Drama

Student Outcomes and Opportunities

• Learning Objectives and Expected Outcomes: The faculty of the School of Drama considers the optimum preparation for the theatre artist to be comprised of a liberal arts undergraduate major in drama and a graduate conservatory education. Learning objectives include enriched artistic expression, a foundation for further study, and cultivation of essential life skills: teamwork, communication, critical thinking, and imagination. Students earning the Bachelor of Arts in drama are prepared to seek employment in the theatre industry, apply for advanced degrees in a specific area of theatre (e.g., MFA in acting or design), or transfer the skills gained through the program to broader career opportunities. Recent graduates have pursued careers in acting, design, directing, technical direction, stage management, dramaturgy, playwriting, literary management, teaching, and in such non-theatre occupations as real estate agent, fund-raiser, public relations staff, politician, librarian, academic counselor, lawyer, nurse, translator of foreign films, admissions counselor, trade show/convention production assistant, talent agent, casting director, music promoter, special events coordinator, tour guide, human resources coordinator, wedding coordinator, aerobics instructor, music promoter.
• Instructional and Research Facilities: Rehearsal and performance spaces include the Glenn Hughes Penthouse Theatre (the first theatre-in-the-round built in the United States), the thrust-stage Floyd and Delores Jones Playhouse, the end-stage Meany Studio Theatre, and occasionally the proscenium in Meany Hall. Other spaces include the Cabaret Theatre and Hutchinson 218. School of Drama facilities include a design studio, costume shop, scene shop, and computer labs.

  The Drama Library houses reserve books, plays, sound effects, dialect tapes, local audition and job notices, and a special collection of acting editions. Also available are specialized indexes and theatre databases. The librarian assists in the use of reference materials and indexes, bibliographic searches of on-line databases, and offers reference service and bibliographic instruction sessions for groups and individuals.

• Honors Options Available: With College Honors (Completion of Honors Core Curriculum and Departmental Honors); With Honors (Completion of Departmental Honors requirements in the major). See adviser for requirements.
• Research, Internships, and Service Learning: Student participation in all aspects of dramatic art is provided through student productions, and faculty- and student-directed plays drawn from the full range of world dramatic literature and produced throughout the year.
  

  To enhance employability and gain hands-on experience, students are encouraged to participate in internships with regional theatres, and related organizations or businesses. Academic credit may be earned for internships under the course number DRAMA 493. Internship credits count toward drama elective credits to graduate. A resource guide to drama-related internships is available at the drama undergraduate advising website.

  Drama students are also encouraged to apply for undergraduate research, leadership, and/or fellowship grants available through the Mary Gates Endowment.

• Department Scholarships: School of Drama scholarships are awarded annually every spring for the following academic year to students who have demonstrated academic and/or artistic merit and contributed significantly to the School of Drama. Applications are distributed from the advising office.
• Student Organizations/Associations: There are a number of theatre-related RSOs including The Undergraduate Theater Society (UTS), Stage Notes, Chinese Theatre Club, Acting with Kindness, and others. The School of Drama recognizes such RSOs as a valuable resource for students interested in Drama and is supportive of them. Many of these RSOs have produced undergraduate theatre work in the Cabaret black-box performance space in Hutchinson Hall. Any UW student may audition for School and/or RSO productions.
  

  A volunteer elected group of drama students, the BA Council, meets with the School of Drama Executive Director, Undergraduate Advisor and Undergraduate Coordinator to discuss issues relative to the undergraduate program.

Drama