In addition to meeting General Education requirements, and all other degree requirements, including Senior Project, all theatre and performance majors must meet the following major requirements (54-66 credits).
Beginning with the class entering in Fall 2023, the Theatre and Performance major requires a Concentration to be declared no later than the fourth semester.
Students who declare this major must earn a grade of C or higher in all courses required for the major, excluding the senior project. To progress in the major, students who do not meet this minimum grade standard must repeat the course(s).
Six foundation courses: 18 credits
THP 2020/Introduction to Theatre and Performance Studies: 3 credits
THP 2200/Theatre and Performance Production: 2 credits*
THP 2205/Shakespeare Then and Now: 3 credits
THP 2885/Theatre Histories I: 3 credits
THP 2890/Theatre Histories II: 3 credits
THP 2895/Production Practicum: 4 credits
*THP 2200 is a 1-credit course that must be taken twice (2 credits total). Transfer students need to take it only one time (1 credit).
Five elective courses: 16–20 credits
Students choose five electives in consultation with their faculty advisor. Independent studies and internships cannot be used to satisfy this requirement. The remaining three must include:
One upper level (3000-4000) THP elective
ANT3350/Myth, Ritual, and Performance
LIT3225/Shakespeare and Rebellion
LIT3532/Body, Race, Performance
PHI3205/Shakespeare and Philosophy
SPA3715/Modern Hispanic Theatre
THP3180/Satire and Social Dialogue
THP3245 /Ancestral Theatre Note: Prerequisites include THP2020 and THP2885
THP3250/Theories of Drama & Performance
THP3260/Theatre & AsiaTHP3270/Theatre, Truth, and Reconciliation
THP3405/Indigenous Rights & Performing Arts in Guatemala
THP3495/Black American Drama
THP3530/Black and Gay in Performance
THP3535/Contemporary Indigenous Theatre and Performance
THP3650/Contemporary US Latino Theatre
LIT3532/Body, Race, Performance
SPA3715/Modern Hispanic Theatre
In some cases, courses taken to fulfill these upper level elective requirements also fulfill concentration requirements.
Synthesis courses: 12 credits
THP 3890/Junior Seminar: 4 credits
SPJ 4990/Senior Project I: 4 credits
SPJ 4991/Senior Project II: 4 credits
Students normally take the junior seminar (THP 3890) in the spring of their junior year, during which they develop and submit their senior project proposal for approval. The senior project is completed during the fall and spring of the senior year.
Internships and study abroad are highly recommended. Courses in other disciplines (outside the major) may count toward requirements for the major if approved in advance by the department chair.
Transfer students may meet some requirements for the major with courses taken elsewhere, subject to approval by the department chair and the registrar.
Concentrations and Senior Projects
Theatre and Performance majors must declare one of the following concentrations prior to enrolling in Junior Seminar. Each concentration requires particular courses, and the declared concentration will determine the nature of the student’s senior project. The number of students pursuing a particular concentration may be limited, and is subject to approval by the Theatre and Performance faculty. The concentration-specific requirements listed here should be completed prior to enrolling in Senior Project I, unless specified otherwise. Students should consult closely with their faculty advisor every semester to ensure that these courses have been completed successfully by the end of the junior year.
THP 3680/Directing I (4 credits)
THP 3681/Directing II (4 credits)
One of the following upper-level Directing electives - may be taken concurrently with Senior Project I
THP 3115/Immersive Storyworlds (4 credits)
THP 3640/Theatre Design for Directors (4 credits)
THP 3730/Collaborative Directing and Devising (3 credits)
THP 3735/Embodied Images: Directing as Composition(4 credits)
THP 4150/Directing Chekhov (4 credits)
Recommended: Internship, dramaturg, or assistant director experience with productions in the Conservatory of Theatre Arts (junior or senior year)
PSW 1000/Playwriting I (4 credits)
PSW 2010/Playwriting II (4 credits) (or an alternative course in performance composition, approved by THP Chair)
PSW3155/The Art of Rewriting (4 credits) (or an alternative course in performance composition, approved by THP Chair) - may be taken concurrently with Senior Project I
THP 2800/Managing the Production (3 credits)*
One of the following Production electives:
THP 3640/Theatre Design for Directors (4 credits)
THP3645/Projection Design for Performance (3 credits)
THP3320/Concepts in Costuming (3 credits)
An addition design or management course (3 credits)*
* Note:
Students who successfully complete THP 2895/Production Practicum may be allowed to enroll in one or more of the following Theatre Design/Technology courses:
TDT 2080/Theatre Technology I
TDT 2200/Scene Design I
TDT 2300/Costume Design I
TDT 2400/Lighting Design I
TDT 2500/Intro to Sound Design
*Students who successfully complete THP 2800/Managing the Production, may be allowed to enroll in the following Theatre Design/Technology course: TDT2600/Introduction to Stage Management
THP 1055/Fundamentals of Acting (3 credits)
THP 3070/Acting Scene Study (3 credits)
One of the following courses in voice and speech:
THP 3050/Voice and Speech Essentials (3 credits)
THP 4316/Advanced Vocal Exploration (3 credits)
One of the following courses in movement:
THP 2500/Movement for Performers I (2 credits)
THP 3150 / Introduction to Lecoq and Physical Performance (3 credits)
THP 2770/ Movement: The Physical Instrument (2 credits)
DPD3020/ Interdisciplinary Movement Theatre
One of the following courses in performance composition, directing, or writing for the stage: (4 credits)
PSW1000/Playwriting I
PSW4150/Making New Plays
THP2000/Acting the Classics
THP2380/Performing Oral History and Poetry
THP3040/Creative Collaboration 1 for Actors & Directors
THP3110/Commedia and Pantomime
THP3180/Satire & Social Dialogue
THP3350/Speaking Shakespeare
THP3370/Contemporary Italian Drama and Street Theatre
THP3375/Devising the Now
THP3500/Documentary Theatre
THP3510/Solo Performance
THP3555/Michael Chekhov Technique
THP3680/Directing I
THP3685/Ensemble Creation
THP3730/Collaborative Devising & Directing
THP3735/Embodied Images
THP3760/Poetry In Performance
THP1055/Fundamentals of Acting (3 credits)
One of the following courses in movement:
THP 2500/Movement for Performers I (2 credits)
THP 3150/ Introduction to Lecoq and Physical Performance (3 credits)
THP 2770/ Movement: The Physical Instrument (2 credits)
DPD3020/Interdisciplinary Movement Theatre
One of the following courses in voice and speech:
THP 3050/Voice and Speech Essentials (3 credits)
THP 4316/Advanced Vocal Exploration (3 credits)
One of the following courses in performance composition: (3-4 credits)
PSW4150/Making New Plays
THP3375/Devising the Now
THP3510/Solo Performance
THP3680/Directing I
THP3685/Ensemble Creation
THP3730/Collaborative Devising & Directing
THP3735/Embodied Images
THP3760/Poetry In Performance
THP 2050/Introduction to Applied Theatre, 3 credits
Two of the following Applied Theatre electives:
SCP 3356/Theatre of the Oppressed, 3 credits
THP 3500/Documentary Theatre, 4 credits
THP 3270/Theatre, Truth and Reconciliation, 4 credits
THP 3400/Theatre in Prague, 6 credits
THP3405/ Indigenous Rights and Performing Arts in Guatemala, 3 credits
THP 3660/Theatre and the Climate Crises, 4 credits
Internship with applied Theatre Ensemble, 4 credits
THP 3000/Dramaturgy (4 credits)
One of the following courses in composition for the stage:
THP 3500/Documentary Theatre: Performing Real Life (4 credits)
PSW 1000/Playwriting I (4 credits)
THP 3680/Directing I (4 credits)
THP 3250/Theories of Drama and Performance (4 credits)
An additional upper-level course in dramatic literature (4 credits)
Students who are planning a senior project in performance studies should consult with their faculty advisor about additional course options.
The senior project in Theatre and Performance is a rigorous project which requires research and writing, regardless of concentration. All concentrations except Theatre History/Theory/Criticism require the execution of a creative project (such as the performance of a production or the writing of a script) as well as the following scholarly components: a statement of artistic aims, a contextual research essay, and a technical essay evaluating the process and results of the creative project. The concentration in Theatre History/Theory/Criticism does not require a creative component, and consists solely of a scholarly project.
In most cases, students must receive formal faculty approval of their specific senior project proposal by the end of the Junior Seminar. Acceptance of proposals is not automatic. It is dependent on adequate student preparation and fulfillment of required courses, as well as faculty availability and expertise. Students may be asked to submit an alternate proposal or take additional courses before proceeding.
Advanced students who plan to explore the intersections of two or more areas in their senior project should consult with their faculty advisor well in advance to shape an acceptable course of study and senior project.