Theater Arts
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Theater Arts Scott Gagnon, M.A. Program Coordinator
In addition to exploring the theater arts in classroom courses, the department offers many performance opportunities. The Theater Arts program produces several productions each year, including a mainstage musical, at least one main-stage play and student directed productions. Opportunities to perform are also available through other courses, including acting and dance. Students may also give recitals, direct plays under faculty guidance and are encouraged and supported in the creation of their own original works. Private lessons in voice or piano are also available. Departmental internships are also available. Students have interned at sites such as the Huntington Theatre Company, the Boston Lyric Opera, J Magazine and the Speakeasy Stage Company.
LEARNING GOALS AND OUTCOMES At the completion of a Major in Theater Arts, the student will: • develop knowledge of terminology, theory, history , structure and conventions of theater and drama; • acquire the skills necessary to present a theatrical work through appropriate performance and/or production techniques; • acquire skills and techniques that will enable them to independently and/or collaboratively create new works; • develop an appreciation of the collaborative nature of theater productions; • develop a familiarity with a broad sampling of dramatic literature that varies in both cultural context and subject matter; • develop an understanding of the key intrinsic aesthetic and humanistic values in dramatic literature and theater performance.
THE CAPSTONE EXPERIENCE All students graduating with major in Theater Arts must complete a senior capstone project. A main component is an accompanying paper in which the student places the work being presented in historical and comparative contexts. Projects are usually the end result of a 4000-level Directed Study course taken with a full-time faculty member.
2021-2022 Academic Catalog
Programs of Study for Arts and Sciences
Theater has a long and rich history—from Sophocles, Shakespeare and Moliére to Tennessee Williams and present-day Broadway phenomena Waitress and Dear Evan Hansen. Students who major in theater arts gain an appreciation of theater history and of the various roles that bring works of theater from the script to the stage, applying their skills to the Theater Arts Department’s productions. A minor in Theater Arts is also available. It is also possible to combine Theater Arts with another field to create an individually designed interdisciplinary major. Coursework varies depending on the program and is decided through studentfaculty consultation.
