The Theatre Major

The Acting curriculum gives students opportunities to practice their craft every day, alongside talented, experienced working professionals. Coursework, in both the classroom and the studio, is complemented by an extensive and acclaimed Departmental production season, with ample opportunities to put theory into practice.

Coursework for acting students includes:

• Foundation courses for theatre majors, including stagecraft, history, dramatic literature, directing, and theory courses
• Studio training for actors, including
  • Process
  • Scene Study
  • Voice & Speech for the Actor
  • Acting Classical Verse
  • Commedia dell'Arte
  • Experiments in Acting
• Advanced Acting courses, including
  • Stage Combat
  • On-Camera Acting
  • Acting the Song
  • Clowning

The Directing curriculum provides student directors with the problem-solving skills it takes to stage successful theatrical productions. The well-developed curriculum offers hands-on coursework in stagecraft, theory, performance, and design, as well as the cultural and academic underpinnings to bring their ideas and vision to the stage.

Directing students have numerous opportunities to create work at a variety of scales.Senior directing students have frequent opportunities to direct for the Departmental Season, and students direct between 20 and 40 Studio Productions each year. In addition, directing students work alongside faculty and professional guest artists, as assistant directors and dramaturgs.

Performance Studies courses make a serious academic study of the theatre — its place in the societies of the world, today and throughout history. This growing field investigates the human body engaged in symbolic action, using ideas from the performing arts, cultural anthropology, gender studies, oral history, and other related disciplines.

The curriculum examines performing arts such as theatre, dance, performance art, and music, but also inquires into cultural performances like political protests, fashion shows, sporting events, and worship services. These courses reveal how performances form community and shape identity with material consequences for performers and audience members alike.

Students often undertake Performance Studies to complement coursework in directing, design, or acting, and to deepen their understanding of the medium of theatre.

The goal of the Design & Technical Theatre course group is to help students communicate effectively through design, and create compelling theatrical excperiences. Design students are given ample opportunity to work in multiple areas of set, lighting, costume, and sound design as well as in all technical staff positions on both Departmental and studio productions.

Design and technical studies offer intensive, real-world opportunities to students with an interest in working behind the scenes in the performing arts. Students work closely with talented, experienced faculty, production staff, and guest artists, in the classroom and on the stage. The direct, personal mentorship of students by faculty and staff is an important aspect of the program.

Although many design and tech students choose to focus just on working behind the scenes, others elect to study acting, dance peformance, or directing as well, or to pursue another major in addition to theatre. While production design students often focus on one particular area of design — lighting, scenery, costumes, or sound — they receive training in all of these.

Courses are taught in modern, well-equipped facilities, using state-of-the-art equipment. Productions are staged in our extensive performance facilities, including two large theatres and two studio theatres, all fully and professionally equipped.

Design students often serve as assistant designers for Departmental productions, and every Departmental season includes lead designer opportunities for students in every field of design. Students also design all aspects of the Studio Productions and Informal Concerts — 20 to 40 productions each year.

The Stage Management curriculum gives students a thorough background in a broad range of production area, which provides them with a complete understanding of the process of mounting complex theatrical work. Stage managers learn on the job, and stage management students are indispensible to the Department's production program.

Department stage managers work closely with professional directors and designers, and take on critical responsibilities in the production process for all Departmental and other shows, under the close guidance and tutelage of an experienced stage management program coordinator.