General Questions to Ask Theatre Programs

What training and educational approach do you offer—liberal arts (with a BA degree) or conservatory (BFA)?
The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Department of Theatre Arts offers an invigorating and fresh approach to liberal arts undergraduate theatre training. Newly redesigned curriculum with a BA and BS in Theatre Arts with concentrations in Performance, Design and Technical Production, Management, Music Theatre, and General Emphasis, give you the flexibility to create a program tailored to your interests.

UW-L Theatre is unique in that students may both major and minor in theatre. For example, a student may major in Theatre Performance and minor in Theatre Management. In this regard, experience and training can be more specialized, similar to a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree without sacrificing the strong broad-based education valued at UW-La Crosse.

What is the mission of the department?
The Department of Theatre Arts at UW-La Crosse endeavors to provide students with the tools necessary to function as complete artists and self-realized individuals, combining theatrical training with a strong liberal arts curriculum. A combination of classroom training and realized production work allows for a well-rounded college experience with an emphasis on the collaborative and creative process.

How is the overall program divided among dramatic literature, acting, theatre history, technical theatre, directing, playwriting, theatre management, etc. ?
Students who major or minor in theatre take a core of classes that include all aspects of the study and practice of theatre. You will read and study plays from today and the past, take a course with other new students in the basics of creating a performance, and an entry level class in stagecraft: the backstage skills needed for any production. Everyone takes abeginning class in acting, too. Then, much of it is your choice. You can choose an emphasis area from any of five areas if you wish to focus on one part of theatre, or you can choose a general emphasis. All of our students, however, do participate in productions in all elements of theatre practice, so you will come out of our program knowing something about every part of theatre and the production of plays.

What are the professional credits of the faculty and what are they doing professionally now? What are their areas of specialty?
The UW-L Department of Theatre Arts currently consists of 6 full-time theatre faculty. The Department also collaborates with other departments on campus for choreography, music direction, and special course offerings.

All of the Theatre faculty hold either a Masters of Fine Arts (MFA) or a Ph.D. with areas of expertise including scenic and lighting design, costume and make up design, directing, theatre history and criticism, acting, voice and movement, technical direction and sound design. In addition to its full-time faculty, the department frequently brings guest artists to campus from professional and educational theatre around the world.

Our faculty have worked professionally with such organizations as VEE Corp. (creators of Sesame Street), Arrow Rock Lyceum Theatre, Illinois State Dance Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre, Heartland Theatre in Kansas City, and the Illinois Shakespeare Festival. The Department of Theatre Arts is also proud to be affiliated and active with the American College Theatre Festival (ACTF), Association for Theatre in Higher Education (ATHE), Alliance for Wisconsin Theatre Educators (AWTE), United States Institute of Theatre Technology (USITT), and the Wisconsin Alliance for Arts Education (WAAE).

Where are your recent graduates now, and what are they doing? Were they accepted to graduate school?
Our blend of unlimited opportunities and close personal attention produces excellent results. Over 90% of our graduates find jobs. Many pursue careers in the professional theatre as actors, directors, designers, stage managers, and technical directors. UW-L’s graduates work at some of the nation’s most distinguished theatres and graduate programs including the Actors Theatre of Louisville, SoHo Rep, Penumbra Theatre Company, Actors Studio Theatre, Asolo Theatre, Milwaukee Repertory, The Arrow Rock Lyceum Theatre, The Guthrie Theatre, and the Santa Fe Opera. We have had students in the graduate theatre programs in Florida State University, Temple University in Philadelphia, PA, University of Minnesota, Purdue University, University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA), and the California Institute for the Arts.

What is the ratio of faculty to students? To majors? To minors? What is the size of theatre classes?
UW-L boasts a student to faculty ratio of 20:1 and an average class size of 30 students. Within the Department of Theatre Arts, student to faculty ratio averages 10:1 with an average class size of 16. At UW-L Theatre, one-on-one contact with our teaching faculty is emphasized, and because of our low student-to-faculty ration, students are guaranteed a degree of personal attention rarely available in larger programs. Theatre courses are kept small to provide more personalized instruction and allow for more effective training. For example, Acting courses are limited to less than 25 students so faculty can work one-on-one with each student.

Each theatre major is also assigned to a faculty advisor to coordinate course schedules, pursue career information, plan acting/directing/technical projects, etc. Each semester, the department also holds two “Major/Minor Meetings” to discuss upcoming events, audition information, theatre opportunities, and production assignments.

Where do your students come from? Is the student body geographically, ethnically, racially, or culturally diverse? What is the percentage of minority students enrolled in the program? What is the male-to-female ratio of students enrolled in the program?
Most students at UW-La Crosse are from Wisconsin and Minnesota with approximately 16% percent of UW-L students from out-of-state. The University also has a strong international program with students attending from countries around the world including Germany, China, Japan, Indonesia, Canada, Korea, India, etc. The student body consists of approximately 40% males and 60% females. The Department of Theatre Arts is a reflection of the campus as a whole with most of our students haling from Wisconsin and Minnesota. The overall program has a 10% minority population, higher than the campus average, and is fairly evenly split regarding male-to-female ratio.

Can I double major in another area? Minor?
Students enrolled in Theatre Arts can double major or minor in any other area offered at UW-L. There are currently students majoring in Theatre and Psychology, Business, and Communications Studies. Our students also have the unique opportunity to both major and minor in theatre with different emphases including general studies, performance, management, design/technical, and music theatre.

Can I design an independent study if there isn’t a program in something I’d like to study? Are there opportunities for studying abroad?
The UW-L Department of Theatre Arts will work with students to design independent study projects that best suit the needs and interests of that student. The program also offers rotating courses in Special Topics in Theatre Arts for workshops, directed individual readings, or projects involving significant content or activities not available through regular offerings with the department. UW-La Crosse has a strong study abroad program and has travel opportunities in 20 countries including Argentina (Buenos Aires), Australia (Melbourne), China (Bejing, Hong Kong, Guilin), Costa Rica (San Jose), Czech Republic (Prague), Denmark (Copenhagen), France (Caen), New Zealand, Germany (Oldenburg and Hessen), Israel (Tel Aviv), Italy (Rome), Japan (Nagasaki), Mexico (Xalapa and Puebla), United Kingdom (London and Scotland), and Spain (Valladolid and Seville).

Students enrolled in the theatre arts program have a unique opportunity to study abroad in a variety of ways. In the past, we have had two theatre students direct and perform a two-woman show for which they then received undergraduate research funding to perform in London during spring break. Another former student spent a year in Cairo, Egypt working as a stage manager under the guidance of a former UW-L theatre faculty member. Also, the Department of Theatre Arts, in collaboration with the General Honors Program and Art Department, has designed a London Study Tour during the spring break. In this program, students enroll in a specific theatre class or create an independent study, and then visit London for 7 days experiencing guided tours, theatre performances, art exhibits, etc. as part of this course.

What do I get to do? On what level are undergraduates involved with department productions? Do they perform, direct, or design these productions? Do freshmen get to perform?
The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Department of Theatre Arts is an undergraduate program; therefore younger students are not competing with graduate students for performance or design opportunities. The theatre degree program offers a wide range of opportunities while creating a focused and individual area of study for each student. Undergraduates, regardless of year in school, are involved in every aspect of the department productions including costumes, makeup, performance, directing, etc. Theatre Arts students have had extensive production opportunities such as directing Oedipus Rex, designing scenery for Little Shop of Horrors, designing sets for Metamorphoses, creating special effects and pyrotechnics for A Christmas Carol, and designing costumes for Spinning Into Butter. All performances, including SummerStage and children’s show, are stage managed and performed by students with opportunities to work on scenic and costume construction, lighting, sound, promotion and publicity.

Would there be opportunities for me in various areas of theatre production, or will I be limited to a specialized area? Does the department encourage study of various aspects of theatre?
The Department of Theatre Arts encourages students to obtain a wide range of experiences in order to make themselves as well-rounded and marketable as possible. Therefore, all students are required to take a THA 260/360 course each semester which is a specialized, intensive study and participation in theatre productions. These courses may involve assembling and designing costumes, constructing scenery or props, managing front-of-house activities, performing, directing, etc. Because students take these courses each semester, these courses allow the broadest range of opportunity for each student.

Are there mainstage and black box opportunities to stretch my craft? Does your school have a theatre space for student-directed productions?
We are very proud of our two stages. And yes! We encourage students to develop independent productions. Our larger theatre, the Toland Theatre, is a proscenium space in the Center for the Arts. It seats 426. Our smaller space, the Frederick Theatre, is completely renovated as of Fall 2007 into an intimate thrust, or ¾ round space. It has all new equipment, and seats 103. Many of the students’ independent productions are staged in the Frederick Theatre.

What types of plays do you do? Do you produce/provide training in musical theatre? Who directs your shows? How are shows selected?
The Department of Theatre Arts seeks to create performance seasons of high educational and artistic value representing a broad range of forms and styles which will maximize the artistic and critical development of our students. Beyond this overriding goal, the department strives to present plays which will contribute to the social and cultural life of the University and the La Crosse community.

Suggestions for the coming season of plays are solicited from faculty and students and are then evaluated by the Season Selection Committee (which consists of faculty and students). Play choices are based on student performance/production opportunities, artistic/educational quality, male/female casting ratios, production requirements, and potential interest from the university and community. The Department of Theatre Arts is committed to developing seasons that reflect the multicultural world around us by presenting works from authors of different historical periods, styles, nations, ethnicities, and genders.

Productions are largely directed by theatre faculty with the exception of guest directors and student senior directing projects. Students have the opportunity to direct the annual children’s show and to submit proposals for other student directed performances held in the Frederick Theatre.

The Department of Theatre Arts offers an emphasis in Musical Theatre in collaboration with the university’s Music Department. Therefore, the theatre season consists of a minimum of one musical per academic year and the SummerStage musical in order to enable theatre students to perform in a musical setting. Students have the choice of majoring in Theatre-Music Theatre (minoring in Music) or Music-Music Theatre (minoring in Theatre) with specific courses such as The Singer/Actor, Music Theory, Applied Voice, Movement for the Stage, Voice and Diction, American Music Theatre, and Dance including ballet, jazz, tap, or modern.

Are there off-campus internship possibilities available through the department that will allow me to obtain hands-on professional experience? Can I do an internship for credit? Do I have to pay tuition to do that?
The UW-L Department of Theatre Arts offers various internships available for credits.  Number of credits depends on the demands, complexity and duration of the work the student performs. Internships must offer an academically relevant work experience focusing on career development through professional contexts. Students pursue practical applications of course work in community or professional theatre or related areas. A written project relating the internship experience with the academic preparation is required as well as a joint evaluation with the cooperating firm and department supervisor. Students have performed internships at the La Crosse Symphony box office, American University in Cairo, Egypt, etc.

Is there a community theatre near campus?
La Crosse boasts a successful local community theatre which produces 5-7 productions each year. Much of the performing and construction is done on a volunteer basis by community members and offers an opportunity for UW-L theatre students to garner additional experience.

Does your school have any contacts with professional theatres?
Through past work experience and alumni contacts, the Department of Theatre Arts maintains a connection with a variety of professional theatres including Arrow Rock Lyceum Theatre, Stepping Stone Children’s Theatre, VEE Corporation, Summer Shakespeare Festival in Colorado, FirstStage Children’s Theatre, Heartland Theatre in Kansas City, St. Louis Music Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre, Great Rivers Shakespeare Festival, Commonweal Theatre, and Illinois State Dance Theatre.

Does your school have a summer theatre program where I could get experience?
The University’s SummerStage program began in 1979 as a means of bringing semi-professional theatre each summer to the La Crosse area. It is our mission to present high quality theatrical productions for the University and surrounding communities. We enlist students, theatrical professionals and local performers in the creation of our summer endeavors in an effort to expand our academic theatre base. Past performances have included Hair, Footloose, Jesus Christ Superstar, and Grease.

In conjunction with the UW-L SummerStage, the Department of Theatre Arts often offers a high school improv workshop for area students. This workshop enlists the aid of current UW-L theatre students to role-play with workshop attendees, provide tours, and become a mentor/resource for these prospective students.

How do you aid students in making the transition into professional work for internships, summer work, and after graduation?
Besides providing great hands-on experience for our students, the UW-L Department of Theatre Arts provides additional training through resume workshops, yearly audition/portfolio reviews, stage combat workshops, guest directors and presenters, visiting playwrights, etc. The department also assists students with obtaining summer employment in professional theatres such as Arrow Rock Lyceum Theatre and the Summer Shakespeare Festival in Colorado as a means of learning new skills, making personal and professional contacts, and building their resumes.

What financial help does the department offer?
The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse annually awards over $2 million in scholarships to its students with over 150 different scholarships. The College of Liberal Studies—School of Arts and Communications has approximately 32 scholarships with several of these specifically for Theatre Arts students. Annually, the Department of Theatre Arts awards approximately $6,000 in scholarships to eligible Theatre students based on participation, scholastic achievement, and financial need.

In addition, there are numerous part-time employment and work-study opportunities within the department. Qualified students work in the areas of scenic and costume construction, lighting, sound, promotion and publicity.

What kinds of experiences will I have in the sequence of acting classes?
The acting sequence is designed to expose students to variety of experiences and pedagogical influences. Students start with a firm foundation in the fundamentals of acting technique and character analysis. Over the course of four semesters, they move from process to product exploring realism, improvisation, character development, and non-realistic styles of acting such as Greek, Shakespeare, Restoration, and Absurdism. The focus of the fourth semester is the audition process where students are prepared for what they may encounter after graduation through a variety of in-class audition experiences.

Is there a voice production component to the training? Will I be taught dialects? Is there a movement component to the training? Will I have a chance to learn stage combat?
Voice and Movement components are integral to the Performance and Music Theatre Emphases. Movement for the Stage is required for the Music Theatre Emphasis and is a strongly encouraged elective within the Performance Emphasis. Voice and Diction for the Stage is required for both emphases and is designed to open and expand the voice while energizing articulation, reducing regionalisms and preparing students for the demands of heightened text and dialect work they will encounter in performance opportunities. A wide variety of texts including the classics make up our seasons and recent productions have utilized Irish, British Standard, and various dialects from the American South. Students who wish to pursue specialized combat training have arranged independent studies and research opportunities with our movement instructor who has trained with the Society of American Fight Directors and has professional stage combat experience.

Does the department enter student playwriting, acting, design or directing work in competitions such as the American College Theatre Festival or any similar programs?
The UW-L Department of Theatre Arts enters productions and nominates students for the Kennedy Center/American College Theatre Festival. Performance students may be nominated for the ACTF Irene Ryan Acting award and others are nominated for stage management, lighting, sound design, and directing. Those nominated will then attend the ACTF competition with a faculty advisor and are encouraged to attend performances and workshops and meet with graduate school programs that are available.

Will I be able to work on shows on a regular basis as a technician or designer in my area of interest?
As an active theatre department, there are always opportunities for technicians and designers to be involved in productions. As the student designer/technician grows in training and experience, so does their level of responsibility on any given production. We encourage our students to balance their classroom training with their production work.

Are there advanced classes beyond an introductory course in design/tech?
The Department of Theatre Arts offers a wide variety of design/tech courses including Foundations of Theatrical Production, Stagecraft, Costume Crafts, Renderings for Theatre Design, Stage Makeup, Scene Painting, Theatre Technology, Scenery Design, Lighting Design, Sound Design and Engineering, and Costume Design/History. For students who wish to study beyond the classroom offerings, internships, independent studies, and practicums are all available to further enhance their design/tech skills.

Are the performance and fabrication facilities and the equipment in them similar to those used in the professional regional theatres and theme parks in the surrounding area?
The Center for the Arts houses modern classrooms and the Marie Park Toland Theatre, a 420-seat proscenium theatre with mechanical thrust supported by fully equipped scene, properties and costume studios, computerized lighting control, makeup and dressing rooms, and the publicity studio. In addition, the Robert Lee Frederick Theatre in Morris Hall provides a more intimate thrust stage setting. With a minimum of faculty control, students can experiment, explore and mature artistically.