Theater & Dance

The Bachelor of Arts with a major concentration in theater or dance prepares students to engage dance and theater art in their lives as a career, as an enhancement to other life pursuits, and as a way to understand and interpret the world.

Theater Concentration
The concentration in theater requires a broad introduction to the history, crafts, art, literature, and theory of the theater. Students are required to complete at least one elective course for deeper focus in some area, while most students take more. Students also are expected to participate in the departmental production program at least four semesters.

Theater Minor
The theater minor requires an introductory production course, and a basic performance course, four electives, two semesters of participation in the departmental production program.

Theater Education
The theater education program provides a broad background in theater art, with alternative coursework to meet current standards for teacher certification. Usually completed with a minor in secondary education, or a second major in elementary education.

Dance Education
The dance education program requires a broad background and preparation in technique and theory and dance participation every semester. The program is designed to meet current standards for teacher certification. Usually completed with a minor in secondary education, or a second major in elementary education.

Interdisciplinary Minor in Dance
The interdisciplinary minor requires introductory dance and technique courses, with additional electives.

For detailed requirements in these programs, see the Theater and Dance Program Requirements section of the BSC College Catalog. Printed materials on these programs are also available from the Department Office. Additional information is available on the Theater and Dance web pages.

Theater Brochure
(70K Acrobat File)

 

Mission Statement

The Theater and Dance Programs are designed to serve all students of the college, including students pursuing major and minor concentrations in Theater Arts and Dance, as well as students electing to study Theater or Dance as a general education experience. The academic programs, including studies in theory, production, management, and performance, engage students in the arts of Theater and Dance for the purpose of life-long creative and critical development.

For students pursuing major and minor concentrations in Theater Arts and Dance, the programs create an environment in which the student learns and practices the discipline, skills, and creative expression required by these arts.

The major and minor concentrations prepare students to:

• enter careers or graduate to other advance programs of study leading to professions in the arts
• integrate the principles and skills of the arts in other careers and paths in life
• pursue those arts as life-long enrichment

Through a balanced season of theater and dance performances open to the general public, the programs strive to make a cultural contribution and seek interaction with the community.

These Programs Are For:

• High school graduates interested in exploring or pursuing theater or dance as a career or as avocation.
• Students preparing to teach theater or dance in public or private school, community, entrepreneurial, or commercial settings.
• Non-traditional students pursuing careers in the theater or dance, or in teaching.
• Students preparing for graduate or conservatory study in theater or dance art.
• People pursuing further training or acquiring specific theater or dance related skills at a post baccalaureate level.
• Students preferring programs that allow a significant level of individualized attention.
• Students seeking personal or professional development through theater arts training.

Program Objectives of the Theater Arts Major

1. Provide for all Bridgewater State College students an appreciation of and orientation to theater and dance as Artistic Modes of Expression.
2. To provide for the student majoring in Theater Arts a sequence of required courses and co-curricular activities which enables the student to acquire:
• an organized foundation of knowledge in theater history, dramatic literature and criticism, conceptual movements in theater, and audiences through the ages.
• ability to analyze a play
• first hand experience in all aspects of theatrical production
• an awareness of issues in contemporary theater, career options and choices in professional, regional. community, educational and childrens theater.
• adequate preparation for entering the theater field through knowledge of professional organizations, training in audition technique and planning portfolios.

Strengths of Theater and Dance at Bridgewater

• The curriculum in Theater contains a strong liberal arts core, yet allows students to pursue pre-professional preparation, through advanced electives in performance and individualized attention in both management and technical practice.
• Strong sequenced performance training in Theater, with a series of specialized performance courses taught regularly.
• An established climate and requirements for broad preparation in both performing and non-performing artistry in Theater and Dance.
• Concentration program which requires a strong preparation in dramatic theory and contemporary developments in Theater art.
• A curriculum which contains Theater Management as a significant component.
• Involvement of Dance performance as part of the Theater program, encouraging performers and non-performers in both fields to expand their development.
• Approved curriculum which provides the preparation necessary to meet the requirements for teaching certifications in Theater and in Dance.
• An established Children’s Theater, serving over 4000 area elementary school children annually, usually providing the first theater experience for the attending children.
• Laboratory Theater course which concentrates on a specific genre, style, or other focus, culminating in an innovative or exploratory performance.
• Class sizes generally smaller than university programs.
• A production program and minor curriculum engaging students from other majors throughout the college.
• Open opportunities for any student to participate in nearly all mainstage productions in any capacity.
• Opportunities for students to produce work themselves, as playwrights, directors, and choreographers.
• Orientation of students to professional Theater and Dance in Boston and Providence through interaction with professional Theater and Dance artists brought on campus as classroom visiting lecturers and as artists in residence.
• Introduction of both concentration and non-concentration students to professional Theater and Dance in performance through an established program of field experiences for both introductory and advanced classes.
• Participation in festivals. The American College Theater Festival (ACTF) and the American College Dance Festival (ACDF), which provides critical feedback to student artists, encouragement to excellence, contact with many significant working artists and leading teachers, interaction with peer students form other institutions, and competitive recognition in performance, playwnghting, choreography, design, and criticism.
• Memberships in theater service organizations, such as the University/Resident Theater Association (URTA) and the New England Theater Conference (NETC) who provide forums in which students may compete for jobs or graduate school opportunities.
• High level of faculty involvement in professional organizations, maintaining close contact with peers in education and professional arts, and helping shape the future of the art forms.

Mainstage Production

Opportunities for all students to participate actively in dance and theater are available each academic year in a diverse production schedule:

Mainstage productions are presented in a 1400 seat theater with a fully-equipped proscenium stage. The main stage is occasionally converted into a 120 seat arena or thrust theater. Student productions and showcases are presented in a 200 seat lecture hall with a small proscenium stage, or in a lecture room with a semi-circular open playing area.

Musical and Play

Each year the theater season begins with a musical production and closes with a play, selected to provide diverse experiences for studentperformers and audiences. Musicals range from challenging popular works, such as A Chorus Line and Pippin, to operettas such as The Mikado, to exciting lesser known works. The play is usually a challenging work, frequently involving new plays, new adaptations and translations, innovative performance styles, and collaborative pieces in addition to highly regarded traditional theatrical works. Auditions are open to all students.

Laboratory Theater

Junior and senior students may participate in a course offered each fall that focuses on a particular theatrical style, period, or playwright, and culminates in a performance. The course has previously focused on such topics as Greek tragedy, expressionism, 20th century Irish playwrights, the works of Sam Shepard, absurdist playwrights, Wagner's Ring cycle, Brecht, and Shakespeare.

Children's Theater

Since 1969 the Bridgewater Theater Program has presented a production for child audiences the first week of March. Over the years many traditional childrens works have appeared along with highly acclaimed modern stories. Since 1994 new original works have been offered, allowing performers to participate in shaping the piece. Recent works have incorporated concepts and content identified in state curriculum frameworks. Many, many adults throughout southeastern Massachusetts were introduced to theater art through the special daytime school performances during BSC's spring break.

Winterdance and Dance Kaleidoscope

The Theater and Dance program offers two annual dance programs of works by faculty, regional artists, and advanced students. Winterdance each December focuses on student choreography. Dance Kaleidoscope occurs in each April, incorporating new works by faculty, commissioned pieces, advanced student works, and guest artists. Auditions for these concerts are open to all students. The Dance program also brings a professional dance company to the campus for a brief residence program and recital annually.

The Ensemble Theater

A student run organization which sponsors student showcases and presentations, workshops, and other social and educational activities associated with theater.

The Dance Company

The student organization which supports departmental dance productions, presents an annual dance pops concert, and sponsors social and educational activities associated with dance.

Theater and Dance faculty support policy which does not permit a student on probation to participate in performances. Faculty consult with one another on progress of students to assure that theater and dance rehearsals and production responsibilities do not interfere with a student's academic progress.

Throughout the program students are provided with advising opportunities and consultation on vocational opportunities. Faculty in the theater and dance area spend a good deal of time on planning for auditions, individual coaching. consultation on career choice, and offering professional workshops for student and community participation. Students are recommended for professional summer programs, study abroad, and theater related professional employment.

A Life With the Arts

Bridgewater theater and dance graduates can be found in many careers. Representative positions include:

• Education: K-12, Higher Education, corporate, arts therapy, dance studios.
• Performance: Stage, film, video, theme parks, comedy clubs, children's theater, children's dance
• Scenic, lighting, costume design and production: Professional theaters, touring companies, production companies, theater facilities
• Arts management: talent management, production and stage management, events management, entertainment services
• Writing: playwriting, screenwriting, criticism
• Other careers emphasizing personal presentation or event management skills, critical and analytical thinking, empathy and interpersonal understanding, and other talents and qualities emphasized in theater and dance study

Why Bridgewater State College?

In Theater and Dance at Bridgewater you will find:

• small class sizes and individual attention from full-time faculty
• extensive opportunity for individual and mentored study in dance and theater performance, design, dramaturgy, choreography, and pedagogy
• broad preparation for all students, engaging all of the major crafts of theater art for theater students, and the major components of dance production for dancers.
• opportunity and encouragement to combine theater and dance work with other arts. Actors receive dance and vocal music training
• a broad scope of theatrical and dance forms and styles
• open opportunities for any student to participate in nearly all theater and dance productions regardless of major
• working theater artists as classroom visiting lecturers and artists in residence
• engagement by attending performances in a region rich in professional theater
• encouragement for students to produce work themselves, as playwrights, directors, and choreographers, as well as performers, designers, and managers
• studies leading to a certificate to teach theater or dance

At BSC, Theater and Dance programs build a broad base of competencies, develop creative engagement through theatrical and dance art, and provide a solid ground for further study, all in a caring environment focused on the individual student

Last Modified: August 17, 2005