Chair: T. Peter Hackett
Professors T. P. Hackett, D. Kotlowitz, M. E. Spicer; Associate Professors J. M. Horton, M. B. Sabinson; Assistant Professor L. Edmondson; Senior Lecturer J. G. Rice; Lecturer C. Dunne; Research Assistant Professor P. E. Herrera; Visiting Professors G. Alexi-Meskhishvili, A. Winograd; Visiting Associate Professor J. D. Sutton; Adjunct Professor T. F. Evans; Adjunct Assistant Professor S. L. Silver.
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MAJOR
The Theater program at Dartmouth College combines courses in the history, theory, and criticism of theater as a performing art with courses in theater practice. Because of the wide range of interests encompassed in the study of theater, students’ programs for the major include a core of foundation courses in the history, literature and criticism of theater plus a combination of courses individually selected to provide training in several aspects of theater practice with special emphasis in one such area. Proposed programs must be supported by a written rationale to be submitted and approved by the student’s Theater advisor. This rationale and the major cards are then submitted to the Department Chair. Students may concentrate their studies in such areas as Acting and Directing; Dance; Theatrical Design and Technical Production; Playwriting; Dramaturgy; History, Theory, and Criticism of Theater.
Prerequisites:
Theater 1: Introduction to Theater Studies: How Performance Happens
Theater 15: World Theater History I: Classical and Medieval Theater
Theater 16: World Theater History II: Early Modern Theater
Theater 40: Technical Production
Prerequisite courses should normally be completed by the end of the sophomore year. Students who become majors after the sophomore year should enroll for the prerequisite courses during the first terms in which they are available after the major has been declared.
Requirements:
Nine major courses, exclusive of the prerequisites, as enumerated within the following categories:
A. Four courses in dramatic literature, theater history, theory and criticism, no more than one of which can be taken outside of the Theater Department.
(1) Two of the following courses:
Theater 18: Modern Drama I
Theater 62: Plays in Performance: Perception and Analysis (FSP)
Theater 63: Dramatic Theory and Criticism
English 24: Shakespeare I
Theater 19: Modern Drama II
Theater 20: Topics in Modern and Contemporary Western Theater
English 26: English Drama to 1642
English 54: Modern British Drama
(2) Two of the following courses:
Theater 21: Topics in American Theater
Theater 22: Black Theater, U.S.A.
Theater 23: African Theater and Performance
Theater 24: Performance in Asia
English 47: American Drama
Theater 10: Special Topics in Theater (with the approval of the Chair)
Or any course listed above in categories 1-2.
With prior approval of the Chair, a course in theater studies from another department (in dramatic literature, theater history, or theater theory and criticism) may be used to fulfill this category (e.g. Classical Studies 2: The Tragedy and Comedy of Greece and Rome).
B. Five courses in theater practice:
(6), (7), (8), (9), (10) An organized, coherent program of five courses supported by the major, written rationale, and approved by the Chair of the Department. Majors are required to take at least one of the performance courses (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 36, 54, or 10 upon approval) and one of the design courses (41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 48, and 10 upon approval). Theater 50, 51 and 90 may be used in partial fulfillment of the five courses in theater practice requirement.
C. Production requirement:
Every Theater major is expected to demonstrate competence in the area of theater production by active and sustained participation in theater offerings at the Hopkins Center (or elsewhere as approved by the Department), especially during the period of his or her declared major. Active and sustained participation shall consist of at least five active involvements in productions sponsored (or with approval, cosponsored) by the Department over a minimum of three terms. Each production credit must include a minimum of 25 hours of work. Production credits must reflect a variety of theater activity, only two of which may be in acting. With Department approval work-study hours may, in some cases, count toward the fulfillment of the requirement. Participation may include any form of activity with the exception of work associated with the prerequisite course Theater 40: Technical Production.
a. courses that include a production component
b. acting in productions
c. participation in a production crew
d. stage management
e. directing
f. designing
g. playwriting when the script is produced under the sponsorship of the Department
h. dramaturgy under faculty supervision.
D. The Culminating Experience. See explanation below.
MODIFIED MAJOR IN THEATER
A student who wishes to combine the study of theater with a related field may apply to the Department for a modified major. Such a program shall contain five courses from the theater major beyond the prerequisites (Theater 1, 15, 16 and 40) and four courses that count toward the major(s) in the related department(s) or program(s). Majors are required to take at least one of the performance courses (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 36, 38, 54, or 10 upon approval) and one of the design courses (41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 48, and 10 upon approval). Theater 50, 51, and 90 may be used in partial fulfillment of the five courses in theater practice requirement. Students taking a modified major must fulfill a production requirement of participation in three productions, at least one of which must be in an area other than acting (please see “Production requirement” for specifics). The Culminating Experience in Theater must also be completed. In recent years modified majors in Theater have been formed with Art History, Classics, English, Film Studies, French, Music, and Spanish. The program must receive the prior approval of the Chair of the Theater Department.
MINOR IN THEATER
The requirements for a Theater minor are six courses that include any prerequisite to the major (Theater 1, 15, 16, or 40). These six courses shall include no more than one Theater 80 and no more than two courses outside of the Department that would normally be accepted for the major. There will be two production requirements, at least one of which must be in an area other than acting (please see “Production requirement” for specifics). A written rationale must be submitted by the student and approved by the Chair.
THE CULMINATING EXPERIENCE
All Theater majors and modified Theater majors must complete a Culminating Experience in Theater. (Theater minors, and other majors modifying with Theater will complete their Culminating Experience in their primary departments. Double majors must complete Culminating Experiences in both majors.) Normally the Culminating Experience is undertaken during the senior year.
In Theater, the Culminating Experience has two components:
1) Participation in Theater 90: The Senior Seminar. All seniors are required to enroll in the Senior Seminar. The Seminar will meet once a week, and will consist of visits by guest artists and critics, discussion and development of student culminating project proposals, critiques of student work, and, where practical, trips to theaters and other locations of interest to the seminar.
2) A Culminating Activity. The culminating activity consists of at least one collaborative project. All majors will work on the culminating activity together, and will present their work in the spring term of the senior year. The project(s) will consist of a major piece of work in the area of each student’s concentration or primary interest, such as acting, directing, dance, design, technical production, costume production, stage management, playwriting, theater history, dramatic criticism, etc.
Majors are urged to plan ahead and to discuss their areas of anticipated concentration with the Department Chair and potential faculty advisors in advance. The culminating experience project(s) will be discussed and developed in Theater 90: The Senior Seminar. Senior majors will submit a proposal(s) for the culminating project(s) by the end of winter term.
The culminating experience requirements may also be fulfilled through the Honors Program (as currently described in the ORC).
TRANSFER CREDIT
Every course taken for transfer credit in Theater must be approved prior to enrollment by the Chair of the Department, upon review of a detailed course description. Three courses taken at other institutions may be substituted in fulfillment of the major requirements, provided that the courses are equivalent to department courses and the program as a whole is consistent with the intent of the major. Of the three transferred courses, no more than two may be in dramatic literature, history, and criticism (A, above): no more than two courses may be in theater practice (B, above).
HONORS PROGRAM
Students who have completed at least five major courses and who have an average in the major of 3.4 or higher (and a college average of 3.0 or higher) are eligible to apply for the Honors Program. Students with modified as well as standard majors may apply. Honors proposals must include the signature of the faculty advisor(s) before submission to the department for consideration. The member(s) of the Theater Department who will supervise the program will be chosen or confirmed at the time that the proposal is approved. The Honors Program consists of a one-term course of study in the spring, completed in the class context of Theater 90: The Senior Seminar and the Culminating Activity. All eligible senior majors will be notified in writing during the winter term of the deadlines for submissions of the Honors proposal.
FOREIGN STUDY PROGRAM
England: London. Fall (alternate years: 2008, 2010)
The Theater Foreign Study Program offers students the opportunity to combine historical study and professional practice in theater at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, one of the world’s great conservatories. The program is a unique chance for students to develop their craft while taking advantage of London’s incomparable theatrical tradition and vibrant cultural scene. All FSP students will be enrolled in the two-credit course Theater 33: Classical Performance. This typical British conservatoire experience is designed for students interested in acting, directing, playwriting, design, stage management, dramaturgy or criticism. Theater 62: Plays in Performance—Perception and Analysis, taught by the Dartmouth instructor involves attending an average of two to three productions per week and a weekly seminar. In addition to the many London theaters, including the Royal Shakespeare Company and National Theatre, students will have full access to London’s cultural resources in music, dance, film, and museums. When practical, field trips to historical sites of theatrical interest and backstage tours of theater facilities will be scheduled.
For additional information regarding enrollment and prerequisites, please consult the Off-Campus Academic Programs booklet.