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Theatre Studies

UD students Diane Counts, Amanda Herpel, Charlotte Kalilec, Esha Shah and Jenny Ziegler performed as the chorus in the spring 2023 REP production of the Euripides’ Greek tragedy “Medea.”

Pictured here is a student in Elliot Queale’s THEA300 Fundamentals of Stagecraft, which focuses on traditional techniques used in the construction and rigging of scenery and properties for the stage. This course gives students the unique opportunity to work in the Scene Shop, used by the REP for their productions. Students who choose the BA in Theatre Studies have an opportunity to focus on Theatre Production and work with experts in all areas of production.

REP actor and professor Lee Ernst works with a student in THEA205 Introduction to Stage Movement. Juggling is one example of a performance technique that teaches students how to focus their attention on stage.

College of Arts and Sciences

Department of Theatre and Dance

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THEATRE: JOB SKILLS, LIFE SKILLS!

Theatre is a performing art and that means it takes a lot of people to make it happen. Because theatre is highly collaborative, communication is the most necessary skill for theatre practitioners. That’s what students in this program will be developing, the ability to speak to other people with clarity, imagination and commitment. That’s why a degree in theatre can be applied to a wide variety of jobs and life paths.

The Theatre Studies degree is a general degree allowing the student great flexibility. The theatre student can steer their education in four different directions. Two of these are for further study in theatre or outside of theatre. The other two directions are for students that want to use the degree to begin their careers.

AREAS OF STUDY

Performance
Production
Musical theatre
Healthcare Theatre
Dance

Graduate Options

Further study in theatre:

MFA in acting
MFA in playwriting
MFA in design
MFA/PhD

Further study outside of theatre:

Medical school
Law school
Veterinary school
Dental school

Career Options

Get a job in theatre:

Shop Assistant
Assistant Stage Manager
Head of Wardrobe
First Hand
Box Office Manager
Sound Engineer
Marketing Director

Get a job outside of theatre:

Broadcasting
Arts Management
State and Federal Arts Organizations
Event Planning
Human Resources
Customer Relations

What’s special about this program?

The big deal here is that our department and University houses a professional theatre called the Resident Ensemble Players. This is a producing theatre like the ones in major cities such as Philadelphia and Baltimore. In fact, the faculty has worked at theaters in both of these cities and others around the country. That’s the big deal. They are the ones who teach the BA courses! An even bigger deal is the fact that most students, intheir third and fourth years, will work with the REP, gaining professional credits before leaving undergraduate study. This is a highly unique facet of this degree: gaining professional credit, during the school year, and on the UD campus! It is the only program in the US that can say that!