Theater

Robert Hedley, MFA, Chair

Tomlinson Theater 201

215-204-8413

robert.hedley@temple.edu

Peter Reynolds, MFA, Director of Theater Undergraduate Affairs/Assistant Chair

Tomlinson Theater 210B

215-204-8628

peterr@temple.edu

Department Office:

Tomlinson Theater 209

215-204-8414

www.temple.edu/theater/

The Theater Department is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Theatre (NAST) and is a member of the University Resident Theater Association (U/RTA).  These affiliations characterize it as amongst an elite group of highly-recognized Theater Programs.  The Theater Department was recently ranked by U.S. News & World Report among the top 25 theater programs in the nation.

As a theater department in the heart of a culturally-rich urban setting, Temple University's Theater Department is immersed in and among some of the most important regional and national theaters in the country.  This bountiful artistic environment benefits our undergraduate students.  Many of our faculty and staff are also working industry professionals, several of whom have distinguished national career profiles. Year after year, an impressive number of Temple Theater graduates are actively involved at every level in nearly every major theater endeavor produced in the Philadelphia metropolitan area.

The undergraduate curriculum in theater is designed to provide the highest quality professional training within a rigorous comprehensive liberal arts setting.  Through the study and practice of the arts, craft and scholarship of theater, we aspire to instill in our students a passion for artistic leadership, creativity, collaboration, communication and lifelong learning.  Characterized by an unswerving commitment to professional excellence, academic depth and breadth, community involvement, and international engagement, our program strives to be a vital cultural force in the diverse community of Temple University, the Philadelphia region, the nation, and the world.

With a strong pedagogical emphasis on experiential learning, students are challenged to learn and create in a wide variety of classroom, studio, and production situations.  In addition, Philadelphia has a storied history as one of the top three centers for professional theater in the country, providing a host of opportunities for student observation and engagement during their time here.

The objective of the undergraduate curriculum is to develop within students the creative, cognitive, communication and entrepreneurial skills that will prepare them as citizens of the world and artists contributing to the development of the future of theater in the 21st century.  We hope to inspire our students to fulfill their creative potential within an ever more interdisciplinary artistic environment that is responsive to tomorrow's marketplace and the future needs of our multiple communities.

The undergraduate curriculum is intended to combine outstanding academic liberal arts classes with intensive theater craft and studio class studies.  The department requires that all undergraduate students take a foundation of broad-based theater classes and also have the opportunity for more specialized theater studies as they progress through the program.  The department main season production program serves as the hub of our pedagogy and is a natural and important extension of classroom work. Students are encouraged to participate in the extensive department production programs on some level each semester, ranging from performance opportunities, to design/technical production work, stage management and running crew, as well as dramaturgical research, box office and front-of-the-house patron management.

In summary, the successful theater student graduates from our program with excellent communication and collaboration skills, a broad-based and substantive liberal arts background, developed abilities within the discipline of theater, a peerless commitment to achieving and appreciating artistic excellence, and a passion for life-long learning that will enable success in a wide variety of future endeavors.  Our alumni are not only successful artists in theater and all of the entertainment industries, but they are also leaders in many other fields.  We strive to graduate well-educated and enlightened "Citizen Artists" who possess the creative capacity and commitment to make a difference in the quality of community life regardless of their chosen field of endeavor.

Faculty Advising and Mentoring

Students in Theater and Film and Media Arts are advised by professional academic advisors and faculty advisors. Students make advising appointments in the Center for the Arts Academic Advising Office located on the second floor of the Tyler building, Suite 212. Consult the Directors of Undergraduate Affairs in Film and Media Arts or Theater for assignment to the appropriate advisor.

Academic advisors attempt to avoid errors when advising students about their program requirements, but schools and colleges cannot assume liability for errors in advising. Therefore, students must assume primary responsibility for knowing the requirements for their degree and for acquiring current information about their academic status.

Most students will be eligible to register for classes online via Self Service Banner through the TUportal. However, all students should meet with an advisor prior to the eligible registration period.

Students preparing to graduate must file the necessary paperwork one semester prior to the graduation date. At that time, an appointment should be made with an academic advisor to complete a graduation review and application for graduation.

Summary of Requirements for the Degree of Bachelor of Arts in Theater

The Bachelor of Arts degree in Theater may be conferred upon a student by recommendation of the faculty and by satisfactory completion of a minimum of 124 credit hours.  Students must complete:

• University requirements: All students starting in the 2013-2014 academic year and beyond are required to complete the university's General Education (GenEd) curriculum.
• All students must take a minimum of two writing-intensive courses. The specific writing-intensive courses required for this major are listed below and identified with the code "WI" in the Attribute column.
• Theater Department foundation courses with a grade of C or better in each course
• Completion of a minimum of 53 semester hours outside of the School of Media and Communication.
• No more than 20 credits of work in the major field may be transferred from another institution.  Students must complete at least 16 semester hours in Theater courses at Temple University.
• All Theater majors must take placement tests in English and mathematics. If a student places into English 0701 or Mathematics 0701 or 0702, these courses must be completed prior to taking the General Education requirement for English and Quantitative Literacy.

Theater Foundation Courses

Note: *The concentration may include the required course in art history or the required course in non-dramatic literature. It may not include English 0802, 0812, 0902, 1002, 1012 or 1022.

Theater majors are advised to select courses that will best prepare them to succeed in the future.  Toward this end, students may select courses according to their particular interests through the Theater Studies Sequence or choose from five Theater Concentrations: Acting, Design, Directing, Musical Theater, or Theater Education.

Theater Studies Sequence

The Theater Studies Sequence prepares students to enter graduate programs or pursue careers in theater, other entertainment industries, or other fields.  It is within this sequence that entrepreneurial students, the student who wishes to explore future interdisciplinary linkages, or those most interested in playwriting, might best fit.  The student who follows the Theater Studies Sequence may select any courses offered by the department as long as required prerequisites are completed with applicable proficiencies as indicated in some courses, by a grade of B or better.

Theater Studies Sequence students must complete the Theater Foundation Courses.  However, they are encouraged to meet with a Theater Department faculty member to discuss their goals and what selection of courses might best prepare them to achieve their professional aspirations after graduation.

Acting Concentration

The Acting Concentration prepares students to enter graduate acting programs or pursue professional careers in theater, television and film.  The coursework provides the highest caliber of training possible within the context of a liberal arts education, so students can thrive either in a graduate conservatory program or in the profession.  Through intensive and varied classes in acting, combined with experiential work in minimalist to full-scale productions, students develop the skills needed for creative communication and artistic leadership, tools they will need to pursue their professional goals.

Notes:

1.  In order for the student to progress to the next level of study, prerequisites for admission to some classes are required.

2.  In order for the student to take Acting courses beyond Theater 2261 (Acting II), qualifying through an audition process is required. Therefore, a student is not officially a part of the Acting Concentration until successfully advancing from Acting II to Acting III. At this time, the student may declare the Acting Concentration in the Theater Department or through SMC Student Affairs.

3.  Some Voice, Movement, Speech, and Acting classes may be repeated for credit.

4.  Performance courses are available to those students electing the Acting Concentration and to other students in the department who meet the prerequisite requirements.

5.  Certification officials from the Society of Fight Directors are invited to the final projects of Swordplay for the Actor classes, and some students receive certification in various combat specialties.

Required Courses in addition to the Foundation Courses:

Plus an additional four required electives from the following list of Acting Concentration courses:

For students who transfer from other departments, schools and universities, there are several alternative routes to fulfill the Acting Concentration that can be discussed with your Theater advisor and/or the head of the Acting Program.

Design/Technology Concentration

The Design/Technology Concentration prepares students to enter graduate Design or Technology Programs or pursue professional careers in theater, television and film.  The coursework provides the highest caliber of training possibilities within the context of a liberal arts education, so students can thrive either in a graduate conservatory program or in the profession.  Through intensive and varied classes in design and technology, combined with experiential hands-on work with creative teams for full-scale and minimalist productions, students develop the skills needed for creative communication and artistic leadership - tools they will need to pursue their professional goals.

Note:  In order for the student to progress to the next level of study, prerequisites for admission to some classes are required.

Required Courses in addition to the Foundation Courses:

An additional 9 credits must be taken from the following courses:

Note: The concentration must total a minimum of 35 semester hours beyond the Foundation Courses.

Directing Concentration

The Directing Concentration prepares students to enter graduate directing programs or pursue professional careers in theater, television and film.  The coursework provides the highest caliber of training possible within the context of a liberal arts education, so students can thrive either in a graduate conservatory program or in the profession.  Through intensive and varied classes combined with experiential work in minimalist to full-scale productions, students develop the skills needed for creative communication and artistic leadership, tools they will need to pursue their professional goals.

Notes:

In order for the student to progress to the next level of study, prerequisites for admission to some classes are required.

The Directing Concentration culminates with a Senior Research class production project to be proposed and approved in consultation with the Head of Directing.

Additional Courses Required for the Directing Concentration:

Musical Theater Concentration

The Musical Theater Concentration prepares students to pursue professional careers in musical theater, theater, television and film, or to pursue graduate study.  The coursework provides the highest caliber of training possible within the context of a liberal arts education, so students can thrive either in a graduate conservatory program or in the profession.  Through intensive and varied classes combined with experiential work in minimalist to full-scale productions, students develop the skills needed for creative communication and artistic leadership, tools they will need to pursue their professional goals.

Notes:

1.  In order for the student to progress to the next level of study, prerequisites for admission to some classes are required.

2.  The director of Musical Theater, Dance and/or Movement Professors, and a representative from the Acting Program audition interested incoming theater students in the spring semester of the school year prior to the desired fall admission semester.  Students must be selected through this audition process to gain entrance into the Musical Theater Concentration.  Selection through this process does not guarantee admission to Temple University.  The audition is rigorous and includes singing, dancing and acting.

3.  The Musical Theater Concentration culminates in Musical Theater: Dress Rehearsal (Theater 4133), an intensive audition and performance seminar specially designed to prepare students for the rigorous demands of auditioning for and performing in professional Musical Theater.

4.  Throughout the Musical Theater Concentration student's four years of study, workshops and seminars are made available which feature Musical Theater professionals from New York City and Philadelphia.

5.  To support the Musical Theater Concentration, Temple Theaters will produce an annual musical, either in the fall or spring semester.  A small musical or cabaret featuring Musical Theater Concentration students will be produced in the alternate semester.

Additional Courses Required for the Musical Theater Concentration:

Plus, an additional 8 credits in voice lessons must be taken from the following courses:

*For tuition and fee rates associated with the Boyer College of Music and Dance, please visit: www.temple.edu/bursar/about/tuitionrates.htm.

Theater Education Concentration

Note: New students are not being admitted into this concentration at this time.

The Theater Education Concentration prepares students to pursue professional careers in theater, education, or to pursue graduate study.  Many theater students begin undergraduate training with dreams of becoming a famous actor or performer.  Others are drawn to the technical side of theater:  they are budding designers, stage managers, props artisans, etc.  Another important group of young people are promising educators.  These young artists are drawn to children's theater, social issues theater and educational programs.  Their dreams include working in the Education Departments of major regional theaters, reaching people of all ages as teaching artists, collaborating with one of the countless outstanding youth theater organizations across the country, teaching in high schools, junior highs, elementary schools, starting their own youth theaters or social issues theaters, heading up programs at recreation centers, camps or private schools and many other occupations available for motivated theater artists.

Additional Courses Required for the Theater Education Concentration:

*pending approval

Requirements for a Minor in Theater

A 20 credit-hour minor is available to undergraduate students in other departments and colleges.  The minor is intended to give some broad introduction in theater followed by a small amount of specialization.  A notation on the transcript will indicate successful completion of the minor.

STUDENTS ELECTING THE THEATER MINOR MAY APPLY UP TO SIX TRANSFER CREDITS TOWARD THE TWENTY CREDITS REQUIRED FOR THE MINOR. THEATER 1087 IS NOT AVAILABLE AS AN EQUIVALENCY FOR ANY ARTICULATED CREDIT IN TRANSFER.  Students must receive the permission of their advisor before starting in this program.  Once the minor has been approved, students must follow the academic rules of the Department of Theater for all Theater courses.  Minor credit is not given for Theater grades below C. Students must maintain at least a 2.0 GPA in the minor. Students with theater averages under 2.0 GPA for more than two semesters will be dropped from the program. Students with averages under 2.0 GPA may not begin the program. Students minoring in Theater should collaborate with a Theater Department Advisor in the selection of course work.

Requirements for the Minor in Theater are as follows:

Required Courses:

Additional Courses in Theater History and Literature:

Additional Courses in Theater Performance:

Additional Courses in Theater Design and Technology:

Additional Courses in Theater Producing/Directing:

Suggested Semester By Semester Plans

Please note that these are suggested academic plans. Depending on your situation, your academic plan may look different.

Bachelor of Arts in Theater (General)

Requirements for New Students starting in the 2013-2014 Academic Year

Bachelor of Arts in Theater (Acting Concentration)

Requirements for New Students starting in the 2013-2014 Academic Year

Bachelor of Arts in Theater (Design/Technology Concentration)

Requirements for New Students starting in the 2013-2014 Academic Year

Bachelor of Arts in Theater (Directing)

Requirements for New Students starting in the 2013-2014 Academic Year

Bachelor of Arts in Theater (Musical Theater)

Requirements for New Students starting in the 2013-2014 Academic Year

Bachelor of Arts in Theater (Theater Education)

Requirements for New Students starting in the 2013-2014 Academic Year