Musical Theatre Program
Musical Theatre students train in one of the strongest contemporary acting curricula in the U.S., following the same rigorous acting, voice, speech and movement courses as Acting majors, but with additional intensive study in dance, singing, and music theory. The backbone of the Musical Theatre emphasis is a firm basis in the individual techniques of each discipline. The freshman year is devoted to cultivating essential acting skills: scene study, text analysis, and fundamental character development. In the sophomore year students strengthen their ability to fulfill the requirements of a character’s imaginary circumstances, study various approaches to acting, and learn to experience and select the most productive methods for analyzing character and building roles. Students apply these skills through frequent scene study and classroom exercises.
Musical Theatre majors study singing privately twice a week for four years and participate in a weekly repertoire class where they perform a wide range of songs for faculty members in a master class setting. Students also study music theory and basic keyboard skills for one year, though many choose to study private piano for longer. Training in all major forms of dance is a fundamental aspect of the Musical Theatre major including Jazz, Ballet, tap and Theatre Dance Styles. Those students who excel in dance may be admitted to dance major classes.
Also as part of the freshman and sophomore curriculum, students practice fundamentals of breathing, resonance and articulation and learn to apply the International Phonetic Alphabet to analyzing a range of texts. They learn effective vocal warm-ups in preparation for performance and apply their skills to classical and contemporary drama through monologues and scenes. Upper level courses continue this work with in-depth verse analysis and acquiring a mastery of a range of dialects.
At the end of the sophomore year and continuing through the junior and senior years, Musical Theatre students build on these fundamentals through classes specifically related to their field; especially acting with musical texts, music theatre history and literature and Musical Theatre dance styles. Students also receive training in audition technique and professional world practices. Beyond these specialized upper division classes, Musical Theatre actors will continue to study advanced acting styles, and theatre history. In addition to studying singing, dance, and movement, students study theatre history, dramatic literature, stage make up, basic stagecraft, as well as a full Liberal Arts curriculum that includes English composition, natural science, and other courses in the social sciences and humanities. Writing and research are stressed in theatre classes in order to build the student's ability to use language and find expression.
Last updated December 4, 2007
