Theatre Major

Theatre Major

IN THIS SECTION

Pursue your passion and prepare for a career in theatre.

Pursue your passion for theatre while learning marketable skills and getting hands-on production experience.

The Theatre Major will prepare you for a career in live theatre production and its associated industries or for advanced graduate education. You will study theatre history, acting, design, technology, dramaturgy, and stage management, with emphasis on the practical techniques and critical analysis necessary for creating successful stage productions. During Worcester State’s production season, you will get exposure to a range of styles and genres with a portfolio of productions selected to provide opportunities to a diversity of students and to produce work that is relevant to the community and that fires the imagination.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

  • Take a broad range of courses in theatre arts
  • Develop your skills with practical work in Worcester State’s scene and costume shops
  • Choose from a wide range of electives, including Theatre for Young Audiences, Stage Combat, and Directing
  • Complete a senior thesis project in the area you are most interested in: scene or costume design, lighting and sound technology, dramaturgy, acting, or directing
  • Make real-world decisions in play selection, casting, rehearsing, designing, and mounting by participating in Worcester State’s student theatre club, Almost Off Book
  • Participate in Worcester State’s theatrical productions, shows featuring diverse styles that range from comedy to drama to tragedy

Explore sample courses in this program.

TH-126 Script Analysis

Script analysis for theatre artists. How to take a script from initial reading to production.
3 credits

TH-145 Acting I

Introductory acting theory and practice. Students present brief monologues and scenes in class.
3 credits

TH-155 First-Year Theatre Practicum

Practical work in theatre production for first-year students.
1 credit

TH-175 Introduction to Stagecraft

An introductory class to major types of stagecraft for live theatre. Students learn in formal classes and in 30 hours of scheduled laboratories about set construction, costume construction, and lighting technology. Students learn the vocabulary of technical theatre and learn geometric and mathematical methods required for each of the 3 main areas covered.
3 credits

TH-235 History of Theatre

Survey of world theatre including from its ritual origins through the classical era, medieval era, the Renaissance, the Restoration, and the modernist revolution to the present day. This global approach includes historical examples from Europe, Africa, Asia, North America, and South America.
3 credits

TH-263 Concepts of Theatre Design

This is a fundamental design course for live theatre, but also applies to other design fields. Drawing, both freehand and digital, is studied. Students learn the elements and principles of design and how to apply them to scenic, costume, and lighting design as well as other modes of 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional art. Additive and subtractive color theory are covered. Students learn the specialized language of design and study how to approach the 3 areas of design aforementioned.
3 credits

TH-274 Stage Management

An introduction to the craft of stage management focusing on the techniques, responsibilities, and duties necessary to manage both rehearsals and performances.
3 credits

TH-455 Theatre Capstone

Theatre students create a senior thesis project/capstone in acting, directing, design, playwriting, craft, or dramaturgy, chosen in consultation with a faculty advisor and demonstrating the skills learned in their studies. The capstone may be part of a mainstage production or a student-generated project. Each capstone project is accompanied by a written analysis showing their research or full documentation of their process.
3 credits

TH-246 Voice and Movement

Training to strengthen the natural voice, develop diction, learn period movement, and develop spatial awareness on and off stage.
3 credits

TH-290 Theatre for Young Audiences

Organization of children’s theatre, script selection, visual design, rehearsal, and performance. Investigation of creative drama as a teaching tool in elementary education.
3 credits

TH-292 Applied Theatre and Community Engagement

Principles and techniques of leading improvised dramatic activities with children and adults. Involves sensory awareness, imagination, movement, and story dramatizations.
3 credits

TH-348 Stage Combat

Training in armed and unarmed combat for the stage. Emphasis is placed on safety in the choreography of stage fighting.
3 credits