Theatre Department

The Minor in Theatre provides the opportunity to engage in the range of opportunities offered by the Theatre department:  students who minor in Theatre take a mix of lecture and seminar courses in drama, theatre, and performance studies, as well as courses in a selected area or selected areas of performance practice (acting, design, directing, dramaturgy, stage and production management, playwriting), as well as fulfilling one backstage crew requirement.

Barnard College has a long-standing commitment to preparing students in the major so that they may undertake a capstone project. All Barnard seniors are required to complete a senior project or thesis, an opportunity the Theatre/Drama & Theatre Arts major extends to all majors, whether from Barnard, Columbia College, or Columbia General Studies. The senior thesis project allows students to develop records of individual research that include theoretical engagement in the major discipline, the development of creative projects or research, and original empirical and interpretive analysis. The form of the senior requirement may vary across majors, but the most common forms are the senior thesis (one or two semesters), supervised original research in a lab, a final creative project, and/or research that has been completed within a dedicated senior seminar. The thesis review will be conducted by the full-time faculty of the department, in consultation with faculty in specific thesis fields.

This Thesis explores the unique potentiality of a solo work of theater. The Thesis in Solo Performance provides the opportunity for a student who has specialized in Acting - along with interests in direction, design and writing - to create and to perform an original multi-disciplinary work of theater. Students identify a subject/theme/question, and conduct research into their thesis’ context and sources, choosing already existent materials to work with. These materials could include texts, movement, objects, image and sound to form the basis of the project. While not a thesis in autobiography per se, the works produced are profoundly original and expressive explorations. Throughout the semester, students work both individually and collectively with their cohort, engaging with new acting techniques and methods of self-direction vital to the art of a solo performance. Final performances in the Senior Thesis Festival at end of semester are typically 15-20 minutes long. 

Students undertaking a Solo Performance thesis are expected to engage in a guided creative process, achieve a refined final performance in terms of conception and execution, and to reflect on their process and production in their Casebook. The Casebook includes weekly written journal entries that explore and document their creative process, including relevant visual materials and web links. Grades are assessed on the basis of both the performance and the Casebook; theses are graded by the director of the thesis (the instructor of Acting II Devised & Solo) and a second reader chosen by the Chair. Solo Performance students have continued on to professional careers in theatre and film, as well as MFA and Ph.D. programs in a range of fields.

The Design program emphasizes a critical engagement with dramatic writing, the development of a coherent and personal response to a text, and the ability to express that response in visual, spatial, or aural terms. The department offers coursework in the principal design fields — scenic, costume, lighting, and sound — and students are encouraged to develop a focus in one or more design fields. Through a process of intensive research, collaborative discussion, and rigorous craftsmanship, students develop clear and coherent design practices, a set of tools that can be applied to a wide range of production styles and media. Students are encouraged to experiment with different design fields and tools, and have the opportunity to apply their skills in fully realized productions. Design students have continued to professional careers in theatre, as well as to MFA and Ph.D. programs in a number of fields.

Student Learning Objectives:

Students successfully completing a concentration in design should be able

a. to analyze dramatic texts and translate that analysis into documents used in the production process (breakdowns, plots, etc.)

b. to research images and texts that provide insight into the developing design idea, and accurately communicate historical and stylistic choices

c. to demonstrate fluency with the craft of a design field - e.g. sketching, model making, drafting, sound and lighting plots, and associated software

d. to perform collaboratively, adapting and informing their designs with ideas generated through conversation with colleagues, classmates, and advisors

The directing program develops the interpretive and spatializing imagination needed to bring dramatic writing effectively to the stage, in dialogue with both historical and contemporary dimensions of performance. Directing I provides the fundamental instruction in directing, and is prerequisite to Directing II and the Advanced Directing course. Students wishing to specialize in directing, or to undertake a senior thesis in directing, should contact members of the directing faculty early, and be certain to take courses in the sequence as early as possible. Directing students have continued to professional careers in theatre, as well as to MFA and Ph.D. programs in a number of fields.

Student Learning Objectives:

Students successfully completing a concentration in directing should be able

a. to recognize the different demands of different configurations of stage space

b. to apply compositional tools

c. to define production style and its influence on performance choices

d. to communicate effectively with actors

e. to analyze the historical, social, and aesthetic elements of a dramatic text as the basis for a directorial conception

The emphasis in Stage and Production Management provides a working knowledge of the stage management process, focusing on the creative role of the Stage Manager in the production process. Students specializing in Stage and Production Management develop familiarity with practices and technical resources in the field in preparation for an advanced creative collaboration. The Stage and Production Management emphasis culminates in being assigned as the stage manager for a faculty-directed stage production in the Department season, working alongside faculty and guest artists and the Department's professional staff; the thesis also includes a written research casebook, and is supervised by a member of the design and stage production faculty and staff. Stage and Production Management students have continued to professional careers in theatre, as well as to MFA and Ph.D. programs in a number of fields.

Student Learning Objectives:

Students successfully completing a concentration in stage and production management should be able

a. to read and analyze a performance text from stage and production management perspectives

b. to communicate with and coordinate the needs of all members of the production effectively

c. to organize and manage the rehearsal process

d. to develop and update the production budget

The emphasis in Dramaturgy lies on the interface between critical and artistic work. The dramaturg has played a central role in the European theatre of the past two hundred years, and has become increasingly visible in contemporary American theatre as well. The dramaturgy concentration emphasizes a sophisticated grasp both of the literary and formal dimension of plays and the critical work of theatre practice; it encourages close collaborative with directors, and an ambitious attitude toward the development of engaged, critical performances. Instruction in dramaturgy emphasizes the dramaturg's critical role as artistic collaborator, conceptual provocateur, cultural and theatrical historian, and voice for the critical work of performance in stage production. Dramaturgy students have continued to professional careers in theatre, as well as to MFA and Ph.D. programs in a number of fields.

Student Learning Objectives:

Students successfully completing a concentration in dramaturgy should be able

a. to apply important critical and theoretical concepts to the analysis of dramatic writing and theatrical performance

b. to synthesize and evaluate contemporary research scholarship and apply it to a specific production, including biographical, historical, and interpretive information

c. to write clearly and effectively about the goals of a production, its critical contexts and purposes

d. to communicate the critical stakes of a performance to a director and cast; to be able to work with a director in fashioning those stakes

e. to edit dramatic scripts for production

The emphasis in Playwriting foregrounds the critical role that writing can play in changing the expectations, aesthetics, and practices of performance. Students take at least three playwriting courses; they also have the opportunity to work with the Playwrights Center Core Apprentice Program, and to be considered for the Dasha Amsterdam Epstein Playwriting Fellowship at the Powerhouse Center. The Playwriting emphasis culminates in a staged reading as part of the Festival of New plays, and is accompanied by a casebook; it is supervised by a member of the playwriting faculty. Playwriting students have continued to professional careers in theatre, as well as to MFA and Ph.D. programs in a number of fields.

Student Learning Objectives:

Students successfully completing a concentration in playwriting should be able

a. to create an individual theatrical voice in writing

b. to construct dramatic and theatrical events onstage

c. to communicate supportive critique to fellow writers

d. to interpret plot and story, and to employ language and spectacle creatively

e. to recognize dramatic structures, and be able to shape and hold an audience's attention

The emphasis in Stage and Production Management provides a working knowledge of the stage management process, focusing on the creative role of the Stage Manager in the production process. Students specializing in Stage and Production Management develop familiarity with practices and technical resources in the field in preparation for an advanced creative collaboration. The Stage and Production Management emphasis culminates in being assigned as the stage manager for a faculty-directed stage production in the Department season, working alongside faculty and guest artists and the Department's professional staff; the thesis also includes a written research casebook, and is supervised by a member of the design and stage production faculty and staff. Stage and Production Management students have continued to professional careers in theatre, as well as to MFA and Ph.D. programs in a number of fields.

Student Learning Objectives:

Students successfully completing a concentration in stage and production management should be able

a. to read and analyze a performance text from stage and production management perspectives

b. to communicate with and coordinate the needs of all members of the production effectively

c. to organize and manage the rehearsal process

d. to develop and update the production budget

Named for Marion Victor (née Pinkussohn) of the Barnard class of 1925, Milbank 229 is a small black box rehearsal and classroom studio used for theatre department acting, directing, and design classes, as well as for rehearsals for departmental productions and scene study classes (by student appointment). 

The theatre design room is a classroom and workspace for design classes and students completing design work on departmental productions. 

The department costume shop, managed by Kara Feely, is where department costumes are stored, altered, and fitted for productions. Costumes are available to borrow for studio classes as necessary; students should make an appointment with Kara to check out items. Students interested in work-study positions in the costume shop should see here for more information. 

The department scene shop, located in the basement of Milbank Hall directly beneath the Minor Latham Playhouse, is where scenery is stored and built for department productions. Contact Technical Director Greg Winkler with any questions about the scene shop. For more on our sustainable design and production practices, see here. Students interested in work-study positions in the scene shop should see here for more information.