Degree Requirements

Theatre Major

The major in Theatre divides the work of our students into three areas — Theatre-Making, History & Theory, and the Emphasis — which together culminate in a Senior Project experience.

 Theatre-Making

(16 credit hours: both 100 and 200, either 301 or 302, and also 4 credits of Laboratory experience in the production laboratories of the Department of Theatre)

History & Theory of the Theatre

(12 credit hours: any two of the following 300-level History & Theory courses and one Theatre Seminar)

Emphasis

(12 credit hours: Three elective course in Theatre or a combination of Theatre and other fields of inquiry.)

Senior Project

(4 credit hours: Successful completion of the "Senior Project" or THTR 451/452 Senior Research.)

The Emphasis and Senior Project in the Major

Every student who majors in Theatre, by the end of the sophomore year, will propose an Emphasis in this major. After consulting with their advisor, the student will propose to the faculty of the Department of Theatre three courses and a subfield or unifying idea (at this same time, the student will also propose four alternate courses). The courses will either provide experiences of increasing depth in a sub-disciplinary area of theatre or explore related questions and ideas in the context of theatre study or theatre-making. The self-designed emphasis will culminate in a one- or two-semester Senior Project, which might be creative or research-oriented or both. Both the Emphasis and the Senior Project are subject to approval by the faculty of the Department of Theatre.

In their emphasis, a student could elect to follow a traditional sub-disciplinary path (Acting or Playwriting, for instance), a more specific but still traditional path (Music Theatre or Costume Design, for instance), a theoretical or theme-oriented concentration ("Theatre and Social Change" or "Gender and Performance," for instance), or a generalist path (provided the student could offer a meaningful justification for that plan). This coursework will take advantage of the advanced courses offered in the Department of Theatre and also, potentially, the offerings of the rest of the college. As in the college's Individually Designed Major, it will be the responsibility of the student to complete prerequisite courses necessary and to have developed a group of alternate courses in the event that they are unable to register for a proposed course. Senior Projects may either operate as individual projects with direct mentorship from a faculty member or as major contributions to our Laboratories in the sub-disciplinary areas of theatre-making, advised by faculty and in collaboration with faculty, staff, and peers.

Theatre Minor

The minor in Theatre, requires the Theatre-making core (THTR 100, 200, and either 301 or 302); one course from the History & Theory sequence; one elective course; and two credit hours of Laboratory work.