The Theatre Minor provides a brief yet
comprehensive introduction to the study and practice of theatre.
Through an approach that combines theoretical and studio courses,
students receive a broad orientation to multiple aspects of theatre.
Acting, theatre history, design, production, and theatrical literature
courses offer a diverse range of experiences and encourage various
modes of learning. Students gain exposure to theatre as it has emerged
in multiple cultural and historical contexts and develop a broad
understanding of the meaning of theatre in society.
The Minor stresses the importance of theatre as a social art and
emphasizes its transformative historical role in society. The Minor
complements the student's major field of study by serving the following
objectives:
• to introduce the student to other personal and world views
that may resonate or diverge radically from the stu-dent's experience;
• to lead the student to appreciate the relationship between
the written and spoken word, the text and its performance;
• to help the student understand how aesthetic issues and
cultural productions affect everyday life;
• to foster the student's personal development by providing
opportunities for performance, aesthetic expression, and critical
reflection through individual and ensemble work;
• to sharpen the student's critical eye as a consumer of cultural
productions and performances, including those of television
and film;
• to engage the student's imaginative and critical faculties
in new and challenging ways, thereby enriching the stu-dent's overall
academic experience.
Above all, the Theatre Minor is geared toward understanding and
creating meaningful communication between theatre and its public,
in order to carry forward the best traditions of theater as an art
of personal and social enrichment.
|