Theatre Arts, B.A.

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At-a-Glance

Minimum hours required for major: 42

Minimum hours required for minor: 22

The major in Theatre Arts is designed to enable students to study theatre for the purpose of entering the professional theatre, preparing for graduate work with the expectation of teaching, or building a base which is useful in association with the fields of recreation, public relations, community development, and human communication.

Theatre at Cleveland State is viewed in the liberal-arts tradition as being part of the cultural heritage of our civilization. In both its practice and its content, theatre is relevant to 21st-century life in all phases. Through classes and strong production orientation, students with this major can expect improvement in oral expression; motor skills; increased understanding of themselves and others; and illumination of major social, political, philosophical, moral, and psychological issues.

A minimum total number of 128 credit hours are required for every student in the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences. All degree seeking, CLASS students must complete a specific number of General Education (GenEd) requirements which are comprised of University and College requirements. This is in addition to the credits for their major field of study. Students are responsible for ensuring the appropriate selection of courses to satisfy GenEd requirements. Students are highly encouraged to consult with both their general education advisor and faculty advisor regarding the applicability of selected courses each semester. A comprehensive description of Cleveland State University’s General Education Requirements for undergraduate students is available online at http://www.csuohio.edu/academic/gened/summarytable.html.

Major-Field Requirements

All Dramatic Arts majors are required to successfully complete a minimum of 42 credit hours consisting of the core curriculum (23 hours) and one specialization track (19 to 26 hours).

Core Curriculum to be completed by graduation:

THE 101 - Scenic Studio Practicum (6 credits with a minimum of 2 hours each in technical and performance activity)
THE 211 - History of the Theatre I
THE 212 - History of the Theatre II
THE 213 - History of the Theatre III
THE 225 - Principles of Acting
THE 491 - Senior Project

Total: 23 Credits

Specialization tracks:

The specialization tracks are designed to offer the student the main areas of concentration demanded by professional theatre or expected of the modern academician.

1. Acting track:

The acting track focuses on acting skills while emphasizing the relation of acting to the ancillary disciplines that directly affect the actor. An actor should know and understand the work of the director and the various designers and artisans of the “technical theatre” in order to meet the challenges of a professional career or graduate education.

Total: 24 Credits

2. Directing track:

The successful director is one who is able to make informed decisions about every aspect of production from acting and design to movement and staging. The emphasis on directing courses augments a broad range of necessary skills courses needed to pursue an academic or professional career.

Total: 19 Credits

3. Technical Theatre track

A designer needs to know the various collaborations necessary to the creative process. A successful will understand the actor’s and director’s process in order to successfully create and communicate his or her ideas. Practical experience and a portfolio are essentials for both the professional theatre and admission to a graduate program in technical theatre.

Subtotal: 11 credit hours

a. Costuming subtrack: 8 credits

THE 391 - Costume Design & Construction
THE 496 - Independent Study Construction & Drafting IS
THE 496 - Independent Study
Millinery and Accessories IS

b. Scene Design subtrack: 8 credits

Total Technical Theatre Track 19 to 21 credit hours

4. Playwriting track:

“Playwrights who know nothing of the practical aspects of the theatre are writing for the closet not the stage.” – George Bernard Shaw. This major track, designed in collaboration with Creative Writing, will be a unique program focusing on plays in performance.

Total 20 credit hours

5. Dramatic Arts Content for Teaching track:

This track is designed for students contemplating a career in teaching at the elementary, middle-school, or high-school levels. This course of study is to be completed before commencing a Post-baccalaureate Teacher Preparation Program in the College of Education and Human Services. (See note below.)

Total 21 credit hours

Note(s):

Students wishing to pursue a career teaching dramatic arts should investigate the certification or licensing requirements of the state in which they would like to teach. Post-baccalaureate Teacher Preparation Programs are available through the College of Education and Human Services, which offers a variety of teacher preparation programs for college graduates who have had little or no professional training in education. While most of these programs lead to licensure, most of the course work they require cannot be applied to a graduate degree. The course work in the professional education track is designed to fulfill licensing requirements for a teacher of the arts in Ohio in the coming years. Currently no undergraduate program for teaching theatre exists in the College of Education and Human Services at Cleveland State.