What is Theatre Techniques & Design?: Course Fees 2025, Subjects, Top Colleges, Admissions

Filmmaking and theatre are both art forms that tell stories through the use of visual images and dialogue. However, there are some key differences between the two mediums.

Hi Jeenu,

The fees required to pursue a course in theatre can range from 10,000 to 1.5 lakhs depending upon the type of course i.e part time certificate course, weekend workshop, Advance weekend programme etc.

All the best!

Hi Rubel,

There is no stringent academic requirement to pursue a course in theatre, any graduate can opt for the course and there are even some of the certificate courses which you can opt for after 12th

All The best

Eligibility criteria vary depending on the institution and the level of the course. Generally, most acting courses in India accept students who have completed their high school education  (10+2) or equivalent. Some institutions may also require applicants to undergo an audition or interview process to assess their aptitude for acting.

Candidates can pursue various diploma courses in theatre and acting after 12th. Some of the Diploma courses are Diploma in acting, direction, dramatic arts, screenwriting etc. Candidates can pursue these courses either online which is a short-term course or pursue full-time undergraduate degree from recognised colleges and universities. Some colleges require candidates to appear in entrance examinations in order to be eligible for Bachelor's programme. They must also produce their Class 10th and 12th certificates in order to finalise their admission in their desired college.

Some colleges give direct admission to the candidates while some conduct entrance exams to grant admission. Before taking admission in their preferred college, candidates should go through the official website of the college to know about the admission process.

National Testing Agency (NTA) will announce the CUET 2026 exam date in first week of March. NTA will conduct the CUET UG 2026 exam tentatively in May/June 2026. The exam will be conducted in multiple slots each day. NTA will conduct CUET UG 2026 exam in two slots: 9 AM to 12 PM and 3 PM to 6 PM.

CUET 2026 registrations will commence at cuet.nta.nic.in. Candidates willing to appear for the CUET for admission to UG courses at Central, State, Private, or Deemed universities must complete the online application form to appear for the CUET 2026 exam. Only registered candidates can appear for the exam as per the schedule.

CUET exam centre is allocated on the basis of the preferences entered by the candidate while filling the CUET application form. NTA allotes exam centre as per the preference entered and is subject to availability and logistical consideration.

While filling the CUET application form, candidates can select four cities of their choice. Choice of CUET exam centre cities will be limited to the State of permanent address or State of present address only. In case there are very few candidates from a city, the NTA reserves the right to merge one, two, or more cities.

CUET 2026 exam will be held in May-June 2026 in computer based mode over a month window. The exam will be held across more than 300 exam cities in India. Candidates will be able to know the alloted exam centre on issuance of CUET intimation slip or CUET admit card.

A list of the best Bachelors courses in acting is listed below:

1. Bachelor of Arts in Communication Degree
2. Bachelor of Arts in Drama Degree
3. Bachelor of Arts in Film Degree
4. Bachelor of Arts in Musical Theater Degree
5. Bachelor of Arts in Costume Design Degree
6. Bachelor of Arts in Stage Management
7. Bachelor of Arts in Screenwriting Degree
8. Bachelor of Arts in Directing/Theater Production
9. Bachelor of Arts in Theater History Degree
10. Bachelor of Arts in Media Studies Degree

I hope this will help you.

The candidates who pursue undergraduate or postgraduate courses in Theatre and Acting have to complete Actor Preparation Training which is an essential part of their curriculum. The lessons taught under this area are as follows:

• Physical Movements
• Face Expression Exercise
• Stages of Hand and Leg Movement
• Acting Movement
• Stage Acting

Since success in fields such as Theatre and Drama requires individual qualities such as talent and creativity, candidates are advised to join a theatre group during the course itself. It gives them the experience to perform on stage and learn the nuances of dramatics.

Top 5 acting schools are:

1. FTII, Pune Film and Television Institute of India
2. The Barry John Acting studio,Mumbai
3. National School of Drama (NSD), Delhi
4. Anupan Kher’s, Actor Prepares
5. Subhash Ghai’s, Whistling Woods International

There are many colleges offering course in theatre techniques and design. Some of the popular courses are mentioned below: 

• Jawahar Lal University (JNU)
• Central University of Jharkhand
• Central University of Punjab
• Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University

Various jobs options for graduates in Theatre Arts are in the field of Performing Arts are manifold and also offer exciting remuneration of around INR 3-7 LPA. Some of these job profiles include:

• Movie Director
• Playwright
• Set and Costume Designer
• Professional Stage Manager
• Drama Therapy
• Theatre Education

Candidates who have recently completed Theatre courses can expect to earn somewhere between INR 2-4 LPA. The salary and perks increase with experience and portfolio diversification of the candidate. This career option requires candidates to socialise and also showcase their talents through freelance projects. After gaining experience, they can earn between INR 8-15 LPA based on their number of projects and theatre shows.

Many candidates after completing their formal training in Theatre from India choose to learn it from top institutes outside India. Some of these institutes are as follows:

• Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, UK
• National Institute of Dramatic Art, Australia
• Tisch School of the Arts, USA
• Juilliard School, USA
• Guildhall School of Music & Drama, UK
• Oxford School of Drama, UK
• California Institute of the Arts, USA

There are many people who have excel in Theatres and are very renouned in this field. Following is the list of some of the famous Theatre Artists in India:

• Naseeruddin Shah
• Makarand Deshpande
• Girish Karnad
• Mahesh Dattani
• Dolly Thakore
• Rajit Kapur
• Lillette Dubey
• Sunil Shanbag
• Manav Kaul
• Akarsh Khurana