Acting, BFA

Program Description:

The Department of Theatre, Dance, and Motion Pictures is devoted exclusively to the training and education of undergraduate students in the areas of dance, motion pictures, and theatre. These programs lead to the Bachelor of Arts and the Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees.

The Department of Theatre, Dance, and Motion Pictures is empowered by the Ohio Revised Code to require particular preliminary training or talent for admission to specific programs, and each of the five B.F.A. degree programs has specific criteria for admission to each level of training. Students in all areas must earn a minimum GPA of 2.0 by the end of the freshman year to continue in a theatre arts major. Students who wish to be admitted as majors in acting, acting/musical theatre, or dance must successfully pass an audition or interview. Transfer students are admitted into B.F.A. programs on the basis of a successful audition, interview, or portfolio presentation. The department has an open admissions policy for students wishing to major in the B.A. programs in theatre studies and motion pictures history, theory, and criticism, and B.F.A. programs in design/technology and motion pictures production.

All students who return after an absence of three or more consecutive semesters must reapply to the faculty for readmission to the program, and at the discretion of the faculty they may be required to satisfy program requirements in effect at the time of readmission. Details of the admission and retention policy are detailed in the Department of Theatre Arts Student Handbook.

Degree Requirements–Acting and Musical Theatre

Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree

The professional acting and musical theatre programs are an intensive, four-year progression of studies in acting, voice, movement, dance, and singing. Because courses in the acting program follow a set sequence, students are generally admitted only in the fall quarter. The Professional Actor Training Program is limited by audition to only selected, superior students who show promise of high achievement in acting and/or musical theatre. Retention in the Professional Actor Training Program is determined by periodic review. Students are retained in the program based on their growth and development as judged by the acting faculty.

To be retained in the program, all acting and musical theatre students must earn a grade of C or better in required departmental and related courses for the major, with the exception of  TH 1200  and TH 2220 . If a student does not receive a C or better in these required courses, the student may not take the courses a second time. However, students may retake TH 1060 , TH 1070 , TH 1080, TH 3720 , TH 3730 , TH 3800 , TH 3810 , and TH 3820 (literature and history courses) for a second time to receive the required grade of C or better. Students not receiving a grade of C or better in all required departmental and related courses (with the above exceptions) will not be retained in the program or continue in the acting or musical theatre degree programs.

Program Learning Outcomes:

• Be able to master professional audition skills.
• Be able to perform in a variety of roles in WSU productions.
• Be able to master artistic and technical skills necessary to pursue acting as a profession.
• Be able to demonstrate knowledge of theatre history, musical theatre history and literature, and/or dramatic literature (depending on degree emphasis).
• Be able to demonstrate knowledge of current business aspects of the acting profession.