The Major and its Emphasis Options

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CURRICULUM REQUIREMENTS FOR THE THEATRE AND DANCE MAJOR

The Department of Theatre and Dance offers emphases in Acting, Design and Theatre Technology, Musical Theatre, Secondary Education and Youth Drama. We also offer a Dance Option within our BA in Theatre degree. Performance opportunities include six main stage faculty-directed productions, three touring productions, and over 20 student-directed productions including plays, musical theatre, dance, puppetry, improvisation, comedy, and creative drama.

The award-winning faculty provides theatre majors with superlative training within a broad liberal arts context. Students may take courses in acting, voice and movement, dialects, directing, choreography, design and theatre technology, the history, theory and criticism of drama and theatre, youth drama, secondary school certification, playwriting, storytelling, puppetry, ballet, theatre dance (jazz and tap), aerial dance, and musical theatre. Students interested in performance, technical, and historical aspects are trained to step into professional careers. The program affords means for independent study and internships, special projects, and active personal involvement in lecture and laboratory classes with the possibility for integration with other departments. To assist with financial needs, the department awards scholarships to undergraduates each spring.

Any incoming student with prior experience in Theatre or Dance should speak with an advisor in order to be placed in the correct class level. No audition is required to be a Theatre & Dance major. The curriculum and requirements for each emphasis area may be found by following these links:

General Theatre
Acting
Dance
Design & Theatre Technology
Musical Theatre
Secondary Education in Theatre
Youth Drama

The general theatre major allows students to explore a variety of areas. In the freshman and sophomore years, the student should enroll in at least two theatre and two general education courses per semester. The minimum grade requirement for Dance Option and Secondary Education courses is B-. For all other emphasis areas, the minimum grade requirement is C-. Any grade lower than the minimums stated above will not count toward the major. Under department policy, students who complete both COMM 401 and COMM 402 satisfy the Liberal Arts language competency requirement.  All majors must take courses in the following areas: Performance, Design/Theatre Technology, and Theory/History as well as fulfill between four and eight practicums and complete a capstone course.  Although timing will vary with each emphasis, it is strongly suggested that all introductory courses be taken prior to the end of the student's sophomore year. Major department courses taken to satisfy major requirements cannot be used to satisfy Discovery category requirements

THEATRE PRACTICUM

The theatre and dance major practicum has been developed to assure a breadth of experience in the major.  Students are required to take at least one practicum for every semester they are a major in the Theatre & Dance Department.  In addition, each student must take each type of practicum at least once: Technical, Costume, Performance, Promotion & Marketing.

Students who stage manage or assistant stage manage a department production may use that experience to satisfy either the student’s technical practicum or performance practicum requirement.  Performance practicums include stage management, assistant stage management, assistant directing, and choreography.

All practicum credits must be earned for work done at UNH and supervised by the Theatre and Dance Department.  Students may receive either pay or credit for practicums; they cannot receive both.  35 work hours are required per practicum class.  Each practicum course is graded pass or fail.  The student must meet with the practicum instructor no later than the second week of the semester for job description, procedures, and assignments.  Failure to do so may result in receiving an “F” for the course.

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