Theatre Arts BFA Core Requirements
Theatre Major, BFA
The BFA program is designed to prepare knowledgeable, skilled graduates who will compete at all levels in an increasingly competitive field. Students will also learn to assess, explain, and interpret the many roles and responsibilities inherent in the world of the professional theatre artist. They will also understand how to use the skills they have developed in other career paths related to their degree.
The BFA theatre program is innovative and interdisciplinary. Students complete a sequence of core foundation courses, gain admission into the program through audition/interview, and focus in a single emphasis-performance, design and production, or musical theatre.
Interdisciplinary course work is integral to the structure and success of the BFA theatre program. All of the required and elective courses for the degree are part of other major programs and are regularly taught. Besides the theatre arts courses, 29 interdisciplinary courses are offered by two colleges from seven other CWU departments: art, communications, dance, English, physical education, family and consumer sciences, industrial engineering, and music.
Admission to the BFA is by audition/interview only. Auditions/interviews begin with an online screening, which is outlined on the department website. Continuing BFA students will sign up for audition/interview appointments as part of the annual BFA juries.
BFA candidates must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 in Theatre Arts with a minimum grade of “B-” (2.7) in each course within their specialization. In addition, BFA candidates must earn a grade point average of 2.7 in the department pre-admission requirements courses (TH 107, TH 166, TH 144/244) and must achieve a minimum grade of “C+” (2.3) in any course in their BFA degree plan. The applicant must earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 in all other collegiate study. Meeting this standard is reviewed as part of the annual jury in each specialization.
Students articulating transfer credit from Seattle Film Institute should contact the department for advisement.
Lab Component - Credits: (4)
Complete 4 credits of the following:
Production Component - Credits: (3)
Choose one of the following:
BFA Core Total Credits: 26
Musical Theatre Specialization
The musical theatre specialization builds specific skills in production from a strong foundation of using the body as the artist’s instrument through singing, voice, and stage movement in the musical theatre style. Students choose from a range of courses, both introductory and advanced, from writing and movement, dancing, and voice.
To help students prepare for future employment or graduate school, all students are strongly encouraged to pursue practical experience through TH 490 - Cooperative Education internship as well as the performance application courses, designed to put theory into practice as part of Central Theatre Ensemble’s regular on-campus season. Specialization Core - Credits: (64)
Movement Component - Credits: (11)
Choose any of the following for a minimum of 11 credits.
Performance Component - Credits: (9)
Repeat any of the following for a minimum of 9 credits.
Total Musical Theatre Specialization Credits: 84
Theatre Arts Department Information
College of Arts and Humanities
Ellensburg
McConnell Hall, room 102
Mail Stop 7460
509-963-1750
Fax: 509-963-1767
email: theatre@cwu.edu
www.cwu.edu/theatre
See the website for how this program may be used for educational and career purposes.
Faculty and Staff
Chair
Scott R. Robinson, MFA
Professors
Scott R. Robinson, MFA, chair, theatre management
Michael J. Smith, MFA, head of performance, dialect, acting for the camera
Associate Professors
Christina Barrigan, MFA, head of design, resident lighting designer
George W. Bellah, 3rd, MFA, movement, performance, stage combat, Asian drama
Terri Brown, PhD, head of music theatre, history, literature and music theatre
David Brown, MM, musical director, music theory
Marc Haniuk, MFA, resident scenic designer
Assistant Professors
Patrick Dizney, MFA, voice, performance
Senior Lecturer
Jerry Dougherty, MFA, stage and production management
Lecturers
David Barnett, MFA, McConnell stage manager, scene shop manager, technical director
Matthieu Chapman, PhD, theatre and performance studies
Joshua Legate, MA, light shop manager
Meredith Magoun, MFA, costume design and technology
M. Catherine McMillen, BA, costume shop manager, wigs and makeup
Joseph Sasnett, BFA, voice instructor
Megan Smith, BFA, dance instructor, choreographer
Jason Tucholke, MFA, sound design and technology
Staff
Gwen Bruce, fiscal technician II
Mary Makins, secretary senior
Department Information
The Department of Theatre Arts offers comprehensive study in the varied facets of theatre arts as they relate to theatre production. Coursework prepares students for rigorous and rewarding work within Central Theatre Ensemble (CTE), the production arm of the program, leading to professional work in the entertainment industry. Based on a professional model of theatre, CTE offers students the opportunity to thrive in all aspects of theatre production in a safe and mentoring environment, working in state-of-the-art venues supported by fully equipped shops and studios.
Admission Requirements
BA Program
Students seeking a BA degree must complete one year of college/university study or two years of high school study of a single world language.
A cumulative grade point average of 2.7 (B-) in the pre-major required courses must be achieved with a minimum grade of “C+” (2.3) in each course. The applicant must have earned a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 in all other collegiate study.
Pre-major required courses:
- TH 107 - Introduction to Theatre Credits: (4)
- TH 144 - Foundations of Acting Credits: (3)
- TH 166 - Theory of Play Production Credits: (3)
BFA Specializations
Admission to the BFA is by audition/interview only. Auditions/interviews are held each year, in late February and early March. See the Auditions Procedures Page www.cwu.edu/theatre/node/2479/#8.
College of Arts and Humanities Information
Administration and Organization
Dean
Stacey Robertson, PhD (Hebeler Hall, room 202)
Interim Associate Dean
Katharine Whitcomb, PhD (Hebeler Hall, room 202)
Mail Stop 7518
509-963-1858
Fax: 509-963-1851
www.cwu.edu/arts/
Overview
The College of Arts and Humanities (CAH) is comprised of 12 departments and programs, which represent the disciplines of the arts and humanities. All of the departments and some of the programs of CAH offer undergraduate degrees as well as minors which supplement other degree programs. Five departments offer Master’s degrees. In addition to its role in providing degree programs, CAH is responsible for many of the course offerings of the general education programs as well as extensive service coursework for the entire university. The college also plays a major role in Central’s teacher education programs, offering bachelors and master’s degrees for students preparing to be secondary teachers and providing coursework in educational foundations and discipline-specific methods for teacher education majors. Building on a legacy of teaching excellence, college faculty are engaged in research, creative activities and service, involving students in the scholarship and practical applications of their various academic specializations, while making important contributions to the intellectual tradition and to society at large. There are no special requirements for admission to the college, but some departments have requirements that are described under the respective department and program headings in the catalog.
Mission
The College of Arts and Humanities advances knowledge, promotes intellectual inquiry, and cultivates creative endeavor among students and faculty through teaching informed by scholarship, creative activity, and public and professional involvement. We are committed to helping students develop intellectual and practical skills for responsible citizenship and the challenges of contemporary life in a global society. The college offers disciplinary and interdisciplinary programs of the highest quality, acts as a steward of the foundational disciplines upon which all inquiry is based, and serves as a cultural center for arts and humanities for the university and the region.
Vision
The College of Arts and Humanities will be recognized as a distinguished learning community known regionally for scholarly and creative excellence, innovative, and rigorous foundational liberal arts education, and undergraduate and graduate programs that are outstanding and unique in the state.
Departments and Programs
Africana and Black Studies Program: Bobby Cummings, PhD (Michaelsen Hall, room 104)
Art: Gregg Schlanger, MFA (Randall Hall, room 100)
Asia/Pacific Studies Program: Jeffrey Dippman, PhD (Language and Literature Bldg., room 337C)
Communication: Marji Morgan, PhD (Bouillon Hall, room 232A)
English: George Drake, PhD (Language and Literature Bldg., room 423)
Film and Video Studies Program: Liahna Armstrong, PhD and Jon Ward (Bouillon Hall, room 225)
History: Jason Knirck, PhD (Language and Literature Bldg., room 100)
Latino and Latin American Studies Program: Stella Moreno, PhD (Language and Literature Bldg., room 102J)
Music: Todd Shiver, DMA (Jerilyn S. McIntyre Music Building, room 144)
Philosophy and Religious Studies: Matthew Altman, PhD (Language and Literature Bldg., room 337)
Theatre Arts: Scott Robinson, MFA (McConnell Hall, room 106)
World Languages: Laila Abdalla, PhD (Language and Literature Bldg., room 102)
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