Theatre & Dance  |  Overview  |  London Semester  |  Scholarships  |  Performances

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 is 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 preforming companies and artist each year. Eligible students are invited to join Alpha Psi Omega, a national theatre honors society.

Stefanníe Valéncia 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.

Scholarships

The Lillian Davis Hogan Scholarships are endowed four-year renewable scholarships for bachelor degree-seeking student intending to major in theatre arts. More on scholarships...

Theatre Department Honors at Graduation

Theatre offers graduating seniors the opportunity to qualify for departmental honors. These honors are to inspire and reward students who have completed outstanding work within the department. The criteria for department honors are a 3.700 department and major field GPA and a 3.300 cumulative GPA. A senior paper and public presentation or similar creative experience judged to be of superior quality by a committee of departmental faculty is also required. Departmental distinction is reserved for students who perform academically at the top level of all graduates from the department.

Why Saint Mary's?

• SMU is home to state-of-the-art theatre spaces where five departmental and numerous student-run productions are staged every year.
• Our students benefit from small class sizes and personal attention from faculty and staff.
• Faculty have work experience in the areas that they teach.
• In conjunction with the Page Series and its guest artists, students have the opportunity to help with the technical aspects of professional productions.
• The Saint Mary’s Alumni Association works hard to maintain relationships with our graduates.