The Department of Drama has a professionally-oriented faculty that trains students how to collaborate and create new and classical work that easily competes with the best theatres in the region. The theatre-rich community of Baltimore/D.C., which includes some of the country’s leading professional houses (Arena Stage, Shakespeare Theatre, Woolly Mammoth Theatre, Roundhouse Theatre, Folger Theatre, Signature Theatre, Ford’s Theatre, Center Stage), that are centrally supported through services like Washington Theatre Guide, provides opportunities for Catholic University students through residencies, auditions, and internships. 

Season productions at Catholic University – staged in the newly renovated showplace known as Hartke Theatre, as well as the smaller, flexible Callan Theatre – consist of classic works for M.F.A. actors and undergraduates, and thesis productions created by the M.F.A. directors and playwrights. Directors and designers from the D.C. theatre community are hired to helm these projects and contribute to the professional training of Catholic University's drama students.