The Major

The Department of Theater does not require prospective majors to audition for admission to the program. All University of Massachusetts Amherst students are welcome to declare the major. Once they declare a Theater major, students are assigned a faculty member who will serve as their advisor.

For the B.A. degree in Theater, students must fulfill all University General Education requirements as well as appropriate requirements of the College of Humanities and Fine Arts. In addition, Theater majors must complete at least 36 credits in Theater. At least 12 credits must be completed in the area of Dramaturgy and a minimum of 21 combined credits must be completed in the two areas of Performance and Production, with a least 9 credits required in Performance, 9 credits in Production, and 3 credits in one additional course, either Performance or Production. Finally, students are required to take three one-credit Backstage Practice courses. Students must earn a GPA of 2.00 in courses counted toward the major.

Requirements

The 36 credits must be completed as follows:

Dramaturgy (12 cr)

120 Fundamentals of Play Analysis (required)
9 credits of electives by choosing three courses from four categories:

Classical Repertory
Renaissance & Neoclassical Repertory
Modern Repertory
Contemporary Repertory

Successful completion of THEATER 120, plus any designated 300-level Junior Year Writing course in the major, fulfills the Junior Year Writing requirement.

At least two upper-level Dramaturgy courses will be offered each semester

Performance (9 cr)

140 Fundamentals of Acting (required)
6 credits of electives by choosing any two of the following:

240 Beginning Voice for the Actor
341 Stage Movement
342 Acting
345 Directing
393N Devised Theater
440 Acting Shakespeare
442 Audition Techniques
444 Performance in Detonated Language
445 Directing II
493J Musical Theater
493W Clown for the Actor
494AI Actor/Director Collaborations

Design & Technology (9 cr)

160 Fundamentals of Stage Craft (required)
6 credits of electives by choosing any two of the following:

360 Scenic Design
361 Lighting Design
362 Costume Design
363 Sound Design I
364 Stage Management
365 Technical Direction

One of the required courses must be a design course.

Take One Additional Performance or Production Course (3 cr)

Take Three One-Credit Backstage Practice courses (3 cr)

110 Backstage Practice (3 times)

TOTAL OF 36 CREDITS

Integrative Experience (3 cr: to fulfill University requirement, for all majors)

Any one of the following:

444 Performance in Detonated Language
445 Directing II
460 Scene Design Studio
461 Lighting Design Studio
462 Costume Design Studio
494AI Actor/Director Collaborations
494BI The Art of Adaptation

Other new courses, including classes in technical theater, sound design, ensemble acting, and other special topics may also count toward the major. Contact the Department for more information.

Enrollment in some Theater courses is by consent of instructor only. It is imperative, therefore, that all majors, prospective majors, and nonmajors consult with a department advisor to determine eligibility for, and appropriate placement within, the various courses.

Nonmajors with appropriate qualifications are welcome to participate in the activities of the department. Theatrical Frontiers, a General Education course, is primarily for nonmajors. Department majors are given preference in placement at all levels within the program.