School of Theater

Kantner Hall

Toni Dorfman, Director

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The undergraduate theater experience at Ohio University is a blend of intensive training in a selected area of concentration, core theater studies, and liberal arts experiences leading to a professionally oriented Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.

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The theater is not an island unto itself; it exists as a part of and because of a larger world. For this reason, advisors in the School of Theater strive to help theater majors satisfy the university General Education Requirements in a manner that encourages them to understand and contribute to the larger world. In addition, all undergraduate majors devote a portion of their theater studies to an examination of the literature and history of theater, the role of theater in society, and the relationship of theater to other art disciplines.

Production activities in the School of Theater are considered essential to the total curriculum planning of a major. Majors register each quarter for a credited production assignment. In the first year of training, you will participate in productions through technical and management assignments, while your second, third, and fourth years include opportunities to participate as a performer, advanced technician, designer, or managerial assistant.

Ongoing individual advising between you and your faculty advisor is an extremely important aspect of the training programs in the School of Theater. Your progress is evaluated quarterly by your advisor and faculty in your training area. If progress is considered unsatisfactory at the end of any quarter, you may be placed on probation, recommended for transfer to another sequence or degree within the school, required to modify your program, or denied further enrollment as a degree candidate in the School of Theater.

Other specific requirements and expectations relating to production and curriculum are distributed to all incoming students upon their arrival. A minor or second major is possible in some cases if you have used careful advising procedures and made intelligent use of all elective and university General Education Requirement course options. You also may enroll in a course of study leading to the Bachelor of Arts degree, available through the College of Arts and Sciences. In addition, highly motivated and talented students can pursue their degree work in the School of Theater through the Honors Tutorial College, if the tutorial mode of instruction is appropriate for the individual student.

Admission Requirements

Once you have been admitted to Ohio University, you may enter the School of Theater as a general theater major. For scholarship consideration, auditions and interviews are conducted during the fall and winter quarters of each year for students considering entrance the following fall. You are assigned a faculty advisor when you enroll.

At the end of your sophomore year, you are expected to declare a degree program. Under normal circumstances, you must complete all the 100- and 200-level theater core requirements to be considered for entry into a degree program. A general theater major who has successfully completed the freshman and sophomore coursework will be accepted into one of the three degree programs. Students audition, interview, or present portfolios for entry into the performance, theater arts and drama, or production design and technology programs.

Theater Core Courses (Required of all majors)

THAR 101, 103        Intro and Orientation to Theater as a Profession 2
THAR 110            Intro to Performance 4
THAR 172            Elements of Performance 3
THAR 130            Design Princ. for the Stage 3
THAR 131            Practical Elements of Stagecraft 3
THAR 210            Acting I 4
THAR 270, 271, 272    Theater History I, II, III 12
THAR 320            Directing 4

Two seminar courses from the THAR 470 series 8

Practicum

Freshman     Two 100-level practica (winter, spring) 6

Sophomore   Three 200-level practica (fall, winter , spring) 6

Junior       Two 300-level practica 6

Senior       Three 400-level practica (fall, winter, spring) in area of emphasis 6

Minimum total practicum credits: 24

All majors are required to enroll for Lunchbag Theater Seminar each quarter of residence.

Total: 67

Liberal Arts Requirements for Theater Majors

In addition to the Tier I, II, and III requirements, all majors in the School of Theater are required to take two English courses at the 200 level or above. Two Shakespeare courses are strongly advised and may be required in a specific program. (Tier I junior composition does not fulfill this requirement.)

Electives

Distribution of elective hours will vary depending upon degree requirements of a particular area. You are encouraged to use your elective choices in a manner that expands upon the liberal arts experience, particularly with choices in the areas of literature, philosophy, history, and psychology. If you are in acting, you also are advised to strengthen your personal talents in the areas of music, dance, and art.

Theater Performance (Acting) Major

Major code BF5161

(Admission by application and audition only)

The B.F.A. in theater performance is a rigorous program fostering creative, cognitive, and artistic skills. It is intended to advance the education and training of motivated, curious, self-reliant, adaptable theater artists capable of dealing with all aspects of theater and contributing to the relationship between theater and society. Theater and performance serve as the basis of the undergraduate fine arts education. Theater is approached technically as craft and art, but also as a way of looking at, interpreting, organizing, and expressing one's ideas and thoughts. We seek serious, disciplined students interested in demanding technical training, who want the art of theater and performance to be at the core of their education.

Formal application and audition into the Theater Performance Program (TPP) takes place during the sophomore year. Transfer students from other programs and institutions are accepted provided they can meet the requirements of the program, the school, and university General Education.

In addition to the university and theater core requirements, you are required to include additional electives from a broad range of areas ant to maintain minimum academic and artistic standards. Tier II classes can be counted toward meeting these requirements. The B.F.A. in performance fosters diversification within the theater study and in disciplines essential to a liberal education. Careful and consistent faculty supervision and advising are an integral part of the program.

Preparation for Admission to TPP

Freshman and sophomore performance classes emphasize preparation and examination, i.e., preparation for the audition into the TPP and examination of your skills, interests, and talents. Assisted by an assigned faculty advisor, you may select coursework designed to allow broad exposure to diverse courses in the university while building a strong foundation in acting.

Before applying to the Theater Performance Program, you should complete the bulk of the Tier I and II university requirements as well as the freshman and sophomore components of the theater core, which include 18 credits of acting. You may be able to take additional courses in acting, voice, and movement to increase your skills and knowledge in acting principles. After your freshman year (or first quarter of residency in the case of a transfer student), you are eligible to audition for all school productions. Subsequent coursework in acting is available to theater majors who do not join the performance program.

Theater Performance Program

The B.F.A. in theater performance offers a diverse program adaptable to the varied interests and talents of students. Essential to the curriculum and the program are rigorous technique instruction and an emphasis on international and intercultural theater, including the possibility of overseas internships. Complementing a faculty of working professionals are an important visiting artist program and a developing internship program that includes internships in the United States and abroad. In your senior year, you are required to complete your practicum requirements in acting. The culminating experiences of the B.F.A. degree program are three quarters of acting practicum and the senior project, a paper or presentation supplementing a senior practicum role, internship, or other performance-related experience.

There is constant communication among the faculty to evaluate your progress, confirm individual progress decisions, and resolve any issues germane to your success in the program. If you are struggling academically or programmatically, you may receive a letter of concern or be placed on probation. Continued concern indicates doubt about the appropriateness of your continuation in the TPP.

Performance studio courses are the core of the program. You are required to complete at least 34 credit hours of studio work, although most students do more. Through advice and approval of the program head (in consultation with the TPP faculty), you will follow a studio sequence that includes performance research and readings, improvisation, Chekhov, Shakespeare, voice, corporeal mime, mask, movement theater, and international performance.

Summary of Requirements

Theater Performance Studios 34 (min)
THAR 415   Acting Practicum 6 (min)
THAR 418   Senior Project 1
THAR 237   Makeup 1

Total TPP Minimum Requirements 42

Additional Electives

You are required to include electives in your program plan and are encouraged to choose from the areas listed below. Your advisor will monitor the progress of this requirement.

Foreign Language/Culture
Third World Culture, International Studies
Philosophy, including, but not limited to, philosophy of art
Anthropology/ Political Science/History
Literature (nondramatic)
Music and Music History
Studio Art and Art History

Theater Arts and Drama

Major code BF5163-Directing
Major code BF5166-Dramaturgy
Major code BF5167-Management
Major code BF5165-Playwriting

(Depending on the area of emphasis, admission requirements may include an interview, writing samples, a letter of recommendation, or the successful completion of introductory courses.)

The theater arts and drama program offers a broad-based theater education that stresses theater as a collaborative art. In addition to courses within the area of emphasis, students accepted into theater arts and drama must take a wide range of courses in a variety of other areas that may include advanced acting, theatrical design, literature, English, history, and art history. This range of required courses is designed to provide a strong foundation for individualized study in the chosen area of emphasis: directing, dramaturgy, management, and playwriting.

During the first two years, you are encouraged to complete much of the theater core and university General Education Requirements to gain a broad exposure to all areas of the theater. At the end of your sophomore year, you choose an area of emphasis and then interview for entry into the theater arts and drama program. The playwriting and dramaturgy emphases require writing samples; the directing and management emphases require satisfactory completion of introductory courses in the field plus a letter of recommendation from the instructor of those courses.

Once accepted into the program, you will have the opportunity for practical theater experience in your area of emphasis while continuing broad but focused studies in other areas. Your progress toward graduation is evaluated at the end of your junior year. This evaluation plus the satisfactory completion of a senior project in your area of emphasis will demonstrate progress toward graduating and acheivement in your area of emphasis. Careful and consistent year-round faculty supervision and advising are also integral parts of the program.

Upon the fulfillment of all university, theater core, and program requirements, you will graduate with a major in theater arts and drama with an emphasis in your chosen area of concentration. This degree is designed to prepare you for further training, whether in graduate school or an entry-level position in professional theater.

In addition to university and theater core requirements, you are required to complete the following courses:

Directing Emphasis: 56 credits

THAR 179      Thea. Arts & Drama Wksp. 2
THAR 279      Thea. Arts & Drama Wksp. 2
THAR 379      Thea. Arts & Drama Wksp. 2
THAR 233      Theatrical Design Skills 3
THAR 313      Acting 4
THAR 413      Acting 4
THAR 216      Body Training 2
THAR 217      Voice Training 2
THAR 320      Directing I 4
THAR 420      Directing II 4
THAR 425      Practicum in Directing 4
THAR 426      Stage Management 3
THAR 438A     Historical Bases of Design I 4
or THAR 438A   Historical Bases of Design II
AH 211         History of Art: Prehistoric to Early Christian 4
or AH 212       History of Art: Early Christian to Renaissance
or AH 213       History of Art: Baroque to Present
ENG           Courses above 300 4

At least two of the following four:

ENG 200   Intro to Literature 4
ENG 204   ntro to Lit: Classical Trad. 4ENG 205   Intro to Lit: Romantic Trad. 4
ENG 206   Intro to Lit: Modern Trad. 4

Dramaturgy Emphasis: 58 credits

THAR 179        Thea. Arts & Drama Wksp. 2
THAR 279        Thea. Arts & Drama Wksp. 2
THAR 379        Thea. Arts & Drama Wksp. 2
THAR 350        Playwriting 3
THAR 450        Advanced Playwriting 3
THAR 320        Directing I 4
THAR 479        Ind. Studies in Theater History and Criticism 6
ENG 307J        Writing and Research in English Studies 4
THAR 470        Tragedy 4
or THAR 471      Comedy
or THAR 472      Forms of Drama
or THAR 477      American Theater and Drama
THAR 438A      Historical Bases of Design I 4
or THAR 438A    Historical Bases of Design II
AH 211          History of Art: Prehistoric to Early Christian 4
or AH 212        History of Art: Early Christian to Renaissance
or AH 213        History of Art: Baroque to Present
HIST 121        Western Heritage: Classical Age 4
or HIST 122      Western Heritage: Medieval Legacy
or HIST 123      Western Heritage: Modernity
ENG            Courses above 300 4

At least two of the following four:

ENG 200    Intro to Literature 4
ENG 204    Intro to Lit: Classical Trad. 4ENG 205    Intro to Lit: Romantic Trad. 4
ENG 206    Intro to Lit: Modern Trad. 4

Management Emphasis: 53 credits

THAR 179      Thea. Arts & Drama Wksp. 2
THAR 279      Thea. Arts & Drama Wksp. 2
THAR 379      Thea. Arts & Drama Wksp. 2
THAR 330      Elements of Technical Direction 4
THAR 402      Theater Management 4
THAR 426      Stage Management 3
THAR 409      Ind. Studies in Admin. 6
ACCT 201      Financial Accounting 4
MKT 301       Marketing Principles 4
MGT 430       Management Systems-Decision Making 4
ECON 103      Prin. of Microeconomics 4
MGT 200       Intro to Management 4
THAR 405      Practicum in Mgt. 4
or THAR 427    Practicum in Stage Mgt.

At least two of the following three:

THAR 230    Stagecraft: Scenery 3
THAR 231    Stagecraft: Lighting 3
THAR 232    Stagecraft: Costume 3

Playwriting Emphasis: 52 credits

THAR 179       Thea. Arts & Drama Wksp. 2
THAR 279       Thea. Arts & Drama Wksp. 2
THAR 379       Thea. Arts & Drama Wksp. 2
THAR 233       Theatrical Design Skills 3
THAR 313       Acting 4
THAR 350       Playwriting 3
THAR 450       Advanced Playwriting 3
THAR 451       Playwriting Workshop 3
THAR 459       Ind. Studies in Playwriting 6
THAR 438A      Historical Bases of Design I 4
or THAR 438A    Historical Bases of Design II
THAR 470       Tragedy 4
or THAR 471     Comedy
or THAR 472     Forms of Drama
or THAR 477     American Theater and Drama

Production Design and Technology

Major code BF5162

(Interview and portfolio review by the end of the sophomore year required for admission)
The B.F.A. in production design and technology is available with an emphasis on the environmental aspects of performance. Design and technology in scenery, costumes, lighting, properties, sound, and makeup are taught in a series of courses and special projects throughout the four-year curriculum. Productions are prepared under the close personal advisement and participation of the production faculty and staff. Qualified students are challenged with major creative responsibilities.
During the first two years, you are encouraged to complete theater core and general education requirements. In consultation with your advisor, you may also enroll in selected production design and technology courses at the 200 level and above. At the end of your sophomore year, you interview and present your portfolio for admission as a production design and technology major.
In addition to the university and theater core requirements, you are required to complete the following:

THAR 230       Stagecraft: Scenery 3
THAR 231       Stagecraft: Lighting 3
THAR 232       Stagecraft: Costume 3
THAR 233       Theatrical Design Skills 3
THAR 338       History of Costume 4
or THAR 438A   Hist. Bases of Design I
or THAR 438B   Hist. Bases of Design II
THAR 431       Lighting Design II 4
or THAR 432     Costume Design II
or THAR 434     Scene Design II

At least two of the following three:

THAR 331   Theory of Lighting 4
THAR 332   Costume Design I 4
THAR 334   Scene Design 4

A minimum additional15 credits selected from production design and technology classes numbered 300 and above, or areas related to production design and technology approved by your advisor.

Total: 43

Minor in Theater

Minor code ORTHAR

Required Core Courses: 13-14

THAR 110      Intro to Performance 4
THAR 170      The Theater Exper. 4
or THAR 172    Elem. of Performance or 3
               Practicum 6
               (minimum of 3 experiences; at least 1 in PD&T or Mgt)

At least one course (not less than 3 credits) in each of the following groups:

1. THAR 130, 131 (3)
2. THAR 210; 218A, B, C; 179, 279, 379 (4)
3. THAR 270, 271, 272; 470 series (4)

Total required groups: 11

Electives: 5-6

Chosen from any available courses in the School of Theater.

Total: 30

University Publications and Computer Services revised this file ( https://www.ohio.edu/~ucat/97-98/colleges/thear.htm ) August 24, 1998.

Please e-mail comments or suggestions to " ucat@www.ohiou.edu ."