A note from Wil Kilroy, Theatre Arts Department Head:

“Welcome students, colleagues, donors and beloved audience members. With both our educational program and our productions, we are committed to being ‘The Best in the Southwest.’ Our home in the ASNMSU Center for the Arts, undoubtedly one of the newest theatres in the Southwest, provides a state-of-the-art training facility as well as an exquisite space for public performances. Our faculty and staff credits range from Broadway to film, television, regional theatre and summer stock, providing you with an experienced view of the performance profession. Special highlights include our participation in the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival, Theatre in New York City, and the National Michael Chekhov Acting intensive (which has brought participants from as far as Israel, New Zealand and India). We look forward to having you join us.”

-Wil

NMSU Theatre is proud of its 6:1 student to faculty/staff ratio, which allows our students to receive the personal attention given by such illustrious schools as Julliard and much more than most programs offer. In addition to scheduled classes, Independent Studies and Special Topic courses allow students to be individually mentored by department members, in order to further prepare them for their future careers.

In addition to Department Head Wil Kilroy, faculty members include Professors William Storm, Claudia Billings, Jim Billings, Larissa Lury, Nichole Hamilton, and Lisa Hermanson. We are proud to introduce Chloe Cappuccilli as a visiting professor for the 2021-2022 academic year.

The professional staff includes Tamara Carruthers (Costume Shop Manager), Jim Jaworski (Scene Shop Foreman), Jim Wilkinson (ASNMSU Center for the Arts Manager/Sound Designer/Theatre Technician), Mike Wise (Production Stage Manager), and Melis White (Administrative Assistant).

We are also supported by a dedicated board, providing us with the ability to hire guest artists, hold special events, and offer additional student scholarships.

• Read more about the ASTC Board here.
• View photos and bios of faculty and staff.
• Browse the Department Directory.

MISSION STATEMENT

NMSU Theatre Arts and the American Southwest Theatre Company Arts support New Mexico State University and its College of Arts and Sciences by providing quality education and enriching culture and diversity through scholarship and creative activities. We promote social mobility and leadership skills, supporting life-long discovery and the creation of thoughtful, responsible, and passionate citizens through a broad-based, liberal arts education that combines courses in theatre performance, history, literature, theory, design, and technical production. The department serves as a major cultural outreach asset to the campus and community through its affiliation with the American Southwest Theatre Company, and values learning and knowledge, diversity, respect, collaboration, leadership, outreach, integration of theory and practice, new theatrical works, via rigor and commitment. 

VISION STATEMENT

By 2025, NMSU Theatre will be a widely-recognized leader in the arts by our community, state, and region, by providing high quality education and public productions.

VALUES STATEMENT

NMSU Theatre values learning and knowledge, diversity, respect, collaboration, leadership, outreach, integration of theory and practice, new theatrical works, and rigor and commitment.

NMSU VISION STATEMENT

The vision statement for New Mexico State University reads: By 2025, the NMSU system will excel in student success and social mobility for our diverse student population, achieve the highest Carnegie research status (R1), and maintain our Carnegie Community Engagement classification.