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Dr. Justin P. Cowan, Chair cowanj@wcsu.edu VPA 017, Westside campus (203) 837-8476
Joni Johns Lerner, Associate Chair lernerj@wcsu.edu VPA 236, Westside campus (203) 837-3984
Victoria Hunter, Department Secretary Hunterv@wcsu.edu VPA 143, Westside campus (203) 837-8404 (203) 837-8912 (fax)
Faculty
J. Cowan, Chair, Musicianship, MT Rep, MT History, Musical Director, Director J. Johns-Lerner, Associate Chair, Costume Design, Costume Technology, Costume History M. Freedman, Scenic Design, Scenic Art, Technical Theatre D. Gagnon, Theatre History, MT History, Play Struct. & Analysis, Senior Portfolio, Dramaturgy T. Howard, BFA Musical Theatre Coordinator, MT Workshop, Audition Techniques, Director P. McDaniel, BFA Acting Coordinator, Directing, Acting, Performing Shakespeare, Acting II, III S. Trapani, Acting, Directing, Devised Theatre, Theatre History, Director O. Wason, BFA Design/Tech Coordinator, Lighting Design, Design Fund., Technical Theatre
Adjunct Faculty
Michael Bartoli, Acting, Voice and Diction Gabriel Bennett, Sound Design Chris Bolan, Acting, Voice and Diction, Audition Techniques John Bonanni, BFA Stage Management Coordinator Donna Baldwin-Bradby, Director Scott Cally, Lighting Designer Clifton Chadick, Scenic Design, Computer Drafting Anthony DePoto, Acting, Playmaking with Children, Directing Arielle Edwards, Sound Design Phillip George, Scene into Song, Directing Kevin Geraghty, Video Production Kori Hansen, Production Lab Supervision, Technical Coordinator John Hickok, Performance Techniques, Acting, Meisner Andrew Levine, Theatre Management Mary Ann Lamb, Choreography, Tap, Modern, Combination Class Jan Mason, Intro to Theatre Arts Matt Newton, Acting for the Camera Megan Osterhaus, Applied Voice Elizabeth Parkinson, Musical Theatre Dance, Ballet, Choreography Brenda Phelps, Costume Technology, Stage Makeup Jeremy Powell, Applied Voice Janelle Robinson, Applied Voice David Sexton, Lighting Design Jennifer Ture,y, Choreographer Scott Wise, Choreography, Tap
University Assistants
Christina Beam, Costume Shop Supervisor John Bonanni, University Assistant Ann Gerschefski, Pianist/Musical Theatre Coach Howard Kilik, Pianist/Musical Theatre Coach Sarah Fay, Pianist/Musical Theatre Coach
VPA Support Staff
Chris Farell, Piano Technician Eric Gomez, SVPA Events Coordinator Kori Hansen, Technical Coordinator Chip Machokas, Audio and IT Coordinator
Overview
Our NAST-accredited Department of Theatre Arts provides a strong professional training approach to the study of the art and craft of theatre. Students who pursue a BFA in Theatre Arts prepare for a myriad of professional careers as they relate to the student’s personal interests in Acting, Design/Technology, or Stage Management through our specialized and rigorous curriculum. Students pursuing a BFA in Musical Theatre prepare for professional performance careers through the BFA program’s intensive curriculum and training. For students interested in a broader/liberal arts theatre education, the BA in Theatre Arts program is the perfect place for a more expansive, less specialized, approach. While there is no audition or interview process for the BA in Theatre Arts Degree, the BFA in Musical Theatre degree, as well as all concentrations within the BFA in Theatre Arts degree do require an in-person audition/interview for admittance into those programs.
The WCSU Department of Theatre Arts produces six MainStage productions every year in our state of the art, 98-million dollar Visual and Performing Arts Center. Our productions include both musicals and traditional plays, and range in style and genre from classic to contemporary. All students in our department, regardless of degree program, are heavily involved in all aspects of these productions. Whether performing on stage, building scenery, hanging lights, running sound, contributing to dramaturgical research, or stitching costumes…upon graduation, our students will have had hands-on experience in multiple areas of production. Our students leave WCSU not only well-equipped with a plethora of skills in a diverse and expansive array of theatrical disciplines.
Our proximity to NYC (one hour to midtown Manhattan) gives us a unique opportunity to make excellent use of its vast resources, including hiring well-known casting directors & agents for our annual Senior Showcase, Broadway choreographers for our staged productions, and various guest artists for master classes. Many faculty members have worked extensively in the Broadway and TV community, and have received Tony, Drama Desk and Emmy awards. The theatre faculty also maintains close ties with professional organizations, activities, and research facilities within the greater tri-state area. Opportunities such as professional training workshops and performances by guest artists are regularly planned to introduce students to the professional environment through these connections.
Additionally, the Theatre Arts Department at WCSU has participated in The Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (KCACTF), and has received many top national awards from the festival. Design/Technology students also have the opportunity to attend the national USITT conference annually, gaining access to the latest technology being developed specifically for the stage. Keeping our students up to date on the latest technology and trends is something for which we as a department take great pride.
Mission
The theatre department keeps consistent with the university’s mission to serve as an accessible and responsive intellectual resource for the people and institutions of Connecticut. The department provides a thorough, modern education in the theory, skills and technology of theatre production and performance that is tailored to the individual student’s background and career objectives.
The department believes in fostering a diverse student environment with an emphasis on professionalism and a commitment to excellence.
Objectives
To accomplish this mission the Department of Theatre Arts:
Learning Outcomes for General Education
As per NAST standards and the stated goals for this degree, students enrolled in the Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and in the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre degree program are expected to demonstrate the following competencies upon graduation:
General Education
General Education at Western Connecticut State University combines course-based competencies with opportunities to explore a wide range of disciplines outside of a student’s major. The university has identified 10 competencies that support academic success and prepare students for life-long learning. There are shared learning outcomes for each competency, which are embedded in courses across the curriculum.
Competencies may be satisfied in the major, minor or any other area of interest. There are no rules about how many competencies can be satisfied in the major. The only rules are:
With this approach, the university has created the opportunity for students to develop essential skills and habits of mind in disciplines where they are most engaged with the material. It is important that students explore ideas from several areas of curriculum outside their major, but without an arbitrary limit on that exploration.
Transfer Admissions
All students wishing to transfer into any degree program in theatre at WCSU must meet the criteria listed for each program, including those currently attending institutions holding articulation agreements with WCSU. All applicants will be assessed in the areas of their selected option for matriculation and appropriate prerequisite placement in courses within the major.
Transfer Review Process and Transfer Articulation Policy (TAP)
Western Connecticut State University, as part of the Connecticut State Colleges & Universities (CSCU), accepts credits for non-theatre courses as per the Transfer Articulation Policy for students with an earned Associates Degree. Information regarding this specific classification of transfer credits can be found at the CSCU website. For the 2016-2017 academic year there are no approved “pathways” for community college students to utilize TAP and seamlessly enter Western’s Department of Theatre Arts at the junior level.
Awarding of Credit
Credit Hour: A semester hour of credit is an amount of work represented in intended learning outcomes and verified by evidence of student achievement that is an institutionally established equivalency that reasonably approximates not less than:
Degree Programs in Theatre Arts
Bachelor of Fine Arts Musical Theatre
Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre Arts concentrations in: Acting Design/Technology Stage Management
Minor Theatre Arts
BACHELOR OF ARTS IN THEATRE ARTS (B.A.)
Description: This degree is appropriate for students who wish to study theatre within the broader context of a liberal arts education and to emphasize areas of concentration such as performance, design/technology, theatre arts management or theatre studies. Students are encouraged to explore breadth and variety in their educational pursuits to enhance their understanding of the world around them and to give them greater career versatility as a graduate.
Degree Requirements All degrees at WCSU require 120 semester hours (SH). This includes major requirements, general education requirements, cognates (where applicable), and free electives. This structure provides room for minors, internships, and study abroad.
Required Courses in the Major: 45 SH.
General Education: All students must complete the General Education curriculum. General Education Requirements include both competency and breadth requirements. In some cases, major courses will satisfy competencies. These are indicated in the parentheses after the course title. For a complete description of the General Education program, follow this link. https://catalogs.wcsu.edu/ugrad2021/academic-programs-degrees/
Cognates: In some programs there are courses outside of the major that are required as pre-requisites or enhancements to the major course work. These courses may satisfy competencies and they will count toward the general education breadth requirement. If cognate courses are required, they are included in the list of courses required in the major.
Electives: All degrees require 120 semester hours. Elective credits are opportunities for minors, internships, study abroad, and just following general interests. We encourage all students to speak with their advisors about great opportunities for their elective courses.
* All Bachelor of Arts degrees at WCSU require that students complete a language at or above the elementary II level. Students who have completed three years of a foreign language at a minimum of a C average in high school have met this requirement. However, they must still complete at least one Intercultural Competency course.
Program Learning Outcomes
This degree is appropriate for students who wish to study theatre within the broader context of a liberal arts education and to emphasize areas of concentration such as performance, design/technology, theatre arts management or drama studies.
Specific goals related to the B.A. in Theatre Arts include:
BACHELOR OF FINE ARTS IN MUSICAL THEATRE (B.F.A.)
Description: This degree offers students knowledge of and training in all aspects of musical theatre within a liberal arts context in order to compete for employment opportunities in the entertainment industry where musical talent is utilized.
Degree Requirements
All degrees at WCSU require 120 semester hours (SH). This includes major requirements, general education requirements, cognates (where applicable), and free electives. This structure provides room for minors, internships, and study abroad.
Required Courses in the Major: 80 SH.
Sample Four Year Plan: BFA Musical Theatre Four-year plans are suggestions. Plans change. Consult your advisor to adjust your plan.
The Bachelor of Arts in Musical Theatre degree is a specialized professional training degree that provides students with knowledge of, and training in, all aspects of musical theatre in order to compete for employment opportunities in the entertainment industry where musical theatre talent is utilized. Students will develop the following skills:
In addition to Musical Theatre specialization, students will also develop the following skills:
Students will create professional portfolios and audition packages to advance their careers post-graduation. This will be assessed through courses in Transition Workshop, Senior Portfolio, and Senior Showcase.
Admission Auditions for Musical Theatre Degree Program
Students wishing to pursue a BFA in Musical Theatre degree in the Department of theatre Arts must adhere to the following criteria for admission:
Perform and pass a prescreen audition, and an in-person audition, for members of the faculty. The student, through this audition process, must exhibit the standards and skill sets required for entry into the Musical Theatre program, including:
Information regarding audition dates and specific audition requirements can be found online or by contacting the Department of Theatre Arts at (203) 837-8250.
Description: The Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre Arts at WCSU is the newest degree in our nationally-recognized Department of Theatre Arts. Within a liberal arts setting, this professional program provides students with knowledge of, and training in, all aspects of theatre while offering three distinct concentrations in which students can hone their specific skills. Those three options are: Acting, Design/Tech, and Stage Management.
Four-year plans are suggestions. Plans change. Consult your advisor to adjust your plan.
The BFA in Theatre Arts degree offers students knowledge of and professional training in three specific areas of theatre within a liberal arts context in order to compete for employment opportunities in the entertainment industry where theatrical talent is utilized. These three areas of concentration are: Acting, Design/Technology, and Stage Management.
Students will develop the following skills:
This degree offers students knowledge of and professional training in three specific areas of theatre within a liberal arts context in order to compete for employment opportunities in the entertainment industry where theatrical talent is utilized. These three areas of concentration are: Acting, Design/Technology, and Stage Management. Students will develop the following skills:
Minor in Theatre (18 S.H.)
Eighteen semester hours in theatre which must include at least 12 semester hours above the 100-level and at least 3 semesters of THR 300. Emphasis must be on Theatre Arts.
