School of Arts and Sciences
MAJOR AND MINOR DESCRIPTIONS BY DEPARTMENT
THEATRE ARTS
The Department of Theatre Arts offers training in both the practical and academic aspects of theatre. Undergraduates may specialize in acting, directing, design and technical theatre, theatre history and criticism, or any combination of these.
While the department is not a professional school, the presence of strong graduate programs creates the atmosphere of professional training. Instead of the protected environment of a conservatory, undergraduate theatre training at Pitt takes place within the context of the liberal-arts experience at a large, urban university.
For more information, please feel free to contact the Director of Undergraduate Studies, Doug Mertz at dlm122@pitt.edu.
Forty-six credits are required for the major.
Core courses
- THEA 0810 Introduction to Dramatic Art
- THEA 0842 Introduction to Stagecraft or 1225 Stagecraft I
- THEA 1102 Basic Acting
- THEA 0840 Introduction to Theatre Design or 1220 Design for Theatrical Production
- THEA 1240 Costume Crafts
- THEA 1341 World Theatre: 500 B.C.E. to 1640
- THEA 1342 World Theatre: 1640 to 1890
- THEA 1343 World Theatre: 1890 to 1970
- THEA 1360 Theatre Criticism (W)
Four credits of THEA 0880: Theatrical Production are required for theatre-arts majors. Two (2) credits must be in a construction crew (props, light hang/focus, set painting, shop construction, etc.); two (2) credits must be on a running crew. THEA 0880 credit is awarded only for work on departmental workshop and mainstage productions, not on lab productions. Exception: the stage management credit may be awarded for stage managing a lab production.
Additional Requirements
Three additional performance credits are required from:
- 1103 Acting the 20th Century
- 1104 Acting the 17th, 18th, and 19th Centuries
- 1105 Acting the Classics
- 1110 Directing I
Additional Requirements: Electives
Twelve credits of electives are required and may be selected from among performance classes, history, literature, criticism, or technical theatre and design. THEA 1480 credits and other independent study credits cannot be counted as fulfilling the requirement of 12 credits of electives.
In addition, theatre arts majors should adhere to these rules and requirements.
- Students are encouraged to declare this major early and register with the departmental advisor.
- Majors must maintain at least a 2.00 GPA in all theatre arts courses.
- Students must check with the program advisor to determine the appropriateness of using the S/NC grade option in departmental courses.
- A minimum of 12 credits is required in a related area. Any area that corresponds with the student’s interests is appropriate, but studio arts is strongly suggested. Also recommended are anthropology, Africana studies, classics, English, history of art and architecture, a foreign language, history, music, philosophy, psychology, sociology, and rhetoric and communication.
For more information on the major and the Department of Theatre Arts, see www.play.pitt.edu
Minor Requirements
Effective January, 2004, 15 total credits are required for the minor. The tracks are intended to guide a student with a substantial interest in theatre studies but unable to undertake the full major course of study. Required for all tracks are theatre arts core courses which, respectively, introduce the student to the variety, breadth, and history of theatre practice and provide a set of intellectual skills for the analysis of plays in performance.
Required courses for the minor
- THEA 0800: Introduction to Theatre Arts
- THEA 0810: Introduction to Dramatic Art
Performance track
Students electing the Performance Track will then proceed to undertake a range of courses imparting basic and advanced techniques in live performance, including vocal and movement skilled, characterization, and stage direction.
- THEA 0830: Introduction to Performance
- Two electives from among THEA 1100 to 1111 (Performance course sequence)
- THEA 1100: Voice and Movement I
- THEA 1101: Voice and Movement II
- THEA 1102: Basic Acting
- THEA 1103: Acting the 20th Century
- THEA 1104: Acting the 17th, 18th, and 19th Centuries
- THEA 1105: Acting the Classics: Greeks to Shakespeare
- THEA 1109: Performance Lab
- THEA 1110: Directing I
- THEA 1111: Directing II
- THEA 1392: Special Topics: Performance
Design track
Theatre-design students electing for the design track will learn drafting and design skilled in scenic, costume, lighting, and/or sound design.
- THEA 0840: Introduction to Theatre Design
- Two electives from among THEA 1225 to 1246 (Design-course sequence)
- THEA 1225: Stagecraft I
- THEA 1226: Stagecraft II
- THEA 1227: Scene Painting
- THEA 1229: Theatre Business Management
- THEA 1230: Stage Lighting I
- THEA 1231: Stage Lighting II
- THEA 1235: Stage Design I
- THEA 1236: Stage Design II
- THEA 1237: High School Workshop Scene Design
- THEA 1240: Costume Crafts
- THEA 1241: History of Costume
- THEA 1242: Pattern Making
- THEA 1245: Stage Makeup
- THEA 1246: Costume Design I
Theatre history, literature and criticism track
Students electing the theatre history, literature, and criticism track can pursue specialized studies in various periods or themes, employing methodologies appropriate for the study of performance and performance history
- Three electives from among THEA 1340 to 1361 (History, Literature and Criticism sequence)
- THEA 1340: Native American Theatre
- THEA 1341: World Theatre: 50 B.C.E.-1640
- THEA 1342: World Theatre: 1640-1890
- THEA 1343: World Theatre: 1890-1970
- THEA 1350: American Theatre
- THEA 1351: Greek and Roman Theatre
- THEA 1352: Medieval Theatre
- THEA 1353: Continental Renaissance Theatre
- THEA 1354: English Theatre 1558-1642
- THEA 1355: Restoration Theatre
- THEA 1356: 18th Century Drama
- THEA 1357: 19th Century Drama
- THEA 1358: Modern Theatre to WWI
- THEA 1359: Contemporary Theatre
- THEA 1360: Theatre Criticism
- THEA 1361: Forms of Japanese Theatre