Theatre and Dance Department

The Theatre and Dance Department is one of eighteen academic departments at Knox. It offers one major and five minors. The department is located in CFA.

Department Faculty

Current

• Neil Blackadder, Department Chair, Associate Professor
• Elizabeth Carlin-Metz, Associate Professor
• Craig Choma, Associate Professor
• Kathleen Ridlon, Lecturer and Artist-in-Residence
• Jennifer Smith, Assistant Professor
• Sherwood Kiraly, Writer-in-residence

Former

• Robert Whitlatch, Former Department Chair, Robert A. and Katherine M. Seeley Distinguished Service Professor

Cooperating Faculty from Other Programs

• Lori Haslem, Associate Professor of English

Theatre

The department offers one Theatre major, and five Theatre minors.

Theatre (major)

See main page at Theatre.

This major allows advanced study in Theatre.

Courses Required for the Theatre major

11 credits:

• All of the following:
  • THEA 121 (Introduction to Theatre Technology)
  • THEA 123 (Introduction to Drama and Theatre)
  • THEA 131 (Beginning Acting)
• One of the following:
  • THEA 331 (Shakespeare: Histories and Comedies)
  • THEA 332 (Shakespeare: Tragedies and Romances)
• One of the following:
  • THEA 372 (Classical and Medieval Drama and Theatre)
  • THEA 373 (European Drama and Theatre: Renaissance through the 17th Century)
  • THEA 374 (European Drama and Theatre: 18th and 19th Centuries)
• One of the following:
  • THEA 375 (European Drama and Theatre: Rise of Realism to 1945)
  • THEA 376 (Modern Drama: 1945 to the Present)
  • THEA 377 (Women Playwrights: the Search for the Female Voice in Contemporary World Theatre)
  • THEA 378 (American Drama and Theatre: Beginnings to the Present)
• Three credits of production electives, one of which must be at the 300-level and one of which may be dance
• One of the following:
  • One credit of theory electives at the 300-level in the department
  • GERM 328 (Twentieth Century German Theatre)
• One of the following:
  • THEA 399 (Seminar on Theatre Art)
  • THEA 400 (Advanced Studies – Honors Project)
  • An equivalent course from the ACM Chicago Arts Program, with permission

Dramatic Literature and History (minor)

See main page at Dramatic Literature and History.

This minor allows for specialized study in Theatre.

Courses Required for the Dramatic Literature and History minor

5 credits:

• All of the following:
  • THEA 123 (Introduction to Drama and Theatre)
  • THEA 378 (American Drama and Theatre: Beginnings to the Present)
• One of the following:
  • THEA 331 (Shakespeare: Histories and Comedies)
  • THEA 332 (Shakespeare: Tragedies and Romances)
• One of the following:
  • THEA 372 (Classical and Medieval Drama and Theatre)
  • THEA 373 (European Drama and Theatre: Renaissance through the 17th Century)
  • THEA 374 (European Drama and Theatre: 18th and 19th Centuries)
• One of the following:
  • THEA 375 (European Drama and Theatre: Rise of Realism to 1945)
  • THEA 376 (Modern Drama: 1945 to the Present)
  • THEA 377 (Women Playwrights: the Search for the Female Voice in Contemporary World Theatre)

Performance (minor)

See main page at Performance (Theatre).

This minor allows for specialized study in Theatre.

Courses Required for the Performance minor

5 credits:

• All of the following:
  • THEA 121 (Introduction to Theatre Technology)
  • THEA 123 (Introduction to Drama and Theatre)
  • THEA 131 (Beginning Acting)
• One of the following:
  • THEA 232 (Intermediate Acting – Psychological Realism and Audition)
  • THEA 233 (Intermediate Acting – Period Style)
• One of the following:
  • THEA 325 (Advanced Acting: Shakespeare and Beyond)
  • THEA 334 (Directing)

Directing (minor)

See main page at Directing.

This minor allows for specialized study in Theatre.

Courses Required for the Directing minor

5 credits:

• All of the following:
  • THEA 121 (Introduction to Theatre Technology)
  • THEA 123 (Introduction to Drama and Theatre)
  • THEA 131 (Beginning Acting)
  • THEA 334 (Directing)
• THEA 350 (Independent Study – either practical (directing a production) or theoretical (completing a Director's Notebook))

Design and Technology (minor)

See main page at Design and Technology.

This minor allows for specialized study in Theatre.

Courses Required for the Design and Technology minor

5 credits:

• All of the following:
  • THEA 121 (Introduction to Theatre Technology)
  • THEA 123 (Introduction to Drama and Theatre)
  • THEA 131 (Beginning Acting)
• Two of the following:
  • THEA 221 (Stage Makeup: Theory and Practice)
  • THEA 322 (Scene Design)
  • THEA 323 (Stage Lighting)
  • THEA 324 (Costume Design)

Dance

See main page at Dance.

The department offers a minor in Dance.

Courses Required for the Dance minor

5 credits:

• All of the following:
  • DANC 145 (Theory and Improvisation)
  • DANC 241 (Intermediate Modern Dance)
  • DANC 242 (Intermediate Ballet)
  • DANC 246 (Dance Composition)
  • DANC 260 (Dance History and Contemporary Trends in Choreography)
• One of the following:
  • DANC 341 (Dance Ensemble)
  • DANC 343 (Dance Performance)

Meeting the Competency Requirements

• Writing Requirement: THEA 123, THEA 375, THEA 376
• Oral Requirement: THEA 121, THEA 131, THEA 232, THEA 233, THEA 325
• Information Literacy Requirement: THEA 121, THEA 123, 200- and 300-level drama and history and 300-level design courses