Theatre Arts and Dance Major

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The theatre major offers a comprehensive education in the art and craft of the theatre. The curriculum exposes students broadly to theatre history, literature, theory, and criticism, and provides rigorous training in acting, directing, design, and technical theatre. To achieve these skills, students complete a series of required courses and participate in the departmental production program.

Philosophy

The Rollins College Department of Theatre Arts and Dance believes that theatrical productions and classroom study are of equal and complementary value.

The faculty of the Department of Theatre Arts and Dance embraces the liberal arts mission of Rollins College. The study of theatre comes most fully to life when integrated with other disciplines, for example, psychology, English, sociology, art, music, classical studies, and history. The faculty strongly encourages its majors to complement their studies with those of other departments.

Performance

The department produces eight (8) theatre and dance productions per year at two on-campus venues: the Annie Russell Theatre, a 377-seat proscenium theatre listed on the National Registry of Historic Places, and the Fred Stone Theatre, a 90-seat black box space.

Majors take a set of courses and concentrate in performance, design and technical theatre, musical theatre, dramaturgy, or theatre studies. The department issues a comprehensive reading list of theatre literature for majors. Faculty evaluate student progress at the end of the sophomore year, and seniors must complete a senior capstone experience.

Major Requirements

Fifty-four (54) credit hours are required, including:

a core of eleven (11) courses,
all majors take a core sequence of seven (7) four-hour courses and four (4) two-hour production courses; and
an emphasis in one (1) of six (6) areas,
all majors select an area of emphasis consisting of five (4) four-hour courses and a two-hour capstone course.