Partnerships & Opportunities

Professional Theatre in Custer State Park

The Black Hills Playhouse (BHP) is a non-profit, professional, summer stock theatre located in Custer State Park near Center Lake. Each summer, theatre professionals, professors and students from across the nation gather to create theatre in this unique environment. The playhouse produces four to five shows each season including musicals, comedies, dramas and classics in a 327-seat theater. The BHP was founded in 1946 by Warren M. Lee, a former professor of theatre and dean of fine arts at the University of South Dakota.

The South Dakota Shakespeare Festival (SDSF) brings to life high-quality, professional Shakespeare performance and arts education events across the state. Our students can apply to and/or audition for the SDSF for employment or internship opportunities.

Apply to the South Dakota Shakespeare Festival

National and Regional

Many students audition/interview for employment or internship opportunities at regional conferences, including:

• Midwest Theatre Auditions (St. Louis)
• New England Theatre Conference (Boston)
• Straw Hat Auditions (New York City)
• Twin Cities Unified Theatre Auditions (Minneapolis)
• Unified Professional Theatre Auditions (Memphis)
• United States Institute of Theatre Technology (location varies)