The Student Experience
“There are so many amazing ways to gain experience outside of the classroom and in so many areas you never even thought of. You will never know how often your experience in some area of theatre you did not anticipate participating in will pop up and be useful in your professional life.”
Caitlin Muelder ’96 (MFA Old Globe/San Diego University)
Rep Term
In this intensive, immersive experience, a group of at least 36 students takes all three of the term’s credits in theatre and forms a repertory theatre company to produce two fully-mounted productions.
Students perform, build, produce, market, stage manage, design, crew, and engage in all of the areas of production.
Faculty-Directed Shows
Every term a member of our faculty directs a production in one of our spaces. Students gain experience as performers, Assistant Directors, Stage Managers, Assistant or Co-Designers for Sets, Lights, and Costumes, Sound Designers and Props Masters. From the audition process to design and technical opportunities, there is no preference given to upperclass students or majors and minors.
New Work
We incubate the development of new work!
New Plays Workshop
Every term emerging writers are paired with student directors to present stage readings of works in progress during New Plays Workshop. Both students and alumni can submit new plays, and sometimes the process leads to a bare stage productions, and eventually to fully mounted productions.
New Plays Festival
Every three years, the spring term is devoted to the New Plays Festival where we solicit scripts from alumni, as well as current students, and present 6 weekends of stage readings directed and acted by students and faculty.
Studio Theatre
Our black box theatre is where students roll up their sleeves and work independently. We mount a fully designed production in the studio theatre every term — produced, directed, and designed by students. It’s also regularly the location of one-acts and full-length plays, as well as comedy improv, playwright’s workshop, visiting artists, dance concerts, devised theatre, bare stage productions, and Honors Projects.
Theatre Advisory Board (TAB)
The Theatre Advisory Board is a group of students appointed by the faculty who, in collaboration with the professors, oversee productions in Studio Theatre. TAB’s primary roles are to consider and make recommendations on petitions from students wishing to direct in Studio and to facilitate those productions, as well some aspects of Harbach productions. They meet regularly with faculty members to confer about the operation of Studio, set the schedule for each term’s season, and problem-solve any issues that may arise.
Working in the Shops
Students gain practical production experience in our Scene Shop and Costume Studio. Interested students often begin as volunteers, later seeking out one of the 10-hour-per-week work-study positions. Students bring a wide range of experience and interests to these roles, and these positions are not limited to students who major or minor in Theatre!
The Scene Shop
The Scene Shop is a fully functional carpentry and painting studio that covers over 1200 square feet, and is equipped with a full range of hand, power and pneumatic tools.
All students who work or volunteer in the scene shop gain experience with:
- Basic and finish carpentry
- Basic painting and faux finishing (wood, marble, stone treatments, etc.)
- Rigging, cabling, and focusing lighting equipment
- Rigging stage draperies and other hanging effects
All student workers are trained on the job on all tools and equipment and on all techniques regarding construction, painting, and working with lighting. There’s no experience necessary, just a desire to learn and become part of a collaborative team!
The Costume Studio
Student hands and imaginations are the magic behind our most spectacular costumes.For students pursuing costume design or technical artistry professionally, working in the costume studio builds the skills and experience for a competitive grad school application.
For most students working or volunteering in the costume shop, however, it is a creatively rewarding campus job where they:
- Develop sewing and construction skills
- Work as dressers and maintain the wardrobe for all productions
- Explore other technical artistry such as: millinery, hair and makeup, dye work and textile manipulation, mask making, etc.
- Develop interpersonal and professional skills in a collaborative team environment
Honors Projects
Students can devote a substantial part of their final year in full-scale independent research, scholarship, or creative work under the guidance of an interdisciplinary faculty committee.
Students have their projects critiqued by a qualified outside examiner, modeling the dissertation defense model of many grad programs. Often, Honors projects can jump start them into a meaningful career or top-notch grad program.
Awards
Every year the Theatre Department recognizes the achievement of student work in the areas of direction, design, playwriting, and more.
Internships & Careers
Students work with faculty and The Bastian Family Center for Career Success when applying for internships and jobs in the performing arts at any stage during their time at Knox.
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