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Theatre Arts and Related Studies is a degree category that consists of the following common degrees:
- Read more about Acting
Acting is much more than it appears to be, because great actors act so naturally that their skills and years of training are invisible. But the fact is that acting is a complex art.
Degree programs in the field seek to break down this complexity and teach students the intricacies of the craft, from voice and movement to emotion memory to improvisation and impulse to dramatic analysis. Acting, though, is a craft that can never be perfected, which is likely why so many of the greats in the business work until their dying day. They, too, in essence, are students of acting.
- Read more about Screenwriting
Screenwriters create scripts for movies, television, and other motion media. They write original stories, characters, and dialogue or write adapted screenplays, which are based on existing material such as a novels, short stories, stage plays, musicals, TV series, even old films and film characters.
Screenwriting students learn to understand the world of film, TV, and digital media. They learn how to create the skeleton for a feature film or TV show, how to structure a story, create appealing plot lines, develop authentic and relatable characters, keep the audience hooked with engaging dialogue, and navigate the pitching process to bring a screenplay to life. They learn that screenwriting goes through multiple phases, starting with getting the raw material in your heart on the page, then translating that raw material into something the audience can understand, and finally crafting that story to its perfect form.
- Read more about Theatre Arts
Theatre arts degree programs teach the performing arts and the fields that support them. Some curricula may focus on a specific area, such as acting, dance, or music. Others may address more than a single aspect of the live theatre industry, covering a range of topics including theatre history, dramatic literature, playwriting, directing, and/or self-promotion. Still others may focus on or include the technical/supportive disciplines of lighting, scenic design, costume design, and make-up.
- Read more about Costume Design
Costume designers use clothing and the language of fashion to tell a story. With each wardrobe element and accessory, they immerse both actors and audiences in a particular era, culture, and world.
Degree programs in costume design prepare aspiring designers to take on this challenging work. While the curriculum encompasses the technicalities of drawing, pattern drafting and cutting, fabric characteristics, and sewing, it also emphasizes the importance of research and understanding all aspects of a stage or film production.
Students learn that this comprehensive approach to costume design is the only way to develop the ability to translate the creative vision of their colleagues. They learn to become part of a collaborative team of storytellers.