Theatre Arts and Dance
CHAIR: Georgia C. Gresham, M.F.A., Office: 312 Marquette Hall
PROFESSORS: Georgia C. Gresham, Donald Brady
W
EB PAGE: mfa.loyno.edu/theatrearts
The Jesuit tradition in theatre goes back to the very beginning of the order’s educational activities. In the Jesuit school theatre, "the attempt was made for the first time to use the stage, not as the Humanists had used it, mainly for the sake of teaching Latin, but as a formative influence on the student’s entire personality." 1 At the same time, no element of the dramatic arts was left unexplored, so that the spoken word, while retaining its importance, took its place alongside of mime, music, and spectacle. It is not surprising, therefore, that a number of leading dramatists began the development of their art through contact with the Jesuit stage–Molière, Corneille, and Voltaire in France; Lope de Vega, Calderón de la Barca, and Tirso de Molina in Spain.
The faculty of the Department of Theatre Arts and Dance attempt to help students discover and develop their creative skills in theatre and speech arts. The faculty guide the students to develop sufficient knowledge of the whole of the theatre experience through courses and department productions. Each student participates and takes courses in all segments of Theatre . Those segments are: performance skills, dramatic literature, history and theory, theater management, theatrical technology, and design. Each student is given a foundation of learning through a core of required major courses. One of these is the foundation course Dramatic Imagination (THEA A107), designed to introduce the student to dramatic theory and process. Theatre Arts and Dance students have the opportunity to expand skills in a primary area of interest at an advanced level via the selection of department electives, adjunct courses, and production participation.
The department administers three degree programs, a bachelor of arts in theatre, in theatre and communications, and in theatre arts with a minor in business administration. All three are designed to provide 128 credit hours.
The theatre major is designed to help the student develop a sense of artistic and personal discipline, responsibility, and commitment to theatre. The student gains an understanding of the social phenomena of theatre and how it imparts knowledge, values, and insight through the dramatic experience. The theatre major is guided to look at theatre, its performance, history, and literature and to situate it critically in a context of events and ideas in world history and in the contemporary world. The theatre /communications major allows the student to combine the study of theatre with basic communications courses and one of the Department of Communication sequences. The possible communications sequences in the theatre /communications major include advertising, broadcast production, broadcast journalism, print journalism, public relations, film studies, and communication studies. The theatre arts major with a minor in business administration was developed for those who are interested in arts management. The required core of theatre courses roots the individual student in the theatre arts, while the business courses give the student complementary skills which may be applied to many areas of business and arts management.
In all three degree programs, no more than a total of six additional hours in Play Production (THEA A300), Theatre Workshop (THEA A262), and Advanced Performance Workshop (THEA A321) may be counted toward the 128 hours needed for graduation. Dramatic Imagination (THEA A107), Voice and Movement Workshop I (THEA A110), Voice and Movement Workshop II (THEA A112), and Stagecraft I (THEA A103) are required of all majors their first year in residence. THEA A107 is a prerequisite for all theatre courses above the 100 level.
There are two theaters. Marquette Theater is a proscenium theater, and the Lower Depths Theater is a flexible black box theater space. Productions are staged annually in both spaces.
All students are expected to be involved in at least one production each semester. Completion of at least one production crew is required by the fall term of the sophomore year. A student placed on probation must cease all production activity until good standing is restored. Majors and minors are expected to participate in departmental forums and the annual spring meeting.
A senior project is required for graduation. For the theatre major, the directing of a short play and the compiling of a production book are the usual requirement. The theatre /communications major may substitute the direction of a television play. The theatre arts/business administration major will propose a management project, such as the compiling of a complete log detailing all the managing aspects of one of the department’s major productions.
1 Reader’s Encyclopedia of World Drama
LOYOLA AND NEW ORLEANS THEATERS
Loyola University’s Department of Theatre Arts and Dance has affiliations with all local producing theatre companies for the placement of internship programs. Theaters with current or past affiliation include Southern Repertory Theater, Producer’s Circle, Summer Lyric, and the Saenger Theater. Junior or senior standing of Loyola students is required for internship. Internship programs, which are available year-round, include: assistant stage manager, assistant director, lights, sound, costumes, public relations, and media relations.
BACHELOR OF ARTS–Theatre Arts
| Freshman | F |
S |
|
| Major | THEA A107 | 0 |
3 |
| Major | THEA A110 — A112 | 3 |
3 |
| Major | THEA A103, THEA A104 | 3 |
3 |
| Major | THEA A300 | 0 |
1 |
| Common Curriculum | 6 |
3 |
|
| Foreign Language | 3 |
3 |
|
15 |
16 |
||
31 |
|||
| Sophomore | F |
S |
|
| Major | THEA A220, A300 | 3 |
1 |
| Major | THEA Sequence I Elective | 0 |
3 |
| Adjunct | THEA U130, V132 | 3 |
3 |
| Adjunct | Adjunct | 3 |
0 |
| Common Curriculum | 6 |
9 |
|
| Elective | 3 |
0 |
|
18 |
16 |
||
34 |
|||
| Junior | F |
S |
|
| Major | THEA Sequence I&II | 3 |
3 |
| Major | THEA A240, A300 | 3 |
1 |
| Major | THEA A410 | 3 |
0 |
| Adjunct | 0 |
3 |
|
| Common Curriculum | 6 |
6 |
|
| Elective | 3 |
3 |
|
18 |
16 |
||
34 |
|||
| Senior | F |
S |
|
| Major | THEA A300, A490 | 1 |
3 |
| Major | THEA Sequence II | 3 |
0 |
| Adjunct | 3 |
0 |
|
| Common Curriculum | 6 |
6 |
|
| Elective | 4 |
6 |
|
17 |
12 |
||
29 |
|||
| TOTAL: 128 cr. hrs. | |||
(View Common Curriculum Requirements.)
BACHELOR OF ARTS–Theatre /COMMUNICATIONS
| Freshman | F |
S |
|
| Major | THEA A103 — A107 | 3 |
3 |
| Major | CMMN A100 — A101 | 3 |
3 |
| Common Curriculum | 6 |
6 |
|
| Major | THEA A110 — A112 | 3 |
3 |
15 |
15 |
||
30 |
|||
| Sophomore | F |
S |
|
| Major | THEA A220 | 3 |
0 |
| Major | CMMN Sequence Electives | 3 |
3 |
| Major/Adjunct | THEA A300, U130 | 1 |
3 |
| Common Curriculum | 6 |
9 |
|
| Foreign Language | 3 |
3 |
|
16 |
18 |
||
34 |
|||
| Junior | F |
S |
|
| Major | THEA A410 | 3 |
0 |
| Major | CMMN Sequence Elective — THEA A300 | 3 |
1 |
| Major | CMMN A400 — A401 | 3 |
3 |
| Adjunct | THEA V132 | 3 |
0 |
| Adjunct | 0 |
3 |
|
| Common Curriculum | 6 |
6 |
|
| Elective | 0 |
3 |
|
18 |
16 |
||
34 |
|||
| Senior | F |
S |
|
| Major | THEA A490 | 0 |
3 |
| Major | THEA Elective* | 3 |
0 |
| Major | CMMN Elective (A402 — A480) | 3 |
0 |
| Adjunct | 0 |
3 |
|
| Common Curriculum | 6 |
3 |
|
| Elective | 3 |
6 |
|
15 |
15 |
||
30 |
|||
| TOTAL: 128 cr. hrs. | |||
(View Common Curriculum Requirements.)
* One theatre elective to be selected from A255, A325, A331, or A430.
BACHELOR OF ARTS–THEATRE ARTS WITH A MINOR IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
| Freshman | F |
S |
|
| Major | THEA A103 — A107 | 3 |
3 |
| Major | THEA A110 — A112 | 3 |
3 |
| Minor | BA B100 | 3 |
0 |
| Common Curriculum | 6 |
6 |
|
| Adjunct | 0 |
3 |
|
15 |
15 |
||
30 |
|||
| Sophomore | F |
S |
|
| Major | THEA A220 | 3 |
0 |
| Major | THEA A300 — A255 | 1 |
3 |
| Minor | ACCT B202 | 3 |
0 |
| Adjunct | COSC A106 | 0 |
3 |
| Foreign Language | 3 |
3 |
|
| Common Curriculum | 6 |
9 |
|
16 |
18 |
||
34 |
|||
| Junior | F |
S |
|
| Major | THEA A410 | 3 |
0 |
| Major | THEA Elective* | 0 |
3 |
| Major | THEA A300, A300 | 1 |
1 |
| Minor | MKT B280 | 0 |
3 |
| Minor | LGST B205 | 3 |
0 |
| Minor | ECON X130 or B200 or B201 | 3 |
0 |
| Adjunct | ENGL Shakespeare | 0 |
3 |
| Common Curriculum | 3 |
6 |
|
| Elective | 5 |
0 |
|
18 |
16 |
||
34 |
|||
| Senior | F |
S |
|
| Major | THEA Elective* | 3 |
0 |
| Major | THEA A490 | 0 |
0 |
| Minor | FIN B200 or B300 | 3 |
0 |
| Minor | MGT B345 | 0 |
3 |
| Common Curriculum | 6 |
6 |
|
| Elective | 3 |
6 |
|
15 |
15 |
||
30 |
|||
| TOTAL: 128 cr. hrs. | |||
(View Common Curriculum Requirements.)
Those who wish may select the additional business courses which fulfill the entrance requirements to Loyola’s M.B.A. program.
* One theatre elective to be selected from A325, A331, or A430.