Drama, B.A.
The drama program at the University of Portland is dedicated to providing a broad-based generalist foundation for undergraduate students with the knowledge, skills, and opportunities necessary for establishing a life-long association with the theatre as actors, directors, teachers, designers, theater managers, and patrons. Furthermore, its aim is to demonstrate a strong commitment to teaching and learning in a personal, energetic, interactive, liberal arts environment. This is accomplished by offering a broad-based curriculum of theatre courses that provides a common knowledge base and skill level. Beyond that, the program provides advanced course work in three areas of specialization that prepare students for a myriad of career and educational options in performance, tech/design, and production management. Finally, the program provides a variety of production opportunities open to the entire campus student community. Students are encouraged, mentored, and supervised in these productions, where they are challenged to use their academic background and technical training in the real laboratory of live theatre.
As a nationally accredited member of the National Association of Schools of Theatre, the drama program is committed to its role within the University’s mission (especially the development of the whole person), its connection, through its theatrical productions, to many of the disciplines within the College of Arts and Sciences, and its broader outreach to the University community.
The program produces four main stage productions a year in the 300-flexible-seat Mago Hunt Center Theater and two to four student directed productions in the Mehling Studio Black Box Theater. For further information on curriculum, degrees, images of past productions, please go to the Student Handbook under "Curriculum" on the drama program's website: http://college.up.edu/pfa/drama
The program also participates strongly in the Kennedy Center’s American College Theatre Festival. All theatrical productions are entered to compete and be evaluated by peers within the region. Student actors, designers, directors and production managers are selected to compete in the regional KCACTF competitions where winners are chosen to compete at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. The drama program has been fortunate to have winners on both the regional and national level, highlighting the strength and training of its students.
Program scholarships are available to new and transfer students through audition and interview. Scholarships are awarded only to declared majors and maintained through ongoing participation on drama program productions. Please contact the drama program director to set up an audition.
Learning Outcomes for Drama Majors
Drama graduates of the University of Portland should be able to:
- Know the individuals who have influenced contemporary world theatre and understand and articulate the fundamental theories and conventions that helped shape it.
- Identify the names and time periods of specific theatre artists, playwrights and their work from the ancient Greeks to modern day.
- Describe the various theories, and stylistic conventions that have shaped theatre production from the time of the ancient Greeks to modern day.
- Demonstrate the fundamental skills and techniques required of a modern theatre practitioner: performer, designer, or manager.
- Performer
- Be able to score a script for circumstances, acting relationships, objectives and actions.
- Use and produce effective vocal characteristics necessary for a theatrical production with correct pronunciations.
- Develop a personal approach to embody the emotional life and physical characteristics of a character in a theatrical production.
- Designer
- Be able to create visual sketches, models, drawings, diagrams to communicate their visual ideas and designs for theatrical production.
- Apply construction skills and technology to the process of turnings sketches, models, drawings and diagrams into 3-dimensional forms.
- Develop an aesthetic process that allows for personal artist vision and approach for theatrical design.
- Production Manager
- Be able to document and use effective communication as it applies to the model of creative theatrical process and production management.
- Apply the variety of skills and management theories necessary to work as a stage manager, a general manager, a development manager, a production manager and artistic manager in a professional theatrical organization.
- Develop an individual approach to managing an artistic process from conception to actual theatrical production.
- Work in an environment of collaboration in a variety of production experiences.
- Demonstrate skills necessary to act effectively in production assignments within the creation of several theatrical productions in positions both on and off stage.
- Document and evaluate the experience as it applies to the holistic process of theatre production and its necessary collaboration.
- Apply critical thinking and analytical skills to dramatic literature as it applies to production; performance, design and management.
- Performer
- Be able to research and analyze a script for character and period style as it applies to performance.
- Be able to score a script for understanding and approaching the plot, theme and the arc of action and apply it to production.
- Designer
- Be able to research and analyze a script for an aesthetic mood, character, period style, and required necessary elements to support the action of a production and its conceptual approach.
- Be able to create a visual form that supports the ideas presented by the playwright in terms of plot, theme and the arc of action and apply it to production.
- Production Manager
- Be able to research and analyze a script for management issues and challenges as they apply to the process and creation of a theatrical production.
- Be able to create a prompt book that incorporates the ideas of the playwright, director, designers and performers and apply this tool to production.
Capstone Experience
The senior capstone in drama is fulfilled with one of four types of projects: acting, directing, design, and production management. Students register for DRM 498. All projects allow students to demonstrate the development of their skills and a synthesis of their training in their chosen area of specialty. Students produce a written proposal for faculty approval, work with a faculty mentor to develop the project, and assess the strengths and weaknesses of the outcome of their projects through both a written evaluation and an oral presentation to the drama faculty and their peers. Details about capstones in each of the four areas are specified in the drama program’s Student Handbook under "Curriculum" at: http://college.up.edu/pfa/drama.
University Requirements - 39 hours
See Core Curriculum
College Requirements
See College Requirements BA
Degree Requirements
Drama Major Common Requirements — 23 hours
Emphasis Options - Performance Emphasis — 15 hours
One design elective selected from:
Design/Technical Emphasis — 15 hours
One production elective selected from:
One advanced design elective selected from:
Production Management Emphasis — 15 hours
Basic Drama Endorsement for Education Certificate — 21 hours
One advanced design elective selected from:
General Electives — 10-22 hours
Total Credit Hours: 120