The Department
About the department
Communication, performance and design, taught through research and practical application.
The Department
Our mission
The Department of Speech & Theatre is committed to providing students with the fundamental knowledge of communication, performance and design through research and practical application.
We foster a safe, nurturing environment of creativity, collaboration and experimentation, while providing exceptional instruction in communication, technical design and stage performance.
What we stand on
How we work
Knowledge, research, practical application
The first half of our mission. Craft is taught, assessed and defended, not assumed.
Safe, nurturing, creative, collaborative
The second half. A department that only had rigor would produce technicians and nothing else.
Character, teamwork, leadership, service
How the university catalog describes this department’s preparation of students for careers.
Every major on campus
No student organization here requires a theatre major, and neither do our auditions.
Milestones
Recent milestones
- October 2023
The Color Purple: The Musical became the highest-selling theatre production in Jackson State history.
- April 2025
Jackson State hosted the 87th NADSA Annual Conference, with more than 250 attendees.
- January 2026
MADDRAMA performed in Brooklyn, New York.
Department of Speech Communication and Theatre
Rose E. McCoy Auditorium
1400 J.R. Lynch Street, Jackson, MS 39217
College of Liberal Arts · Jackson State University
Phone & Email
- Department office 601-979-2872
- Box office 601-979-5956
- Chair mark.g.henderson@jsums.edu
Content drawn from the Department of Speech Communication and Theatre Handbook. © 2026 Jackson State University.
