Program Overview

Theatre and Dance is one of seven departments housed in the College of Fine and Applied Arts at Appalachian State University.   The Department of Theatre and Dance endorses the university's mission is to provide "a well-rounded liberal education and the opportunity to pursue a special field of inquiry" and "to promote the intellectual, cultural and personal development of its students" and "to serve as a center of cultural and professional activity within its state and region."

The mission of the Department of Theatre and Dance is to provide courses and programs leading toward liberal arts degrees and teacher certification as well as courses that provide the general student population with an opportunity for integrated learning through the arts. Vital to the support of this mission is a dynamic co-curricular production program that provides exemplary theatre and dance experiences to departmental students, the university community and the region. The departmental philosophy is to support the university's liberal arts environment through a balanced and integrated emphasis on teaching, creative activity, scholarship, and service.

The fundamental purposes of the Department of Theatre and Dance are:

1. To serve the needs of and provide for the education and preparation of students in theatre and dance in three distinct populations: students who wish to become public school teachers, students who wish to pursue theatre or dance as a vocation, and students who wish to pursue theatre or dance as an avocation;

2. To provide leadership and collaborative ensemble training and skills in support of a broad liberal arts education for students who elect graduate training or vocations in other fields;

3. To provide the Appalachian student with opportunities for exposure to theatre and dance productions and to encourage in that student an appreciation of theatre and dance as art forms basic to a liberal arts education;

4. To provide theatre and dance experiences of high quality for departmental students, the wider University community, and the region;

5. To continually evaluate and adapt course offerings and degree programs as student interest demands and as faculty and staff become available; and

6. To participate in and be supportive of interdisciplinary collaborations that result in creative experiences.

To achieve these purposes the Department of Theatre and Dance engages in an academic program that provides course work and programs leading to a B.A. in Theatre, a B.S. with licensure in Theatre, a minor in theatre, a minor in dance, and courses to meet general education requirements in the humanities.

The academic program is enhanced by a strong co-curricular production program that requires the faculty to engage in creative and administrative activity encompassing fully mounted theatre, dance, and touring productions that serve as an outreach component to the region and the state. Student-produced, faculty-supervised laboratory productions also provide co-curricular support.

The Department of Theatre and Dance provides academic and production experiences and prepares students for:

*             Theatre teaching careers in K-12;

*             Graduate school or professional internships; and

*             Professional or recreational theatre careers.

Students may pursue two major degrees:

Bachelor of Science - Teaching

The BS degree is for the student who plans to teach K-12. The student is urged to seek certification in a second subject area as well as a theatre such as English or music. At a minimum, a strong minor in a second area (18 semester hours) will enable the student to recieve an endorsement to teach less than half time in that second area.

Bachelor of Arts

The BA degree is designed for the student who plans a career in theatre or is preparing for graduate school. Further training is recommended beyond this degree such as a gradute school, studio work, study in England, or an internship with a professional theatre. There are three concentrations: General / Performance / Design and Technology

Or a Theatre minor or Dance minor

Students who minor in Dance may do so in combination with other performance studies such as theatre or music or may pursue an avocational interest in dance.

Dance is a dynamic, creative program housed in the Department of Theatre and Dance. The program has a growing dance faculty and offers a strong major and minor in dance, with plans to expand the program as facilities become available.

Any student may enroll for a dance class; all levels of dancers find the classes stimulating and challenging.

• Beginning students come with only their curiosity and a willingness to try.

•  Intermediate/advanced students bring their passion, dedication, and strong technical training.

This atmosphere inspires the faculty and students to create original, expressive, and experimental dance for the student performing group, the Appalachian Dance Ensemble.

Theatre production at Appalachian is an important co-curricular activity.   Annual Productions include:

•  4 faculty directed mainstage productions in the Valborg Theatre. One show in each season is selected based on a rotation of historic periods. The remaining three productions are selected from proposals suggested by faculty and students. Visit the Production History page.

• 2 theatre for youth performances produced by Appalachian Young People's Theatre. The AYPT spring production is toured to elementary schools throughout Western North Carolina.

• 12-18 student directed one-act plays in the IG Greer Studio Theatre.

• 1 New Play Festival featuring 2 or 3 student written original one-act plays. Produced by the student organization - Playcrafters.

Additional productions:

• Musicals - every two to three years, the Department of Theatre and Dance produces a musical production as part of the mainstage season.

• Second Season Studio Productions -faculty directed plays with cast sizes too small for the mainstage season. i.e. Sylvia , Master Harold and the Boys , Last of the Red Hot Lovers.

• Occasional Co-productions with professional companies or guest artists.

• Occasional Student Showcases

• Touring Professional Shows - typically in the late summer.

Faculty and students are involved in many professional organizations that promote additional training and professional growth opportunities. Including but not limited to the following:

*             National Association of Schools of Theatre (NAST)

*            The United States Institute for Theatre Technology

*            The United States Institute for Theatre Technology-Southeast Section

*             Association for Theatre in Higher Education

*             Southeastern Theatre Conference

*            North Carolina Theatre Conference

*             American Alliance for Theatre and Education

*             Alexander Technique International

*             Kennedy Center - American College Theatre Festival ---- Region IV