Michael Arndt

Honorary Alumni

Michael Arndt: An Artist’s Legacy 

Each year, the Cal Lutheran Alumni Board of Directors recognizes achievements that have brought honor and distinction to the university. The Honorary Alumni Award is given to those who have rendered an outstanding level of service to Cal Lutheran and whose personal achievements have garnered recognition from outside individuals or organizations. Michael Arndt, Professor Emeritus of Theatre Arts, is the recipient of the 2025 Cal Lutheran Honorary Alumni Award.

The Architect of Theatre Arts at CLU

Across a remarkable career spanning more than five decades in theatre education, Professor Emeritus Michael Arndt has left a lasting impression on the students, faculty and theatre community at Cal Lutheran and beyond. 

Following teaching and directing positions at colleges in Minnesota and the Pacific Northwest, Arndt joined the faculty of CLU in 1982, when the fledgling theatre department was in its infancy. He was instrumental in shaping the university’s theatre program, designing courses, hiring faculty, teaching across disciplines, launching a Multimedia major, and founding the Kingsmen Shakespeare Company, now in its 29th year of summer productions.

“The first year, we set up in Kingsmen Park and didn’t have much in the way of staging or sound or lighting, but people came,” said Arndt, “and it grew from there.”

Today, the Kingsmen Shakespeare Company recruits artists from all over the country and the globe to stage its annual productions. Each year, nearly 400 college students from all over the U.S. apply for a handful of summer apprentice positions as actors and technicians. Very few universities comparable to CLU’s size have a professional theatre on campus, a legacy for which Arndt will always be remembered.  

Throughout his career, Arndt has directed more than 200 theatrical productions and has earned recognition for teaching excellence from Cal Lutheran, the Kennedy Center/American College Theatre Festival, and the Alliance for the Arts. He has served on countless panels, delivered dozens of presentations and workshops, and published in several scholarly journals. Among his most gratifying work has been his interactions with students.

“Working with thousands of CLU students on their journey to pursue their dreams has brought tremendous meaning to my life,” said Arndt.

Healing Through Storytelling

A Vietnam combat veteran, Arndt created Under Fire: Stories of Combat Veterans Across Generations, a production rooted in the real-life stories of veterans from WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan. Through this work, Arndt aims to help veterans heal from the trauma of war through the arts.

“I struggled after my own combat service, and I know the importance of not overlooking our servicemen and women,” said Arndt. “I believe in the power of healing through storytelling, and I’m honored to share the sacred stories of our veterans.”

Among his numerous accolades, Arndt was named a “local hero” by the Ventura County Reporter and “Patriotic Citizen of the Year” by the Conejo Valley Chapters of the Military Order of the World Wars and The Military Order of the Purple Heart.