Department of Theatre Arts

Our distance-based program offers traditional graduate level coursework in both asynchronous and synchronous modes as well as our innovative project-based and self-directed study courses. A small number of our courses, due to their nature, may only be available in a synchronous format, but class meeting times are scheduled with a range of time zones in mind.  

Your major professor will support you through the program, but driven and self-motivated students are ideal for this program due to the nature of the Zoom environment, asynchronous coursework options and flexibility in the coursework.

We offer the curriculum of the MFA in both a two-year and three-year option. If you already have earned an approved master’s degree from an accredited institution of higher education, you may be eligible for our M.A. to MFA conversion, which allows up to 20 credits from your previous master’s program to be applied to your course of study for the MFA.

We want you to get the most of your graduate experience at University of Idaho, so flexibility is built into our curriculum. All students are required to take 11 credit hours in our MFA Theatre core:

• THE 5150 — MFA Jury/Portfolio Review (5 credits)
• THE 5160 — Graduate Seminar (3 credits)
• THE 5960 — MFA Exit Project (3 credits)

You will work with your major professor to build out your study plan with 49 elective credits from the following areas:

• Studio area
• Skills/Craft area
• History/Literature/Criticism area
• Project and Self- Directed Learning area
• Conference or Practicum area

If you are interested in learning more about the curriculum for our MFA distance-based program, please contact Sarah Fogarty-Morrison (sarahcampbell@uidaho.edu)

Sarah Fogarty-Morrison will be on sabbatical in spring 2026. Between December 19, 2025 and May 15, 2026, contact Robert Caisley for MFA program inquiries.

Join us for an information via Zoom session to learn about the distance MFA program offered by U of I’s Department of Theatre Arts.

Pre-register for a Zoom session

Upcoming information session dates:

• 3:30 p.m. PT on Wednesday, February 4
• 3:30 p.m. PT on Wednesday, March 4
• 3:30 p.m. PT on Wednesday, April 1

Can’t attend one of these sessions? Reach out to Sarah Fogarty-Morrison for more information or to schedule an alternative meeting time.

Sarah Fogarty-Morrison will be on sabbatical in spring 2026. Between December 19, 2025 and May 15, 2026, contact Robert Caisley for MFA program inquiries.

We have a rolling admissions process with start dates in summer, fall and spring semesters.  

Semester-specific deadlines:

• Summer admission: April 1
• Fall admission: July 15
• Spring admission: November 15

Applications require transcripts from all institutions attended beyond the secondary level, a statement of purpose, three letters of recommendation, and additional portfolio documents based upon your area of emphasis:  

• Directing: portfolio required
• Dramatic writing: writing sample required
• Theatre design: portfolio required  
• Theatre technology: portfolio required
• Theatre management: portfolio required
• Theatre pedagogy: no additional materials required

We are currently accepting applications for the following areas in our on-campus MFA program: design, technology, and management and directing. We are not currently accepting performance emphasis students to our on-campus MFA Theatre Arts program.

Students in the MFA Theatre Arts program on campus are eligible for assistantships. All efforts will be made to place you in an assistantship that matches your area of emphasis. Current assistantships include teaching oral communications (generally for directing students), working in the scene shop (generally for scenic and lighting design or tech students) or costume shop (generally for costume design/technology students). The availability of these assistantships is limited each year. We suggest applying early and reaching out to the department to request more information.

The department does not set up on-site interviews unless applicants have successfully passed the initial web screening.

University of Idaho is a participating member of the Kennedy Center/American College Theatre Festival (KCACTF), which promotes and recognizes excellence in collegiate drama. As a member of Region VII, Idaho students compete with students attending from other universities in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Northern California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming.

Each year, more than 900 productions and 18,000 students participate in KCACTF nationwide. University of Idaho theatre students have maintained a long and strong record of winning top awards at the regional and national festivals.

Undergraduate scholarships

• Drama Activities Scholarship
• Lucille M. Hardgrove Scholarships
• Jean Collette Scholarships
• Charlotte & Tony Kuehn Scholarship
• H. & C. Mangnuson Scholarship
• James H. Marshall Scholarship
• S.E. & Mary H. Ranta Scholarship
• Ginger Rankin Minority Scholarship

Graduate scholarships

• Jean Collette Scholarships
• Thomas L. Cooper Scholarships

About the fellowship

U of I’s Department of Theatre Arts offers an exclusive connection with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival through the Rex Rabold Fellowship.

Rabold graduated from the University of Idaho with a Master of Arts in 1976. In his nine seasons with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, he touched thousands of lives through his performances, his creative achievements as a teacher and his generosity of heart. Rabold died at the age of 39 in 1990.

To honor his memory, OSF established a unique fellowship with the University of Idaho. Every year, one U of I graduate is selected by audition to perform with the prestigious theatre company. The fellowship recipient receives an acting stipend and housing for one year, and many are invited to return to the company for two or three years following their award.

In addition to his seasons with OSF, Rabold's theatre credits include work with repertory theatres in Milwaukee, Portland, San Diego and Seattle. He was also artist-in-residence for the National Endowment for the Humanities, Folger Shakespeare Library exhibit and the Pioneer Theatre Company in Utah.

Rabold audition information: B.F.A./MFA in performance only

Rabold auditions are held every other spring.

Eligibility

Bachelor of Fine Arts and Master of Fine Arts performance candidates retain eligibility for the Rex Rabold Fellowship for a full year after graduation. This will provide two years of eligibility for each candidate.

In-person auditions are  held every other spring on an invitation-only basis.

About the fellowship

This fellowship, named in memory of theatre alumna Ari Keever, is made possible through the generous support of Trajectory Consulting and Solutions LLC, and in collaboration with Boise Contemporary Theater (BCT).

Ari was one of the truly bright lights to grace U of I stages in recent years. She brought joy and radiance to her work in the classroom and in productions, laughter to our halls and made a monumental impression on everyone she met. Not long after she graduated with her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre, she began her professional acting career with Boise Contemporary Theater. The Ari Keever Trajectory Fellowship at BCT will help support the creative and educational goals of passionate young theatre artists into the future. Each year BCT’s Artistic Director, Ben Burdick, will audition eligible students. The fellowship recipient will then be cast in one of the productions slated for BCT's Fall/Spring Season. A fellowship award in the amount of $6,000 will be used to cover the cost of travel and housing during a 6-week residency at BCT. The fellow will be offered a non-equity contract with the theatre.

Auditions are held every spring on an invitation-only basis.

Built in 1973, Hartung is an intimate, semi‑thrust proscenium and one of our two main stages for academic productions.

Features

• Semi‑thrust stage with traps and orchestra pit
• Two backstage and two vomitory entrances
• ETC dimmer/circuit digital lighting; ~200 fixtures + six intelligent units; Whole Hog IPC control
• Digital sound with Yamaha OM1‑V
• Five over‑house catwalks; SR/SL cheek positions; three over‑stage electrics; far upstage cyclorama & strip‑light positions
• Renovated counterweight fly system
• Backstage shops for set and costume construction, prop storage, dressing rooms, makeup studios
• Front‑of‑house galleries for production design displays and a spacious lobby functioning as an art gallery during runs

Hartung Theater is located at 625 Stadium Drive in Moscow, Idaho.

In December 2021, the auditorium in Hartung Theatre was named the Fagerbakke Stage in honor of alumnus Bill Fagerbakke. His gift funded new seating, carpet and interior updates.

Make it yours: Starting at $350, add a personalized plaque to a brand‑new seat — an ideal way to honor a loved one or commemorate your connection to Hartung.

Make a gift

A multi‑configurable laboratory theatre designed for experimentation and new work, often staged with minimal technical trappings to prioritize process and performance.

Features

• ETC dimmer/circuit lighting with Expression 3 controller
• Separate lighting inventory (incl. Source Four Jr. Zooms) and automated instruments
• Digital sound with Mackie board and Meyer system
• Free parking after 5 p.m. and on weekends (street and lot behind The Forge)

The Forge is located at 404 Sweet Avenue in Moscow, Idaho.

A 50‑seat black box for student showcases, readings and projects.

Houses faculty and administrative offices, rehearsal studios, design labs, graduate offices and a student lounge, minutes from Hartung.

Shoup Hall is located at the corner of Sixth and Rayburn in Moscow, Idaho.

We rent Hartung and The Forge to campus units, community partners and students.

Contact: theatre@uidaho.edu or 208‑885‑6465 for pricing and scheduling.