Open to any and all majors, University Theater (UT) is a hub of performance, design, and artistic creation for the UChicago community. At our core, we’re a large group of passionate students who are driven by a love of what we do, and it shows in our work. Every year, our community puts students at the helm of over 35 shows across 5 performance spaces. We’re also proud to foster a direct dialogue with some of Chicago’s most talented and experienced theater professionals through our co-curricular involvement with the Committee on Theater and Performance Studies. Whether you’re interested in working backstage, onstage, or if you’re a little fuzzy on the difference between the two, we welcome you to the UT community!

Here’s a list of some of the groups and events that make up UT! If something catches your eye, we encourage you to learn more and reach out.

  • University Theater has been putting on student-led mainstage shows since 1898. Get involved as an actor or as a designer or manager!

  • The Dean’s Men is a student organization at the University of Chicago dedicated to the works of William Shakespeare. Learn more!

  • Off-Off Campus is UT’s very own improvisational comedy troupe. Learn more!

  • Theater[24] is a unique, quarterly theater festival of new work that is written, directed, rehearsed, and designed by students within 24 hours. Looking for a quick, fun, and hectic theater experience? Check it out!

  • Weekend of Workshops offers a space for student directors to explore their craft and push on the limits of their creative vision. Click here to learn more and propose a workshop!

A Brief History

UT builds on a strong tradition of student-run theater at the University of Chicago that began in 1898. The administrative structure that currently governs UT was created in 1986, when various performing arts RSOs on campus combined under the University Theater header. Off-Off Campus, UT’s improvisational comedy troupe, was founded in 1986. The Dean’s Men, dedicated to performing Shakespeare plays during the theater seasons, was founded in 2006 and joined with University Theater in 2010.