Theatre Arts
College of Liberal & Creative Arts
Dean: Paul Sherwin
School of the Arts
Department of Theatre Arts
CA 103
415-338-1341
Web Site: http://theatre.sfsu.edu
E-mail: tha@sfsu.edu
Chair: Lawrence Eilenberg
Undergraduate Coordinator: Rhonnie Washington
Graduate Coordinator: Joel Schechter
MFA Graduate Coordinator: John Wilson
Faculty
Professors: Arhelger, Baron, Conboy, Eilenberg, Goto, Kowsar, Peters, Roehrman, Schechter, Tomalin, Washington, Wilson
Associate Professor: Damashek
Assistant Professor: Schwartz
Programs
M.F.A. in Theatre Arts: Concentration in Design/Technical Production
Program Scope
The Department of Theatre Arts offers a comprehensive program of both practical and theoretical courses for undergraduate and graduate students whose interests center on various aspects of educational and professional theatre.
The curriculum provides the student with a foundation for advanced study in the dramatic arts, for teaching, or for a career in professional theatre. As a center for the training of future theatre artists, the department is committed to introducing a diversity of theatrical traditions and cultures to students. To this end, the department employs its three dedicated theatre spaces and its one shared theatre space as learning laboratories in which students collaborate with faculty and guest professionals. Studio workshops and advanced stage productions in those theatres are the culmination of the educational experience.
The department actively seeks and facilitates interdisciplinary programs of study and production with other members of the College of Liberal & Creative Arts as well as with departments and programs from across the campus. The department also encourages and facilitates collaboration with off-campus area theatres. In these ways we enlarge students experiences, and open new connections between students, the college, the campus as a whole, and the community, offering students an education grounded in practical professional stage practices as well as diverse on-campus academic and production experiences.
The diverse backgrounds of both faculty and students in the program provide our campus and community with a wealth of theatrical experiences and attractions. Graduates of the program are prominent in professional theatre throughout the nation, with positions of leadership in theatre, television, film, and theatre education.
Fundamental to the major program is a core of required courses designed to develop a foundation upon which to elect, upon advisement, one of the following areas of emphasis: performance, play development and dramaturgy, technical theatre and design, or popular theatre.
The minor program is not a requirement for any credential or degree but is intended to give the student an opportunity to pursue an interest in theatre arts.
The Master of Fine Arts in Theatre Arts offers a Concentration in Design/Technical Production. The three-year M.F.A. is designed to provide rigorous, professional training to prepare students for careers as professional theatre artists or artist teachers. The concentration focuses on specialized skills in the areas of scene design, costume design, lighting design, and/or technical production.
The M.F.A. program combines the elements of professional practice and scholarly work to project a production concept through a specific discipline. The philosophy of the curriculum is based on two necessities of theatrical art: collaboration and discipline. Students progress through a full-time sequence of courses which trains them to work with other specialized theatre artists in realizing a total work of theatre, as well as to excel in their own chosen arts. The program is designed to develop the candidate's practical skills and personal strengths towards motivating communication, commitment, and support among the production group.
The Master of Arts in Drama provides training for students wishing to expand their knowledge and increase their competence in the fields of history and literature of the theatre, acting, directing, theatre design, and production; seeking teaching credentials where the master’s degree is required; and preparing for further graduate work elsewhere.
Facilities
The department of theatre arts produces its plays in four performance spaces: McKenna Theatre, a proscenium stage with orchestra pit, fly system, and film/video projection systems is the largest theatre in the College of Liberal & Creative Arts with a seating capacity of 701. The Little Theatre is a smaller proscenium stage with fly system and a seating capacity of 250. The Studio Theatre is a modified thrust stage with fixed grid and seating capacity of 78. The Brown Bag Theatre is a black box theatre with a seating capacity of 55. The performance spaces are supported by outstanding technical facilities. Theatre Arts classes and production work are conducted, with professional supervision, in the Scene/Paint Shop, Costume Shop, Properties Shop, Lighting Laboratory, and Sound Design Laboratory.
Career Outlook
Career opportunities in theatre arts include performance and technical positions in professional, regional, and community theatres, as well as the areas of film and television, for actor, director, stage manager, designer (lighting, costume, scenery, and props), and craftsperson (stitcher, carpenter, props artisan). Teaching positions range from elementary and high school theatre classes through community college and university curricula in all aspects of the dramatic arts. Other career possibilities include such diverse fields as advertising, design (interior, fashion, display), drama therapy, and recreation.
Bachelor of Arts in Drama
The core consists of the 27 units listed below while the area of emphasis consists of 18 units of required and elective courses. No fewer than 12 units, planned with and approved by an assigned advisor, must be taken in residence study.
On-line course descriptions are available.
Core Courses
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| TH A 130 | Acting Workshop I | 3 |
| TH A 205 | Introduction to Technical Theatre and Design | 2 |
| TH A 401 | Theatre Backgrounds: 500 B.C.-1642 | 3 |
| TH A 402 | Theatre Backgrounds: 1642-1900 | 3 |
| TH A 403 | Theatre Backgrounds: 1900-Present | 3 |
| TH A 405 GW | Writing about Theatre - GWAR | 3 |
| TH A 515 | Leadership and Organization for Production | 3 |
4 units selected from the following:
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| TH A 310 | Scenery and Properties Laboratory and Crew | 2 |
| TH A 312 | Costuming and Make-Up | 2 |
| TH A 313 | Stage Lighting and Sound | 2 |
3 units selected from the following:
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| TH A 340 | Principles of Directing | 3 |
| TH A 341 | History of Directing | 3 |
| TH A 460 | Play Development Workshop | 3 |
| TH A 531 | Understanding and Performing Shakespeare | 3 |
Total for Core: 27 units
Area of Emphasis (area chosen on advisement): 18 units
Total : 45 units
Area of Emphasis
The B.A. in Drama offers four areas of emphasis: Performance, Play Development and Dramaturgy, Design and Technical Theatre, and Popular Theatre. Information about the specific requirements of each Area of Emphasis may be obtained at the Theatre Arts office or by visiting the department's web site: (http://theatre.sfsu.edu).
Teaching Credential: The Single Subject Approved Program (English Subject Matter: Drama Emphasis) requires completion of courses in English as well as Theatre Arts. For details on this program, please consult credential advisors in the English Teacher Resource and Advising Center.
Minor in Drama
A minimum of 22 units, of which at least 11 must be at the upper division level, should be planned with an assigned advisor.
Graduate Programs in Theatre Arts
Admission
Applications for classified status in the M.F.A. program are accepted beginning October 1 of the preceding year, for admission the following fall. Applications for classified status in the M.A. program are accepted beginning October 1 of the preceding year, for admission the following fall.
For both programs, contact the department office and the SF State Division of Graduate Studies for specific application deadlines in March for fall and October for spring.
Applicants are required to file the CSU Graduate Admission Application with the SF State Division of Graduate Studies and submit requested materials to the Department of Theatre Arts. Admission to classified status requires acceptance by both the University and the Department of Theatre Arts.
Students must meet university and departmental requirements and must normally have completed an undergraduate major in theatre arts. Consideration is given to students with a strong undergraduate minor or other relevant work. Admission to the program is based on evaluation of a student's previous work and supporting materials.
Written English Proficiency Requirement
Level One: Evaluation of applicant’s statement of purpose, which is a written requirement for admission to classified status in the theatre arts program. On the basis of this material the M.F.A. or M.A. graduate coordinator may properly advise a student of the need to obtain additional skills in writing. If remedial work is required, it is so indicated as a condition to classified status.
Level Two: Evaluation of the student’s written work while enrolled in TH A 700, 701, or 705.
Advancement to Candidacy
Besides meeting all general requirements, a diagnostic examination on the entire field of drama may be given at the time of registration in order to assist the M.F.A. or M.A. advisor in developing each student's program. Weaknesses in any area may necessitate enrollment in specified courses selected in order to build strength in the area. Such courses are usually taken in addition to the minimum number of units required for completion of the graduate major.
Completion of the Degree
To complete either the M.F.A. or the M.A., students must satisfy all university and program requirements. University requirements are described in the front of the Graduate Education section of this Bulletin. Department requirements are provided in detail by the M.F.A./M.A. graduate coordinators and M.F.A./M.A. advisors. In addition to satisfactory completion of the course requirements, the department requires satisfactory performance on yearly departmental reviews, participation in the department’s production program, and the successful completion of a final creative project or thesis. The department accepts a limited number of transfer units on a course-by-course basis.
Master of Fine Arts in Theatre Arts: Concentration in Design/Technical Production
Graduate Advisors: Arhelger, Roehrman, Wilson, Schwartz
Admission to the Program
Applicants seeking admission to the M.F.A. in Theatre Arts must submit the following materials directly to the Department of Theatre Arts, M.F.A. Graduate Coordinator, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94132-4157:
- Statement of purpose (include proposed area and/or areas of emphasis).
- Copy of transcripts from all colleges or universities attended.
- Three letters of reference from people who know the applicant's theatre work.
- A current resume.
- Other information considered appropriate, but which does not appear on transcripts.
- A portfolio of slides and designs to be submitted upon request to the M.F.A. coordinator.
First Year Evaluation
The department’s M.F.A. committee evaluates each student’s performance at the end of the first year and recommends for or against continuance in the program.
On-line course descriptions are available.
Core Requirements:
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| TH A 705 | Seminar: Performance and Production Theory | 3 |
| TH A 711 | Collaborative Processes in Theatre | 3 |
| TH A 740 | Play Production Concepts | 3 |
| TH A 757 | Internship in Theatre | 3 |
| TH A 894 | Creative Work Project | 3 |
Total for core: 15 units
Concentration
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| TH A 750 | Design Studio | 9 |
| TH A 810 | Advanced Practicum in Theatre | 9 |
| TH A 804 | Historical Styles for the Theatre, Prehistory-1700 | 3 |
| TH A 805 | Historical Styles for the Theatre, Prehistory-1700 – Present | 3 |
One of the following: 3 units
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| TH A 701 | Seminar: Theatre History and Historiography | 3 |
| TH A 702 | Seminar: Shakespearean Production Style | 3 |
| TH A 710 | Seminar in Stage Arts | 3 |
Core Requirements: 15 units
Total for concentration: 24 units
Electives on advisement: 21 units
Total for degree: 60 units
Creative Work Project: A candidate must demonstrate professional competency in two or more areas of design in a large-scale studio design project that also includes a written component.
Master of Arts in Drama
Graduate Advisors: Eilenberg, Kowsar, Schechter
Admission to the Program
Applicants must submit the following directly to the graduate coordinator:
- Statement of purpose (include proposed area and/or areas of emphasis).
- Copy of transcript.
- Three letters of reference from people who know the applicant’s theatre work.
- Information considered important but which does not appear on the transcript.
Program
All upper division courses in theatre arts in acting, directing, management, and design are acceptable upon advisement except: TH A 300, 310, 312, 313, 315, 335, 401, 402, and 403.
On-line course descriptions are available.
Core Requirements:
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| TH A 700 | Theatre Research Methods | 3 |
| TH A 701 | Seminar: Theatrical History and Historiography | 3 |
| TH A 709 | Seminar: Dramatic Literature and Criticism | 3 |
2 courses selected from the following:
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| TH A 702 | Seminar: Shakespearean Production Style | 3 |
| TH A 703 | Seminar: The American Stage | 3 |
| TH A 704 | Seminar: Contemporary Plays and Performance | 3 |
| TH A 705 | Seminar: Performance and Production Theory | 3 |
Supporting upper division/graduate courses in related subjects approved by graduate major advisor: 9 units
Minimum Total: 30 units
Culminating Experience (Choose one of the options)
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Option 1 | ||
| TH A 894 | Creative Work Project | 3 |
| and | ||
| TH A 897 | Research for Creative Work Project | 3 |
| Option 2 | ||
| TH A 896 | Directed Reading for Written Examination and 3 units (elective) |
3 |
| Option 3 | ||
| TH A 898 | Master’s Thesis | 3 |
| and | ||
| TH A 897 | Research for Master’s Thesis | 3 |
| Total Units | 30 | |
