overview
student forms
prospective
students
vision and goals
degree programs
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study
<graduate
study
<film
minor
<courses
<facilities
<opportunities
<production
opportunities
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opportunities
STO
student theatre organization
<sto
arena series
<mission/officers
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gallery
<sto
proposal form
2007-08
Academic Calendar
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Department
Overview
Our degree programs are designed to encourage the development
of the whole person, not just a career, but for life.
Study of Theatre
Through the study of drama, students learn how to use the elements
of theatre as performance as well as process. Performance experience
helps students gain a deeper understanding of themselves and human
behavior. Students learn how to manipulate space, lighting, color
and texture in the studies of design. Collaborative participation
in the creative process helps students develop the teamwork skills
needed to be effective and successful members of contemporary
society.
Study of Film
The study of film encourages students to explore the relationship
between film as an expressive art, and the interaction between
films and the cultural and society of which they are a part. Through
the study of film forms and structures ˜mise-en-scene", cinematography,
editing, sound, screenwriting and acting, students learn how these
elements create meaning and shape an audience's understanding
of film narrative. The department offers a minor in film.
Degree Programs
The B.A. and B.S. degrees are available for students interested
in the study of theatre within a liberal arts background, or as
part of a teacher education program. The B.F.A. is a rigorous,
competitive program of study for students interested in pursuing
careers in professional theatre.
A core of theatre work is required of all theatre majors. Specialization
is available in performance or design at the undergraduate level,
and students enjoy flexibility in shaping their studies according
to particular goals or interests. Minors are available in theatre
and film for those students wishing to expand the focus of their
degree program.
The department also offers Idaho's only M.F.A. in theatre, and
students may select an area of emphasis in acting, directing. dramatic
writing or
design and/or technology (with specialization in scenery, costumes
or lighting). Numerous opportunities exist to design, perform
and direct productions, which are considered an integral part
of graduate training.
Curriculum
The curriculum is intellectually, emotionally and physically rigorous.
The undergraduate and graduate programs are skill-oriented. They
focus on developing a student's working knowledge of their chosen
field of study through prescribed coursework, class projects and
production experiences. Small class sizes and a strong emphasis
on tutorial work assures that each student's needs are fully addressed
throughout their studies.
Production Opportunities
Mainstage productions, which include collaborative partnerships
with the university's music and dance programs, helps students
foster a close working relationship with faculty, and enable the
kind of growth that comes through working with professional artists.
Class projects and studio work are fully integrated with the department's
mainstage season to create a balance between theory and skill
development.
Career Opportunities
Arts and entertainment is one of this country's fastest growing
sectors, and the career options continue to expand along with
its economic impact. The career prospects are vast, literally
hundreds of possibilities in professional theatre, film, television,
education, playwriting, dramaturgy, arts management and production,
art therapy and recreational drama for special populations. The
department's program of study offers a solid foundation for competitive
placement in distinguished graduate programs.
Facilities
The department has two mainstage theatre venues as well as a black
box studio. The 417-seat Hartung Theatre features a semi-thrust
proscenium stage, new digital lighting and fully equipped shops
for scenery and costume construction. The Kiva Theatre is an intimate
125-seat theatre, configured for theatre-in-the-round. It also
features digital lighting. The 50-seat Arena is a black box studio
used for student productions, rehearsal space and classroom.
Faculty
Individually, faculty members have distinguished themselves as professionals in their specialty areas: directing, acting, design,
technology, theatre history. They also have broad experience with how various areas interact in theatre-making. Collectively, they
compose a dedicated team, deeply committed to helping each student realize their potential. |
Drama
Competition
The department is a participating member of
the Kennedy Center/American College Theatre Festival, which promotes
and recognizes excellence in collegiate drama. Each year, more
than 900 productions and 18,000 students participate in ACTF nationwide.
In 2004, UI will host the Region VII event.
Idaho Repertory
Theatre
Idaho Repertory Theatre is the UI's resident
summer theatre company. Established in 1953, it is one of the
longest-running professional summer theatres in the Northwest.
Four plays are produced during the five-week season, and presented
in classic repertory format. College students participate as interns
to enhance their knowledge of theatre by working side-by-side
guest directors, designers and performers. For MFA acting candidates,
an IRT internship is part of their degree requirements.
Internships
Each year, UI students are invited to join
many of the nation's leading theatre companies to work as interns
with roles on stage and in a variety of design/tech areas. These
theatres include Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Tacoma Actors Guild,
Actors' Theatre of Louisville, Utah Shakespeare Festival and Colorado
Shakespeare Festival, to name a few.
Summer Fine Arts Camp
A summer theatre fine arts camp is offered
for high school students (grade 9th and above). Both high school
and college enrollment is available about request. The camp involves
six intense days of classes, workshops, exercises, rehearsals
and studios, with cultural and recreational activities scheduled
for the evenings. The week ends with performances and exhibits
showcasing the students' work.
Freshman Theatre
Weekend
Prospective students have an opportunity each spring to discover
what UI has to offer its theatre majors. This weekend event provides
high school seniors an opportunity to audition, present portfolios,
visit with faculty and students, compete for freshmen scholarships,
tour campus and attend a mainstage production.
Student Organizations
The Student Theatre Organization is dedicated
to fostering an environment for inspirational experiences to enrich
the minds of students and touch their hearts. The STO produces
a full season of contemporary and experimental work, which is
selected, designed and directed by theatre students. A new student
organization has emerged with the integration of film studies
into the department. The group collaborates on a variety of film
projects, from scripting to producing videos that are student-driven.
Advanced Study
Graduates often choose to further their studies
with graduate training, and their training at UI prepares them
for competitive placement in nationally-acclaimed graduate programs,
such as Yale School of Drama, Rutgers University, Southern Methodist
University, New York University and the University of Washington.
Alumni
The quality of our program is reflected in
the achievements of our graduates who have launched successful,
diverse careers in professional theatre, television and film across
North America, from Broadway to Hollywood. They contribute to
the field in many ways: performers, directors, playwrights, designers,
technicians, teachers, producers, administrators, dramaturgs,
counselors for youth-at-risk and other special populations. Our
graduates find their place in dozens of career fields, which draw
on their skills in communication, creative problem-solving and
critical thinking, hallmarks of a degree in theatre.
University of Idaho
The University of Idaho is the state's premiere
institution in the performing, visual and literary arts. Faculty
have distinguished themselves in every discipline, and many have
national and international reputations in their field. The UI's
range and depth of the liberal arts disciplines creates extraordinary
flexibility for personalizing a theatre degree to meet particular
goals or interests. Theatre students enroll in a myriad of electives
in music, dance, visual art, creative writing, architectural design
and many other fields, and many minor or double major in one of
these fields. The UI is consistently listed as one of America's
100 Best College Buys and is regularly ranked as a national university
in guides published by U.S. News and World Report, Kiplinger's
Report and the Princeton Review.
Moscow, Idaho
Moscow, a community of 20,000, is a gateway
to the natural wonderland of north Idaho and is ranked as one
of "The Best 100 Small Art Towns in America." Located on the Idaho-Washington
border, it is only eight miles from Pullman, home to Washington
State University. Many courses at each university are cross-listed,
which greatly extends the learning and cultural environment for
students at both campuses. Free bus service runs between the two
universities.
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