[ Communication Arts & Sciences ]

The Mill Theatre

Elmhurst is large enough to offer a very strong theatre program, but small enough that even freshmen can get involved and make a difference. Our Mill Theatre offers a full season of productions each year, including musicals, plays, and an assortment of student directing projects. The 2008-2009 season included more than seven separate productions, as well as dance concerts and studio showcases.

Recent successes have been the Broadway musicals Sweet Charity, Zombie Prom, and The Threepenny Opera; the  contemporary dramas Cloud Nine, The Laramie Project, and  W;t and the classics The Importance of Being Earnest, A  Midsummer Night’s Dream, and The Glass Menagerie. Original scripts and student directed and designed productions are frequently staged.

The Mill Theatre complex includes a full scene shop, costume shop, state-of-the-art light board, sound board and equipment, full inventory of lighting equipment, costume storage, and ample furniture and properties storage.

Theatre majors and non-majors have plenty of opportunities to gain experience in design, construction, performance, and management. Elmhurst College actors, designers, and technicians compete annually in the American College Theatre Festival. Guest directors and writers come to campus to share their insights; many students participate in our London theatre travel course during January Term.