Regional Theatres

Music Dance Theatre students are required to be cast in at least one off-campus production prior to graduation. Students must complete an application from the MDT Office and be approved for an off-campus production in advance of the audition. Many MDT students are cast in local productions at the Hale Center Theater in Orem, Utah and the Hale Center Theatre in Sandy, Utah. Both theatre companies are well-respected and offer a modest stipend for cast members. Roles at the Hale Center Theatre are double-cast, which allow MDT students to remain fully engaged in studies while in a production and receiving a paycheck.

Many MDT students also work at various summer theatre companies across the country during the spring and summer term. The MDT program has a long-standing relationship with Tuacahn Center for the Arts in St. George, Utah. Tuacahn is a fully professional company that now operates a six-month season making employment available only to graduates or those willing to NOT be enrolled at BYU for one fall semester. Tuacahn operates under a LORT contract with Actors Equity Association. Many MDT students receive AEA points toward their Equity membership via Tuacahn.

The Jackson Hole Playhouse in Jackson Hole, Wyoming often has faculty members from the MDT program in directing positions. For several decades, The Jackson Hole Playhouse has been the first paid performance position many MDT students have experienced. Inclusive of a wild west styled “shoot out” before most performances, the Jackson Hole Playhouse is a terrific way for students to be fully immersed in a performance experience during the summer months.

Other venues MDT students have regularly worked for during the summer season include many of the most prestigious in the nation such as The MUNY Theatre in St. Louise, Music Theatre Wichita in Witchita, Kansas, and Moonlight Theatre San Diego in Vista, California. Other summer companies in the intermountain west include Sundance Summer Theatre, Coeur d’Alene Summer Theatre, The Playmill Theatre, and Pickleville Playhouse.