Performing Arts Department

Women dresses in white stand spread across a dimly lit stage.

A cabaret MC stands center surrounded by scantly clad dancers.

The Cat in the Hat standing back to back with Jojo; Other performers to their left and right.

Three dancers on a stage; two women with a man in the middle.

With a B.F.A. in musical theatre, our Performing Arts Department provides a foundation in music, theatre, dance and technical theatre, resulting in thorough professional training for a career in this exciting field.

You’ll work with the finest teachers of voice, acting, dance, theatre history, music history and theory, and gain a liberal arts education at the same time..

In addition, you’ll have opportunities to perform in main-stage musicals, classic and contemporary plays, student-directed one-act plays, workshops and readings of new musicals, and choral and instrumental ensembles. A 386-seat theatre, a recital hall, a lab theatre, a dance studio and practice and rehearsal rooms will support your study.

Whether you pursue a career as a performer, work behind the scenes or become a teacher, your experience at SUNY Cortland will serve you in a variety of career options.