School of Theatre and Dance
School of Theatre and Dance
The School of Theatre and Dance provides students with liberal and professional education preparing them for careers in the performing arts as artists, scholars and educators. The school’s production season serves as the primary laboratory for the development of student artistic expression and technique. As performing arts, theatre and dance reflect and communicate cultural values and identities intrinsic to human existence. As such, the study of theatre and dance is central to the humanities curriculum.
To achieve these objectives, the School of Theatre and Dance offers comprehensive programs leading to the Bachelor of Arts (theatre), Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance (performance and dance education), Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre (design and technology and musical theatre), Master of Arts and Master of Fine Arts degrees. The MA and MFA programs are described in the Graduate Schools Catalog. Minors also are offered in theatre and in dance. These programs are designed to provide basic and advanced training for teachers, scholars, directors, actors, dancers, choreographers, technicians and designers; managers in professional, educational and community theatre; and in allied fields of the performing arts (cinema, dance, music, etc.).
The B.A. in theatre studies is designed for students who seek a liberal arts approach to their undergraduate theatre education and does not require an audition for admittance. The curriculum emphasizes all aspects of theatre and their interactions with other areas of study. Students in both the B.A. and B.F.A. in theatre studies are expected both to develop theatre skills and to analyze the relationship of these skills to theatre and theatre to the world.
The B.F.A. degree is designed for students who wish to specialize in a specific area of theatre or dance (design and technology, musical theatre, dance performance or dance education) and requires successful completion of auditions. Students declaring a theatre major who have not successfully passed the audition(s) will be enrolled in the B.A. program. This program requires the demonstration of competency in the chosen specialty, both in auditions or portfolio reviews and via yearly evaluations. The B.F.A. candidate is expected to develop theatre and/or dance and performance skills equal to entry-level positions in the profession or as expected for admission into M.F.A. programs.
Entrance to the B.F.A. program is based on rigorous auditions or theatre design portfolio. Students who pass this audition or portfolio review will be invited to enroll in the B.F.A. program upon beginning classes at Kent State. All B.F.A. students are required to be evaluated on a yearly basis through performances, portfolio reviews, contributions to the production season and academic achievement. The B.F.A. in musical theatre is an interdisciplinary program offered with the Dance Division of the School of Theatre and Dance and the School of Music. Application to the B.F.A. in musical theatre requires an audition in each of the three performance areas: dance, music and theatre. The students must display talent and training potential in all areas to be admitted to the program. Students who pass the musical theatre audition will be admitted directly into the B.F.A. program at the beginning of their freshman year. Students who pass the Dance Division auditions are also admitted directly into the B.F.A. program at the beginning of their freshman year.
Students in all B.F.A. program areas may be dropped from the program for failure to maintain a 2.50 GPA (B.F.A. students should strive to maintain a 3.00 overall GPA).
B.F.A. musical theatre students must pass yearly auditions; B.F.A. design/technology students must pass yearly portfolio reviews. Students will be dropped from the B.F.A. program for failure of audition or portfolio review. Students on academic probation may not participate in any School of Theatre and Dance productions. All B.F.A. musical theatre majors are expected to audition for all mainstage theatre productions and accept roles if cast. All B.F.A. design/technology majors are expected to participate in at least one mainstage production per semester (this may be in addition to any production design assignment).
Scholarship and Awards
Scholarships and awards available through the School of Theatre and Dance include the L. LeRoy Cowperthwaite Fund, Eugenia V. Erdmann Award, G. Harry Wright Scholarship Award, the Marsha Levinson Award, the School of Theatre and Dance Award, and the Michael Mould Scholarship Award. Faculty nominate students for these awards each spring.
Incoming freshmen may also compete for Creative Artist Awards (CAA) that are given through the Honors College and are renewable for four years. Requirements include a high school GPA of at least 3.30 and either an ACT score of 23 or higher or SAT scores of at least 1060. Successful completion of an audition in the students’ chosen area is also required.
To achieve these objectives, the School of Theatre and Dance offers comprehensive programs leading to the Bachelor of Arts (theatre), Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance (performance and dance education), Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre (design and technology and musical theatre), Master of Arts and Master of Fine Arts degrees. The MA and MFA programs are described in the Graduate Schools Catalog. Minors also are offered in theatre and in dance. These programs are designed to provide basic and advanced training for teachers, scholars, directors, actors, dancers, choreographers, technicians and designers; managers in professional, educational and community theatre; and in allied fields of the performing arts (cinema, dance, music, etc.).
The B.A. in theatre studies is designed for students who seek a liberal arts approach to their undergraduate theatre education and does not require an audition for admittance. The curriculum emphasizes all aspects of theatre and their interactions with other areas of study. Students in both the B.A. and B.F.A. in theatre studies are expected both to develop theatre skills and to analyze the relationship of these skills to theatre and theatre to the world.
The B.F.A. degree is designed for students who wish to specialize in a specific area of theatre or dance (design and technology, musical theatre, dance performance or dance education) and requires successful completion of auditions. Students declaring a theatre major who have not successfully passed the audition(s) will be enrolled in the B.A. program. This program requires the demonstration of competency in the chosen specialty, both in auditions or portfolio reviews and via yearly evaluations. The B.F.A. candidate is expected to develop theatre and/or dance and performance skills equal to entry-level positions in the profession or as expected for admission into M.F.A. programs.
Entrance to the B.F.A. program is based on rigorous auditions or theatre design portfolio. Students who pass this audition or portfolio review will be invited to enroll in the B.F.A. program upon beginning classes at Kent State. All B.F.A. students are required to be evaluated on a yearly basis through performances, portfolio reviews, contributions to the production season and academic achievement. The B.F.A. in musical theatre is an interdisciplinary program offered with the Dance Division of the School of Theatre and Dance and the School of Music. Application to the B.F.A. in musical theatre requires an audition in each of the three performance areas: dance, music and theatre. The students must display talent and training potential in all areas to be admitted to the program. Students who pass the musical theatre audition will be admitted directly into the B.F.A. program at the beginning of their freshman year. Students who pass the Dance Division auditions are also admitted directly into the B.F.A. program at the beginning of their freshman year.
Students in all B.F.A. program areas may be dropped from the program for failure to maintain a 2.50 GPA (B.F.A. students should strive to maintain a 3.00 overall GPA).
B.F.A. musical theatre students must pass yearly auditions; B.F.A. design/technology students must pass yearly portfolio reviews. Students will be dropped from the B.F.A. program for failure of audition or portfolio review. Students on academic probation may not participate in any School of Theatre and Dance productions. All B.F.A. musical theatre majors are expected to audition for all mainstage theatre productions and accept roles if cast. All B.F.A. design/technology majors are expected to participate in at least one mainstage production per semester (this may be in addition to any production design assignment).
Scholarship and Awards
Scholarships and awards available through the School of Theatre and Dance include the L. LeRoy Cowperthwaite Fund, Eugenia V. Erdmann Award, G. Harry Wright Scholarship Award, the Marsha Levinson Award, the School of Theatre and Dance Award, and the Michael Mould Scholarship Award. Faculty nominate students for these awards each spring.
Incoming freshmen may also compete for Creative Artist Awards (CAA) that are given through the Honors College and are renewable for four years. Requirements include a high school GPA of at least 3.30 and either an ACT score of 23 or higher or SAT scores of at least 1060. Successful completion of an audition in the students’ chosen area is also required.