Performing Arts - Theatre, B.A.

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The Theatre concentration provides students a working knowledge of theatre in the areas of performance (acting and directing), theory, history, criticism and production experience through participation on technical crews in mainstage productions. Students will also learn the basic concepts of dramatic structure with the opportunity to write scripts and direct plays that are presented in a public forum. The program provides students the opportunity to combine the theatre discipline with other related studies for an interdisciplinary, individualized major. The program prepares the student for graduate studies, and to become practicing theatre artists and lifelong learners in a global arts community.

Central to our program is a common core of interconnected experiences in art, music, and theatre, sharing concepts across the arts such as improvisation, performance, histories, or business of the arts. Students are challenged to develop independent thinking that transcends disciplinary boundaries as they learn to engage the changing world of the arts. Students at all levels of study will engage in project-based learning, and junior and senior projects will have an emphasis in collaborative creation for public presentation. In their final year, students create a major thesis paper, production, original play, or other project, which culminates the student’s undergraduate work and launches them into their career after UMF. This interdisciplinary, ideas-based program prepares students for the complex and changing world of the arts in the twenty-first century.

Total Major Requirements 39 Credits

Core Courses 18 Credits

THE 202 - Space Lab and Performance Credits: 3
THE 212 - Play Structure and Analysis Credits: 3
THE 271 - Making Original Performance Credits: 3
THE 275 - Social and Political Theatre and Film Credits: 3
THE 300 - Creative Arts Management Credits: 3
THE 400 - The Creative Project Credits: 3

Individualizing the Major Through Path Choice Building Towards the Project: 21 Credits

One Performance studio course at the 200 level or above Credits: 3
One Technical Theatre course Credits: 3
One Directing studio course Credits: 3
One THE course at the 300 level or above Credits: 3
Three THE-designated electives Credits: 9

Other Requirements

General Education Requirements

For specific information about general education requirements and expectations, see the General Education Requirements in the Academic Programs section of this catalog.

Graduation Requirements

Completion of at least 120 credits and all requirements for this specific program, with a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.000.

Minimum Total Credits for The Degree: 120

Learning Goals and Assessment

Learning Goals:

Exposure to and experience of all components of theatrical production, including acting, directing, management, and technical theatre.
The opportunity to engage with theatre and performance from historical to contemporary and from traditional to experimental.
An interdisciplinary perspective that encourages students to embrace connections between different artistic and scholarly fields, rather than placing rigid boundaries around theatre.
Analytical and critical thinking skills that can be applied to works across the spectrum of theatre and performance.
The opportunity to craft a specialized skill set that will help them pursue their individual goals and projects within their own areas of theatrical interest.

Assessment Criteria:

A well-rounded understanding of the fundamental components of theatrical production, including acting, directing, management, and technical theatre.
The ability to place individual works of theatre within different cultural, historical, disciplinary, and aesthetic contexts.
A strong foundation in theory and criticism, enabling students to offer detailed analysis of performance works across genres and cultures, including the ability to evaluate and critique their own artistic and scholarly work.
A broad-based knowledge of a variety of plays and performances, as well as techniques for script development and analysis.
An understanding of the inherently collaborative nature of theatre and the skills to collaborate with a variety of artists that they can apply to their creative and scholarly theatrical work beyond their undergraduate degree.
The ability to communicate through clear, specific writing, whether critical, scholarly, or creative.