We aim for students majoring in Theatre to:
- pursue artistic practice in theatre-making and performance along with scholarly inquiry and the critical study of drama, and to recognize how these necessarily interrelate
- gain strong familiarity with historical contextualization and histories of theatre, and be attentive to the physical and social conditions of performance
- be proficient in a variety of disciplinary, practical and theoretical approaches to the study of theatre,
- develop responsibility to craft and to the collaborative processes of theatre-making; and be open to collaborative methods, modes of thinking, and ways of creating
- develop close reading and critical analysis skills
- gain a sophisticated sense of how performance interacts with other artistic disciplines
- understand how the live presentation of bodies in space with sound and images creates opportunity for expression that is unique and powerful.
- develop critical and performance skills through independent projects and individually-directed or conceived productions
- experience a wide range of challenges, including traditional classroom interactions; advanced work in acting, design, directing, or scholarship; and mentored relationships with faculty and guest artists.
- learn by doing, both inside and outside of the classroom, and be alert to the wider place of the discipline within the humanities by drawing upon courses offered by faculty of the Language, Literature, Music, and Art Departments;
- be attentive to ways the study of theatre, and the creation and presentation of theatrical works, fits into and enriches the overall environment of the College, and the wider world
- develop the traits of character which are associated with academic and civic virtues: including open-mindedness, commitment to community, ethical concern, resourcefulness, humility, kindness, respect, initiative and concern for others.
- be suitably prepared to work in theatre professionally if this is their goal