Spring Awakening at Purdue University.

Department of Theatre and Dance

You are an actor. A dancer. A designer. A stage manager. An entertainment technologist. You dream, you direct, you create. This is where you belong.

Next on Stage

PCDC SPRING DANCE WORKS

SPRING DANCE WORKS

Celebrate the end of the academic year in style at Purdue Contemporary Dance Company’s Spring Works Concert! READ MORE

Dance Program

Dance with Purdue’s Dance Program and consider adding a major or minor in performance while developing your skills as a mover and creator. Courses in technique and creative process, as well as opportunities to perform original works in Pao Hall’s beautiful theatres, are open to all Purdue students regardless of their plan of study.

News

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Trevor Marshall standing in front of a control board

Purdue alumni develop affordable technology for theaters

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Margaret Gholdson headshot.

Where performance meets perspective: Purdue student...

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Maddie O'Neal sitting in a sound studio surrounded by sound equipment

Purdue Theatre alumna promoted to leadership role

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Elizabeth Zerfas sitting in front of a Theatre banner waiting to do her student interview.

Finding her spotlight: How changing majors can lead to success

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Ellie Jones sitting in front of a Theatre banner waiting for her student interview.

Purdue senior Elli Jones says her double majors in interdisciplinary performance and...

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Purdue's OUR TOWN invites audiences into the classic story from April 16-26

Purdue's OUR TOWN invites audiences into the classic story from April 16-26

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MDE/IDES programs honor three outstanding teaching partners from across Purdue

MDE/IDES programs honor three outstanding teaching partners from across Purdue

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The Snow - Sinha

Rudraneel Sinha - Computer Science major gets bit by the acting bug

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Emily Rosolowski Purdue University's Representative at the Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools

Emily Rosolowski Purdue University's Representative at the Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools

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Theatre Faculty

Mercer Aplin

Clinical Assistant Professor, Audio Technology

maplin@purdue.edu

Mercer Aplin is a passionate collaborator on a wide range of domestic and international audio...READ MORE

Ashley Bellet

Assistant Professor, Costume Design

abellet@purdue.edu

Ashley is a professional costume designer and crafts artisan and has worked for The Santa Fe Opera...READ MORE

Quetta Carpenter

Assistant Professor, Acting

llcarpen@purdue.edu

LaQuetta Carpenter is a professional stage and screen actor, director, and playwright. She earned...READ MORE

Anne Damman

Visiting Assistant Professor, Acting

amdamman@purdue.edu

Anne is a professional actress and voice artist, with extensive experience on stage and screen.  She holds an MA in Classical Acting from LAMDA, as well as an MA in Theatre History, Literature, and Criticism from Ohio State University...READ MORE

Rich Dionne

Chair, Associate Professor of Practice, Technical Direction

rdionne@purdue.edu

Rich Dionne is a professor of practice and technical direction specializing in scenery automation and show control systems. ...READ MORE

Will Lewis

Assistant Professor, Theatre History, Literature, and Criticism

wwlewis@purdue.edu

Will Lewis is an assistant professor of theatre history, literature, and criticism in the Patti and Rusty Rueff School of Design, Art, and Performance after serving as a visiting assistant professor of directing and performance from 2019-2022.READ MORE

Michael McNamara

Associate Professor, Lighting Design

mmcnamara@purdue.edu

Michael McNamara is the Faculty Lighting Designer for the Department of Theatre and Dance...READ MORE

Michael Meyer

Clinical Assistant Professor, Animatronics

mcmeyer@purdue.edu

Michael Meyer, born and educated in Germany, comes to Purdue as a clinical assistant professor...READ MORE

Devin Scheef

Visiting Assistant Professor, Scenic Design

dscheef@purdue.edu

A career educator in scenic design, Devin Pierce Scheef, MFA, joins the faculty of Purdue after serving most recently as the Assistant Chair of the Department of Theatre Arts at the University of Central Oklahoma...READ MORE

Fan Zhang

Assistant Professor, Sound Design

zhan4748@purdue.edu

Fan Zhang is New York-based sound designer and composer for theatre, dance, film and immersive installations ...READ MORE

Dance Faculty

Colin Dees

Dance Accompanist

cdees@purdue.edu

Colin Dees is a percussionist, composer, and interdisciplinary artist based in Lafayette, Indiana. As a musician in dance...READ MORE

Kathleen Hickey

Lecturer in Dance

hickey7@purdue.edu

A native to the Chicago area and currently based in West Lafayette, Indiana, Kathleen Hickey’s...READ MORE 

Petur Iliev

Limited Term Lecturer in Dance

piliev@purdue.edu

Petur Iliev is a graduate of the Bulgarian National School of Dance Art and holds a B.A. from...READ MORE

Holly Jaycox

Associate Chair, Director of the Dance Program

hollyj@purdue.edu

Holly Jaycox is a dancer, choreographer, teacher, and creator of community. Her work has been presented around the Midwest from Detroit to Minneapolis, from Iowa to Ohio. ...READ MORE

Vivian Kim

Lecturer in Dance

kim4828@purdue.edu

Vivian Kim, MFA, came to Purdue University from Boulder, CO.  She stepped into the role of lecturer for the Dance Program within the Department of Theatre and Dance in...READ MORE

Joy McEwen

Limited Term Lecturer in Dance

jmcewen@purdue.edu

Joy McEwen, a limited term lecturer at Purdue University in the Patti and Rusty Rueff School of Design, Art and Performance is teaching Modern Dance 10100...READ MORE

Renee Murray

Lecturer in Dance

murra113@purdue.edu

Renee Murray is a Chicago native, dance artist, and educator. She received her MFA in Dance from California State University, Long Beach...READ MORE

Theatre and Dance Staff

Anthony Sirk

Costume Shop Manager

asirk@purdue.edu

Anthony James Sirk (Costume Studio Manager) has worked in management positions...READ MORE

Affiliated Theatre Faculty

Claire Mason

Affiliated Faculty in Theatre

cemason@purdue.edu

Claire Mason received her Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Theatre Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in May of 2021.  Her area of expertise is...Read More

Tom Robson

Affiliated Faculty in Theatre

trobson@purdue.edu

Tom Robson received his Ph.D. in Theatre History, Theory, and Literature from Indiana University in 2011. Before joining Cornerstone...Read More

Christian Rogers

Affiliated Faculty in Theatre

rogerscb@purdue.edu

Christian Rogers, Ph.D., is Assistant Dean for Purdue Polytechnic in Indianapolis and...Read More

Theatre Graduate Students