Peace College will be implementing a major in theatre starting for the fall of 2010. Scholarships are available. Contact Kenny Gannon to set up an audition and interview.

“Theatre in higher education creates not only strong theatre artists, articulate theatre educators, but also effective public leaders and compassionate visionaries in all professions.”
—A publication of The Association for Theatre in Higher Education

“Theatre is a clear window into the mind, the soul, the heart of humankind—the study of which should be the aim of higher education.  Theatre brings life to learning.”
—JANE ALEXANDER, Professional Actor

“To teach and to learn theatre, is to learn and to teach humanity.”
—DR. AUGUSTO BOAL, Author, “Theatre of the Oppressed”

An education in theatre and performance studies gives students useful tools to contribute to and create positive changes in the public as well as the private sphere.  Theatre in higher education creates not only strong theatre artists and articulate theatre educators, but also effective public leaders and compassionate visionaries in all professions.

The major in theatre arts prepares students to pursue professional goals as artists and educators.  They may choose careers as teachers, actors, directors, playwrights, critics, dramaturgs, designers, administrators, and managers.  These careers can be pursued within the academy, performing arts organizations, related non-profit organizations, and the media. Theatre in higher education also provides students with crucial life skills which they can use in a wide range of professions as well as in their day-to-day relationships with others.

Theatre:

• allows students to think precisely in the moment
• to speak confidently in public
• to write with clarity and intelligence
• to work productively with others.

Theatre Majors Learn:

• to grasp complex problems
• to produce imaginative solutions
• to explore alternative goals and investigate the various means of achieving them
• to establish long-range objectives and develop the discipline, organizational skill, artistry, and self-assurance to achieve those objectives.

Because theatre is a collaborative art, students acquire skills in interpersonal communication and group problem-solving.

Theatre in higher education increases the students’ cognitive abilities. Theatre majors are self-aware, motivated, perceptive and passionate communicators. As a result, theatre students have a sense of discovery and connectedness to their own lives and the lives of others.

Theatre and performance can help transform human beings:

• by acknowledging and celebrating the cultures and contributions of diverse communities;
• helping people learn to live in relation to one another;
• empowering all participants in the art—creators and audience members—to act on and change the conditions of their lives.

Creating and participating in theatre is an act of courage—each human being who encounters theatre is encouraged to imagine. And through the imagination, we can make significant, constructive changes in our communities.

Curriculum

We believe that Academic Theatre has the responsibility of providing scholarly, professional and practical training. As part of the larger baccalaureate experience for undergraduates, the department should support the college’s general education requirements and student experimentation through electives.

• The Theatre department must strive to maintain a balance and connection between class activities and onstage performance.
• The Theatre department should equip each student with the tools and experience that promote creativity and develop artistic skills and the program must also assist the student in shaping career choices.
• Opportunities for professional internships and visits to campus from theatre professionals are a necessity.
• Professionally active Theatre faculty will enhance both their own careers and the esteem of the department but also create a vast network of Theatre professionals who can serve the Theatre students.
• Visits to professional Theatre companies in the U.S. and abroad will keep the student up to date on the latest trends and developments in Theatre practice.

NAST highlights:

• B.A. degrees in Theatre Studies usually required that one-third to one-half of the total course credit be in theatre.
• Process and intimate contact with living theatre should occupy 20-25% of the total curriculum.
• Theatre Performance and elective study in theatre should comprise 10-20% of the curriculum.