Theatre Arts Mission and Majors

The Theatre Arts Department offers two majors covering a wide range of disciplines within theatre arts. The production/performance major prepares students in acting, design, and technical theatre and at the same time provides historical and theoretical perspectives of theatre. Students apply their developing skills in a production program that includes major productions and children's theatre.

The developmental drama major prepares students to integrate drama techniques, such as role play, improvisation, puppetry, and storytelling into educational, recreational, and social settings involving children. The major includes courses from the department as well as allied courses in psychology and education.

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Major Offered

Theatre Arts with specializations in:

Production/Performance

Minors Offered

Production/Performance

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What is a Theatre Arts major?

Advantages

You might think theatre arts is only about acting. But the major is a lot more than that. There are actually two distinct specializations for the theatre arts major - educational drama and production/performance. The uniqueness of the theatre arts major at Gallaudet is the fact that theatre is expressed through English and American Sign Language, and you will learn how theatre can be adapted to fit the needs of the deaf and hard of hearing population.

The Theatre Arts Department also offers the option to minor in either educational drama or in production/performance.

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MISSION

The Theatre Arts Department will be the premier international center for Deaf and Visual Performing Arts. We provide an unique interdisciplinary education emphasizing collaboration and process, empowering students to affect positive change in society as innovative artists, dynamic leaders, creative thinkers, and engaged educators.

OBJECTIVES

1. To actively create student opportunities to study with national and international artists, scholars, and leaders in the arts industry.

2. To develop the practical teaching skills of Educational Drama students by using drama techniques and tools to teach other academic subjects (i.e. math, sciences) and through involvement in educational programs within professional theatre and theatre for youth.

3. To highlight the artistic and intellectual diversity of live theatre reflecting the myriad of perspectives within the d/Deaf experience.

4. To expand beyond the current pool of d/Deaf theatre artists and professionals.

5. To produce dynamic leaders, powerful communicators, and free thinkers who will enrich the communities in which they live.

6. To provide facilities and equipment maximizing the educational aspects of theatrical production while safely supporting our students, faculty, and staff and ensuring comfortable, satisfying audience experiences.

7. To use the latest technology available to augment our productions.

8. To cultivate and sustain relationships with organizations, theatre companies, and institutions throughout the world.

9. To develop and maintain educational, research, and service programs within a liberal arts environment enabling graduates to successfully compete for postsecondary degrees and/or jobs in the arts and media industry.

10. To initiate and build upon innovative pilot programs accessible to all audiences and practitioners.

11. To become a vibrant cultural nexus serving all programs at Gallaudet University.

12. To maintain a culture of civility, respect, personal accountability, and academic integrity.

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STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES (SLO’s)

1. Developing the Artist/Scholar:

Students are expected to be fluent in the methodologies of creating artistic works and scholarly documents, and acquire the ability to integrate both methodologies as ways of knowing.

2. Establishing a Knowledge Base:

Students are expected to develop a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary knowledge base which may be applied toward their individual creative and scholarly work.

3. Communication:

Based on a common performance vocabulary drawn from written, visual, and physical texts, students are expected to be proficient in the artistic and scholarly processes, as well as gain the ability to reflect upon their work in an engaging, artistic, and constructive way.

4. Application and Awareness:

Students are expected to critically, creatively, and objectively apply concepts, theories, and methodologies to a myriad of issues encountered in current and future academic, personal, and professional contexts.

5. Collaboration:

While in the process of creating artistic products, students are expected to demonstrate an ability to work in a positive, constructive, and compromising manner with artists and/or other students of various artistic disciplines.