Each semester, many Catawba College Theatre Arts students study abroad with professional theatre companies and programs. Students may also attend college programs in London and England or have international experiences in places like Costa Rica or Japan. We've also had students in artistic residencies in Paris, Estonia, Spain, and Italy.

Each semester, Catawba College Theatre Arts brings in a series of professional performers, directors, designers, agents, playwrights, and managers to present workshops to our students.  Recent experiences have covered "Living in New York City on a Budget," "Auditioning for Broadway," Japanese Theatre, Creative Process, Meyerhold technique, Grotowski training, Professional Cattle Calls, Getting an Agent, Shakespeare in Performance, and Improv in NYC.  Students have also been able to attend lectures, readings, and workshops with Tony Kushner, Christopher Durang, and Jose Rivera recently.

Internships with professional theatre companies are common.  Students may work at a theatre in New York, D.C., Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, and a host of other places. We’ve recently had interns working at the Williamstown Theatre Festival and E! Entertainment Television.

Nearly all Catawba College Theatre Arts majors graduate with professional theatre credits already under their belt. Many graduate with Equity (union) points. We encourage professional engagement before graduation and organize auditions with professional companies and professional theatre organizations such as the Southeastern Theatre Conference (the largest auditions in the country). Some students end up in tv/film and some on Broadway as well as regional theatres and national tours. 

Catawba College Theatre Arts graduates get work and are highly successful in the field. Among our 2005 theatre arts graduates, 60% had professional theatre contracts in hand on graduation day.