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.
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 midsemester and at the end of each semester 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 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 the School of Arts and Sciences. 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
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. Generally B.F.A. actors in their third year, B.F.A. designers in the first term of their third year, and B.F.A. stage managers in the fourth term of their fourth year study at Shakespeare's Globe in London. 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. 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 new plays by 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 semesters)
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. Students must complete all courses required by their program.
All students begin intensive foundation training in the first year augmented by expository writing and other liberal arts courses. Students may not schedule any class that ends later than 6:00 p.m. Monday to Friday or meets on weekends without the written permission of the head of the program.
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 is a period reserved for 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 semester mixes exercises, improvisation, and theater games as the actor develops a truthful and spontaneous instrument. The second semester is spent on scene work. Beginning voice, speech, and movement round out the program. Students also take a two-semester theater history class. 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, a yearlong, process-oriented class in which the students, utilizing research methods and improvisation, create their own original theater piece. Students also take two semesters of dramatic structure and script analysis. 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. Performance opportunity for seniors includes eligibility for all 15 to 18 departmental productions, the 8 to 10 production B.F.A. Theater Festival, and (if the student is eligible) culminates in 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 coursework, 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 technology, 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 semester abroad at the unique conservatory design program at 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. Every student must complete at least one production or design project each term.
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 and technical direction. 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. Students also take a two-semester theater history course.
Major concentration begins in the sophomore year with courses in stage management or drafting, as well as additional craft classes: properties, 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.
Juniors work closely with faculty advisers in stage management and technical direction. Students take advanced classes in their area of specialty and receive intensive production assignments each semester on scenery construction projects and as assistant stage managers. Students also take script analysis and basic theater texts classes.
Students continue advanced specialty coursework and earn major assignments as assistant stage managers, stage managers, and technical directors. Senior stage managers may spend the first semester abroad at the conservatory production program at Rutgers' Conservatory at Shakespeare's Globe in London. Students who have not studied abroad at the London program spend one semester 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 website http://www.masongross.rutgers.edu for further details on courses and credits.
*Only students who do not attend the Shakespeare's Globe program in London.
** Design and production majors only.
