Theater

Roberta Sloan, Ph.D., Chair

Tomlinson Theater 210A

215-204-8418

rsloan@temple.edu

Department Office:

Tomlinson Theater 209

215-204-8414

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

www.temple.edu/sct/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 was ranked among the top 25 theater programs in the nation by the U.S. News & World Report's 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 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 124 credit hours.  Students must complete:

• University requirements: All students are required to complete a set of university requirements: General Education (GenEd) or Core. New freshmen starting in the 2008-2009 academic year are required to complete the GenEd curriculum. New transfer students starting in the 2008-2009 academic year are required to complete the Core 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 RCI 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 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 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 four Theater Concentrations: Acting, Design, Directing, or Musical Theater.

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

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.

Suggested 4 Year Plan of Study for Theater Foundation/Acting Concentration Courses

(Required Concentration courses are in Bold; suggested electives are in Italics.)

Semester One

Semester Two

Semester Three

Semester Four

Semester Five

Semester Six

Semester Seven

Semester Eight

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.

Note:  The 9 semester-hour Elective Concentration for Design Concentration students must be three courses in one of the following areas:  Visual Art or a behavioral science such as Psychology or Anthropology.

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.

Suggested 4 Year Plan of Study for Theater Foundation & Design/Technology Concentration Courses

(Required Concentration courses are in Bold)

Semester One

Semester Two

Semester Three

Semester Four

Semester Five

Semester Six

Semester Seven

Semester Eight

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:

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

2.  The Arts Exploratory Concentration for directors, 9 s.h. in the Foundation courses, must be three courses in one of the following areas:  Music, Dance, Visual Art, or a behavioral science such as Psychology or Anthropology.

Additional Courses Required for the Directing Concentration:

Suggested 4 Year Plan of Study for Theater Foundation/Directing Concentration Courses:

(Required Concentration courses are in Bold.)

Semester One

Semester Two

Semester Three

Semester Four

Semester Five

Semester Six

Semester Seven

Semester Eight

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 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 (TH 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:

Suggested 4 Year Plan of Study for Theater Foundation/Musical Theater Concentration Courses:

(Required Concentration courses are in Bold.)

Semester One

Semester Two

Semester Three

Semester Four

Semester Five

Semester Six

Semester Seven

Semester Eight

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 coursework 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 coursework.