Theatre

We invite you to get an inside look at our tight-knit community of performers, creators, and educators. Explore our studios, experience our performances, and find out why Hartt is where you belong! Experience Hartt virtually!

The Hartt Theatre Division is proud to provide a theatre education of the highest level for talented undergraduates. Our program is performance-focused, and students will receive personal attention in studio classes that progress from the fundamentals of craft to advanced, polished performance techniques.

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[Actor Training ] [Music Theatre] [Stage Management] [Technical Theatre]

Meet Our Talented Alumni

Douglas Lyons '09- Broadway Playwriting Debut

Douglas Lyon's '09 had his Broadway playwriting debut Chicken & Biscuits officially open on Sunday, October 10 at the Circle in the Square Theatre! Lyon's welcomed current Hartt Theatre students to attend the previews of Chicken & Biscuits!

Aneesa Folds '14 featured in the New York Times

Music Theatre alumna, Aneesa Folds '14 is currently a member of the hip-hop improv troupe, Freestyle Love Supreme, founded by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Thomas Kail, and Anthony Veneziale. She was recently featured in a New York Times article highlighting her return to Broadway!

Emily Qualmann '19 returns to Hartford to perform in Bushnell's first show since COVID

When asked about how she got the gig, Qualmann's response was, "One of my teachers, Tracey Moore, one of the most important teachers in my life, knew the director through a Hartt production at the Goodspeed, and talked to him. I still had to audition and be good, but that's what Hartt can do. They know everybody."

The Spotlight Awaits!

Our alums emerge ready for the stage!

Check out Hartt alums now on Broadway.

Zach Bencal '13, Aladdin
Ronnie S. Bowman, '17, The Music Man
Juwan Crawley, '16, Aladdin
Aneesa Folds '14, Freestyle Love Supreme
Sheldon Henry, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical
Douglas Lyons '09, playwright Chicken & Biscuits
Charles South, Aladdin
Keisha Gilles, '12, Aladdin
Jayke Workman, '19, Chicago
Dan Macke, '18, Dear Evan Hansen
Lesley Blake Walker, '19, Funny Girl
Kit Treece, Jersey Boys

National Tours

Matt Faucher, '08, Jersey Boys
Emily Qualmann, '19, Escape to Margaritaville
Gabrielle Filloux, '19, The Office: A Musical Parody

Real-World Experiences

Hartt regularly invites guest directors, agents, managers, and casting directors to enhance the work done in each of the programs.

Recent guest artists include award winning producer and alumnus, Orin Wolf ‘01,Terry Layman, and alumnus Shawn-Caulin Young ‘04, and Forrest McClendon (pictured.)

At Hartt, we have professional relationships with regional area theaters including the Tony Award winning Hartford Stage Company, Theaterworks of Hartford, Goodspeed Musicals.

Conveniently located two hours from both New York City and Boston, the city of Hartford boasts some of the finest regional theatres in the country. Hartt students often receive complimentary tickets to productions, or take a short trip to New York to see Broadway show.

Plays and musicals are specifically selected to serve the needs of individual classes and are directed by faculty and guest artists from the professional theatre.

Recent Hartt productions include Sweet Charity,The Cherry Orchard, Julius Caesar

View our complete performance calendar

In the spring semester of your third year, as an actor training major, you receive approximately ten weeks of intensive Shakespeare training in England with our faculty from the professional British theatre.

Our Faculty

We are distinguished by our professional connections. All members of our renowned faculty are artists who maintain their contacts with regional theaters, Broadway, film, and television. We regularly invite guest directors and artists to enhance our student experience.