Theater Arts, BA < Case Western Reserve University
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Theater Arts, BA
Degree:
Bachelor of Arts (BA)
Major:
Theater Arts
Program Overview
The Bachelor of Arts program in theater offers a broad liberal arts education in the art and humanity of theater, with the opportunity to pursue concentrations in acting, design/technical,
directing,
dramatic writing, and general theater studies. Theater education provides much-sought-after knowledge and skills such as creative problem-solving, teamwork, and collaboration. Students intending to major in theater will need to complete 40 credit hours of coursework, with the opportunity to pursue double or secondary majors. Most students will opt to take many classes beyond the requirements in order to enhance their knowledge and improve their skills.
Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to demonstrate a common theater production vocabulary.
Students will be able to demonstrate a disciplinary knowledge of acting craft that they can apply toward their scenes analysis and/or performance.
Students will be able to analyze a script for the purpose of theatrical production.
Students will be able to recognize, identify, and utilize historical periods, styles, and artistic movements.
Undergraduate Policies
For undergraduate policies and procedures, please review the
Undergraduate Academics
section of the General Bulletin.
Accelerated Master's Programs
Undergraduate students may participate in accelerated programs toward graduate or professional degrees. For more information and details of the policies and procedures related to accelerated studies, please visit the
Undergraduate Academics
section of the General Bulletin.
Program Requirements
Students seeking to complete this major and degree program must meet the
general requirements for bachelor's degrees
and the
Unified General Education Requirements
. Students completing this program as a
secondary major
while completing another undergraduate degree program do not need to satisfy the
school-specific requirements
associated with this major.
The Bachelor of Arts program in theater offers concentrations in acting, design/technical theater, dramatic writing, directing, and general theater. Students intending to major in theater must complete 40 hours of coursework. Most students will opt to take many classes beyond the requirements in order to enhance their knowledge and improve their skills. Students interested in declaring a specific concentration of study can satisfy the additional requirements listed below in order to fulfill a Bachelor of Arts with a specific concentration. Students who do not declare a concentration will receive the designation of "General Theater" on their transcript.
The basic course requirements for all theater majors are as follows:
Course List
Code
Title
Credit Hours
Performance courses: Students must take all four of the following:
12
THTR 100
Introduction to Acting
THTR 103
THTR 110
Introduction to Theater
THTR 330
Play Directing I
Design courses
All students must take the following course as a prerequisite, preferably in the spring of their first year:
THTR 111
Introduction to Design
Students must take one of the following:
THTR 223
Scenic Design
THTR 224
Lighting Design
THTR 225
Costume Design
Theater history courses: Students must take all four of the following:
12
THTR 325
Development of Theater: Beginnings to English Renaissance
THTR 326
Development of Theater: Renaissance to Romanticism
THTR 327
American Drama
THTR 329
Modern and Contemporary Drama
Tech credit hours (minimum of 3 hours)
THTR 185
Theater Practicum (Students are required to enroll in
THTR 185
, a 1-hour practicum credit, accumulating 7 credits during their 8 semesters at CWRU. Students will enroll in
THTR 185
each semester unless instructed to do otherwise by the director of undergraduate theater studies. Any exemptions to this requirement—receiving 2 credit hours in 1 semester or not enrolling in
THTR 185
for a semester—must receive approval from the director of undergraduate theater studies.)
Senior capstone: Students must take one of the following:
THTR 331
Play Directing II
THTR 390
Advanced Topics in Design/Technology
THTR 393
Senior Capstone: Dramaturgy
Total Credit Hours
40
Elective Courses
Course List
Code
Title
Credit Hours
Students may enroll in additional theater courses beyond the 40 credits required for the major. Some of the courses in the list below can be counted toward the major requirements or taken as electives.
THTR 100
Introduction to Acting
THTR 103
THTR 105
Introduction to Stagecraft
THTR 201
Movement for the Actor
THTR 206
Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang - James Bond and Popular Culture
THTR 223
Scenic Design
THTR 224
Lighting Design
THTR 225
Costume Design
THTR 226
Stage Makeup
THTR 227
Stage Management
THTR 231
Acting: Advanced Scene Study
THTR 232
Acting: Classical Technique
THTR 306
Acting: Camera Technique
THTR 307
Acting: Advanced Camera Techniques
THTR 312
Playwriting
THTR 314
Advanced Playwriting
THTR 316
Screenwriting
THTR 323
Topics in Design
THTR 334
Shakespeare: Histories and Tragedies
THTR 335
Shakespeare: Comedies and Romances
THTR 375
THTR 397
Honors Studies I
THTR 398
Honors Studies II
THTR 399
Independent Study in Theater Arts
1 - 3
Departmental Honors
Majors wishing to take a Bachelor of Arts degree with honors in theater must make written application to the director of undergraduate theater studies no later than May 1 of their junior year. Students must have a minimum 3.25 overall grade point average and a minimum 3.75 grade point average in theater. Acceptance into the honors program is contingent upon faculty support and recommendation by the director of undergraduate theater studies and the department chair.
Those accepted register for
THTR 397
and
THTR 398
during their senior year, for a total of 6 hours. The honors project is defined as a production project in acting, design, playwriting, directing, or management/outreach. A supporting paper discussing the concept, execution, and performance of the project must be filed with the director of undergraduate theater studies no later than one week following the project presentation. Preparation of the project will be supervised by a department faculty member.
This project may be accepted for honors only if it receives a grade of A from both the project advisor and the director of undergraduate theater studies. The grade of A must be received both semesters. Students who qualify will receive the notation “Departmental Honors in Theater” on their diplomas. Information about the structure and specific requirements of the honors project is available from the director of undergraduate theater studies.
Concentration Requirements
Concentration in Acting
Course List
Code
Title
Credit Hours
THTR 231
Acting: Advanced Scene Study
THTR 232
Acting: Classical Technique
THTR 375
Total Credit Hours
Concentration in Design/Technical Theater
Course List
Code
Title
Credit Hours
The two remaining design courses (excluding the course taken to fulfill the core requirements) from
THTR 223
THTR 224
, and
THTR 225
Either
THTR 226
or
THTR 227
Total Credit Hours
Concentration in Directing
Course List
Code
Title
Credit Hours
THTR 331
Play Directing II
THTR 227
Stage Management
Either
THTR 314
(Advanced Playwriting) or an additional design course (
THTR 223
THTR 224
, or
THTR 225
) not taken to fulfill the core requirements of the major.
Total Credit Hours
Concentration in Dramatic Writing
Course List
Code
Title
Credit Hours
THTR 312
Playwriting
THTR 314
Advanced Playwriting
THTR 316
Screenwriting
Total Credit Hours
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