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Theatre and Dance
Theatre and Dance
Judy Myers, M.F.A., Chair
The department of theatre and dance seeks to foster an understanding and appreciation of the theatre
arts and dance that is consonant with the mission of Saint Mary’s University. The department provides
students with the opportunity to develop pre-professional theatre skills in performance, musical
theatre, design, production, and management. The department expects students to be able to attain
entry level positions in theatre around the country as well as entrance to graduate level studies, if they
choose. Through its course offerings and productions, the department consistently and consciously
promotes a nourishing, diverse, and innovative artistic environment at the Winona campus with a
commitment to inspiring a life-long pursuit of the theatre as a profession, avocation, or a source of
delight or entertainment. Within the theatre major, students may choose one of four areas in which to
focus: performance studies, musical theatre, technical theatre, and theatre management.
General Department Goals
Engaging in the department’s curriculum or productions facilitates the development of the following
knowledge, skills and dispositions:
• Cultural awareness and sensitivity by understanding how theatre functions within a particular
historical and cultural context;
• Problem solving and critical thinking by analyzing dramatic literature for interpretation and
production;
• An aesthetic sensibility by engaging in the practice and process of theatrical production and
discovering meaningful approaches to dramatic criticism;
• Research and communication skills by engaging in efficient and ethical research on various topics of
the theatre arts; and
• Specific knowledge of important theatrical movements, works of dramatic literature, and dramatic
theory from the past and present.
The department produces four theatre productions and two dance productions on the Winona campus
annually as well as one theatre production in London each fall. There are a variety of other performance
and design/technical opportunities including student directed scenes, one acts, and graduation
projects. Students are also encouraged to participate in the technical aspects of the Page Professional
Series which brings to campus several professional performing companies and artists each year. Eligible
students are invited to join Alpha Psi Omega, a national theatre honors society.
Stefannie Valencia Kierlin Theatre Program in London
Theatre majors who meet institutional requirements and who are in good standing in the department
are expected to participate in the London theatre semester in London, England. The London theatre
experience, under the guidance of Saint Mary’s University faculty, includes:
• Attending classes in theatre as well as courses focusing on broader enrichment;
• Attending numerous performances in London’s West End, Off-West End, and Fringe theatres;
• Fully mounting a student production in a London theatre;
• Studying at Dublin’s renowned Gaiety School of acting; and
• Traveling to various sites in the United Kingdom as well as additional travel in Europe.
Major Offered:
Theatre Arts
Minors Offered:
Dance
Theatre
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