Theater

Roberta Sloan, Ph.D., Chair

Tomlinson Theater 210A

215-204-8418

rsloan@temple.edu

Department Office:

Tomlinson Theater 210B

215-204-8414

Kimmika Williams-Witherspoon, Ph.D., Undergraduate Advisor
Tomlinson Theater 200
215-204-8417
kwilli01@temple.edu

www.temple.edu/theater

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

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, creative communication and lifelong learning.  We are committed to being a vital cultural force in the diverse community of Temple University, the Philadelphia region and the world.

Our department strives to be characterized by professional excellence, academic depth and breadth, community involvement and international engagement.  Students are challenged to learn and create in a wide variety of classroom and production situations.  Opportunities are plentiful on campus, in the community and in Philadelphia, one of the most important of America's theater centers.

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.  There are many theater professionals on faculty and who serve as guest artists, advisors, mentors and collaborators.  Temple graduates are involved in nearly every major theater endeavor in the Philadelphia metropolitan area.

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 liberal arts classes with intensive theater 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.  Students also participate in the extensive department production programs.  These opportunities onstage, front of the house, and backstage are a natural and important extension of classroom work.

The successful student graduates from the program with excellent communication skills, a broad-based liberal arts background, developed abilities within the discipline of theater, the appreciation of a commitment to artistry, and the life-learning capacities 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.

Faculty Advising and Mentoring

Advising is an important part of the education of students in Theater. Undergraduate majors are first assigned to the School of Communications and Theater Academic Advising Center and later to a Theater Faculty Advisor within the department. Students are encouraged to consult their advisor on academic matters. In addition to assigned advisors, the chair of the department maintains an open-door policy, and other members of the faculty and staff are happy to mentor students who seek their advice regarding production experiences and career objectives.

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 126 credit hours.  Students must complete:

• University graduation requirements, including successful completion of the University Core Curriculum.
• Theater Department foundation courses with a grade of C or better in each course
• Completion of a minimum of 55 semester hours outside of the School of Communications and Theater.
• 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 pass the placement tests in English and mathematics. A student who fails any one of these tests must successfully complete English 0701 and the required mathematics course(s).

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 1002, 1012 or 1022.

Theater Majors are advised to select courses that will best prepare them to succeed in the future.  Toward this end, three sequences (formerly Emphasis Areas) are recommended: the Theater Studies Sequence, the Acting Sequence, and the Design/Technology Sequence.

Theater Studies Sequence

The Theater Studies Sequence (formerly General Theater) 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 directing and/or 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.  The student is encouraged to select courses that will support vocational and artistic goals.  Theater Department Faculty Advisors and Mentors will help Theater Studies Sequence students to select courses, both in the department and within the University, which will be most beneficial towards achieving future aspirations.  Courses that might be of particular interest are:

Acting Sequence

The Acting Sequence prepares students to enter graduate Acting Programs or pursue professional careers in theater, television and film.  The course work provides the highest caliber of training possible with 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 a passion for what will become their artistic leadership and an understanding of creative communication that will continue with them throughout their lives.

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 (Basic Acting Technique), qualifying through an audition process is required.

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

4.  Performance courses are available to those students electing the Acting Sequence 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 other Stage Combat classes, and many students receive certification in various combat specialties.

Acting Sequence Courses

Additional Performance Courses

Design/Technology Sequence

The Design/Technology Sequence prepares students to enter graduate Design or Technology Programs or pursue professional careers in theater, television and film.  The course work 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 hands-on work with creative teams for full-scale productions, students develop a passion for what will become their artistic leadership and an understanding of creative communications that will continue with them throughout their lives.

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

Design Studies Courses

Scene Design Courses

Costume Design Courses

Lighting Design Courses

Requirements for a Minor in Theater

The Theater Minor is designed for those students who have an interest and/or talents in the Theatrical Arts, but who do not wish to pursue Theater as a career.  Twenty credit hours of course work are required.

Notes:

1.  Transfer credits are not accepted for credit towards a minor in Theater.

2.  Students must receive permission of their advisor before beginning this program.

3.  Once the minor has been approved, students must follow the academic rules of the department for all theater courses.

4.  Credit towards the minor is not given for theater grades below C.

5.  Students must maintain at least a 2.0 GPA in the minor.

6.  Students with theater averages under 2.0 for more than two semesters may be dropped from the program.

7.  Students with averages under 2.0 may not begin the program.

8.  The Theater Minor student should collaborate with a Theater Department Advisor in the selection of course work.