Theatre and Dance

OFFICE: 202 Galbraith Hall, Revelle College
(858) 534-3791
Web site: http://theatre.ucsd.edu

Professors

Courses

The Undergraduate Program

The curriculum of the Department of Theatre and Dance is based on the belief that a good undergraduate education in theatre or dance should provide the student with a solid background in dramatic literature and the aesthetics and history of theatrical performance as well as exposure to the different artistic components of theatrical art—performance, playwriting, design, and choreography. Finally, such an education should incorporate participation in the production process itself.

In addition to providing an integrated program for students desiring a theatre or dance major, the curriculum provides (1) a sequence of courses to fulfill the fine arts and/or humanities requirements for Muir College; (2) courses fulfilling Warren College’s program of concentration requirements; (3) courses to fulfill Revelle, Thurgood Marshall, and Eleanor Roosevelt Colleges’ fine arts requirements; (4) public speaking courses to fulfill requirements in the Schools of Engineering and Pharmacy; and (5) elective courses for the general student desiring experience in theatre or dance.

Any student who has been accepted to the University of California, San Diego is eligible to declare theatre or dance as a major, double major, or minor. Auditions are not required. Continuing UCSD students who are changing their major to theatre or dance must file a Change of Major form with the UCSD Registrar’s Office.

The Theatre Major

The theatre major provides a student with a solid artistic and academic background. The required lower-division courses equip the student with the skills and knowledge necessary for more advanced work in each of the areas of study. The major is structured so that it can respond to the needs of students who seek a broad-based “liberal arts” education in theatre as well as those who plan to pursue their studies at the graduate level with the aim of acquiring either an M.F.A. or Ph.D. degree. Students should meet with the department’s undergraduate coordinator the quarter in which they declare a theatre major in order to plan an appropriate individual course of study.

The major requirements are those published in the catalog in effect for the first quarter in which a student attends UCSD. Any student in good standing may declare a theatre major by completing the appropriate form at the Registrar’s Office. A department stamp is not necessary.

The Dance Major

The department proudly opened a new state-of-the-art dance studio facility, designed by award winning and nationally recognized architect Antoine Predock in winter 1998. Christened the Molli and Arthur Wagner Dance Facility in 2001, the facility features three naturally lit and temperature controlled studios with superior acoustics and expansive views of an embracing grove of eucalyptus trees.

The dance major provides dancers with a solid academic base on which to build their dance technique education. The UCSD dance faculty believe that an understanding of the principles and theories of dance as a creative art is a vital component of any comprehensive training in dance. Instruction in dance seeks to promote the development of an intellectual understanding of dance history and dance aesthetics along with refinement of technical skill. Instruction in choreography allows the student to progress from approaching dance education as a question of technical skills to engaging in dance as a creative endeavor. The dance major provides a solid academic base through training in several dance idioms, a background in dance history, numerous performance opportunities, and extensive experience in dance choreography.

The major requirements are those published in the catalog in effect for the first quarter in which a student attends UCSD. Any student in good standing may declare a dance major by completing the appropriate form at the Registrar’s Office. A department stamp is not necessary.

The Theatre-Dance Double Major

The double major in Theatre and Dance provides students with a solid academic base and an artistic base in both theatre and dance disciplines. Furthermore, requirements for this double major will create stronger and more experienced directors (for their exposure to choreography), choreographers (for their exposure to directing), actors (for the poise and strength they will attain from dance), and dancers (for having confronted text and character).

Students should meet with the department’s undergraduate adviser as soon as practical (but no later than the quarter in which they declare the major) in order to plan an appropriate individual course of study.

Double majors should complete the Petition for Double Major form obtained from their college and submit it to the department for review and approval.

Department of Theatre and Dance Advising

The Department’s undergraduate faculty advisers can provide guidance and answers to your questions concerning specific course content, transfer coursework, honors research projects, academic success, production, auditioning procedures, postgraduate opportunities, and departmental policy changes.

The undergraduate coordinator can answer your questions regarding major requirements, procedural matters, class enrollment, the petition process, and give referrals to faculty and other campus resources for specific information.

The undergraduate student representatives are another important resource for theatre and dance majors. The studnet reps organize quarterly meetings at which students and faculty discuss departmental issues and concerns.

The department regularly communicates with our majors and minors as well as other students involved in our classes and productions through the campus email and listserver systems. Students are strongly urged to check their campus email accounts for timely messages or to make arrangements with Academic Computing Services to have campus email forwarded to any other email account they may use. Additionally, a handbook containing useful information is available in the department office, room 202, Galbraith Hall.

Satisfying Your Major Requirements

At least 50 percent of all course work required for the theatre or dance major (including both upper- and lower-division) must be taken at UCSD, regardless of approved transfer work, petitions, and the theatre residency requirement. Theatre practicum (THPR) classes, completed elsewhere do not satisfy the theatre and dance department’s requirements unless they have been formally petitioned and approved. Only one practicum class from another institution may be petitioned. All courses required for the major or minor must be taken for a letter grade. A theatre and dance department course for which a student earns a grade lower than C– will not satisfy any of the department’s graduation requirements. Four units of Instructional Assistance (THGE 195, P/NP credit) may be used as an upper-division elective for the theatre major, double major, or minor.

Major Requirements

Theatre majors are required to complete ten lower-division courses. Dance majors are required to complete three lower-division courses. All lower-division courses should be satisfied before starting upper-division course work in their respective areas.

Majors and minors should complete a practicum course, either THPR 1, THPR 2, THPR 3, or THPR 5, within three quarters of declaring their major or minor. Theatre majors should plan to complete their second practicum requirement as soon as possible therafter, as space in these classes is limited.

Theatre History 10, 11, 12, and 13 are prerequisites for most upper-division theatre history and theory courses. Introduction to Acting (THAC 1), Theatre Design (THDE 1), and Theatre Playwriting (THPW 1) are all prerequisites for any upper-division course work in their respective areas. Students should take these classes as soon as possible after declaring their major. Prerequisites ensure that students are properly prepared for the work required. Not completing prerequisites could therefore jeopardize your GPA.

Theatre majors are required to complete twelve upper-division courses. Dance majors must complete thirteen upper-division courses. Specific courses will vary for each student depending upon electives and history/theory courses selected.

Theatre Major

Lower-Division Requirements

1. Two courses selected from:

THPR 1. Practicum–Scenery
THPR 2. Practicum–Costume
THPR 3. Practicum–Lighting
THPR 5. Practicum–Sound

Note: Please refer to text, above, for specific information concerning practicum requirements. Theatre majors are required to take a second practicum course in an area different from their initial practicum course.

2. Each of the following :

THHS 10. Introduction to Play Analysis
THHS 11. History of Theatre 1: Classical to Renaissance
THHS 12. History of Theatre 2: Neoclassicism to Realism
THHS 13. History of Theatre 3: Symbolism to Postmodernism

3. THGE 1. Introduction to Theatre

Note: THHS 10 and one of the other lower-division THHS courses are the typical prerequisites for most upper-division theatre history courses. Please check prerequisites carefully.

4. Each of the area threshold classes:

Performance Area—a) THAC 1. Introduction to Acting
Design Area—b) THDE 1. Introduction to Design
Playwriting Area—c) THPW 1. Introduction to Playwriting

Note: The threshold classes listed above must be completed before taking upper-division courses in their respective areas.

Upper-Division Requirements

4. One upper-division four-unit acting course

5. One upper-division four-unit design course

6. One upper-division four-unit directing course

7. One upper-division four-unit playwriting course

8. One upper-division four-unit stage management course

9. Three upper-division four-unit theatre history courses

10. Four upper-division four-unit theatre electives

Note: THGE 197 and 199 may not be used as upper-division electives by theatre majors unless approved by petition.

Dance Major

Lower-Division Requirements

1. One course from:

THPR 1. Practicum–Scenery
THPR 2. Practicum–Costume
THPR 3. Practicum–Lighting
THPR 5. Practicum–Sound

Note: Students should complete the THPR requirement within one year of declaring a dance major.

2. THAC 1. Introduction to Acting

3. THDA 25. Music for Dancers (four units)

Note: This course may not be offered every year.

Upper-Division Requirements

4. THDA 160. Dance Movement Analysis and Injury Prevention Techniques

Note: This course may be offered every other year.

5. THDE 121. Theatre Production: Lighting

Note: This course may be offered every other year.

6. Three choreography courses:

THDA 141. Principles of Choreography
THDA 142. Choreography and Performance
THDA 143. Choreography for Dramatic Text

7. Four history and theory courses. Choose from the following:

THDA 151. Dance History–Ballet
THDA 152. Dance History–Modern Dance
THDA 153. Dance History–Jazz Dance and Related Ethnic Studies
THDA 159. Dance Criticism and Aesthetics
THHS 114. American Musical Theatre

8. Three advanced movement courses in one of the following areas of emphasis:

THDA 102A-B, or C or 103A-B, or C. Ballet
THDA 111A-B, or C or 112A-B, or C. Modern
THDA 121A-B, or C or 122A-B, or C. Jazz

9. One advanced movement course outside the area of emphasis selected in number 8.

Theatre and Dance Double Major

Lower-Division Requirements

1. One course from

THPR 1. Practicum–Scenery
THPR 2. Practicum–Costumes
THPR 3. Practicum–Lighting
THPR 5. Practicum–Sound

Note: Students should complete the THPR requirement within one year of declaring the double major.

2. THAC 1. Introduction to Acting

3. THDA 25. Music for Dancers

Note: This course may not be offered every year.

4. Each of the following threshold classes:

THDE 1. Introduction to Design
THPW 1. Introduction to Playwriting

Note: Students should complete the threshold class requirement before taking any upper-division course in each respective area.

Upper-Division Requirements

5. One upper-division four-unit acting course

6. One upper-division four-unit design course

7. One upper-division four-unit directing course

8. One upper-division four-unit playwriting course

9. One upper-division four-unit stage management course

10. Six upper-division four-unit theatre and dance history courses (THHS 114 required as one of the six upper-division history courses)

11. Four upper-division theatre electives (with no more than two from the core dance curriculum)

12. THDA 160. Dance Movement Analysis and Injury Prevention Techniques

Note: This course will only be offered every other year.

13. THDE 121. Theatre Process: Lighting

Note: This course may only be offered every other year.

14. Three four-unit choreography courses

THDA 141, 142, and 143

15. Three advanced movement courses (four units each) in one of the following areas of emphasis:

THDA 102A-B, or C or 103A-B, or C. Ballet
THDA 111A-B, or C or 112A-B, or C. Modern
THDA 121A-B, or C or 122A-B, or C. Jazz

16. One four-unit advanced movement course outside the area of emphasis selected in number 15.

Note: THGE 197 and 199 may not be used as upper-division electives by theatre and dance majors unless approved by petition.

Honors Program

The department offers a special program of advanced study for outstanding undergraduates majoring in theatre or dance. Successful completion of the Honors Program enables the student to graduate “With Highest Distinction” (A+), “With High Distinction (A), or “With Distinction” (A–), depending upon performance in the program.

Eligibility

1. Junior standing (ninety units or more completed)

2. 3.7 GPA or better in the major

3. 3.5 GPA or better overall, which student must maintain until final graduation

4. Completion of at least four upper-division theatre courses

5. Recommendation of a faculty sponsor who is familiar with the student’s work

Guideline

Application to the Honors Program may be made upon completion of ninety units or no later than the fifth week of the quarter preceding the final two quarters before graduation. The Undergraduate Committee will consider the application and, if approved, the student and the principal adviser will have the responsibility of proposing an Honors Thesis Committee to the Undergraduate Committee for final approval.

Students are required to take THGE 196A, Honors Studies in theatre and 196B, Honors Thesis in theatre, in addition to the thirteen upper-division required courses for the major, THGE 196A-B are to be taken consecutively and may not be taken concurrently.

Placement and Proficiency for Dance Majors

The technical command and the expansion of a vocabulary of movement are essential to the dancer’s creative expression. The faculty advise new students in dance to participate in beginning dance in all areas for a minimum of one year. These courses are designed to give the student the basic information needed to move on to the intermediate level II. The intermediate level is level II in all areas, and students should remain in this level for a minimum of one year unless the instructor encourages you to advance to level III. All students are required to audition and be approved by the faculty to be enrolled in all level III advanced, and level IV advanced dance courses. If you come to UCSD with a background in dance and would like to take an advanced class you need to audition in the class of your choice on the first day of the class meeting so that the teacher can accept you in the class or recommend another more appropriate class.

Departmental Degree Check

Departmental degree checks are completed upon request by the undergraduate coordinator. A degree check monitors your progress toward fulfillment of the theatre or dance majors or minors. It is suggested that you request a degree check at least once per year and particularly the quarter before graduation. You may call or stop by the Department of Theatre and Dance office to make an appointment for an unofficial degree check for your major. Remember you must also complete a degree check with your provost office prior to graduation. The provost office degree check will monitor all university and college requirements, such as GPA, units, residency requirements, P/NP limits, college general-education requirements, etc.

Undergraduate Student Petitions

Undergraduate student petitions are required whenever an exception to a rule is being requested. They are required for: major or minor requirement substitutions; substitution of courses from other departments or institutions; late course adding or dropping; or requesting a retroactive incomplete grade. The petition process can take several weeks, depending on the request. Submit petitions for course substitutions well in advance of taking the course. To ensure that your petition is complete and well documented, have the Department of Theatre and Dance undergraduate coordinator assist you with the petition process if you have difficulty with the form. Incomplete or incorrectly completed forms may significantly increase the amount of time required to process your request.

Articulation Agreements

As a prospective transfer student to UCSD, it is important to make sure that the community college courses you take are transferable to UCSD for transfer credit. Every California community college has an agreement with the University which specifies which of its courses receive UC transfer credit. These courses are listed in a Transferable Course Agreement, a document which is available from your community college counselor or from the Office of Admissions and Outreach at UCSD.

Receiving Transfer Credit

You must petition the department to substitute courses taken in another department or institution for courses required by the Department of Theatre and Dance. The following procedures and guidelines will help you with the transfer petition process.

First, review the Department of Theatre and Dance residency requirement. It is generally a good idea to petition a course before you take it. The Department of Theatre and Dance undergraduate faculty will review petitions for all transfer courses. Students may obtain a General Undergraduate Student Petition form at the department office or at their college. A detailed syllabus for the course to be evaluated must be attached to the completed petition form. Any petition relating to courses within the Department of Theatre and Dance should be dropped off at the main office during normal working hours.

Transfer credits must be accepted by the Admissions Office at the appropriate level and for the appropriate number of units for the substitution to be effective. Upper-division credit cannot be given for lower-division work. Course work done at a junior college can only transfer to UCSD as lower-division credit.

The Theatre Minor

Students should submit an Undergraduate Declaration of a Minor form to the department prior to their junior year. Minor courses may not be taken on a Pass/No Pass basis.

The minor requirements are those that are published in the catalog in effect during the first quarter in which a student attends UCSD.

Lower-Division Minor Requirements

1. One course from:

THPR 1. Practicum–Scenery
THPR 2. Practicum–Costumes
THPR 3. Practicum–Lighting
THPR 5. Practicum–Sound

Note: Students must complete the THPR requirement within one year of declaring a theatre minor.

2. At least one course from the following list:

THHS 11. History of Theatre 1: Classical to Renaissance
THHS 12. History of Theatre 2: Neoclassicism to Realism
THHS 13. History of Theatre 3: Symbolism to Postmodernism

Note: THHS 11, THHS 12, and THHS 13 are prerequisites for many upper-division courses in history and theory. Please plan accordingly.

THAC 1. Introduction to Acting

Note: THAC 1 must be completed before taking any upper-division courses in Acting.

THDE 1 Introduction to Design

Note: THDE 1 must be completed before taking any upper-division courses in Design.

THPW 1. Introduction to Playwriting

Note: THPW 1 must be completed before taking any upper-division courses in playwriting

Upper-Division Requirements

3. Any five four-unit, upper-division theatre courses.

The Dance Minor

The dance minor consists of courses that concentrate on the principles of composition and choreography, the history of dance, and the process of performance. Dancers receive extensive training in one or more idioms (ballet, modern dance, jazz dance, and musical theatre). The dancer’s training also includes participation in compositional workshops and productions including historical and contemporary performance experiences. Students should consult the dance adviser, if necessary, and submit their completed minor petition form to the undergraduate coordinator prior to their junior year. Minor courses may not be taken on a P/NP basis.

Dance Minor Requirements

Lower-Division Requirements

1. One course from:

THPR 1. Practicum–Scenery
THPR 2. Practicum–Costumes
THPR 3. Practicum–Lighting
THPR 5. Practicum–Sound

Upper-Division Dance Requirements

2. One course selected from:

THDA 140. Dance Improvisation
THDA 141. Principles of Choreography
THDA 142. Choreography and Performance
THDA 143. Choreography and Dramatic Text

3. One course selected from:

THDA 151. Dance History—Ballet
THDA 152. Dance History—Modern
THDA 153. Dance History—Jazz
THDA 159. Dance Criticism and Aesthetics

Dance Minor Movement Requirements (sixteen units total)

A prerequisite for entrance into the dance minor is technical ability above the beginning level in ballet, jazz, or modern. The student’s level is determined by audition and, depending on his or her technical ability, the student will be placed at the intermediate or advanced level. Students wishing to enter the minor without intermediate (level II) proficiency must take beginning (level I) courses (up to two years) or until they pass an audition into level II.

3. Choose the total sixteen units from a combination of the following list of movement courses. (Note: Levels II, III, or IV courses may be repeated once for credit.)

THDA 101A-B, or C. Ballet II (Intermediate, 2 units each)
THDA 102A-B, or C. Ballet III (Advanced 1, 4 units each)
THDA 103A-B, or C. Ballet IV (Advanced 2, 4 units each)
THDA 110A-B, or C. Modern II (Intermediate, 2 units each)
THDA 111A-B, or C. Modern III (Advanced 1, 4 units each)
THDA 112A-B, or C. Modern IV (Advanced 2, 4 units each)
THDA 120A-B, or C. Jazz II (Intermediate, 2 units each)
THDA 121A-B, or C. Jazz III (Advanced 1, 4 units each)
THDA 122A-B, or C. Jazz IV (Advanced 2, 4 units each)

(Only movement courses from the above list may be used.)

Theatre and Dance Performance and Production Opportunities

The Department of Theatre and Dance produces undergraduate productions throughout the academic year. These productions range in scale from student directed “black box” productions to full-scale faculty directed undergraduate productions on the mainstage. Every effort is made to provide a faculty directed opportunity for undergraduates each quarter. THGE 108, a one-unit course under the supervision of the faculty director of theatre, is required by all students (except crews) involved in departmentally produced productions.

Each of these productions is staged with undergraduate actors and dancers. Historically, where there are design assignments to be made (sets, costumes, lights, sound), those assignments are given to qualified undergraduates. Upper-division credit is available for students involved in the design or staging of department productions. Students may not work on department productions unless they are formally enrolled in a related class. Information regarding design and advanced crew opportunities is typically available from the design faculty or may be posted on the bulletin board in the lobby of Galbraith Hall as opportunities arise.

Cabaret

Cabarets are independent productions that are produced in Galbraith Hall 157. Students may submit proposals for cabarets one quarter in advance to the cabaret manager. The cabaret policy is subject to revision on a quarterly basis.

Undergraduate Audition Policy

Undergraduates are encouraged to audition for all shows produced in the department. Auditions are typically held in the quarter preceeding the staging of a production. Audition announcements will be posted on the bulletin board in the lobby of Galbraith Hall. Undergraduates who have completed or are currently enrolled in THAC 1–Introduction to Acting are eligible to audition. Qualified undergraduates may audition for roles in graduate productions as they are available.

UCSD Dance Repertory

This repertory is open to dance students through auditions. The company will perform lecture-demonstrations, performances, and teach master classes in the community or at other UC campuses.

Annual Dance Concerts

Two main stage dance concerts are presented each year. In winter quarter’s “An Evening of Dance,” students perform choreography created by the professional faculty and international guest artists in the Mandell Weiss Center for the Performing Arts; and in spring quarter’s “New Works” student dance concert, students perform the faculty directed experimental choreographic works for other students at the Mandeville Center Auditorium. In addition, smaller productions take place in our newly built and intimate Studio Theatre, located in the dance facility. Auditions are held at the beginning of the quarter for all productions. Students interested in performing in the winter concert must audition for a specific repertory class taught by the faculty or guest choreographer with whom they wish to work. Students who are then cast must enroll in both the appropriate Dance Repertory (THDA 131) and Studies in Performance (THDA 130). Students interested in performing in the spring concert must audition at the beginning of spring quarter; if cast, they enroll in Studies in Performance (THDA 130). Students participating in either dance production are required to be concurrently attending a technique class. Students who wish to choreograph for the spring concert must have completed or be concurrently enrolled in a choreography class.

Professional Dance Internship

Dance students may apply for positions as interns. These internships provide qualified students an opportunity to work with, observe, and perform in professional companies. Internship possibilities include work with Patricia Rincon Dance Collective, California Ballet Company, San Diego Dance Institute, San Diego Dance Theatre, and other San Diego area professional dance companies. Interested students should discuss internship opportunities with the dance faculty.

Ushering

Undergraduates can volunteer to usher for a performance of most theatre events. Ushering is a great way to see the shows for free. Contact the promotions manager for more information.

Comps

Declared theatre and dance majors are eligible to receive a complimentary Major’s Card. Declared majors may obtain their Major’s Card by bringing their student ID to the department office after the second week of the fall quarter. The Major’s Card may be redeemed for one free ticket, subject to availability, for each of the department’s productions.

The Graduate Program
Master of Fine Arts in Theatre
Joint Doctoral Degree Program

M.F.A. in Theatre

The Department of Theatre and Dance has set an ambitious goal for its M.F.A. program: the training of artists who will shape the future direction of the theatre. The professional theatre training program is ranked third in the nation (and first west of the Hudson River) [US News and World Report, 1997].

The curriculum for all students involves studio classes and seminars. These are integrated with a progressive sequence of work on productions and with a professional residency at the La Jolla Playhouse.

The M.F.A. program at UCSD is built around the master-apprentice system of training. All the faculty are active professionals who teach at UCSD because of a shared commitment to training young artists. Instruction takes place not just in the classroom, but in theatres around the country where faculty, with students as assistants, are involved in professional productions, including those at the La Jolla Playhouse.

Students graduating from the M.F.A. program at UCSD should be prepared to take positions in the professional theatre in the United States and abroad. Students are now working in New York, in resident theatres, in the film and television industry, and in European repertory theatres. M.F.A. candidates in acting, design, directing, playwriting, and stage management will complete at least ninety quarter-units of academic work during their tenure in the program.

Program Descriptions

Acting

The body and mind of the actor are synthesized to serve as an instrument of expression. Actors must depend on their instrument to perform, and the program places great emphasis on the strengthening and tuning of that instrument. The innate talent of the student is nurtured, coaxed, and challenged with individual attention from an extraordinary team of professionals and specialists in actor training.

Classes

Each year, intensive studio work in movement, voice, speech, and singing accesses, expands, and frees the physical body. Acting process introduces a range of improvisational and rehearsal techniques that help the actor approach onstage events with imagination and a rich emotional life. In the first year, studio classes guide the actor through daily explorations that encourage, change, and enhance artistic expression. The second year is devoted to the study of classical texts as well as the specific vocal and physical skills required to perform them. In the final year, classes focus on the needs of individual actors as they prepare to enter the professional world.

Productions

Actors work on classical and contemporary texts as well as new plays with graduate students, faculty, and professional guest directors. Each year the department schedules from fifteen to twenty productions of varying size and scope. Graduate students are given casting priority for all but a few plays. Student-scheduled and produced cabaret/ workshop productions occur year-round and provide additional acting opportunities.

Externship

All graduate students serve a residency with the La Jolla Playhouse and are cast in positions ranging from supporting to leading roles alongside professional actors and directors of national and international stature. For many actors this opportunity establishes valuable networking relationships and exposure for future employment.

Research and Other Opportunities

Modest funds are sometimes available for the pursuit of research, special technique workshops, and travel to auditions and festivals. In addition, in the third year, the entire acting class receives a showcase presentation in both Los Angeles and New York at which specially invited groups of film, television, and theatre professionals are in attendance.

Design

The design program aims to train students in the best professional practices of regional and commercial theatre. The design faculty are award-winning working professionals also committed to teaching. The design training program stresses an interaction with the works of many visual artists from a wide range of disciplines. Students are trained to create designs that “comment” on the play and the text, not merely “illustrate” it. Stu-dents’ talent and design work are showcased at a number of venues that have directly resulted in many national grants, awards, and other work opportunities for our alumni.

Classes

All students take a core curriculum of first-year design studio classes in scenery, costume, and lighting (taken together with directors), and a design seminar where all three years come together in a forum to share production experiences, portfolios, and professional career techniques and skills. This is followed in subsequent years by more specialized Advanced Design classes which combine with production work in the student’s own area of concentration. We are also able to offer a double-emphasis study (e.g., scenery and costume design combined) to appropriate students. Classes in other areas (e.g., drafting, text analysis, visual arts) are also normally offered.

Production

We offer a generous number of (fully executed) production opportunities, and generally all productions are designed by students. Designers collaborate with student, faculty, and internationally prominent guest directors. Students are fully supported by the same professional workshop staff as the La Jolla Playhouse and are not expected to build or run their own productions.

Externship

Student designers participate in a residency program at the La Jolla Playhouse, and normally work as assistants to visiting professional designers. However, there are also some opportunities for talented students to be hired as principal designers by the Playhouse during their season.

Research and Other Opportunities

Students may also be offered opportunities to travel with faculty as assistants on professional assignments to major regional theatres, Broadway, England, or Europe. Modest funds are sometimes available for student research and travel to see productions and to attend conferences and workshops.

Directing

With an emphasis on the collaborative process, the Directing Program’s purpose is to develop directors with a solid foundation in the components of production and the interpretation of text. Individuals are encouraged to make challenging choices, to break down barriers, and to create exciting, meaningful theatre. Graduates of the program are prepared to select and get to the heart of a text, communicate effectively with and inspire production designers, and elicit expressive performances from the actors with whom they work.

Classes

The core curriculum of the Directing Process Program offers students opportunities to hone their skills in text analysis and scene work in all three years. The first-year student also completes a sequence in the acting process and the development of a visual vocabulary in theatrical design and visual arts courses. Also in the first year, the techniques of London’s Joint Stock Theatre Group (originators of such work as Fanshen by David Hare as well as Fen and Cloud Nine by Caryl Churchill) are explored in collaborative process, a course which explores community issues via theatrical means.

Production

Directing students will direct from two to four department scheduled and supervised productions in the Mandell Weiss Center for the Perfor-ming Arts during their time at UCSD. In addition, studio, workshop, and cabaret productions of the director’s choice are strongly encouraged. The production season also offers opportunities to assist guest and faculty directors.

Externship

In the second year, the La Jolla Playhouse provides a residency during which students typically serve as assistant directors.

Additional Opportunities

It is common for the directing faculty to take M.F.A directors with them to work as assistant directors at theatres around the United States and internationally.

Playwriting

Playwrights are more than mere writers. They are artists who unleash their imagination in incredibly dramatic ways. The successful playwright writes with intellectual power and emotional honesty, with a distinct and essential voice that speaks with vulnerability and sentience to the heart and soul of the audience. The dedicated, individual attention and formidable production opportunities of the program offer talented writers the ability to stretch, expand, and witness the unfolding of their work on stage in the bodies of very gifted actors.

Classes

In Playwriting Seminar—the core course—writers in all three years read and discuss their ongoing work, focusing on style, character, and structure. They also observe their work being read by M.F.A actors at times throughout the year. Writing for Television, Screenwriting, and Dramatization/Adaptation are offered in rotation within a three-year cycle. In addition, students take a variety of topics in theatre and dramatic literature along with individual practicum classes. Playwrights can take advantage of rich offerings in literature, music, visual arts, and language study, as well as dramatic texts, theory, and design.

Production

First-year students receive a one-act showcase production each year, while second- and third-year students receive a fully designed production. These are produced in the New Plays Festival each spring, which is attended by literary managers, agents, and artistic directors from across the country. Typically, these productions are directed, designed, and acted by students in the M.F.A. program. Production of plays in any year of study is dependent on the readiness of the work for staging.

Externship

Each student is assisted with a carefully chosen assignment, typically in the summer of the second year. Our playwrights may have an opportunity to gain exceptional literary and production experiences in a variety of theatres and venues in New York, Seattle, Los Angeles, London, Germany, and Romania.

Stage Management

The stage manager is a pivotal member of the collaborative process who creates the environment that supports the work of the other members of the artistic team. The stage manager is the prime communicator and liaison who synthesizes the disparate elements of production into a cohesive whole and is responsible for the implementation of diverse artistic choices throughout the production process.

The Stage Management Program at UCSD integrates a comprehensive knowledge of all critical components of this complex field in order to prepare students for work in leading professional theatres. The program develops individualized, creative artists with personal approaches to their work. UCSD creates a supportive and stimulating environment that allows each student to develop the confidence and flexibility necessary to meet the challenges of production in a wide variety of professional venues.

Classes

All first-year students take a core curriculum in stage management process that explores the role of the stage manager in professional theatre today and offers a comprehensive investigation of the work from pre-production to closing a show. Students in all three years attend the stage management seminar, which serves as a weekly forum for sharing insights and solving problems on current production assignments, meeting with a variety of guest artists, and examining the bigger picture of stage management and theatre in America today. Additional coursework is offered in various aspects of theatre administration and management, directing, drafting, design, and collaborative process.

Productions

Great emphasis is placed on the student’s ability to apply the theories learned in class to the production process. Students typically serve as both ASM and SM on a number of studio and mainstage productions in a variety of theatrical spaces. In addition to established scripts directed by M.F.A., faculty, and nationally prominent guest directors, students also work on new plays by graduate or guest playwrights as well as faculty and student choreographed dance concerts.

Research Opportunities

Students are encouraged to work or research in the field when time permits. Past projects have included stage managing at the National Playwrights Conference at the O’Neill Center in Connecticut, interning at Warner Brothers Feature Animation, working as production assistant for the Broadway production of Play On, stage managing Andrei Serban’s production of Our Country’s Good at the Romanian National Theatre, and researching stage combat and weaponry at the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Externship

Each student is guaranteed at least one production opportunity at the La Jolla Playhouse, or a comparable professional residency experience.

Ph.D. in Theatre and Drama

The UCSD Department of Theatre and Dance and the Department of Drama at UC Irvine began to recruit students for the new Joint Doctoral Program in Theatre and Drama in fall 1999 for admission in fall 2000. Within the context of the program’s twin focus on theory and history, an innovative structure permits each student to pursue a custom designed curriculum that draws from a rich variety of seminars in faculty research areas that include: Greek classical theatre; Shakespeare; neoclassical, modern, and contemporary French theatre; modern and contemporary German theatre; modernist and postmodernist theatre and performance; US Latino theatre; and theory.

Interested students are encouraged to request detailed information about the program and application materials, which will be available from either department each September.

Preparation

Students with a B.A. (minimum GPA: 3.5), M.A., or M.F.A. degrees in drama and theatre are eligible for admission to the doctoral program. We will also consider students with training in literature (or another area in the humanities), provided they can demonstrate a background in drama or theatre. Experience in one of the creative activities of theatre (acting, directing, playwriting, design, dramaturgy) will enhance chances of admission.

All applicants are required to take the Gradu-ate Record Examination and to submit samples of their critical writing.

While not required for admission, a working knowledge of a second language is highly desirable (see Language Requirement).

Course of Study

Students are required to take a minimum of 144 units, which is equivalent to four years of full-time study (full-time students must enroll for a minimum of twelve units each quarter). Forty of these units will be taken in required seminars; the balance will be made up of elective seminars, independant study, and research projects (including preparing the three qualifying papers), and dissertation research. Students must take a minimum of one seminar per year in the Department of Drama at UCI. The program of study makes it possible for students to take a significant number of elective courses and independent studies both with faculty in drama and theatre and in other departments.

Required Seminars

1. a minimum of twelve units of THGR 290 (Dramatic Literature and Theatre History to 1900)
2. a minimum of twelve units of THGR 291 (Dramatic Literature and Theatre History 1900 to the Present)
3. a minimum of sixteen units of THGR 292 (Cultural and Critical Theory)

These required seminars must be completed before the end of the student’s third year. In addition to the ten required seminars, students must pass comprehensive examinations at the end of the first and second years (see “Comprehensive Examinations”).

Comprehensive Examinations

In the first year, students prepare for the written comprehensive examination, which is based on a reading list of approximately 150 titles ranging from the Ancient Greeks to the present. Students take the written comprehensive at the beginning of the fall quarter of the second year. (Comprehensive examinations are scheduled at the beginning of fall quarter in order to allow the students the summer to prepare.) Students who fail the written comprehensive may retake it no later than the first week of winter quarter of the second year. Students who fail the written comprehensive for a second time are dismissed from the program.

In the second year, students prepare for oral comprehensive examination. The reading list for this examination is designed to permit the student to acquire a knowledge of his or her dissertation subject area, broadly conceived. The reading list is compiled by the student and his or her dissertation adviser, in consultation with other members of the faculty, as appropriate; the reading list must be established by the end of winter quarter of the second year. Students take the oral comprehensive at the beginning of the fall quarter of the third year. Students also submit a dissertation prospectus (approx. five pages) at the time of the oral comprehensive. Students who fail the oral comprehensive may retake it no later than the first week of winter quarter of the third year. Students who fail the oral comprehensive for a second time are dismissed from the program.

Advancement to Candidacy: Three Qualifying Papers

Students normally select a dissertation adviser during the second year and must do so before the end of spring quarter of that year. In consultation with the dissertation adviser and other faculty members, students develop topics for three “qualifying papers,” which are written during the third year. The three qualifying papers—one long (approx. fifty pages) and two short (approx. thirty pages each)—must be completed by the end of the third year; when completed, the qualifying papers provide the basis for the oral qualifying examination. Students write the long paper under the direction of the dissertation adviser; it is understood that the long paper is preparatory to the dissertation. The short papers deal with other related topics, subject to the approval of the student’s advisers; the two short papers are understood as engaging in exploring the larger contexts of the dissertation. Students normally pass the qualifying examination and advance to candidacy at the end of the third year; students must advance to candidacy no later than the end of fall quarter of the fourth year. Once admitted to candidacy, students write the dissertation which, upon completion, is defended in a final oral examination. Students may select a dissertation adviser from either UCSD’s Department of Theatre and Dance or UCI’s Department of Drama. All UCSD doctoral dissertation committees must include at least one faculty member from UCI.

Language Requirement

Students are required to complete an advanced research project using primary and secondary material in a second language (“materials” should be understood as including live and/or recorded performance; interviews with artists, critics, and scholars; and other non-documentary sources, as well as more conventional textual sources). This requirement may be satisfied by writing a seminar paper or a qualifying paper (see “Advancement to Candidacy”) that makes extensive use of materials in a second language. The second language requirement must be satisfied before the end of the third year. This requirement will not be waived for students who are bi- or multilingual; all students are required to do research level work in more than one language.

It is assumed that students will have acquired a second language before entering the doctoral program, although second-language proficiency is not a requirement for admission. While students may study one or more second languages while at UCI or UCSD, language classes may not be counted toward program requirements.

Teaching

Students are required to teach a minimum of four quarters. No more than eight units of apprentice teaching (THGR 500) may be counted toward the required 144 units.

Departmental Ph.D. Time Limit Policies

Students must advance to candidacy by the end of the fall quarter of their fourth year. Departmental normative time for completion of the degree is five years; total registered time in the Ph.D. program at UCSD or UCI cannot exceed seven years. While students with M.A. or M.F.A. degrees may be admitted to the Ph.D. program, they will be required to take all required doctoral seminars.

Financial Support

Ph.D. students entering the program with a B.A. may be supported (either by employment or fellowships) for five years. Students who have an M.A. and have been given transfer credit may be supported for four years. Such support depends upon the funds available, the number of students eligible, and the rate of progress.

*Contact department for application materials.