The Major

The Department of Theater does not require prospective majors to audition for admission to the program. All University of Massachusetts Amherst students in good standing are welcome to declare the major. Once they declare a Theater major, students are assigned a faculty member who will serve as their advisor.

For the B.A. degree in Theater, students must fulfill all university General Education requirements as well as appropriate requirements of the College of Humanities and Fine Arts. In addition, Theater majors must complete at least 36 credits in Theater. At least 12 credits must be completed in the area of Dramaturgy and a minimum of 24 combined credits must be completed in the two areas of Performance and Design and Production, with a least 9 credits required in Performance and 12 credits in Design, Technology and Management. Courses completed with a grade below C will not be accepted toward the major.

The 36 credits must be completed as follows:

Dramaturgy (12 cr)

1. 120 Play Analysis for Theatrical Production (required)

2. 9 credits of electives by choosing any three of these five courses, but not both THEATER 130 and 333:

130 Contemporary Playwrights of Color (ALU) 4 cr
320 Classical Repertory
321 Renaissance and Neoclassical Repertory
322 Modern Repertory
333 Contemporary Repertory

Note: Successful completion of THEATER 120, plus any designated 300-level Junior Year Writing course in the major, fulfills the Junior Year Writing requirement.

Performance (9 or 12 cr)

1. 140 Beginning Techniques in Performance (required)

2. 6 or 9 credits of electives by choosing any two or three of the following:

240 Beginning Voice for the Actor
341 Stage Movement
342 Acting
345 Directing
442 Acting II
443 Period Acting
445 Directing II

Design and Production (12 or 15 cr)

1. 110 Performance Management (1 cr; must be taken for three semesters), (required)

2. 160 Beginning Techniques in Design
(required)

3. 6 or 9 credits of electives by choosing any two or three of the following:

360 Scene Design

361 Lighting Design

362 Costume Design

364 Stage Management

365 Technical Direction

370 Scenic Construction Studio

Integrative Experience (3 cr: to fulfill University requirement, for all majors)  

Any one of the following:                           

444 Performance in Detonated Language

445 Directing II

460 Scene Design Studio

461 Lighting Design Studio

462 Costume Design Studio

493V The Art of Adaptation

494AI Actor/Director Collaborations

494SI Performing Arts in South Africa – Grahamstown Arts Festival Course

Other new courses, including classes in technical theater, sound design, ensemble acting, and other special topics may also count toward the major. Contact the Department for more information.

Enrollment in many Theater courses is by consent of instructor only. It is imperative, therefore, that all majors, prospective majors, and nonmajors consult with a department advisor to determine eligibility for, and appropriate placement within, the various courses.

Nonmajors with appropriate qualifications are welcome to participate in the activities of the department. Introduction to Theater, a General Education course, is primarily for nonmajors. Department majors are given preference in placement at all levels within the program.