Concentrations

Acting

The Concentration in Acting allows for a degree of rigorous training in a specialized area while still pursuing a broad-based Bachelor of Arts Degree that provides a strong foundation in the liberal arts. Our Concentration in Acting is taught by faculty dedicated to your growth and development, who will take you through a carefully designed sequence of study—acting, voice and movement, styles of acting and an introduction to life in the profession. At the end of your sophomore and senior years, you will attend an assessment conference with the entire faculty of the department, in which your progress will be discussed and a plan made for moving forward. Initially, you will be introduced to basic acting skills, learning improvisation and exercises in sensory awareness, concentration, relaxation, and imagination. You will then move on to scene study with an emphasis on playing objectives and building action within specific given circumstances and carefully defined relationships. You will take a sequence of voice classes, designed to help you to develop techniques and discipline to expand your physical and vocal expression as a performing artist. And you will put your textual analysis and theatre history skills into practice by studying the acting styles that have arisen over the hundreds of years of Western Theatre.

Musical Theatre

The Concentration in Musical Theatre allows for a degree of rigorous training in a specialized area while still pursuing a broad-based Bachelor of Arts Degree that provides a strong foundation in the liberal arts.  Our Concentration in Musical Theatre is taught by faculty dedicated to your growth and development, who will take you through a carefully designed sequence of study—in Musical Theatre rehearsal and performance techniques, the broad range of repertoire from its history, and in the dance and singing techniques required of its performers. At the end of your sophomore and senior years, you will attend an assessment conference with the entire faculty of the department, in which your progress will be discussed and a plan made for moving forward. The Musical Theater Concentration prepares students to continue on after graduation, pursuing performance careers and/or additional training at the graduate level in such areas as musical theater, acting or theater education. With a strong curriculum of music, dance, and acting, students in this program develop the expertise to become well-rounded performers. With experience working on at least one musical per season, students learn professional skills that essential to success in the field.

Directing

The Concentration in Directing allows for a degree of rigorous training in a specialized area while still pursuing a broad-based Bachelor of Arts Degree that provides a strong foundation in the liberal arts.  Our Concentration in Directing is taught by faculty dedicated to your growth and development, who will take you through a carefully designed sequence of study—intermediate to advanced acting techniques, period styles, design, rehearsal and performance techniques and advanced directing. Because effective theatre Direction requires knowledge that straddles the performance training and the design and technology training, students work closely with both sides, so to speak, of the department, acquiring skills that will allow them to integrate all of the elements of production into a strong directorial vision. At the end of your sophomore and senior years, you will attend an assessment conference with the entire faculty of the department, in which your progress will be discussed and a plan made for moving forward. The Directing Concentration prepares to begin directing after graduation in a diverse array of theatre settings or to pursue graduate training in theatre direction.

Design Technology

The Concentration in Design and Technology allows for a degree of rigorous training in a specialized area while still pursuing a broad-based Bachelor of Arts Degree that provides a strong foundation in the liberal arts.  Our Concentration in Design and Technology is taught by faculty dedicated to your growth and development, who will take you through a carefully designed sequence of study—in rendering techniques, period styles, and scenic, costume and lighting design from intermediate to advanced levels. At the end of your sophomore and senior years, you will attend an assessment conference with the entire faculty of the department, in which your progress will be discussed and a plan made for moving forward. The Design and Technology Concentration prepares students to continue on after graduation, pursuing technical theatre careers and/or additional training at the graduate level in either technical theatre or theatre design. With a strong curriculum in the major areas of design, students in this program leave prepared to enter a competitive graduate program. With experience working on a range of productions annually from diverse repertoire, students apply their training in the classroom to hands-on application.