UMW Theatre Steps Into the Spotlight With New BFA in Performing Arts
Students in the University of Mary Washington theatre program already bring plays and musicals to life each year — performing on stage, designing costumes and sets, managing productions and collaborating behind the scenes.
The work has earned them national recognition. For three consecutive years, The Princeton Review has ranked UMW among its Top 25 college theatre programs. Graduates go on to work as professional actors, stage managers, technicians and designers in major venues like the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., on Broadway, and on hit shows streaming on Hulu and HBO.
Now the University is building on that momentum with a new degree. UMW will launch a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Performing Arts program beginning in fall 2026, following recent approval by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV). The degree reflects continued growth for Mary Washington’s theatre program and creates a track for students seeking focused, pre-professional preparation in the field.
The BFA combines intensive studio instruction with hands-on production experience while maintaining a liberal arts and sciences foundation. UMW is currently recruiting students interested in joining the program for the 2026-27 academic year.
“This is a first-of-its-kind degree at UMW,” said Department of Theatre and Dance Managing Director Jon Reynolds. “Our department has already grown tremendously in the strength of our productions and the depth of our training, and the new BFA will allow us to train students at an even higher level, particularly those who want to pursue theatre in a more focused way.”
To give students the opportunity to specialize while collaborating across all aspects of theatrical production, the degree program will include concentrations in acting, musical theatre, design and technology, and stage management.
“Academic, classroom and studio work will be coupled with production experiences to build technical skills in each student’s area of specialty,” Reynolds said. “Collaboration, critical thinking, problem solving, organization and management will also be central to the program.”
UMW Theatre has developed a reputation for performances with impressive production values. Students work in facilities that include a proscenium-style theatre and a studio theatre, which are supported by modern audio, lighting, communications and rigging systems. Additional production spaces include scene and costume shops, dressing rooms and stage management offices, with rehearsal, dance and vocal studios rounding out the facilities.
Recent productions include Matilda, Men on Boats, The Play That Goes Wrong, The Rocky Horror Show, Pride and Prejudice and Julius Caesar. A jam-packed 2026-27 season launches in September, including performances of The 39 Steps, Dear Evan Hansen, Eureka Day and The Children’s Hour.
Looking ahead, performing arts students will also benefit from the new theatre facility which just broke ground on campus and is scheduled to open in a few years. The project, at the corner of William Street and Sunken Road, will include a 300-seat main theatre with balcony access, a 150-seat studio theatre, classrooms, rehearsal spaces and expanded production facilities.
“Together, the new BFA program and theatre project signal a new chapter for performing arts at Mary Washington,” Reynolds said. “It expands opportunities for students while strengthening UMW’s role as a creative hub in the Fredericksburg region.”
Prospective students interested in pursuing a BFA in Performing Arts at UMW can learn more about each area of specialization and submit materials through the Department of Theatre and Dance website.
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