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Professors: John Carr (Chair, spring) (Technical Director), William Francisco, Gay Smith (Chair, fall), William Ward

Visiting Assistant Professor: Timothy Raphael

Adjunct Lecturer: Mark Wade

Assistant Technical Director/Master Electrician: Nelson Maurice

Assistant Technical Director/Master Carpenter: Charles Carroll

Costumer: Leslie Weinberg

Wesleyan sponsors an active program in dramatic art within the Department of Theater, which serves as a producing educational theater in the liberal arts setting. The Wesleyan program is based on direct participation in creative endeavor: Process, performance, and understanding are equally stressed. While the department concentrates much of its attention on the traditional live theater, its work is also applicable to, and can serve as basic training for, many other performing arts of the present era and for the emerging genres of the future.

Each year the department sponsors play productions and other events in a variety of theatrical forms; some are directed by faculty members or guest artists, while others are directed by advanced undergraduates. The department makes regular use of two theater facilities: the Theater in the Center for the Arts, a handsome 400-seat space; and the Ã92 Theater, a highly flexible studio space. Second Stage, an extracurricular student theater group, has its headquarters and also sponsors productions in the Ã92 Theater, in cooperation with the Theater Department. Performances are also given in many alternative spaces on campus by members of the lively and diverse Wesleyan theater community.

Many students participate in some aspect of theater during their years at Wesleyan. The most seriously interested become theater majors, while others take only a few courses or work solely on an extracurricular basis. All types of involvement are desired and welcome. It is not necessary to become a theater major to take many courses in the department or to participate in its productions.

Major program. Application to become a major is usually made in the second semester of the sophomore year. Students must normally have taken Theater 105 before acceptance into the major; those declaring late must take it in their first semester as majors.

The theater major is an integrated program of study, and each student develops an acquaintance with the art that is both broad and deep. The major, then, would not be appropriate for a student who wants to focus entirely on only one aspect of theater. Students with strong interest in both theater and other fields of study may find it worthwhile to plan a double major; in the past, theater majors have completed double majors in combination with many other departments and programs. Such an option requires careful planning but offers attractive possibilities for maximizing the benefits of WesleyanÃs broad curriculum.

Each theater major selects an adviser from among the department faculty.

Requirements. The departmental requirements for the major are designed to ensure that students will have (1) a broad overview of the field; (2) a knowledge of many of its important traditions, basic literatures, and theoretical principles; (3) an orientation to production practices in a variety of technical areas; (4) experience in performing; and (5) a more advanced level of expertise in a least one of the theater sub-disciplines.

The following courses, or their direct equivalents, are required:

‘ Theater 105

‘ One course in acting (normally Theater 245)

‘ Four courses in theater history, theory, ethnography, criticism, and dramatic literature

‘ One credit of Intermediate Technical Theater Practice (earned in .25 and .50 credit increments)

‘ One or more intermediate studio elective(s)

‘ Advanced practice or project (at least one credit, total)

Eight credits over the 200 level are required, at least four of which must be earned within the Theater Department. No more than two credits earned in any single other program may be counted.

Senior project. All majors must complete a satisfactory senior project. This may or may not be an honors project (see below). The project demonstrates the studentÃs abilities in one of the sub-disciplines of theater, such as acting, directing, design, lighting, criticism, etc. As a piece of advanced work, the senior project is done in an area in which the student has a previous foundation of intermediate-level course work and experience. Credit is awarded for this work under Theater 447, or for honors projects, Theater 409/410.

Honors in theater. Theater majors wishing to be considered for a degree with honors in theater must propose a project that will consist of either (1) a practical production-oriented unit of work in acting, directing, designing, or technical theater, accompanied by a thoughtful written essay or (2) a thesis in theater history, theory, or criticism, etc., equivalent to two creditsà work. Proposals must be submitted by September 15 (see below) with respect to project scheduling and sponsorship). The honors essay must be a substantial piece of expository writing and may take many possible formats. It comprises at least 25 pages of original text in addition to quotations, bibliography, and other apparatus. The thesis in history, theory, or criticism is proportionately longer.

The project and essay, or thesis, is evaluated by a committee consisting of the studentÃs adviser, another member of the theater faculty, and a reader from the faculty of another department. High honors may only be awarded by vote of the department faculty.

Production sponsorship. Proposals for all department-sponsored projects must be submitted by April 15 in the year before the proposed event, with sufficient information provided to make realistic assessment possible. All projects must have a qualified director and technical director. Minimum qualifications for directors include one course in directing and previous service as a stage manager for a departmental production. To direct in the CFA Theater, a student must be a theater major and must also have served as stage manager on a faculty-directed production. Directing II is also expected. Technical directors for student-directed productions must be approved by the departmentÃs technical director.