Pictured :: Victor Kamwendo :: Theatre :: Blantyre, Malawi (hometown)
(Theatre and Dance production of Taming of the Shrew)

Bachelor of Arts in Theatre

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About the Bachelor of Arts in Theatre

The Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in theatre gives students a broad acquaintance and experience with the various ways theatre artists study, interpret, and articulate the world in which we live.

Degree Requirements (120 cr.)

All courses are 3 credit hours, unless otherwise designated.

• At least 30 credit hours must be at the 300- or 400-level
• Successful participation in major season productions each semester as directed by the area coordinator of theatre and dance

Theatre Upper-Divisional Review

All students are considered pre-Bachelor of Arts and pre-Bachelor of Fine Arts students until they pass an upper-divisional review.

Students are expected to complete this review at the earliest possible point in their academic careers. Once students complete between 50 and 60 credit hours they are scheduled for their upper-divisional review.

Students undertaking this review are expected to perform the following:

• Performance concentration students present two contrasting monologues representing their understanding of acting performance and the audition process, including a resume.
• Design/Technology students present a portfolio representing their achievements in the studio and in production, including a resume.
• All students will participate in an interview. The audition and the portfolio should show breadth (work in all the areas that a student has studied) and quality (a careful selection of the best work in the student’s area of concentration). The faculty expects to see work that demonstrates ability and improvement.

The faculty expects students to present their work in good condition and in a manner that expresses their personal development, course of study, or academic goals. For the interview, students are expected to have outlined their achievements so far and goals for the future, as well as to address any faculty questions.

At the conclusion of the review, the faculty may choose to accept a student into the appropriate degree programs, Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Fine Arts with, or without, provisions outlined by the faculty. The faculty may also decide to rehear students if work in some areas requires improvement. In certain cases, the faculty may decline to accept a student into the degree programs, if the quality of either their classroom or studio work is deemed insufficient. A student may attempt to pass upper-divisional review only two times. Each hearing counts as one attempt; failure to meet provisions within a specified time counts as one attempt. Failure to attend a scheduled review counts as one attempt.

General Education Curriculum (36 cr.)

For a more detailed description of the IU South Bend campuswide general-education requirements, including lists of approved courses, see the General Education pages of this bulletin.

All courses certified as meeting the campuswide general-education requirements are designated in the Schedule of Classes. Fundamental Literacies (19 cr.)

Fundamental Literacies (16 cr.)

• Writing :: ENG-W 131 Elementary Composition 1 (with a grade of C or higher)
• Critical Thinking :: Select from approved course list
• Oral Communication ::SPCH-S 121 Public Speaking (with a grade of C or higher)
• Visual Literacy :: Select one of the following:

• THTR-T 228 Design for the Theatre
• Select from approved course list

• Quantitative Reasoning :: Select one of the following

• MATH-M 111 Mathematics in the World
• Other course at Level 6 equivalency or above

• Information Literacy :: COAS-Q 110 Introduction to Information Literacy (1 cr.)
• Computer Literacy must be accomplished :: placement or course work

Common Core Courses (12 cr.)

Complete one course from each of the following four areas, as designated in the Schedule of Classes. At least one of the areas must be completed at the 300-level.

• The Natural World :: Select from approved course list
• Human Behavior and Social Institutions :: Select from approved course list
• Art, Aesthetics, and Creativity :: Select from THTR-A 190 or THTR-A 399
• Literary and Intellectual Traditions ::

• THTR-T 190 Literary and Intellectual Traditions
  VT: The Structure and Analysis of Drama
• Select from T 399 offerings

Contemporary Social Values (8 cr.)

Students must complete one course from each of the following three areas, as designated in the Schedule of Classes.

• Non-Western Cultures :: Select from approved course list
• Diversity in United States Society (3 cr.) :: Select from approved course list
• Health and Wellness (2 cr.) :: Select from THTR-D offerings

Major Requirements (43 cr.)

Theatre Core (31 cr.)

• THTR-T 120 Acting I: Fundamentals of Acting
• THTR-T 225 Stagecraft 1
• THTR-T 230 Costume Design and Technology I
• THTR-T 340 Directing I: Fundamentals of Directing
• THTR-T 341 Theatre Production I (1 cr.)
• THTR-T 342 Theatre Production II (1 cr.)
• THTR-T 343 Theatre Production III (1 cr.)
• THTR-T 405 Stage Management
• THTR-T 470 History of the Theatre 1
• THTR-T 471 History of the Theatre 2
• THTR-T 483 Topics in Theatre and Drama
• THTR-T 485 Capstone Project (1 cr.)

Select one of the following

• THTR-T 326 Introduction to Scenic Design
• THTR-T 335 Stage Lighting Design
• THTR-T 339 Introduction to Costume Design

Additional Requirements (15 cr.)

• HIST-H 113 History of Western Civilization 1
• HIST-H 114 History of Western Civilization 2
• World Culture :: Two semesters of ONE world language;
  OR two history courses

Select one of the following

• THTR-T 327 Period Styles
• THTR-T 434 Historic Costumes for the Stage

General Electives (26 cr.)

Select one concentration from the three listed below

Performance (12 cr.)

• THTR-T 223 Vocal and Physical Preparation I
• THTR-T 300 Musical Theatre Workshop
• THTR-T 320 Acting III: Shakespeare
• THTR-T 420 Acting IV: Realism

Design/Technical (12 cr.)

• FINA-F 100 Fundamental Studio–Drawing

Select three from the following

• THTR-T 290 History and Design of Stage Makeup
• THTR-T 326 Introduction to Scenic Design
• THTR-T 332 Scene Painting
• THTR-T 335 Stage Lighting Design
• THTR-T 425 Stagecraft III
• THTR-T 430 Costume Technology II
• THTR-T 433 Costume Design II
• THTR-T 438 Advanced Stage Lighting Design

Theatre Studies (12 cr.)

Select two from the following

• THTR-T 220 Acting II: Scene Study
• THTR-T 223 Vocal and Physical Preparation I
• THTR-T 320 Acting III: Shakespeare
• THTR-T 431 On-Camera Techniques

Select one from the following

• THTR-T 290 History and Design of Stage Makeup
• THTR-T 327 Period Styles
• THTR-T 330 Rendering
• THTR-T 434 Historic Costumes for the Stage

Select one from the following

• THTR-T 326 Introduction to Scenic Design
• THTR-T 335 Stage Lighting Design
• THTR-T 433 Costume Design II

Photo courtesy of the Ernestine M. Raclin School of the Arts