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In addition to the general theater requirements, students must enroll in and complete one of the following three
concentrations:
1. Acting
The goal of the program is to graduate actors who are equipped for the rigorous demands of the contemporary stage, as well as television and film. To that end, the final semester is focused on an effective transition into the professional world, with classes and workshops in On-Camera Technique, Auditioning, and Introduction to the Life of a Working Actor.
First Year. Exploration, Improvisation, Discipline.
The first year is spent exploring and mastering fundamental concepts, developing a background in theater, and establishing the work ethic of the profession. The actor begins intensive training in the Meisner Technique--developing a truthful instrument and identifying personal meaning through exercise work and two scene opportunities wherein the student is encouraged to take risks, create spontaneous life, and shape a performance based on careful reading of the text.
Voice, Speech, and Movement support the student's effort to develop an open and technically sound instrument.
Theater History and Clothing and Culture expand the student's theater vocabulary.
The year culminates in Performance Ensemble, an actor-generated performance piece.
Second Year. Form, Expansiveness, Text.
The second year focuses on text--the introduction and application of script analyses: beats, objectives, actions, quality of playing, and the process of building a character. The student is challenged to make choices that adjust his or her "natural" behavior thus propelling them out of their comfort zone.
The scene work begins with contemporary American Realism and progresses into more complex language based material. Voice, Speech, Movement and the Michael Chekhov Technique underscore the concept of expansiveness and assist the actor in entering "the world of the play." Global Theater places the actor's study in a wide context. Casting in departmental productions is integral to the second year of study.
Third Year. Language.
The third year is spent studying at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in London. With input from leading U.K. teachers and practitioners the Acting course offers intensive work in classical acting training. Students address such vital fundamentals as owning Shakespeare's language, mastering verse, and comprehending and appreciating the form of the text. The student becomes familiar with the use of blank verse, rhyme, and prose and ultimately achieves clarity, expressiveness, and spontaneity in acting Shakespeare, put into practice with a production mounted on the Globe stage. Voice, Alexander Technique, Stage Combat, Classical Dance, British Culture and Literature, as well as weekly trips to museums and the theater enhance the educational experience.
The year culminates back on campus with a fully realized production of the play that was done as the final project on Shakespeare's Globe stage.
Year 3.5. Integration, Transition, Professional Placement.
The seventh semester is a rich and important period that allows the actor to synthesize his or her experiences and begin his or her transition into the profession.
For actors, much of the day will be spent in an extended rehearsal process while the mornings will be devoted to voice-over and camera techniques. Classes are offered in Film, Television, Singing, and Voice-overs, and connections to the industry are made.
The company of actors participates in rehearsals and performances of productions staged by professional directors on campus. Productions for the company will have greater scope than in previous years often collaborating with the music and dance departments.
Throughout the seventh semester, students engage in comprehensive study of Twentieth-Century Theater and Who's Who and What's What in Contemporary Theater, Film, and Television.
The Professional Transition. Get a Jump on Career Entry.
Rutgers provides one of the most detailed and comprehensive career transitions of any training program in the country during and immediately following the 3.5 semester.
Free of all class obligations, this period of time allows graduates to take immediate advantage of career opportunities.
Features New York Actor Presentation. Rutgers will actively co-produce professional projects with noted regional and Off-Broadway theaters designed to give our students concrete access to the theater profession.
See departmental artistic advisers for B.F.A. acting program curriculum advice.
2. Design
Theater design students at Mason Gross School of the Arts are part of a dynamic 3.5-year professional training conservatory program offering a unique semester abroad at Shakespeare's Globe in London. The
theater 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.
First Year.
The first year provides a rigorous introduction to the foundations of theater history and design theory and skills. All first-year students take the same mix of classes in all areas of design to provide a strong sense of appreciation of the collaborative nature of theater.
Second Year.
The second year builds on the foundations learned in the first year and provides more in-depth explorations into these foundations of theater through a class called Global Theater, which analyzes current theater styles and theories across the globe. More advanced areas of design history, theory and skills are stressed, and although many of the classes are taken by everyone, students begin to specialize in an area of design or technology in the second year.
Third Year.
In their third year, students spend their fall semester in London at Shakespeare's Globe where they study with distinguished British designers and take full advantage of London's dynamic theater and cultural opportunities. Field trips to theater productions, museums, and galleries are all part of the program. Students return to Rutgers in the spring, pursuing in-depth training in their area of design with many options for electives, in many areas. Professional internships in New York City are strongly recommended in this semester.
3.5 Year.
Students spend the fall semester of their fourth year studying their specialized design area further in depth with a focus on career transition and 20th-century theater. Students will enter the profession with a strong foundation in theater history and theory, design theory and skills, and a working understanding of the professional entertainment business. December graduation launches students into the theater profession five months before graduates of other programs. By cultivating professional contacts developed with the Mason Gross faculty and staff and through professional internships, Mason Gross design graduates are ahead of the game in their transition into the profession.
See departmental artistic advisers for B.F.A. design program curriculum advice
.
3. Production
The B.F.A. production program is for those students who have a serious interest in the areas of stage management and technical direction. The program prepares students for careers in professional stage management or technical direction. A three-and-a-half-year, full-time residency is required. Transfer students are individually evaluated but in general can expect a three-year residency.
Intensive class work is coupled with practical experience gained from working on the shows produced by the department.
First Year.
Students take introductory classes in stage design and technology, introduction to lighting technology, theater practice, and acting during their first year. The year introduces specific technical courses depending on the student's specialty, and assigns production positions to assure well-rounded technical experience. In the spring semester stage management students are assigned production assistant positions on plays. Technical directors run lights or sound for a fully produced play. Students also take a two-semester theater history course. Theater Homeroom is taken by all students in the program every semester they are in residence.
Second Year.
Major concentration begins in the sophomore year with courses in stage management or drafting, as well as additional craft classes: properties, sound technology, and costume construction. 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.
Third Year.
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 stage managers or assistant stage managers. Students also take a two-semester global theater course. Students continue to take theater requirements and electives that inform their specialty.
3.5 Year and Beyond.
Students continue advanced specialty coursework and earn major assignments as assistant stage managers, stage managers, and technical directors. Curricular core courses in Twentieth-Century Theater and career transition (Who's Who and What's What) are also part of the 3.5 semester. December graduation launches students into the theater profession five months before graduates of other programs. By cultivating professional contacts developed with the Mason Gross faculty and staff and through professional internships, Mason Gross design graduates are ahead of the game in their transition into the profession. Students will interview for special professional transition opportunities.
See departmental artistic advisers for B.F.A. stage management program curriculum advice and B.F.A. technical direction program curriculum advice.
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