<p>I would recommend Denison University - beautiful campus with a solid theatre program.
Kenyon may be a reach but worth looking at. U of Evansville is another midwest school with a solid theatre program but plenty of academics. Muhlenberg is a great theatre school as is Butler but they are not conservatories, so there will be more core academics which it sounds like you may be looking for.</p>
<p>Good luck.</p>