The Ingredients of an Outstanding Theatre Education
Performance Opportunities
We also offer practical opportunities, the most important component in theatre and dance development. While at Casper College you will have many opportunities to be involved both on stage and back stage in plays, musicals, and dance concerts. Production opportunities serve as an extension of all classes as students develop acting skills, polish dance abilities, and construct and run all of the technical elements in each production. As a student, you will find that there is no better way to understand the classroom work than to apply it to real production situations.
Facilities
The Department of Theatre and Dance is centered in the Gertrude Krampert Theatre Complex, a modern, well-equipped facility that was built in 1985 and was expanded in 2003. There are four spaces for students to learn their craft:
The McMurry Main Stage a thrust stage, surrounded by an audience of 400, all within 30 feet of the stage, which makes it one of the most "actor-friendly" stages you’ll ever experience.
The Black Box an experimental theatre providing a second theatre performance space for smaller productions of many types, from the avant-garde to classics, with a greater range of plays, performance events and subject matter than is possible on the McMurry stage as part of the main season.
The Scifers Dance Performance Space for dance productions prepared by the dance classes and the Flight Dance Company. The dance performance space is also a fully equipped studio space and is supported with a second studio space. Both studios have state-of-the-art dance floors.
The Ken Ury Little Theatre for student scenes and productions. This is a 50-seat space for a variety of types of small productions.
 These spaces are equipped with the latest in technical equipment, with ETC computerized lighting control boards, intelligent light instrument, and digital sound. Costume students work in the renovated and expanded costume shop, constructing costumes from the body out. The focus of all these performance spaces is providing student opportunities.
Guest Artists
Perhaps the finest education for theatre students comes with working with theatre professionals. We bring in a professional guest artist to our program at least every other year so that every theatre student has the opportunity to work with professional theatre artists. We also vary the kinds of artists we bring to the program. In recent years, the patron program supported Anything Goes and Chicago director Kurt Stamm, Summer and Smoke director Dr. Jerry Henderson, a professional actor, Anthony Zerbe, and Blair Gulledge, a guest costume designer for A Christmas Carol. Read more about past guest artists >>
Theatre Trips
Each year, the theatre and dance faculty accompany students on a theatre trip. Because of our location, we believe it is important that students experience as much professional theatre as possible. While the trips usually center on the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, and dinner theatres in the area, trips have also been taken to Las Vegas and Minneapolis. These trips will prove vital in your assessment of where and how you will eventually enter in the theatre or dance world.
 American College Dance Festival
Each spring, dance students participate in the American College Dance Festival. These festivals move throughout our region, providing the dance student exposure to many universities for transfer as well as varying techniques, styles and choreography.
National Association of Schools of Theatre (NAST)
Casper College is the first and only Theatre department to be accredited by the NAST in the State of Wyoming. This agency has been founded to help ensure the viability of its member institutions. As a 2-year college, holding this accreditation has aided, and continues to aid our students as they transfer to 4-year programs. The Colleges and Universities see that accreditation and know immediately that the Casper College Department of Theatre and Dance is thorough and rigorous, and a graduate will be well prepared to succeed in thier program.
Transfer Schools
Casper College Theatre and Dance students continue their degrees all over the United States. Faculty advisors work closely with each student to help each one find the right college or university for their needs. View a list the schools our students have attended in the past 10 years after leaving Casper College here >>
General Education
Remember, our goal is to provide you with a complete education. It is vital that you get the most out of your general education opportunities. We believe that these are as important as your major requirements. The education that you receive outside of the theatre is often the determining factor in transferring to other institutions.
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