About Us

Our mission

Calvin Theatre Company is an artistic community dedicated to pursuing excellence in production, integrity in relationships, and affability in collaboration as agents of Christ’s renewal in the church and in the world.

By producing classic and contemporary stories, we invite our audience to engage with a variety of individuals, worldviews, and cultures to cultivate empathy and understanding while inspiring conversations in our own communities and beyond.

Whether a student wants to be on the stage, behind the scenes, or in the audience, there is a place for everyone in the Calvin Theatre Company.

Frequently Asked Questions

Calvin Theatre Company (CTC)

• What is CTC?

  CTC stands for “Calvin Theatre Company.” It is both a 2-credit class (class meets on Thursday afternoons from 4:00 to 5:40pm) and a fully-functioning theatre company.

  For the 2024-2025 academic year, CTC will produce three Main Stage shows (one during the fall semester, and two during the spring semester, all led by our faculty and staff), and three Lab Series shows (all led by students). 

  Students are involved in every aspect of production from performing onstage to working backstage in stage management, sound board or light board operation, helping to build and paint the set, constructing costumes, and more.

• Do I have to be in CTC to be in the shows?

  Auditions are open to ALL Calvin students. While we encourage everyone who is interested in theatre to register for the Calvin Theatre Company course (THTR 120, also part of the Calvin Core), we understand it may not always fit into everyone's academic schedule. We call ourselves a “company” because we produce theatre together while we emphasize the process and the people involved. Each production needs performers, technicians, and crew, and all of them are encouraged to join CTC.

• Do I have to have done theatre in high school to join the company?

  No! Even if you’ve never seen a play, you’re invited to be part of the company. University and high school theatre are very different, so even if you were involved in every single production in high school, know that your experience at Calvin will be new and unique.

The audition process

• What’s the audition like?

  We’re looking for devoted, passionate, and creative students to be involved in CTC. The audition is simple: you arrive at the audition room, fill out the audition paperwork, and present a prepared monologue of your choice (up to one minute in length) to the director. Once everyone has presented their monologue, the director will then ask everyone to read from the show's script. Auditions are a time to do your best, have some fun, and take risks. We can't wait to see what you can do!

• In high school, I performed in every production. Will I get cast in college?

  Directors look for performers who have prepared for their audition (reading the play, memorizing their monologue, etc.), are willing to work hard and take direction, and fit the type of roles available in the particular production being cast. 

  But it’s important to remember that CTC is a production company, not just a performance company. Performing is one of the many aspects of what we do. If you are not cast, you’ll have the opportunity to learn other disciplines in theatre--such as stage management, backstage crew, props, lights, sound, costuming, and dramaturgy. We want company members to be multi-faceted and be able to learn a wide variety of skills.

Technical theatre

• I’m not interested in acting. Are there other opportunities for me?

  Yes! In fact, the majority of opportunities in CTC are not performance-based. Students can be part of many different crews: building scenery, hanging lights, costume construction, scenic painting, publicity, house management, backstage crew, running the sound or light board, or stage management.

  We hope that every student in CTC will have opportunities to gain experience in several different areas of theatre. There are plenty of opportunities for everyone, and there's always a place for you in the company.

• I want to work in the scene shop or costume shop, but I don’t have any skills for this. Will they teach me?

  Yes! Our professional theatre staff members are patient teachers, and part of their responsibility is to teach students theatre-related skills. Don’t know how to sew on a button? You’ll learn! Don’t know how to run a router or a table saw or focus an ellipsoidal reflector spotlight? You’ll learn that, too!

Academics

• What theatre classes are offered? What do you do?

  We currently have three theatre classes available (with more to come in the future!):
  
  Calvin Theatre Company (THTR 120)
  Offered every semester, two credits, part of the Calvin Core (arts, oral rhetoric, visual rhetoric)
  Similar to a "theatre lab" course, each semester focuses on a different area of theatre training--performance, directing, technical theatre and design, stage combat, playwriting, and more! Students also receive training in the various aspects of theatre through participation in one production each semester, either on stage or backstage. This course may be repeated up to three times for credit, and is also available to audit.
  
  Introduction to Performance Studies (THTR 203)
  Offered spring semester in even years (2026, 2028, etc.), four credits, part of the Calvin Core (arts, oral rhetoric, visual rhetoric)
  An introduction to performance as a means of analyzing, appreciating, and celebrating life and literature. This course expands students’ understanding of the relationships between text and performance, literature and human action, and written and oral forms of discourse. Genres examined include poetry, prose, non-fiction, oral history, and biblical literature.
  

  Acting (THTR 323)
  Offered spring semester in odd years (2025, 2027, etc.), four credits, part of the Calvin Core (arts, oral rhetoric, visual rhetoric)
  Gain and sharpen active listening and observational skills and learn the basics of script analysis for use in stage and screen acting. Tools and insights learned will be applied to acting scene work, monologues, audition pieces, and more.

  As a theatre community we have some fun outside of classes and productions, too! Our student leadership board plans social events, and we have a Christmas party every December and an end of year celebration in the spring--traditions we’ve had for years!

• Is it hard to be involved in CTC and university-level academics at the same time?

  It depends on your area(s) of study and what your academic schedule looks like. But, experience in theatrical work provides skills and creates discipline. People who work professionally in theatre have a reputation for being punctual, hard working, and creative problem-solvers. You will learn how to manage your time better. Some CTC members continue to be involved in CTC, make excellent grades, and even work a part-time job. It can be done.

  We do set limits on rehearsal time, so you are not in rehearsal too much each week. But theatre work—whether you’re onstage or offstage—requires commitment and time. If you are cast in a production, expect to rehearse for a couple hours every weeknight and potentially some Saturdays from the week following auditions to opening night. (This depends on the production, your role, and the director. The rehearsal schedule will be available for you to review prior to auditions for each production.)

  If you are on crew, you will work at least twenty hours total on your work, in addition to helping with strike after the production is over. If you are on the backstage crew, you will be expected to be at each dress rehearsal and performance for the run of the show.

• What can I gain by being involved in CTC?

  Being involved in theatre can teach you a variety of different personal and professional skills, even if you have no intention of working in theatre after graduation. Public speaking, cooperation, time management, and creative problem solving are just a few transferrable skills you'll learn during your time in CTC.

Plays and venues

• What kind of productions do you do?

  We do all types--plays, musicals, classical theatre, modern works, to theatre for young audiences--you’ll experience a myriad of genres during your time in Calvin Theatre Company!

• How do you choose your shows?

  The CTC staff reviews scripts each spring for the following academic season. In order for a piece to be chosen, all staff have to agree that it would be an appropriate selection for a season and our company. We believe that the best productions are ones about which the directors are passionate, tell an engaging story, and provide our students opportunities to learn something new or stretch their skills.

• Where is the Gezon Auditorium and Lab Theater?

  Both are located in the Spoelhof University Center.
  
  The Gezon Auditorium is located just off of the main building entry and reception area, and the Lab Theatre is located on the lower level of the building, easily accessible from the Gezon lobby stairs or the barrier-free entrance through the Chapel.

• I keep hearing all these acronyms—like "SM"," ASM", "TD"—what do they mean?

  Acronyms are everywhere at Calvin University, and in the theatre! Here are definitions of the more commonly used acronyms, as well as some theatre vocabulary with which you should be familiar:

  AD: Assistant Director or Assistant Designer works with the director or designer on the production.

  ASM: Assistant Stage Manager assists with stage management responsibilities.

  First Tech: The first technical rehearsal, with lighting, sound, scenery, special effects, and full running crew, that is often stopped by the stage manager to correct technical issues. A “Wet Tech” refers to a technical rehearsal with performers. “Dry Tech” refers to a technical rehearsal without performers.

  Dramaturge: The literary expert of the theatre who aids in research on the history and background of the production. In addition, the dramaturge is the audience's best friend because they write introductory notes about the production for the program and produces a lobby display to inform the patrons about the background of the production.

  TD: Technical Director manages all the technical (lighting, scenery, and sound) aspects of the production.

  Sitz Probe: A seated, not staged, musical rehearsal where the singers and orchestra or pit rehearse together for the first time.

  SM: Stage Manager provides organizational, logistical, and technical support to the director during the rehearsal process and is responsible for the running of each performance. 

  Strike: To remove a set piece, prop, or other item or from the stage. ("Strike that chair.") To "strike the show" is to disassemble the entirety of the set, return all equipment to storage, and reset the venue to how it was before the show was set up. All CTC members are required to be at strike, which occurs after the final performance of a production. (Depending on the individual show schedule, this may happen immediately following curtain call, the following day, or over the course of a few days.)

  If you hear other non-theatre acronyms at Calvin and wonder what they mean, please visit this link.