This is the preliminary (or launch) version of the 2023-2024 VCU Bulletin. This edition includes all programs
and courses approved by the publication deadline; however we may receive notification of additional program
approvals after the launch. The final edition and full PDF version will include these updates and will be available
in August prior to the beginning of the fall semester.
Bonnie McCoy
Assistant professor and chair
The mission of the Department of Theatre is to educate and train students as theatre professionals and/or academicians in the field of performance, design/technology or theatre pedagogy.
In fulfilling its mission, the Department of Theatre provides students with the professional and cultural foundations essential for achieving the highest standards of the art. The department offers three degrees — a Bachelor of Arts, a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a Master of Fine Arts — to which applicants are admitted based on demonstration of ability, genuine interest determined during an interview, and audition and/or portfolio presentation.
In addition to introductory theatre and acting courses for non-majors, the department also serves students throughout the university with offerings in speech communication.
With permission of instructor, the following graduate courses may be taken by undergraduates for degree credit:
| Course | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| THEA 501 | 3 | |
| THEA 505 | Advanced Scene Design III | 3 |
| THEA 506 | Advanced Scene Design IV | 3 |
| THEA 508 | Scene Painting | 3 |
| THEA 514 | 3 |
THEA 503. Periods and Practices in Costume History I. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. A study of the cultural and social implications of costume history, design and production by specific design technologies from antiquity to 1800. Work includes costume shop work with fabrics as well as studio work with the interaction of lighting and fabrics.
THEA 504. Periods and Practices in Costume History II. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: THEA 503. This course continues work in the study of the cultural and social implications of costume history, design and production by specific design technologies from 1800 to the present. The course will include additional work with ongoing main stage productions. Work includes costume shop work with fabrics as well as studio work with the interaction of lighting and fabrics.
THEA 505. Advanced Scene Design III. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 1 lecture and 4 studio hours. 3 credits. Prerequisites: THEA 306 and permission of instructor. Intensive study of the professional standards and practices expected of scene designers.
THEA 506. Advanced Scene Design IV. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 1 lecture and 4 studio hours. 3 credits. Prerequisites: THEA 505 and permission of instructor. Continued intensive study of the professional standards and practices expected of scene designers.
THEA 508. Scene Painting. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 10 studio hours. 3 credits. May be repeated with permission of instructor for up to 12 credits. Study of the materials and techniques of scenic painting as well as the practices and expectations of those pursuing careers as scenic artists.
THEA 509. Theatre History and Historiography. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Study of the origins of modern theatre practice alongside the global history of dramatic literature and theory, coupled with the analysis of methodologies used to record the development of performance and performance scholarship.
THEA 518. The Pedagogy of Movement. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 6 studio hours. 3 credits. Exploration of the principles of teaching movement and its practical application to the stage, with special emphasis on the links between physical theatre and the vocabulary of the Stanislavski system of acting.
THEA 570. Applied Theatre. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 1 lecture and 4 studio hours. 3 credits. Practical application of theatrical techniques or performance in non-theatrical settings.
THEA 593. Professional Internship. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 field experience hours. 3 credits. Enrollment requires permission of the graduate program director. An internship in theatre conducted in cooperation with selected professional or semiprofessional theatre organizations.
THEA 600. Introduction to Performance Studies. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Interdisciplinary and multicultural study of cultural, social and aesthetic structures of performance.
THEA 602. Advanced Topics in Voice and Speech Pedagogy. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. An exploration of a variety of specialty topics which may include but is not limited to dialect acquisition, speech and phonetics, archetypes and the voice, and Viewpoints and Suzuki actor training.
THEA 603. Dramatic Literature and Theory. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Multicultural study of selected plays in the history of dramatic literature, criticism and theory.
THEA 604. Modern Theatre: Theory and Practice. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Seminar in the performance practices, texts and theories that have shaped the theatre throughout the 20th century.
THEA 605. Advanced Studies in Stage Design. 3 Hours.
Continuous courses; 1 lecture and 4 studio hours. 3-3 credits. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. An advanced study in specific problems in stage design.
THEA 606. Advanced Studies in Stage Design. 3 Hours.
Continuous courses; 1 lecture and 4 studio hours. 3-3 credits. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. An advanced study in specific problems in stage design.
THEA 608. Problems in Scenic Techniques. 3 Hours.
Continuous courses; 1 lecture and 4 studio hours. 3-3 credits. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. An advanced, detailed study of selected problems in contemporary theory and practice of scenic techniques.
THEA 610. Proseminar in Text and Performance. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Introduces graduate students to the study of performance research and documentation and to the theoretical perspectives that shape the discipline of theatre studies.
THEA 614. Pedagogy of Acting. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. This course guides students through creating and implementing a curriculum appropriate for a beginning acting class. Discussions of acting theory and teaching practice are interspersed with teaching demonstrations complete with peer feedback and instructor critique.
THEA 619. Theatre Pedagogy. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Theory and practice in the teaching of college-level theatre.
THEA 621. Problems in Costume Design. 3 Hours.
Semester courses; 2 lecture and 2 studio hours. 3, 3 credits. May be repeated. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. An advanced study in specific problems in costume design.
THEA 622. Problems in Costume Design. 3 Hours.
Semester courses; 2 lecture and 2 studio hours. 3, 3 credits. May be repeated. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. An advanced study in specific problems in costume design.
THEA 630. Production. 6 Hours.
Semester course; 6 laboratory hours. 3 credits. May be repeated for a maximum of six credits. The design, rehearsal and performance of dramatic works.
THEA 651. Individual Study in Graduate Design. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 1 lecture and 4 laboratory hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: permission of instructor. May be repeated. Intensive individual training in design and presentation processes as they apply to contemporary professional production.
THEA 661. Graduate Direction. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Graduate-level studio course designed to introduce students to concepts involved in play direction, including play analysis, composition, blocking, style and form. Exercises and projects will reinforce elements discussed in class and include opportunities for stage work complete with peer feedback and instructor critique.
THEA 694. Theatre Pedagogy Practicum. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 practicum hours. 3 credits. Research, design and implementation or thoroughly planned implementation of a curricular research and development project of relevance to a formal speech and/or theatre pedagogy program.
THEA 696. Dramaturgy. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Study of the function of the dramaturg in the American theatre. Readings, research and practical exercises for production dramaturgy of classic and contemporary plays, as well as developmental dramaturgy.
THEA 697. Research and Special Problems in Theatre. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 research hours. 3 credits. Directed study and research on approved problems or projects in theatre. Preliminary research toward the development of a thesis.
THEA 791. Seminar in Special Issues in Theatre. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 seminar hours. 3 credits. May be repeated for a maximum of 12 credits. An advanced, detailed study of selected contemporary issues not included in the regular curriculum. See the Schedule of Classes for specific topics to be offered each semester.
THEA 799. Thesis. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 6 thesis hours. 6 credits. Preparation of a thesis based on independent research.