Department of Music, Theatre, and Dance

The theatre program provides quality student centered education and performance experiences within Grand Valley State University's liberal education environment. The theatre program enables students to fully explore their potential as productive, literate, articulate, humane, and culturally engaged members of a global public through a close study of theatre theory and practice. Students so educated are able to bring highly developed aesthetic and critical skills, flexibility, and creativity to a wide range of graduate school and career opportunities.

Students may use the major as a preparation for graduate or professional work; the required courses provide basic training in essential theatre areas, and students planning to pursue more advanced work should take well-chosen electives in areas designed to increase specific skills. All theatre majors are required to participate in university theatre productions as actors, designers, production technicians and managers; academic credit is given for all such involvement. The program also supports students pursuing regional, national, and international internships as managers, publicists, technicians, and production assistants with major professional theaters and arts organizations. Theatre courses from overseas schools can substitute for GVSU theatre requirements for those students pursuing international studies.

Course Catalog: Theatre, BA/BS Student Learning Outcomes: Theatre, BA/BS

The Bachelor of Science in Performing Arts Industry degree provides a course of study for students interested in study of either music or theatre in conjunction with study in Public and Nonprofit Administration. Performing Arts Industry study is geared for students interested in working within the arts field as administrators, presenters, businesspeople, or any of the myriad options beyond performance or education. The B.S. degree requires a cognate of STA 215 as well as two courses from the listed options. The culmination event of the B.S. is an internship experience within the student's chosen field guided by a faculty advisor. Students electing a B.S. in Performing Arts Industry must complete the Public and Nonprofit Requirements as well as either the Music or Theatre core sequence, planned with the approval of a faculty advisor in the department. Students will complete 24 Credits of Public and Nonprofit Administration Courses, and then either 39 Credits in Music, or 50 Credits in Theatre depending on their area of focus. Please note, students entering the Music focus of this degree program are required to complete a music major audition.

Minors must complete 20 hours of theatre coursework. Minors must complete one course in the design/tech/management area, one in the theatre studies area, and one in the performance area. Most of these select courses also serve as prerequisite courses for more advanced theatre study. Minors must complete additional courses in any theatre area to fulfill the 20 hours minimum credit requirement.

Course Catalog: Minor in Theatre

Each year, our department presents four Mainstage productions, as well as many special events. All production roles are open to all GVSU students.

Actors: Audition notices will be posted to the Theatre Blackboard as they become available. Please email Bridgett Vanderhoof at [email protected] or any of the Theatre Faculty to get added to the Blackboard Site.

_______________________________________________________________

Technicians/Crew Members: Please email your interest to Jeremy DenOuden at [email protected]

We conduct scholarship auditions at Michigan Thespians Festival and our annual Theatre Day.

The Grand Valley Shakespeare Festival is Michigan's oldest and largest Shakespeare Festival, having operated annually since 1993. More than 6,000 patrons attend our Festival activities each season, which include mainstage performances of the Bard's works, high school touring shows, workshops, new plays projects, symposia with visiting scholars, an all-campus student art competition, a Renaissance Festival, and other events.

For more information, head over to the GVSF website at gvsu.edu/shakes.

In addition to our department's theatre season, there are always student-run projects on campus looking for actors, directors, writers, and theatre technicians. We post these opportunities as they come in to our Theatre Blackboard site. If you would like to be added to the Theatre Blackboard site, please email Bridgett at [email protected]