15 Theater studies Course Programs in USA

Whitman College’s Theater and Dance program offers something for everyone. Whether your passion is performance, direction, choreography, theatrical design, technical production, or theater history, you can explore it here in our supportive, tight-knit community. The Theater major will ground you in the practical and critical skills you’ll need for a lifetime in the performing arts while the Dance minor will allow you to explore dance history, theory, composition and performance—all while making connections that will launch you into your life after Whitman.

The Department of Theater and Dance is committed to engaging students in creative practice and scholarly study across the disciplines of theater and dance. Students in our courses are encouraged to explore the cross-disciplinary connections between these two performing arts; to link theory with practice; and to situate theater and dance as vital components in cultural, social, and political processes with both global and historical reach. The Department exposes students to a wide range of studio techniques and approaches in order to enhance their skills as performers and to provide them with the necessary resources for the creation of new work. Above all, the Department values experimentation in both artistic practice and intellectual inquiry, and seeks to nurture student artists capable of expressing their ideas and their passions with clarity and purpose.

Rehearse for your life. Studying theater and dance prepares performers, directors, choreographers, designers, researchers, technicians, and playwrights for careers in the arts, but that’s not all. By taking our courses and working closely with classmates on all aspects of productions, students also learn valuable skills of collaboration, teamwork, listening, and observation that can be applied to many different careers and professions.

When a student works in and with the Theater Program, they will be a creator among other creators, learning together and working collaboratively to build something important. Whether or not students decide to major in theater or work in theater later in life, the experience of making theater will serve them for the rest of their lives. Theater graduates go on to be scientists, authors of cookbooks, sociologists, screenwriters, lawyers, photographers, and folklorists—not to mention actors, stage managers, and lighting designers.

The Simon's Rock theater program is limited only by the imaginations of the participants in any given year. Students in the program receive one-on-one instruction, a variety of opportunities to learn about all aspects of performance, and the encouragement to fashion their own programs of study in consultation with the faculty. All aspects of theater performance and production are covered across the two tracks: (1) Performance Creation and (2) Technical Creation and Design. Within a single year, a student may have the opportunity to act, assist designers, work backstage, and even assistant direct. The course sequences are carefully designed to build lasting skills and a refined aesthetic.

The Theater Department provides instruction in both the theory and practice of theater performance and production. The department’s minor allows for study of theater practices overall, while the Theater Majors allow the student a more focused path of study in either Performance or Production. The department seeks to enable students to succeed in both academic and vocational pursuits by working towards the following objectives.

The study of theater at Wabash combines hands-on work in acting, script analysis, directing, playwrighting, and theater design and technology with the study of dramatic literature and theater history. In the classroom, in the rehearsal studio, behind the camera, and on the stage, our expert faculty guide Wabash students to develop their capacity for critical thinking and artistic creation, to find and refine their talents and abilities, and to prepare for the world outside Wabash – while having a whole lot of fun on the way.

This course explores issues of cultural diversity and creativity, presenting a full day-in-the-life of theatre, and offering a brief coverage of theatre history. Throughout this course students will learn how to make timely and relevant connections between theatre and the familiar world of television and film to understand how the living art of theatre relates to and influences today's screen entertainment.

The Department of Performance, Theater, and Dance emphasizes performance practice and study as paths to engaged citizenship. Under its umbrella, the disciplines of Theater, Dance, Design, Media and Performance, and Performance Studies integrate theory and practice; give students avenues to follow myriad curiosities; and teach students to become thoughtful collaborators and leaders. Students merge critical and creative thinking by integrating disciplinary knowledge from varied fields into creative practice.

The Department of Theater and Dance offers a major in theater and dance that integrates studio technique, history and theory, and original creative work within the performance and study of theater and dance. Students may major in theater and dance with a concentration in either theater, dance, or interdisciplinary performance. Students may also choose to minor in theater or dance.

The Department of Performance, Theater, and Dance emphasizes performance practice and study as paths to engaged citizenship. Under its umbrella, the disciplines of Theater, Dance, Design, Media and Performance, and Performance Studies integrate theory and practice; give students avenues to follow myriad curiosities; and teach students to become thoughtful collaborators and leaders. Students merge critical and creative thinking by integrating disciplinary knowledge from varied fields into creative practice.

Our mission is to empower students to create, deliver, and critically evaluate communication across multiple media and communicative modes.

The Theatre Program is designed to offer a balance between the varied artistic elements of theatre and an intellectual understanding of the diverse theoretical, historical, and cultural aspects of this art. Theatre students prepare for careers in theatre and other performance media, for further studies in theatre at the graduate level, or for the pursuit of careers in diverse fields outside of professional theatre. Students pair the minor in theatre with any area of major study at the college. Students also connect the minor to arts related majors including Integrative Art Studies Major or the Arts Management Concentration.

In theatre and dance, students learn fundamental practical skills, including acting, design, and dance technique in preparation for advanced seminars and interdisciplinary studio courses. Both seasoned majors and first-time performers have many opportunities to perform in our mainstage productions. In the classroom, we introduce diverse bodies of knowledge including dramatic literature, dance history, and critical theories of race, ethnicity, and gender to prepare students for contemporary artistic investigations.

When you study theatre at Franklin College from your first day on campus you work collaboratively and creatively with students, faculty, and professional guest artists in a discipline that dates back to ancient Greece. By exploring the world and lives of other people, you gain a deeper and richer understanding of what it means to be human in the 21st century. The theatre faculty is dedicated to making your experience in theatre at Franklin College valuable and enriching.