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The Acting Program At...

The study of theatre and dance at Grinnell embraces all aspects of the dramatic art as part of a liberal arts education. Interdisciplinary in its very nature, theatre studies can be broadly beneficial to all students, enabling them to develop aesthetic responses and abilities in understanding and making dramatic works of art. The collective aesthetic and intellectual activities that make up the work of theatre: reading, writing, drawing, building, talking, and performing help us to develop the skills necessary for a useful and productive life in society, working with other people.

In the practice and study of theatre and dance, the Department of Theatre and Dance at Grinnell is committed to high standards of artistic expression and creative scholarship within the context of a liberal arts education. Performance is a cultural necessity that can transform the lives of those involved; as an academic practice it is interdisciplinary in its very nature.

Here, theory and practice of performance are integrated, and students engage in acting and directing, dance and choreography, design, and the history and literature of drama and performance as a broad foundation prior to advanced study in any of these areas. Combining historical knowledge and critical thinking with current practices in performance, directing, design, choreography, and studies in drama, students interact creatively with diverse ideas, cultures, and historical moments often far different from their own.

The art forms of theatre and dance, inherently collaborative, provide the model for learning to work well and creatively with others. The department also provides students with opportunities for interdisciplinary performance-making. These studies are broadly beneficial to all students in the liberal arts. Grinnell students participating in these studies develop analytic, organizational, technical, and artistic skills, an understanding of socio-political contexts, and an active commitment to social engagement that inevitably contribute to interdisciplinary study and innovative approaches to learning within the liberal arts.