Theatre

Polk State Theatre is getting back into action with a full season of theatre after a year of renovations to our Winter Haven Fine Arts facility! We are excited to welcome students and audience back to enjoy the updated building, theatre space, classrooms, and systems with us in 2025!

We got started in April of 2025 with our production of You Can’t Take It With You, and we will continue with a three-show season in 2025-26!

The Polk State Theatre program is led by faculty members with many years of experience in acting, directing, producing, and teaching. Under the instruction of these faculty members, Polk State Theatre students each year perform a challenging slate of shows, from classic comedies and musicals to Shakespearean dramas.

Polk State Theatre performs its main-stage productions in the College’s 485-seat Winter Haven Fine Arts Theatre.  Intimate performances take place in the same space ON STAGE in our “black box” arrangement for about 100 audience members.  We also occasionally perform studio performances in the 1,600-square-foot Studio 117, which opened in 2012. Sets are built in a spacious on-campus workshop that rivals the facilities of university programs and professional theatre companies.

The program enjoys the support of area theatre professionals, who lend their expertise in lighting, set design, and other aspects of production. These partnerships deepen the learning for students and enhance the viewing experiences for audiences.

Polk State Theatre students have gone on to finish their education at many of the state universities and other nationally recognized programs.  In addition, many of our current students and graduates have found work at local entertainment venues and theatres.  Because of our knowledgeable faculty, challenging performance schedule, and regional reputation for excellence — among educators and theatre professionals alike — Polk State Theatre has seen its students and alumni succeed in achieving their theatre goals.

We are looking forward to what the future holds!  Come and join us!