Franklin & Marshall College

The theater program at F&M integrates theory and practice as students develop historical knowledge and critical thinking skills and combine them with current practices in performance, playwriting, directing, design and studies in drama.

Introductory courses, as well as departmental productions, are open to all college students, including those without previous theater experience.

Theater Major Requirements

Theater majors take a core of eight courses in the following areas: acting, technical theater, textual, critical, theoretical and historical study and theatrical media. Majors also select a concentration either in performance, design, film or theater studies and gain practical and creative experience working on departmental productions.

A major in Theater consists of a minimum of 11 credits and the successful completion of at least two crew assignments. The following eight courses are required of all theater majors:

• TDF 105 and 106 - World Theater 1 and 2
• TDF 221 - Stagecraft
• TDF 286 - Beginning Acting Workshop
• TDF 311 - Seminar in Theatrical Media
• TDF 385 - Performance Seminar (two at .5 credits each)
• TDF 495 - Senior Seminar
• One elective (any one-credit TDF course)

Also required is a concentration, consisting of three courses in one of the following areas:

• Theater Studies (211, 250, 251, 340, 383, 485 or 489)
• Performance (287, 288, 289, 386 or 388)
• Design (225, 228, 229)
• Film (165 and either 213, 267, 365, 370 or 373 and either 168, 361 or 362)

To be considered for honors in theater, graduating seniors must meet the College's general  requirements for honors, with a project approved by at least two members of the theater  faculty.

Majors in the Department of Theatre, Dance and Film have studied abroad in the following programs in recent years: British American Drama Academy; University of London, Royal Holloway College, London; SIT, Prague, Czech Republic; IES, Milan and London; Laban, London, Bilkent Exchange in Ankara, Turkey; Interstudy University of Cape Town, South Africa; University of Glasgow, Scotland; ASE Bath, England; Queen Mary College at University of London, and National Theatre Institute at the O’Neill Theatre Center, Connecticut. See the International Programs section of the Catalog for further information.

Theater Minor Requirements

A minor in Theater consists of the successful completion of six courses (one each in theater studies, design and performance), 311, two electives and one crew assignment.