

For those who seek careers in the arts, the acting and directing workshops, playwriting courses, and independent study opportunities provide rigorous training in acting and other theatre crafts, as well as an appreciation for and an understanding of the history of dramatic arts, its cultural significance, and the industries it has produced.

Classes are held in the historic Merrick Barn on the Homewood Campus, which houses the John Astin Theatre, where several plays are produced each year.