Theatre & Dance

Advising Requirements

Assessment of student progress is an important part of the Theatre and Dance program. A file is maintained on each student where written evaluations, self-evaluations, 360 records, casting and design assignments will be kept. Records of all departmental and extracurricular activities will be kept here as well.

All Theatre and Dance majors and minors should have a faculty member within the department as an advisor. If you do not currently have a departmental advisor, please see the Theatre and Dance Academic Department Associate for assignment. Double majors should also have a Theatre faculty advisor. 

Each semester, all Theatre majors will have a hold placed on their registration. This hold bars students from registering for classes until you have met with your advisor. Prior to your scheduled registration time, sign up for an advising meeting with your advisor. Sign up sheets are usually posted on your advisor’s office door two weeks prior to registration or your advisor will notify you via email on how to sign up for a time. If you are unsure of who your advisor is, please stop by the Department of Theatre and Dance, 154 Center for the Arts. Additional advising assistance can be found at the Academic Advising Center.

Pre-Graduation Credit Check

All Theatre majors are required to complete a credit check the semester prior to their intended graduation. Credit checks may be scheduled through the College of Arts, Social Science and Humanities (CASSH) office, 138 Wimberly Hall.      

End of the Year Portfolio Reviews/Auditions

Each year, theatre majors and are required to present material for a portfolio (design/tech and management emphasis) or performance (performance and musical theatre emphasis) review. Faculty specializing in each specific area of emphasis conduct the yearly review. Portfolio/performance reviews are conducted as a measure of the technical and aesthetic skills used to develop professional competency and expression. The review requirements are progressive in that more advanced monologues and design work are required as the student continues through the program. Each student is given verbal feedback during the review process relating to the student’s strengths, areas of improvement, and continued expectations within the program.

To prepare for end-of-the-year reviews, students should complete the following:

• Sign up for a review session.  Sign up sheets for Performance/Musical Theatre students are posted outside the Department of Theatre and Dance's main office (154 Center for the Arts) at the end of April each year.  Sign up for Design/Tech/Management will be emailed to students with detailed dates and expectations.
• Have a prepared monologue (performance, music theatre and/or general emphasis students) or portfolio (design/tech, general and/or management emphasis students) for faculty review.  Each student should have examples of their written work, design work (i.e. costume renderings, scenic design drafts, etc.), prompt books, character analysis/journals, etc.).  See a faculty member for guidance on your year-end review.
• An up-to-date resume for faculty review.

Senior Exit Interview/Survey

Graduating seniors are required to complete a written senior exit survey and interview with Theatre and Dance faculty and staff. The 12-question survey is a formal assessment of the program, courses, career/graduate school preparedness, multicultural and diversity exploration and suggestions for improvement.

In addition to the written questionnaire, graduating seniors also participate in an exit interview with the faculty of the department. This is an opportunity for students to give verbal feedback to the department regarding their course work, production participation and theatre program experience. Students are also asked to discuss areas within the program that they feel were most/least beneficial to them in preparation for a theatre career/graduate school. Faculty then give feedback to the student regarding his/her strengths and weaknesses and observations regarding the student's personal, professional and artistic growth and development during their participation in the program.