Theatre Arts and Performance Studies UNDERGRADUATE HANDBOOK
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Table of Contents:
Undergraduate Program Introduction Page 3
The Concentration: Overview: Page 4 Theatre Arts Track: Page 4 Performance Studies Track: Page 6 Writing for Performance Track: Page 11
Information for all concentrators: Capstone Project: Page 13 Honors: Page 14 Thesis Guidelines: Page 14 Senior Slot Opportunity: Page 15
Getting Involved: Acting@Brown: Page 17 Dance@Brown: Page 17 Design/Tech@Brown: Page 20 Directing@Brown: Page 20 Playwriting@Brown: Page 20 Speech@Brown: Page 21
Frequently Asked Questions: Page 22
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Undergraduate Program Introduction
Undergraduates at Brown make theatre, dance, and performance-based work all over campus. Plays have been written to be produced in bathtubs. Performances have been written for hallways, breezeways, walkways, as well as our proscenium stage in Stuart theatre in Faunce Hall or our flexible Isabelle Russek Leeds theatre in Lyman Hall. Work has been produced without a play in mind – improvised, found, choreographed on the spot. Other work has been incubated and nurtured for years at a time. Well-known plays from the dramatic canon are produced alongside lesser-known newcomers or buried treasures rarely produced. Some work is sudden. Other work long baked. Some work is surprising. Other work seems like a long lost friend – well known and well met. Some work takes multitudes, other work flies solo. The point is that there is a lot going on in a very exciting atmosphere of creative and intellectual exchange where traditions and heritages of craft are as highly valued as the rough draft of innovation and experimentation.
The Department offers a concentration in Theatre Arts and Performance Studies. Concentrators chose a "track" to study within the concentration - Theatre Arts track, Performance Studies track, or Writing for Performance track. Classes are open to everyone, not just concentrators, and we often draw widely from interested students across the university. That said, more advanced classes do have entry requirements, so plan your course of study carefully. You do not have to be a concentrator to audition for shows and concentrators are not privileged in casting.
As a student, you can be involved in the Department of Theatre Arts and Performance Studies whether you become a concentrator or simply take a single course. Anyone who auditions – and all undergraduates can audition for our shows – can be cast. Casting is based on the best audition and the result of a director’s or choreographer’s choice. There is no preference granted for affiliation with the Department, such as status as a concentrator. All are welcome. There are more than one million ways to become involved in dance events, theatre events, and performance events. There are classes to take (see the link to our courses on the website) – classes are a key way to get to know faculty and other students well. But there are also shows to help out on as running crew. There are costumes to design and build, lights to hang, lines to memorize, muscles to stretch, voices to warm, directing projects to propose. There are producing boards to sit on and there are sets to design, dances to choreograph, reviews to write, plays to write, songs to write, philosophies to write, and – always – posters to hang.
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The Concentration Overview:
The Department offers a concentration in Theatre Arts and Performance Studies. Concentrators chose one of the following "tracks" to study within the concentration:
• Theatre Arts • Performance Studies • Writing for Performance
Each track has a requirement of ten (10) courses to fulfill the concentration and culminates in a collective senior seminar in which concentrators work with advisers to present a culminating project, as well as explore possibilities for careers in their area of study after graduation.
If your interest lies in acting and directing, design and the history and craft of theatre-making -- consider the Theatre Arts track.
For the broad spectrum of live art in global, historical and theoretical perspective -- consider the Performance Studies track.
For the writing of plays or performance-based live art -- consider the Writing for Performance track.
As a student, you can be involved in the Department of Theatre Arts and Performance Studies whether you become a concentrator or simply take a single course.
The Concentration Tracks:
Theatre Arts Track:
The engagement of the student in theatrical performance in order to help him or her to arrive at a fuller understanding of the relationships between drama as literature and theatre as enactment is an essential aspect of the Theatre Arts concentration track. The Theatre Arts track combines the study of dramatic literature, theatre history, and dramatic and theatrical theory with the opportunity to take practicum courses in various theatre arts, including playwriting, acting and directing, design, dance, and film and video making.
Course offerings are drawn from throughout the University and interdisciplinary work is stressed. In addition to an excellent faculty in Theatre, students have access to distinguished faculty members from such Departments and Programs as English, Classics, Comparative Literature, Africana Studies, Anthropology, Music, Modern Culture and Media, Religious Studies, American Civilization, and Literary Arts. Students can also take courses at the Rhode Island School for Design. Along with courses stressing scholarship and research, sequential practicum courses are available beginning in the freshman year in acting and directing, playwriting, dance, and technical direction and design. Participation in exchange programs in the
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United States and abroad is possible and Double Concentration and Honors programs are also available.
Graduates in Theatre Arts from Brown are currently attending many of the finest graduate and professional theatre programs throughout the world and have attained a high degree of success in academic and professional theatre.
Students wishing to enroll as concentrators in Theatre Arts and Performance Studies and take the Theatre Arts track should see Professor Kym Moore, who serves as the undergraduate Theatre Arts track advisor for all incoming concentrators in the 12-13 academic year, in order to discuss options that will best serve their interests
Required Courses for the Theatre Arts track:
1. TAPS 0230 Acting/Directing
2. TAPS 0250 Technical Production of Plays
3. TAPS 1230 Performance Theory: Ritual, Play and Drama in Context
4. TAPS 1240 Performance Historiography and Theatre History
5. TAPS 1240 Twentieth-Century Western Theatre and Performance
6. One course in Dramatic of Performance Literature, Theory, History and/or Criticism offered or cross-listed in the department.
7. Either TAPS 0220 or any dance history or practice course.
8-9. Two electives to be selected from applied areas and/or from relevant theoretical and text- based studies throughout the university.
10. TAPS 1520 Senior Seminar
* At least one course in the mix of a concentrator’s elective requirements (6,7,8,9) should demonstrate enhanced geographical breadth.
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Performance Studies Track:
How is performance an active ingredient in the maintenance, negotiation, or possible change of social and cultural norms? How do multiple modes of performance and representation travel across borders to be “read” or “experienced” or “felt” in times or places far distant from their initial articulation? Is crossing borders a “given” for performance? How? Why? These, and so many other questions, are basic to Performance Studies.
The Performance Studies track in the Theatre Arts and Performance Studies concentration can offer a base for students interested in a variety of performance forms across cultures and across media. The central focus in Performance Studies can be contrasted to the central focus in Theatre Arts. The central emphases in Theatre Arts are the history, theory, and practical skill-sets required for a well-rounded student of global theatre practices. Performance Studies, in contrast, focuses on the multiple modes in which live performance articulates culture, negotiates difference, constructs identity, and transmits collective historical traditions and memories. Performance Studies is not primarily invested in theatre; it is equally invested in other modes of performance, such as dance. Performance Studies includes ritual, play, game, festival, spectacle and a broad spectrum of “performance behaviors” under its umbrella of inquiry. The study of performance behavior across mediums such as dance, theatre, ritual, and orature allows for great geographic and historical flexibility as not all cultures parse theatre from dance, nor, historically, genres of religious or political ritual from genres of entertainment, play, or game. Performance Studies intersects with the wide variety of course offerings in Music, Visual Arts, American Civilizations, Anthropology, Africana Studies, Modern Culture and Media, and Literary Arts, among others.
At least two of the ten required classes must show geographic or cultural breadth, and be approved as such by the undergraduate concentration advisor. Participation in practical classes in modes of performance is also required.
Students wishing to enroll as concentrators in Theatre Arts and Performance Studies and take the Performance Studies track should see Professor Spencer Golub, who serves as the undergraduate Performance Studies track advisor, in order to discuss options that will best serve their interests
Required Courses for the Performance Studies Track:
1. TAPS 1230 Performance Theory: Ritual, Play and Drama in Context
2. TAPS 1240 Performance Historiography and Theatre History
3-5. Three (3) of the following, one of which must show geographical breadth: TAPS 1250 Twentieth-Century Western Theatre and Performance TAPS 1270 Performance in the Asias TAPS 1330 Dance History: The 20th Century TAPS1280N New Theories for a Baroque Stage TAPS 1281H-S01 Black Diaspora, Dance and Vernacular Embodiments
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TAPS128.5o Contemporary Mande Performance TAPS 1380 Mise en Scene TAPS 1430 Russian Theatre and Performance TAPS 1610 Political Theatre of the Americas TAPS 1610 Performativity and the Body: Staging Gender, Staging Race TAPS 1640 Theatre and Conquest TAPS 1650 21st Century American Drama TAPS 1670 Latino Theatre and Performance TAPS 1690 Performance, Art, and Everyday Life TAPS 2120 Revolution as a Work of Art AFRI 0990 Black Lavender: Black Gay/Lesbian Plays/Dramatic Constructions in the American Theatre AFRI 1110 Voices Beneath the Veil AFRI 1120 African American Folk Traditions and Cultural Expression
6-7. Two full credit courses based in performance craft in either Acting, Directing, Speech, Dance, Design, Literary Arts (with a performance emphasis), Visual Arts or Music. These classes must be approved by the concentration advisor.
8-9. Two additional courses in the academic study of performance and performance culture(s) to be culled from those listed above as well as other courses in the Department of Theatre Arts and Performance Studies or throughout the university in consultation with advisor. An extensive list of courses that might be considered Performance Studies can be made available to interested students.
10. TAPS 1520 Senior Seminar
Courses Outside TAPS for Performance Studies Concentrators The following are courses across Brown that students on the Performance Studies track may consider electives in consultation with their Performance Studies concentration track advisor.
Africana Studies AFRI 0880 - Hip Hop Music and Cultures AFRI 1050F - RPM Songbook: Mamma Etta's Chitlin Circuit AFRI 1070 - RPM: Traditional and Contemporary Elements of Intertribal Indigenous Theater in America AFRI 1120 - African American Folk Traditions and Cultural Expression AFRI 1350 - Rape, Race and Lynching AFRI 1450 - Developing the RPM Songbook AFRI 1540 - Black Popular Cultures
American Civilization AMCV 0150A - American Film: The Birth of an Industry AMCV 0190B - Latina Popular Culture: Mujeres in Art, Performance, and Print AMCV 1250A - American Folk Art
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AMCV 1570 - Site- Specific Writing in Brown's Historical Spaces (Practice) AMCV 1611O - Early American Film AMCV 1900H - Body Politics: Performance Art + the Subversion of "Corporealities" in the Twentieth Century America AMCV 1901G - Race and Art in America AMCV 1901H - Race and Poststructuralism AMCV 1901I - Race and Sexuality in Contemporary U.S. Film
Anthropology ANTH 1212 - The Anthropology of Play ANTH 1250 - Film and Anthropology: Identity and Images of Indian Societies ANTH 1421-S01 - Ethnic American Folklore: Continuity and the Creative Process – Anderson ANTH 1250-S01 - Film and Anthropology: Identity and Images of Arab Societies - Fruzzetti ANTH 1251-S01 - Violence and the Media - Warren ANTH 1940 - Ethnographic Research Methods
Classics CLAS 0620 - Greek Tragedy
Comparative Literature COLT 1410D - Dramatic Literature and Theoretical Practice in Eighteenth-Century England COLT 1410E - Japanese Theatre: from Dengaku to De Sade COLT 1410F - Medieval Drama COLT 1410I - Modern Arab Film
East Asian Literature EAST 1100 - Korean Culture and Film
English ENGL 0650I - The Cyborg Self ENGL 1310E - Border Crossings in Renaissance Drama ENGL 1310J - Imagining the Individual in Renaissance England ENGL 1310N - Renaissance Drama ENGL 1310O - Restoration and Early Eighteenth-Century Literature ENGL 1310P - Restoration Drama ENGL 1360L - Shakespeare's Sexual Politics ENGL 1710P-S01 - The Literature and Culture of Black Power Reconsidered - Murray * ENGL 2360J - Staging Culture/Staging Nation: Early Modern English Drama
French FREN 1120B-S01 - Le théâtre Français au XXe siècle – Golopentia
German GRMN 1440A - Dada-Performance and Digital-Interactivity GRMN 1440B - Digital Literature
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GRMN 1440K - Written Images and Digital Performance GRMN 1440O - Modern German Drama GRMN 1660I - Literature and Other Media
History HIST 1970I - American Masculinities HIST 1970K - The Practice and Theory of Everyday Life HIST 1973P - City as Modernity:Popular Culture, Mass Consumption, Urban Entertainment in Nineteenth-Century Paris HIST 1975M - Image, Fiction, Stereotype: Germans and Jews in Film and Literature HIST 1973V - The History and Historiography of Suffering
Literary Arts LITR 1220E-S01 - Dada and Surrealism – Waldrop
Modern Culture and Media MCM 1502I-S01 - Foucault and Comparative Thinking - Chow MCM 1502J-S01 - Race as Archive - Chun MCM 1700P-S01 - Radical Media - Tribe * MCM 1700Q-S01 - Approaches to Media Form - Thornton MCM 1700R-S01 - Curatorial Practices - Tribe *
Music MUSC 0030 - History of Jazz MUSC 0040 - World Music Cultures (Africa, America, Europe, Oceania) MUSC 0041 - World Music Cultures (Middle East and Asia) MUSC 0042 - Diaspora Music in the Americas MUSC 0071 - Opera MUSC 0075 - Jazz and American Culture MUSC 0200 - Computers and Music MUSC 0210A – Topics in Electronic Music & Multimedia MUSC 1600A-S01 - Music and Critical Theory MUSC 1620-S01 – Seminar in American Music MUSC 1622-S01 - American Musical Theater MUSC 1632 - Seminar in American Music MUSC 1632A - The Great American Songbook (Part I: The Songs) MUSC 1900-S01 - Introduction to Ethnomusicology MUSC 1932-S01 - American Roots Music MUSC 1940 - Applied Ethnomusicology
Philosophy PHIL 1450 – Aesthetics
Portuguese and Brazilian Studies POBS 1080 - Performing Brazil: Language, Theater, Culture
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Religious Studies RELS 0910 - Music, Drama, and Religion in India RELS 0200 - Anthropological Approaches to the Study of Religion RELS 0420 - Sacred Bodies RELS 0910-S01 - Music, Drama, and Religion in India RELS 1610 - Sacrifice and Society
Russian RUSS 1000 - Russian Modernism and the Arts
Visual Arts VISA 1800D - Inside Out: Queering Art Theory and Practice VISA 1800E - Installation of Mixed Media VISA 1800F - Interactivity and the Intersections of Virtual and Physical Space VISA 1800H - Negotiating the Everyday
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Writing for Performance Track:
The Department of Theatre Arts and Performance Studies (TAPS) supports a strong and thriving culture of Writing for Performance, with professors in TAPS, Africana Studies, and Literary Arts involved in teaching and mentoring young playwrights. Undergraduate classes are offered at the introductory and advanced levels. Opportunities to explore embodied performance of your own writing abound, formally and informally: via Production Workshop (Brown’s wholly student-run theater), RPM in Rites and Reason Theatre, and collaborations with the MFA writers who annually produce a festival of undergrad short works (undergrads also commission and produce MFA works). The student group, Brownbrokers, regularly produces new student musicals as well. In short, there is writing going live all over campus. In addition, undergraduate writers often sit on the Sock and Buskin board, which selects the production season for the TAPS department and are involved in many levels of activity in the department as a whole. We offer an undergraduate concentration track in Writing for Performance, which coheres curricular options, affords a focused level of mentorship, and creates solidarity (through regular meetings, retreats and intensives).
There is no singular style to the playwriting that comes out of Brown – from classical to postmodern to site-specific to high naturalism to agitprop, camp or kitsch, all writing is welcome. We cherish only a wealth of experiment, fun, rigor, craft, openness to others, and discovery!
Students wishing to enroll as concentrators in Theatre Arts and Performance Studies and take the Performance Studies track should see Professor Marcus Gardley, who serves as the undergraduate Performance Studies track advisor, in order to discuss options that will best serve their interests
Required Courses for the Writing for Performance Track:
1. One writing course from the following: TAPS 0060 Introduction to Playwriting Workshop TAPS 0100 Playwriting I
2. One course from the following: AFRI 1050A, D, E RPM Writing LITR 0610A S01 Unpublishable Writing LITR1150Q S01 Reading, Writing, Thinking for the Stage LITR 1010C Advanced Playwriting LITR 1150S What Moves at the Margin TAPS 0200 Playwriting II TAPS 1500 series (A-Z)
3. One writing/composition class outside of playwriting: LITR 1010B S01 Advanced Poetry LITR 1010D S01 Advanced Electronic Writing LITR 1010G S01 Cave Writing
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TAPS 1280F Introduction to Set Design
4. Other courses to be approved by advisor: TAPS 0250 Technical Production of Plays
5. One performance-based class: Options include Acting, Directing, Speech, Dance, Visual Arts, Music or Sign Language.
6-7. Two classes in theatre and performance history: TAPS 1230 Performance Theory: Ritual, Play and Drama in Context TAPS 1250 Twentieth-Century Western Theatre and Performance
8-9. Two additional Theatre/Performance History/Theory classes: TAPS 1240 Performance Historiography and Theatre History TAPS 1270 Performance in the Asias TAPS 1330 Dance-History: The 20th Century TAPS 1280N New Theories for a Baroque Stage TAPS 1281H Black Diaspora, Dance and Vernacular Embodiments TAPS 1280T Contemporary Mande Performance TAPS 1380 Mise en Scene TAPS 1400 Advanced Performance TAPS 1420 Global Queer Performance TAPS 1430 Russian Theatre and Performance TAPS 1440 Seminar on Selected Figures TAPS 2120 Revolution as a Work of Art TAPS 2200A Abstraction and Resistance TAPS 1610 Political Theatre of the Americas TAPS 1610 Performativity of the Body TAPS 1640 Theatre and Conquest TAPS 1650 21st Century American Drama TAPS 1670 Latino Theatre and Performance TAPS 1690 Performance, Art, and Everyday Life AFRI 0990 Black Lavender AFRI 1110 Voices Beneath the Veil AFRI 1120 African American Folk Traditions and Cultural Expression
10. Senior Seminar: TAPS 1520 Senior Seminar
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Information for All Concentrators:
In cases where dual concentrations are declared, the Department allows two courses to be counted toward both concentrations.
Capstone Project All concentrators take TAPS 1520, the Senior Seminar in Theatre Arts and Performance Studies in the Fall of their senior year. This class is designed to 1) facilitate a Capstone Project that reflects the long arc of a student’s study in the program, and 2) host visiting professionals in the field to campus to talk about their career paths and help seniors think about, plan for, and become excited about life after Brown. To complete the Capstone Project and pass the Senior Seminar, a student will meet with a faculty advisor of the student’s choice from the Department, and design and implement the Capstone Project over the course of the entire semester. As part of the senior seminar requirements, students will have regular meetings with that advisor to discuss their progress, ideas, writing, and research. Exit interviews will also be a part of this culminating experience. Seniors will meet individually with a group of faculty to discuss their overall work and brainstorm together for the future.
What is a Capstone Project? A Capstone Project is an opportunity for a senior to focus and engage deeply in some aspect of his or her work within the concentration. While there may be other culminating projects achieved during a student’s concentration – examples might include directing a Senior Slot, creating a Solo Performance, dancing in the Spring Dance Concert, etc. -- the Capstone Project is constructed in the context of the senior seminar. The Capstone Project will have a written component that the student will work on throughout the semester and turn in at the end of the semester. . Your Capstone may be a set design, a completed script, a blueprint for an installation work, an in-depth character analysis, a plan for directing, etc. It also may be a live performance, but if so, that performance must be closely documented and accompanied by a written demonstration of research and method. In other words, if the project is not already a written piece of work – whether a scholarly paper, director’s research analysis, actor’s in-depth character analysis, or a full-length play – you will pass in a written component along with the project that documents research tools, research methods, and research outcomes. Capstone Projects will demonstrate breadth and depth of creative and/or scholarly research, engagement in critical and creative thinking, and deployment of available resources such as library materials, interviews, or fieldwork. In addition to the Capstone Project and its written component, students will submit a brief essay, at least four pages in length, reflecting on their project within the 3-year context of their concentration as a whole, with an eye to future goals and aspirations after graduation.
Honors The standard pattern above, plus an honors thesis (TAPS 1990), the topic of which would be determined before Semester VII. Candidates for the honors program should have an
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Honors Theses-Theatre Arts and Performance Studies Honors are awarded for theses in all concentration tracks. All theses are substantive pieces of writing. Some theses are strictly academic. Other honors theses may include a creative component (such as the directing of a play, a solo performance piece, the study and performance of a major role, or the design of a production), but the thesis itself will be a critical, written work based in research relative to that artwork. For plays submitted for honors, an essay should accompany the play, reporting on the research and process of the writing, though the play itself counts as the substantive written work.
Honors theses proposals are due April 1 of the student’s junior year. These proposals can be submitted electronically. They should be sent to Professor Patricia Ybarra, who is the undergraduate thesis coordinator.
The proposal should include:
1) An abstract of the thesis that indicates the topic and set of questions you are asking about the material/subject you are researching. If you are submitting a play for honors in the playwriting track, submit a short description of the play or project and the themes or forms the play or project will explore.
2) A transcript (unofficial is OK, as we can access the official one from the Department). Please note that we look for students with a majority of A’s and S’s on their transcripts. It will not be possible to receive honors for the concentration if your grades have been sub- par.
3) A preliminary bibliography and a research plan. For a play, simply submit a research plan.
4) The name of the advisor you will work with. Also include names of potential additional readers for your thesis, if you wish to have them. Students must have an advisor and often have one or two additional readers. Please contact your advisor and readers before submitting their names.
Additional information: • There is no set length for this proposal, but 4-10 double spaced pages is a generally acceptable range. • Students are notified about their approval to write an honors thesis by the end of the Spring semester. Every proposal is considered by the Department as a whole, and voted on, in Department meeting. That is, the decision for honors is not made by your advisor alone.
Thesis Guidelines • Honors theses are generally between 60 and 100 pages long.
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• Plays submitted for honors should be accompanied by an essay 10-30 pages in length. • A preliminary draft of the thesis is due on or before March 15 of the student's senior year to all readers. You may arrange chapter submissions before this date with your advisor. • A final draft is due on April 15 the student's senior year at the latest. Students should submit one copy to each reader, and also one copy for the Department. These copies must be bound. • Most students require two semesters to plan and complete an Honors Thesis. Generally, research occurs during the summer before and the fall of senior year. Writing usually begins by the end of the fall term. • All theses must use a consistent citation style, and must include a full bibliography. See Professor Patricia Ybarra for sample cover pages, etc. Prior honors theses can be perused in the Becker Library.
Assuming that your thesis is approved for honors by all readers, you will be recommended for honors from the department. This will occur by the beginning of May of the student's senior year and honors will be conferred upon graduation.
Senior Slot Opportunity:
Senior Slot Production – Open to Directors and Writers: An excellent opportunity for a capstone experience is the annual Senior Slot Production. Every year, one junior (or .5 senior) TAPS concentrator is selected to direct a mainstage production in the Sock and Buskin Season. We have now opened this opportunity playwrights, as well as directors. This opportunity is thus open for proposals from: • A director submitting any play or project of their choice • A writer submitting their own play • A director and a writer co-submitting a proposal for a student-written play
The chosen play is given a budget, full production, and faculty mentorship. (Professor Kym Moore is currently Senior Slot advisor.) The play is usually mounted in Leeds Theatre in early December of the concentrator’s senior year, but other spaces may be considered from time to time (e.g. for site specific work). To be selected for senior slot, directors and/or writers must submit a proposal to be adjudicated by a committee composed of TAPS faculty. Juniors and/or .5 seniors with a proven track record, quality grades, as well as sustained interest and achievement in the art of directing or writing for performance are encouraged to apply.
Proposals for the following academic year will be accepted until midnight on April 1st and should be emailed to Professor Kym Moore.
How to Propose: Write a proposal and address the following in detail: • What play do you propose to direct (or have produced) and why? • Provide a brief analysis of your chosen play. • What are you goals or objectives for this production? • What will be your approach to realizing these goals?
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If you foresee unusual or specific technical requirements (regarding costume, set design, lights and/or sound) that might require advance attention, please note that in your proposal.
If you are submitting as a writer/director team, please include sections from each of you on the questions above – that is, we would like to hear from both the writer and the director in co- submitted proposals. WE HIGHLY ENCOURAGE THIS CATEGORY BY THE WAY!
If your proposal is selected, a design team will be assigned to you. If you are a writer submitting without a director, we will assign a student director as well. However, any thoughts you wish to share with the selection committee regarding your potential production needs or desires will be helpful and can be stated in the proposal. For questions regarding the process, contact Professor Kym Moore or discuss with your concentration advisor.
Word of advice: It is best to choose something that has not been recently produced on campus. Check the Past Seasons page on this site. Recent Senior Slot projects include: Dead City by Sheila Callaghan, directed by Alexandra Keegan (’12). Kaspar by Peter Handke, directed by Ioana Jucan ('11). From Doris to Darlene by Jordan Harrison, directed by Chris Tyler (‘10) Death and the King’s Horseman by Wole Soyinka, directed by Michael Dean (‘09) Hamletmachine by Heiner Muller, directed by Jose Macian (‘08) Macbett by Eugene Ionesco, directed by James Rutherford (‘07)
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Getting Involved:
Acting@Brown
Acting opportunities both within the department's production season and the many student groups are open to all Brown students. All undergraduates can audition and be cast in our shows - casting is based on the best audition and the result of a director’s or choreographer’s choice. There is no preference granted for affiliation with the Department, such as status as a concentrator. All are welcome.
Audition notices are posted throughout the year in the News section of our website. Also look for audition flyers posted throughout Lyman Hall as well, especially on the main entrance doors (from Simmons Quad).
Dance@Brown
Through the Department of Theatre Arts and Performance Studies, students may take courses in dance technique, composition, and history. See the Courses link on our website to view information, including course descriptions, for class offerings in the 12-13 academic year. We are primarily a modern dance program, but also have a strong West African dance, music and culture component. We have also utilized our flexible curriculum to offer courses in children's dance theatre and community outreach, pedagogy, anatomy and kinesiology, and the body therapies, and are very supportive of students who wish to work independently on any of the numerous topics that can enrich one's knowledge and appreciation of the art of dance.
We offer at least two departmentally sponsored concerts a year, which consist of works by students, faculty, and guest choreographers. Students are encouraged to choreograph and/or audition for these shows, and there are additional opportunities for dancers to choreograph and perform in musicals and plays and to work behind the scenes on theatre productions. Other involvement options include working with faculty-sponsored companies and projects, and applying for academic or extra-curricular grants.
More ways to get involved with Dance@Brown:
Dance Extension Established in 1979, The Dance Extension, a modern repertory company, was created by founding director of dance, Julie A. Strandberg, on the premise that the training of dancers must include the opportunity to perform, teach, and revisit masterworks. While the dancers in the company are encouraged and supported to create their own work, they also have the rare opportunity to work with some of our most revered choreographers and some of our most exciting contemporary innovators. Extension has performed dances by Jack Cole, Martha Graham, Paul Taylor, Jose Limon, Pilobolus, Colin Connor, Carolyn Dorfman, Anne-Alex Packard, Lisa Race, and Lowell Smith. The repertory includes works by Carolyn Adams, Ruth Andrien, Laura Bennett (Brown '92), Danny Buraczeski, Danny Grossman, Donna Jewell, Lorry
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May, Carla Maxwell, Donald McKayle, David Parsons, Pearl Primus, and Charles Weidman. The dancers in the company have the opportunity to work with some of the legends of American Dance and to share workshops, seminars, education projects, and performances with other dancers throughout the country. The company has performed at elementary and secondary schools, at other colleges, for Brown University Alumni Clubs in England, Illinois, California, New York State, and Washington D.C., for general audiences in Rhode Island, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York City, Boston, MA, and Saratoga Springs, N.Y. and was hired to perform works from the repertory for schools in New York State. Contact: [email protected]
New Works/ World Traditions New Works/ World Traditions is an international performance troupe committed to utilizing the power of performance to educate, deliberate and inspire social engagement. Through research and cross-cultural exchange, New Works develops provocative theatrical experiences that address important political, public health and social landscapes. These new theatrical works exist at the intersection of science, art, and social activism. New Works actively tours through out the USA and West Africa to engage with communities in humanitarian projects devoted to cultural preservation, malaria prevention, environmental causes and educational advancement. This year New Works is hosting The Rhythm of Change Festival of African Performance and Social Engagement, to assist resettled Burundi-Rwandan refugee populations, Haiti relief, a Malian orphanage, and numerous NGO's devoted to social justice and public healthcare initiatives. Comprised of Brown University faculty, alumni, current students, and professional Malian and American artist-activists, New Works has developed over 35 new works for the concert stage, in the schools, and for film.
American Dance Legacy Institute The American Dance Legacy Institute (ADLI) - www.adli.us - was established at Brown by founding director of dance Julie A. Strandberg to support her research in the dance legacy of the United States of America. Since 1998, Brown students have participated in ADLI activities. They have danced works by American dance masters, conducted oral histories, curated the ADLI archives, done research with primary materials, apprenticed with dance scholars, appeared in the Institute’s Repertory Etudes Dance Instructional Collection, and participated in ADLI educational programs. Many alumni stay actively connected to ADLI after graduation. ADLI is dedicated to enabling all individuals to celebrate, share, and participate in America's rich dance heritage. ADLI broadens students’ concepts of what it means to be a dancer, as they become aware of a wide range of possibilities for life-long active participation in the art form as performers, choreographers, educators, performance scholars, and informed audience members. Many have remained in the dance field in a range of capacities, even though they came to Brown with no intention of doing so. ADLI programs are a perfect fit for Brown’s flexible curriculum and provide students with content for research, interdisciplinary projects, and independent concentrations. Participating in ADLI activities transforms the lives of Brown students. Brown alumnus Jude Sandy (in photo at left, performing Rainbow Etude) offers this testimonial: “Working with
18 | Page the American Dance Legacy Institute at Brown made a career in dance and theater possible for me. I came to Brown at the age of 25 never having taken a dance class and not believing I could have a life in the art form. ADLI not only connected me to the rich history of American dance, it exposed me to master choreography, gave me access to mentorship from esteemed professionals, and challenged me with the rigor that transformed me into an artist.” Academic, production, administrative, and facility support for ADLI at Brown come from the department of Theatre Arts and Performance Studies and the John Nicholas Brown Center for Public Humanities and Cultural Heritage.
Extra-Curricular Dance Program Brown also boasts a vibrant and active extra-curricular dance program. Student-directed dance groups, representing diverse dance styles and cultural traditions, make up this strong extra- curricular program. These companies have included the multi-style groups Fusion, Attitude, and imPulse; groups that focus on a specific dance style, Ballroom Dance Club/Team, Breakdancing Club, Swing Club, Divine Rhythm (Step), Offbeat (Hip Hop), Bruinettes Dance Team (Hip Hop, jazz), Contra and Folk Dance Society, What’s On Tap and Brown University Movement Experiment (BUME); and groups that focus on the dances of specific cultures Amira Bellydance, Argentine Tango Club, Brown University Chinese Lion Dance, Badmash (a South Asian dance team), and MEZCLA (a Latino performing arts group.) New groups are created all the time to reflect evolving student interests. A student-run umbrella organization, Body & Sole, supports the activities of student dance groups and independent dancers. It produces concerts, coordinates the use of Ashamu Dance Studio for students, and is the liaison between the extra-curricular dance community and the department of Theatre Arts and Performance Studies. Make sure to check their website for the most up-to-date student dance group information.
Open Repertory Opportunities Open repertory opportunities, open to all Brown students, provide dancers with ad hoc opportunities to work with guest choreographers in diverse styles. Dancers audition for each choreographer depending on their personal interests and may perform only once during their time at Brown or as often as once a year. One of the goals in providing open repertory opportunities is to explore the many extraordinary languages of movement and to present works in modern, traditional, experimental, musical theater, jazz, ballet, and vernacular dance forms. Brown students have performed in works by legendary artists Talley Beatty, Martha Graham, Jose Limon, Milton Myers, and Charles Weidman, and have worked with guest choreographers Carol Abizaid, Paul Benney, Richard Colton & Amy Spencer, Seydou Coulibaly, Chris Elam '98, Mary Paul Hunter, Malik Lewis, Jessica Lutes '88, Bradon McDonald, Meida McNeal, Dante Sciarra, and Annamaura Silverblatt. Contact: [email protected]
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Design/Tech@Brown
Design and tech opportunities abound in the Department of Theatre Arts and Performance Studies, not only in the course offerings which include Advanced Set Design, Stage Lighting and Stage Management, but also in the productions. The department relies heavily on students on a multitude of productions including the mainstage Sock and Buskin season, dance concerts and many special performance events throughout the year. The Brownbrokers musical, produced by the Department every other year, is fully designed by students, technically run by students, and mentored by the production staff of the department.
Outside of the TAPS season, Rites and Reasons Theatre also provides many student design opportunities as well as the myriad of student performance groups which are always looking for excited students to design and be involved technically.
See the Courses link on our website to view information, including course descriptions, for class offerings in the 12-13 academic year.
Directing@Brown
There are student directing opportunities all over Brown campus. Production Workshop and other student groups host myriad directing opportunities. The Department also mentors students who seek mentorship when directing. A stellar opportunity for concentrators is Senior Slot Directing. Every Spring, a junior concentrator is selected to direct a funded and staffed production on the mainstage Department Season in their senior year. For a description of this opportunity, and the benefits involved, see the Senior Slot Opportunity section on page 15 on this handbook.
Playwriting@Brown
As with directing opportunities, a student playwright can find many homes on campus within the student groups producing theatre. Within the department, the Senior Slot opportunity for concentrators provides an invaluable experience for a student playwright to see their play receive a funded and staffed production on the department mainstage. For a description of this opportunity, and the benefits involved, see the Senior Slot Opportunity section on page 15 on this handbook.
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Speech@Brown
The speech program at Brown is highly regarded by other academic institutions. Students interested in the study of human communication will find several relevant courses in the Department of Theatre Arts and Performance Studies. See the Courses link on our website to view information, including course descriptions, for class offerings in the 12-13 academic year. Many other departments and programs at Brown share an interest in communication studies. Anthropology, Modern Culture and Media, Linguistics, Philosophy, and English provide a variety of ways to study language, communication theory, message production and communication analysis.
Barbara Tannenbaum has been invited to deliver guest lectures and communication development in Colleges and Universities around the country. Beyond academia, the reputation of the speech program at Brown continues to grow. Barbara Tannenbaum is frequently invited to deliver keynote lectures at conferences such as the Chief Judges Conference and the National Association of Women Lawyers General Counsel Institute. She has developed communications training programs for executives at many public and private sector organizations, including the International Monetary Fund and the Museum of Fine Arts Boston. Such work outside the University serves not only to enhance the reputation of the department, but also to bring current trends and practices in communications back into the classroom.
See the Speech@Brown page (in the Undergraduate section) to download the application form for TAPS 0220 Persuasive Communication.
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Frequently Asked Questions About the Undergraduate Program
When applying to the University, do I need to set up an audition? As a liberal arts program, it's not appropriate for us to hold auditions. If you are accepted at Brown, all of our Department's activities and offerings will be open to you. Since members of the Theatre Arts and Performance Studies faculty do not normally become directly involved with the undergraduate admissions process, an interview is not required. We do recommend a visit so that you can take the campus tour and sit in on a class to observe our spectacular students in action. While you're on campus, you should have many opportunities to chat informally with students and faculty.
Would it be possible to sit in on some classes while I am visiting the campus? Yes, check out the class schedule in our Courses section and email the instructor. We strongly encourage you to reach out well in advance of your visit.
Is most of your faculty adjunct? We have only one adjunct acting teacher in the undergraduate program. She is a Juilliard graduate and a fully qualified and very gifted teacher.
How large are most of the classes in your department? Size depends entirely on the nature of the class. First year acting classes have 18 students. Some performance classes have a few as 12 students. There are plenty of small seminar-style classes as well.
How many Theatre Arts and Performance Studies majors typically graduate each year? We graduate 10-20 per year, but that number does vary. The answer is a little misleading because there are many serious theatre students who are concentrating in other areas but would consider Brown theatre their “home on campus.” We don’t advantage concentrators in any significant ways.
Are any of the classes by audition only? No.
What is the difference between the Theatre Arts and Performance Studies concentrations? Performance Studies offers a base for studying a broad spectrum of transnational performance, performance media and intermedial art, and does not have the same set of required courses as concentrators in Theatre Arts. For more information, see the Concentration Tracks section of this handbook.
Would a double major in Theatre Arts and Performance Studies another academic area be feasible? Absolutely. In fact, it’s fairly common.
I've read through the courses offered -- they look wonderful -- so from that I can get a pretty good idea of the balance between studying theatre history and studying craft, but what do you feel is the Department’s main emphasis?
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We emphasize the development of individual artistic vision. We’re interested in turning out students who are unique, confident, entrepreneurial artists. We emphasize the ‘whole artist’ and encourage Brown students to work outside their comfort zone. We want actors to write, design, direct and writers to act, direct, design, etc.
Do you offer a Dance major or concentration track? There is no separate dance major or concentration track, but you can focus on dance academically within the Performance Studies track. See the Dance@Brown page (in the Undergraduate section) on the website and in this handbook.
What are some of your alums doing? Check out our News page for notices about Alum activity. You can also view a comprehensive list of TAPS alums on our website.
How do I find out about auditions, technical positions, and other theatre related openings? The brown doors at the entrance to Lyman Hall (off Lincoln Field) are used to post all cast lists only. The main bulletin board is just inside the building where all audition notices, and other information is posted. Auditions are also listed in the News section of our website
Do freshman ever get leading roles in plays, or do they mostly go to the upperclassmen? Freshmen consistently play leading roles. A freshman played the lead in both ANNA IN THE TROPICS and THE GLORY OF LIVING for example, but of course, most leading parts do go to upper classmen because there are more of them and they have greater experience, training and maturity. This only indicates that our students are better actors when they graduate than they were when they entered Brown.
Is there any kind of requirement you must fulfill in order to perform in a show, for example, to have worked backstage for one previous show, or to have completed a course? No.
Who usually directs the shows? Faculty or distinguished guests direct the mainstage shows, except one senior slot production. Students direct all the rest. Between 70 and 90 shows a year of one kind or another go up on the campus.
How many musicals are put on a year? We produce one musical on our mainstage each season, but there are also several student groups devoted to producing musicals each year.
How many performing venues are there? 7 or 8, not including any outdoor or site-specific theatre that is produced by students throughout the year. .
Would I be able to take voice lessons at Brown? You could take voice lessons through the applied music program in the Music Department.
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If I'm planning on pursuing theatre professionally after college, do you feel I'll be prepared after being a theatre major? For those who are interested in acting: The majority of our most talented performers go on to graduate training in one of the top ten graduate acting programs in America. Some do go directly into the business, but that is less and less the norm as most young actors today realize that advanced training will allow them to become the very best performers they can be.
What directing opportunities exist on campus? There are opportunities all over Brown campus. Production Workshop and other student groups host myriad directing opportunities. The Department mentors students who seek mentorship when directing. A stellar opportunity for concentrators is Senior Slot Directing. Every Spring, a junior concentrator is selected to direct a funded and staffed production on the mainstage Department Season in their senior year. For a description of this opportunity, and the benefits involved, see the Senior Slot section on pages 13-14 of this handbook.
What design and production opportunities exist on campus? There are design and production opportunities all over Brown campus. The Department of Theatre Arts and Performance Studies relies heavily on students for both design and production on Sock and Buskin shows as well as dance concerts. The Brownbrokers musical, produced by the Department every other year is fully designed by students, technically run by students, and mentored by the production staff of the department. Rites and Reason Theatre also provides many student design opportunities. Outside student groups such as Production Workshop, Musical Forum, and Shakespeare On the Green are always looking for excited students to design and be involved technically.
Do I need experience to get involved? No. But you’ll gain experience by getting involved!
How can I usher for productions? Call the box office (863-2838) or stop by during regular box office hours (Tues.-Fri. 12noon- 5pm) to sign up. Usher training takes place on nights of performance and is open to all underclassmen and graduate students. Ushering is a wonderful opportunity to see free theatre!
What do I do if my question isn’t answered here? We strongly encourage you to contact us via our website (see the People link for full faculty/staff listings including contact information) or by calling our administrative offices at 401-863-3283 if you don’t find the answers to your questions here.
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