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Theatre at Indiana University!

BA in Theatre and Drama:                                                                                                               
Training in the Department of Theatre and Drama at Indiana University prepares graduates for professional careers in a world increasingly dependent upon the arts and humanities for its information, entertainment, and cultural enlightenment.

Approximately 200 students participate each year in the undergraduate program in Theatre and Drama on the Bloomington campus of Indiana University.  Whether acting in front of audiences in one of the three I.U. theatres, working on a student directed project, building or designing scenery, producing costumes for Greek tragedies or American musicals, or studying the plays of Shakespeare, undergraduate students at I.U. are guided in both the study and practice of theatre by a distinguished faculty of eighteen professors, a professional staff of eleven, and nationally known guest artists.

The study of theatre as a humanistic discipline and the practice of theatre as a performing art ensure that I.U. graduates are prepared for work in the theatre.  Our graduates are employed in colleges, universities and high schools throughout the United States, and Indiana is well represented among the ranks of professionals in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles as well as in regional theatres throughout the country.

Located in the Lee Norvelle Theatre and Drama Center, the Department presents at least eight on campus productions a year in the Ruth N. Halls Theatre (seating 453) and the flexible Wells/Metz (seating 246). These theatres provide students with the opportunity to work in state of the art performance spaces.  Students are also able to perform independent projects in a variety of additional spaces in the Theatre and Drama Center. 

The Department of Theatre and Drama provides further opportunities for production experience through the Brown County Playhouse.  The Playhouse is a 400 seat professional summer theatre company in Nashville, Indiana, with many IU students working as performers, designers and technicians.

The curriculum in Theatre and Drama at Indiana University is based on the belief that theatrical production and classroom study are of equal and complementary value.  Courses in acting, musical theatre, directing, dramatic literature, theatre history, design, playwriting, and theatre technology are all vital and interrelated aspects of the Theatre and Drama program, and give students the skills to analyze, produce and perform theatre.  Dramatic literature and theatre history courses provide perspective and theory which deepen a student’s understanding of drama.  Production and performance courses offer students the hands on experience of making theatre.  These two basic aspects of the program (theory and practice) work in tandem to educate students who will be the next generation of creative theatre artists in American Theatre.

The BFA in Musical Theatre:

The B.F.A. in Musical Theatre provides the rigorous curriculum needed to train students in acting, singing and dancing.  In addition to performance technique classes, students will participate in a rich core of theatre and music classes, professional classes in “careers in professional theatre” as well as enhanced master classes by visiting guest artists.  Performance opportunities are many.  The Department of Theatre and Drama produces two musicals and six plays a year in its main season, one musical and three plays at the Brown County Playhouse in the summer, the IU Broadway Cabaret (a touring musical theatre ensemble), independent projects, and Premiere Musicals: Developing Musical Theatre at Indiana University . (A new-musical workshop blending professional Equity actors with musical theatre students in a three week summer workshop focusing on new works.)  A student’s career culminates in showcases in Chicago and New York.  Further opportunities are found in Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music, which has a large number of ensembles and produces at least one light opera or musical a year.

Designed to bring out the best in an individual, the BFA in Musical Theatre was created within the context of a liberal arts education.   Not only will a student receive superior training in performance technique, the student will be better prepared for life by fulfilling all of the general education requirements required by the College of Arts and Sciences.  The program will be limited to only 10 to 12 admissions a year providing enormous individual attention throughout the student’s career at Indiana University. Award-winning choreographer George Pinney (Blast!) heads the program.  The Indiana University Department of Theatre and Drama is fully accredited by the National Association of Schools of Theatre.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

How do I audition to become a theatre major?
There is no audition requirement for the theatre major.

May entering freshmen audition for the mainstage season?
Yes, all students may audition for the mainstage season. Auditions are usually held in the first week of classes in fall and winter semesters.

Do you offer scholarships for incoming freshmen?
The Department of Theatre and Drama offers scholarships for established students.

Do you offer summer work?
We teach some courses in the Second Summer Session. For production involvement, the Brown County Playhouse produces one musical and three plays in a summer and fall season. In addition, Premiere Musicals: Developing Musical Theatre at Indiana University workshops a new musical culminating in three public performances. We also encourage our students to pursue summer work at other theatres.

Have your graduates been successful?
Our graduates find employment in a wide range of possibilities related to theatre. Though there are no guarantees, in professional theatre especially, graduates of the Department of Theatre and Drama have appeared on television, film, Broadway, national and international tours, regional theatres from coast to coast and around the world.

Will I have any academic advising within the BA program?
Charles Railsback is the undergraduate advisor in the department. Email Charles at: crailsba@indiana.edu

Will there be any production performance guarantees for participants in this program?
The eight major productions and the wider range of opportunities in our workshop level of activity offer many possibilities for growth and development. At the same time, it must be admitted that there are no absolute guarantees for casting. Individual initiative is a key to participation success.

Will I be allowed to do production work outside the Department?
Yes. There are numorous opportunities for theatre work in Bloomington and the surrounding areas, and we encourage our BA students to explore the many possibilities for involvement.

How soon may I take theatre courses?
You may begin taking theatre courses your first semester at Indiana University.

If I am thinking of becoming a theatre major but am not sure, who will be my advisor?
All freshmen students who wish their primary connection the first year to be with the Department of Theatre and Drama may have advising with the department’s undergraduate advisor.

Is it possible to have a second major along with the major in theatre?
Yes. Several of our students have second majors. Those students who do not have a second major will likely consider a minor in another area.

ADMISSION
All incoming freshmen admitted to Indiana University first enter the University division, which provides them with academic advising. Incoming freshmen are expected to have graduated from a commissioned Indiana high school or comparable out-of-state institution, rank in the upper half of their class, and score above the median established by Indiana students on a nationally standardized admission test. Because freshmen are not admitted directly into a major, all freshmen are expected to meet the admission standards outlined in the freshman application materials. These materials and additional information are available from the Office of Admissions, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, (812) 855-0661. Those students who wish to be immediately associated with the Department of Theatre and Drama may request to be assigned to the department for their advising.

The Baccalaureate Degree

Theatre students must complete the degree requirements of the College and Arts and Sciences (COAS). Academic counseling for each student in the COAS is readily available through the department's Undergraduate Advisor as well as individual faculty members.

Secondary Teacher Certification

Students seeking certification as teachers may combine their professional training in Theatre and Drama with Communication and Culture. Students should see the School of Education Undergraduate Bulletin for required courses in Theatre and Drama and in Communication and Culture.

PEOPLE:

Jonathan R. Michaelsen, Chair

Jonathan R. Michaelsen is Chair and Producer of The Department of Theatre and Drama and the Brown County Playhouse.  Professor Michaelsen has directed and acted in numerous professional and collegiate productions, including King Lear, Macbeth, Merchant of Venice, Sweeney Todd, Angels in America and Uncle Vanya.  At Indiana University Michaelsen has directed The Scarlet Letter, Arcadia and the world première of Reel, which was selected for regional honors by the American College Theatre Festival.  He has had four productions selected for presentation at regional American College Theatre Festivals, with the world premiere production of Southern Girls receiving national recognition. 

For the Brown County Playhouse, Michaelsen directed The Glass Menagerie, The Importance of Being Earnest and Arms and the Man.  This summer Michaelsen directed the opera L’Orfeo for the Bloomington Early Music Festival and the Jacob School of Music.  He also traveled to South Africa to serve as vocal coach for a production of the Tempest featuring a South African and American cast.

Before coming to Indiana University Michaelsen was Associate Dean for Humanities and Fine Arts at the University of Alabama. He also served as head of the graduate and undergraduate Acting programs in the Department of Theatre and Dance for ten years.  He was instrumental in creating a professional theatre for the University of Alabama and directed its inaugural production. 

Michaelsen spearheaded the creation of the new musical theatre BFA degree program at IU and produced Premiere Musicals: Developing New Works of Musical Theatre at Indiana University which is now in its second season.  Active in the Southeastern Theatre Conference since 1991, he served for a number of years on the executive committee and as president from 2003-2004. Michaelsen was awarded a teaching grant for the development of theatre curriculum for secondary school educators and received a Druid Arts Educator of the Year Award.  Michaelsen also received a state of Alabama arts award for his contributions to theatre. Email: Jonathan R. Michaelsen

Dale McFadden, Associate Chair

Dale McFadden has been a faculty member at Indiana University since 1985. He supplemented his training with attendance at University of London and Trinity College in Dublin, and the majority of his professional work has been done in Chicago where he served as Artistic Director for several theatres including the Body Politic Theatre.

His directing work includes classical works, modern drama, and new plays. His production of The King's Clown, a play about Moliere, received several Joseph Jefferson Citations, and he has worked at many Chicago theatres including the Goodman Studio, The Theatre Building, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Chicago Dramatists Workshop, The Raven Theatre, and Victory Gardens. His work also been seen at The Phoenix Theatre in Indianapolis. His video, The Directing Process, is in its twelfth year of distribution by Insight Media New York, and he has been a director for Earplay, National Public Radios original drama program.

He has taught all levels of acting and directing in the Department, has served as Head of the Acting/Directing Program, and is currently Producer for the Brown County Playhouse where he has directed a wide range of comedies and dramas. In 2001 Dale participated in the international conference on Actor Training in Paris. He has also been a frequent director for the ATHE New Play Development Conference. Email: Dale McFadden

George Pinney, Head of Musical Theatre

Nominated for a 2001 Tony Award and National Broadway Theatre Award in choreography, George received an Emmy Award for outstanding choreography for the PBS broadcast of Blast!  He was a member of the creative team, acting director and one of three choreographers for Cyberjam which opened in the West End of London.  George, Professor of Theatre and Drama and Head of the B.F.A. in Musical Theatre, has directed and/or choreographed over 150 musical theatre productions for national and international tours, regional and university theatres. Recognized for his teaching, George was awarded the Friedrich Herman Lieber Award for Distinguished Teaching, 5 Board of Trustees Awards for Excellence in Teaching and membership in the Faculty Colloquium of Excellence in Teaching. Email: George Pinney

FACILITIES: Just a small glimpse of our extensive theatre facilities at Indiana University!

A 443-seat proscenium space, the Ruth N Halls Theatre is the venue for four season productions each academic year in addition to a University faculty dance concert. Guest lectures and presentations are also a frequent occurrence in the theatre. With an orchestra pit that can seat 30, the Halls Theatre has been the venue for large musicals as well as more intimate theatrical pieces. Its large side stage provides a scenery construction and paint area immediately adjacent to the scenic studio for larger shows and projects.

The Wells-Metz Theatre is a 236 seat flexible venue which is home to 4 season productions each academic year. An intimate space with audience as close as 5 feet from the action, the Wells-Metz has been the location of musicals and large Shakespearean productions, as well as small cast shows. With a full stage trap room and overhead suspension grid, the theatre has become known for its environmental productions with performers playing throughout the space from trap to grid.

Located in the soon to be renovated University Theatre Building, the Workshop Theatre (located on Main Stage) is both a class room and workshop performance space. The University Players (link to the student group) and other student projects schedule this space for a variety of production and expanded class projects.

For over 50 years the Brown County Playhouse has been bringing quality professional theatre to a loyal and enthusiastic audience of Brown County locals and visitors alike. The playhouse has enjoyed season after season of side-splitting comedies and gripping dramas which have continued to delight and move its guests. Located in the center of Nashville, one of Indianas most charming and beautiful destinations, the Brown County Playhouse is the perfect place to end a perfect day of sightseeing, shopping, and dining.

Located on the first level of the facility, the Scenic Studio (5000 sq ft) has support spaces for dedicated areas for wood construction, welding, and finish work. This studio has 16-foot ceilings with installed dust collection system in the wood working area and battens installed over the welding and paint area. Rolling workstations and portable work tables allow for flexibility in handling the wide range of scenic construction that flows through the scenic studio. There is direct access to both stages and the Scenic Studios storage and support spaces, like painting of large surfaces in the expanded backstage left area of the Halls Theatre. Located by the entrance and loading dock door are the tool room and shop office.

Primarily a space for teaching acting and rehearsing larger shows, the Acting Studio is a 1753 square foot space which includes two closets for classroom and rehearsal storage. The space has a hard wood floor, with wrap around tracking black velour drapes. A five pipe grid allows this space to be used for small production projects. Guest lectures in movement and dance are also held in this space.

University Players:

University Players is a student-run theatre organization at Indiana University dedicated to providing further opportunities in the areas of theatrical performance, production, management, and educational outreach to undergraduate students of all majors and backgrounds.

Theatre of the students, for the students, by the students, University Players is a source of community building within the Department of Theatre and Drama. Through productions, field trips, open meetings, workshops, and the guidance of theatre and drama faculty, UP works to enhance the undergraduate education in theatre. For more information and membership application, visit us on the web: University Players

VISIT THE THEATRE DEPARTMENT ON THE WEB: Theatre at indiana University

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