Student Responsibility to Keep Informed
The
Department of Theater Arts makes special demands on students enrolled
in the B.F.A. programs because of the professional nature of the
training programs and the demands of the profession. Specific rules and
policies are published in the Guide for Actors in the Theater Arts
Department and the Guide for Design and Production Students in the
Theater Arts Department. Students are responsible for understanding and
following all rules and policies set forth in these documents.
Program and Class Fees
Students in acting and design are assessed professional program fees
that support professional training and career transition. Some courses
charge specific fees for tickets, models, or supplies. Should a student
leave or be dismissed from the program, all fees are nonrefundable
including those from Rutgers' Conservatory at Shakespeare's Globe in
London.
Casting and Production Assignments
The
Department of Theater Arts requires students, depending on production
assignments or casting, to be available for work or rehearsals on
holidays or at times when classes are not in session. Students are
required to perform the roles or take the production positions assigned
to them by the faculty.
Artistic Standing
All
B.F.A. students are evaluated at midterm and at the end of each term by
the faculty in their major. All students are expected to meet a
professional standard of work, skill, and discipline. Punctuality and
class attendance are mandatory. The faculty is responsible for setting
these standards and for guiding and evaluating each student`s
development. The first two years of training are a trial period, and
continuation into the third and fourth years is by invitation. The
faculty will continue to assess professional growth and consistency of
application to work through the junior and senior years. Decisions to
continue students in the program are not dependent solely on completion
of course requirements. Faculty judgments on matters of leadership,
initiative, fitness for a professional performing career, ability to
collaborate, artistic potential, or an unsatisfactory rate of
development which are difficult to assess in terms of grades and
credits can be the basis for probation or dismissal. Generally,
artistic dismissal is preceded by a period of artistic warning and/or
probation. Artistic dismissal is a final decision and may not be
appealed.
Scholastic Standing
For theater arts
majors, a grade of D or F in a core course is grounds for dismissal.
The first C in a core course results in artistic probation; the second
C in a core course is grounds for dismissal. In the general theater
arts requirements, any F may result in dismissal. A general theater
arts requirement in which a D is received must be retaken and a grade
of C or better must be achieved. A course may only be retaken
once. Refer to the Mason Gross section on scholastic standing for more
information.
Repeated Courses
Theater arts
B.F.A. students may repeat a liberal arts course taken at Rutgers in
accordance with the regulation stated in the Academic Policies and
Procedures chapter of the Mason Gross School of the Arts section of
this catalog.
Bachelor of Arts
The theater
arts department also offers a bachelor of arts (B.A.) major and minor
in theater arts to liberal arts students enrolled in Douglass College,
Livingston College, Rutgers College, and University College. See
Theater Arts in the Programs of Study for Liberal Arts Students for
B.A. program information.
Study Abroad at Rutgers' Conservatory at Shakespeare`s Globe in London
During their third year of study, Rutgers' Conservatory at
Shakespeare's Globe in London gives serious young artists intensive
conservatory training, in the heart of London, under the instruction of
the most accomplished theater artists in the United Kingdom. Rutgers
University is unique in that it is the only member of the top
undergraduate conservatory training programs in America which spends a
full year abroad. Through access to the Globe's space, master teachers,
scholars, and practitioners, this program fulfills the twofold mission
of both Shakespeare's Globe and Rutgers University of combining the
best of conservatory training and first-rate undergraduate education.
Shakespeare's Globe is an organization founded by the pioneering
American actor/director Sam Wanamaker as a unique international
resource dedicated to the exploration of Shakespeare's work and the
playhouse for which he wrote, through the connected means of education
and performance. The facility includes a faithful open-air reproduction
of the Globe Theater used by William Shakespeare for his own company in
the 16th century. The Rutgers Conservatory at Shakespeare's Globe in
London is a program carefully designed to enhance and broaden the
skills of each student, and is fully integrated with the curriculum of
the department and program. The experience and knowledge gained there
will provide a solid foundation for their future growth as theater
artists. Acting, design, and stage management students, trained in the
Globe practices, have the potential to create a unique impact on the
American theater.
The Rutgers Theater Company and Jameson Project
Production practice is fully integrated with the curriculum of the
theater arts department. The Rutgers Theater Company is a resident
company of student actors, designers, directors, playwrights, stage
managers, and technicians whose work is guided by master teachers and
other accomplished professionals. Each year, the company produces a
seven-show mainstage subscription series for the public; this includes
productions directed by working practitioners, as well as by graduating
M.F.A. directing and playwriting candidates.
Noted for its
role as a developmental stage, the Jameson Project is at the forefront
of innovative, cutting-edge, and challenging work. The project affords
students the opportunity to develop their skills before a public
audience in 8 to 10 productions a year.
B.F.A. Theater Arts Major Requirements
All students, regardless of concentration, must take the following courses:
07:965:311-312 Theater History (3,3)
07:965:398 Basic Theater Texts (3)
07:965:408 Script Analysis (3)
07:966:123 Theater Practice (2 credits for each of two terms)
07:966:215-216 Scenic Art (3,3) *
The total theater program must consist of at least 84 and as many as 92
credits. Theater arts students must also complete a minimum of 33
credits of liberal arts requirements (see the Degree Requirements
chapter) for a minimum of 120 credits required for graduation.
All students begin intensive foundation training in the first year
augmented by expository writing and other liberal arts courses.
Design and production and management students in the sophomore, junior,
and senior years may not schedule any classes for the fourth period on
Wednesdays. This period is reserved for departmental production
meetings.
In addition to the general theater requirements,
students must enroll in and complete one of the three following
concentrations.
Acting Concentration Core Requirements
The B.F.A. in acting program offers concentrated study in acting and a
well-rounded background in theater arts that prepares students for a
career in acting for the stage, film, and television. The core of the
program focuses on an integration of acting, voice, speech, and
movement.
The first year is spent exploring and mastering
fundamental concepts, developing a background in theater, and
establishing the work ethic of the profession. The first term mixes
exercises, improvisation, and theater games as the actor develops a
truthful and spontaneous instrument. The second term is spent on scene
work. Beginning voice, speech, and movement round out the program. As
is consistent in most conservatory training, students in the first year
do not perform.
In the second year, the actor begins intensive
training in the Meisner Technique. The guided practice of voice,
speech, and movement continues and is integrated into the acting work.
The actor also participates in performance ensemble, which is a
yearlong, process-oriented class in which the students, utilizing
research methods and improvisation, create their own original theater
piece. Students also take a two-term theater history class. Students
are granted at least two performance opportunities in the second year.
The entire junior year is spent studying in London at Rutgers'
Conservatory at Shakespeare's Globe in London. Actors undertake a
rigorous conservatory training program consisting of acting, voice
movement (based on the Alexander Technique), speech, and period dance.
Particular attention is given to classical texts and traditions. This
training allows the artist to capably handle a wide variety of texts
with confidence. Rutgers University is unique in that it is the only
member of the top five undergraduate conservatory training programs in
America which spends a full year abroad. With London as the campus, the
young theater artist will live, study, and perform in an area rich in
artistic and theatrical traditions.
During the rigorous senior
year, class time is spent in the refinement of the actor's craft,
including actor/director workshops and Michael Chekhov-based physical
theater. Integrating all aspects of the four-year training program and
preparing for the "business of the business" classes include acting for
the camera and meeting with top agents and casting directors. Students
also take one term each of script analysis and dramatic literature.
Performance opportunity for seniors includes eligibility for all 15-18
departmental productions, the 8-10 production B.F.A. Theater Festival,
and (if the student is eligible) culminates in the Rutgers` B.F.A.
Actor`s Presentation in New York City for invited members of the
profession.
See department artistic advisers for specific courses of study in each discipline.
Due to the rigor of the acting program, the faculty recommends that any
remedial mathematics course work, i.e., elementary algebra, be
completed prior to enrollment at Mason Gross. Math and basic writing
requirements must be completed prior to the junior year.
Design Concentration Core Requirements
The theater arts department offers a B.F.A. program in design that
offers professional training in scenic design, costume design, and
lighting design. Intensive studio work is coupled with practical
experience gained from designing and building the shows produced by the
department.
The first year is spent developing skills and
creativity in all areas of design and production. First-year students
participate in shows as crew members and "learn the ropes." Core
courses include Scenic Art, Introduction to Design, and Drawing for the
Designer, and specific technical and craft courses.
Sophomores
work in all four shops during the year, often serve as assistants on
major productions, and may design for the Jameson Project season.
Students complete the sequence of technical and craft courses begun the
first year, including drawing, lighting, rendering, drafting, costume
history and rendering, and architectural history and decor.
In
the junior year, students choose one of the three areas of design
specialties: sets, costumes, or lights and choose their courses
individually. Juniors may spend the first term abroad at the unique
conservatory design program at the Rutgers' Conservatory at
Shakespeare's Globe in London or arrange an internship if they choose
to do so.
Seniors continue to study in their area of
specialty, and technicians tech major shows. Seniors who have the
support of the faculty also attend a Professional Portfolio review in
New York City at the end of their senior year.
See department artistic advisers for specific courses of study in each discipline.
All graduating design students must present a portfolio of their work
at the penultimate and final portfolio review sessions in their senior
year. This portfolio must include a current résumé. The portfolio must
be prepared with faculty guidance beginning in the second term of the
junior year.
Production and Management Concentration Core Requirements
The production and management specialties program provides professional
training for students pursuing careers in stage management, technical
direction, costume technology, and theater management. Intensive class
work is coupled with practical experience gained from working on the
shows produced by the department and professional internships that
introduce students to the workplace.
Students take
introductory classes in stage design and technology, theater practice,
and acting during their first year. The year is preparatory, introduces
specific technical courses depending on the student`s specialty, and
assigns production positions to assure well-rounded technical
experience and to help the students map out their career paths.
Major concentration begins in the sophomore year with courses in stage
management, drafting, or costume history and rendering, as well as
additional craft classes: properties, advanced stagecraft, sound
technology, and introduction to lighting. Production hours are rotated
in each of the five shops to provide experience in all technical and
craft areas. Additional production positions in the student`s area of
specialty are also assigned. Students also take a two-term theater
history course.
Juniors work closely with faculty advisers in
stage management, technical direction, theater management, and costume
construction. Students take advanced classes in their area of specialty
and receive intensive production assignments each term on scenery and
costume construction projects and as assistant stage managers. Students
also take script analysis and basic theater texts classes. Junior stage
managers may spend the first term abroad at the conservatory production
program at the Rutgers' Conservatory at Shakespeare's Globe in London.
Students continue advanced specialty course work and earn major
assignments as assistant stage managers, stage managers, technical
directors, publicists, and special costume construction assignments.
Students who have not studied abroad at the London program spend one
term of the senior year devoted to a full time internship in a
professional setting that reflects the student's career goals.
See department artistic advisers for specific courses of study in each
discipline. Please consult the Mason Gross School of the Arts web site http://www.masongross.rutgers.edu for further details on courses and credits.
