Are you curious as to what defines the term “applied theatre” and whether it is the right artistic and educational career path for you? Well, here’s a great place to start!

Applied Theatre is a relatively new term that has emerged in popularity since the end of the 20th century to describe a spectrum of diverse theatrical practices in community, educational or therapeutic contexts.

Applied theatre can take on many forms — scripted, unscripted, improvisational, scripted play development, devised performances, indigenous forms of cultural performance, innovative hybrids with new forms of digital communication, along with many other genre-defying forms that are as unique as your own theatre artistry and aesthetics.

What is Applied Theatre?

• It happens in non-conventional theatre spaces and social settings (e.g., schools, prisons, streets and alternative educational provisions.)
• Its primary intention is to generate change (of awareness, attitude, behavior, etc.) towards some “thing” (goal, objective, social/political issue, etc.)
• It requires and invites the active participation of an “audience” by being responsive to the stories of conventional people and giving them agency and artistry to challenge, question and re-envision via the theatre medium.

Minimum of 34 credit hours. The following are specific requirements for successful completion of the major:

• Fundamentals (common to all concentrations): M150 Mass Media and Contemporary Society
• Core courses: T130 Introduction to Theatre; T2XX: Fundamentals of Applied Theatre; C437: Creative Dramatics
• 6 credit hours of theatre production
• 6 credit hours of performance courses
• 6 credit hours in Theory-History-Criticism. At least 3 hours must be at the 300 level or above.
• 1 credit hour Junior Internship Bridge Experience
• 3 credit hour Capstone experience (common to all concentrations)
• At least 15 credit hours in the major must be in courses at the 300 level or above.
• No more than 12 credit hours may transfer. At least 21 credit hours must be taken in courses specific to the program in Theatre
• The student must earn a C or higher in all major course work.
• No more than a total of 9 hours of combined Independent Study and Internship
• credit toward graduation.

Required Courses

1 course: Fundamentals

• COMM M150: Mass Media and Contemporary Society (3 cr.)

3 courses: Theatre Core

• COMM T130: Introduction to Theatre (3 cr.)
• COMM T265: Fundamentals of Applied Theatre (3 cr.)
• COMM T437: Creative Dramatics (3 cr.)

Elective Courses

2 courses: Production (6 cr.)

• COMM T100 Rehearsal and Performance (3-6 cr.)
• COMM T339 Play Directing (3 cr.)
• COMM T431 Playwriting (3 cr.)

2 courses: Performance (6 cr.)

• COMM T104 Voice for the Stage (3 cr.)
• COMM T133 Introduction to Acting (3 cr.)
• COMM T205 Introduction to Oral Interpretation (3 cr.)
• COMM T3XX Theatre for Social Change (3 cr.)
• COMM T333 Acting II (3 cr.)

2 courses: Theory-History-Criticism (6 cr.)

• WOST W300 Topics in Women’s Studies (with consent)
• CLAS C310 Classical Drama (3 cr.)
• ENG L315 Major Plays of Shakespeare (3 cr.)
• COMM T337 History of Theatre I (3 cr.)
• COMM T338 History of Theatre II (3 cr.)
• ENG L365 Modern Drama: Continental (3 cr.)
• ENG L366 Modern Drama: English, Irish, and American (3 cr.)
• ENG L370 Recent Black American Writing (3 cr.)
• ENG L379 Ethnic and Minority Literature of the United States (3 cr.)
• ENG L406 Topics in African American Literature (with consent) (3 cr.)
• ENG L433 Conversations with Shakespeare (3 cr.)
• COMM-R 478 Persuasion and Media in Social Movements (3 cr.)
• MSTD A460 Museum Theatre (3 cr.)

Degree Map

To help you guide your four year college journey, consult your Applied Theatre Concentration degree map for a snapshot of classes, you will be taking to finish your degree to completion.