The Graduate Program in Theater
The Department of Theater at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, offers
professional training programs in directing, dramaturgy, and costume, lighting,
and scenic design. Graduates of the three-year program receive Master
of Fine Arts degrees and are prepared to work in resident professional theaters,
in colleges and universities, and in many other areas of performance. The program
normally takes three years to complete. Alums include actor Bill Pullman, director
Greg Leaming, playwright Constance Congdon, and production designer Douglas
Kraner.
The graduate program values personal mentorship, with the production season
serving as a teaching laboratory. Students are able to tailor their programs
of study to individual interests as a complement to the rigorous core curriculum. Most
of our graduate students receive full tuition-waivers and assistantships during
the entirety of their three years.
The graduate program begins with a first year designed to create community
and a shared language. In Group Studio, students create an original performance
drawing upon their collective experience and imagination. First-year students
also take Theater in Society — both to sharpen their research skills
and to discover the repertory in social and historical context — and
Text Analysis, which examines play texts as structures that imply potential
productions. First-year students also participate in production through the
studios and workshops in their areas of specialty.
MFA alumna Constance Congdon created a new English translation of Moliere's
The Misanthrope, which was premiered at UMass in October 2000 before going
on to be produced at ACT in San Francisco. |
In the second and third years, students focus more closely on their M.F.A.
program area: directing, design, or dramaturgy. Depending on their interests,
students may also take advantage of the academic resources of UMass as a whole
and the other institutions in the Five College Consortium. All programs
culminate in a third-year thesis project.
Graduate students are full participants in the Department of Theater production
season, working collaboratively under the guidance of faculty artists. In an
average year, the Department of Theater presents four to five fully mounted
main stage productions. It also hosts a number of other co-productions and
special events. Additionally, there are numerous opportunities for studio and
lab work, many of them through the “Studio 204” series.
There are also numerous opportunities outside the academic course of study. Students
in the design program sometimes assist faculty designers with their professional
commitments. Due to our relationship with regional companies, graduate students
undertake internships at such places as New WORLD Theater and Hartford Stage.
Information about the College
of Humanities and Fine Arts.
More about the University of Massachusetts.
top of page
The Curriculum: Plans of Study
All M.F.A programs require a minimum of 60 credits for graduation, including
the same 12-credit Core Curriculum and, every semester, the specialized Workshop/Studio
for the specific program.
CORE CURRICULUM (required of all students)
3 credits: Group Studio (Fall, 1st year)
3 credits: Text Analysis for Production (Fall, 1st
year)
3 credits: Theater in Society (Spring, 1st year)
3 credits: Thesis
Project (3rd year)
Directing
12 credits: Core Curriculum
18 credits: Directing Studio: Classwork and production
assignments
3 credits: Acting Theory or Directing Theory
27 credits: Electives (chosen in consultation with advisor
and graduate committee)
Dramaturgy
12 credits: Core Curriculum
18 credits: Dramaturgy Workshop: Special Topics
in Dramaturgy
6 credits: Production assignments
24 credits: Electives
(chosen in consultation with advisor and graduate committee)
Note: Students without a second language accepted in the Dramaturgy area
may be advised to acquire a second language.
Costume Design
12 credits: Core Curriculum
22 credits: Costume Design Studio: Classwork and
production assignments
18 credits: Related Work: Drawing and Rendering for
Designers (3), Costume History (6), Minor Area (6), Scene Painting (3)
8 credits: Electives (chosen in consultation
with advisor and graduate committee)
Note: Students accepted in this design area with no background in pattern
drafting will be required to take three credits of remedial instruction in
this subject.
Lighting Design
12 credits: Core
Curriculum
24 credits: Lighting Design Studio
3 credits: Drawing and Rendering for Designers
21
credits: Electives (chosen in consultation
with advisor and graduate committee)
Scenic Design
12 credits: Core Curriculum.
18 credits: Scenic Design Studio.
12 credits: Production assignments in Scenic Design and/or Technical Direction.
18
credits: Electives (chosen in consultation with advisors and graduate committee)
Note: Students accepted in this area who are deficient in drawing and
rendering skills will be required to take three credits in this subject
top of page
The Curriculum: Courses
(All courses carry three credits unless otherwise noted.)
620 Theater In Society
The study of theatrical performance, text, acting, performance space, elements
of spectacle, audience in relation to changing social, economic, political, and
aesthetic movements. Explores the widest possible range of theatrical conventions
available to the theater artist. Focuses on research techniques.
650 Acting Theory
Reading and practical research in the major theoretical treatises on the art
of acting.
651 Directing Theory
Reading and practical research on the major theoretical treatises on the art
of directing.
680 Group Studio
A practical workshop, centered on a collaborative project, in which designers,
dramaturgs and directors create a performance from scratch. The objective is
to develop a shared vocabulary and common experiences in the basic process of
transforming text or idea into performed event. All members of the studio may
be asked to adopt the perspective of actor, director, designer, playwright, or
dramaturg.
696 Independent Study
Independent projects by special contract.
729 Dramaturgy Workshop
Projects in dramaturgy, with special topics changing from semester to semester. Topics
include: playwriting, translation, adaptation, critical writing, new play development,
season selection, archiving.
730 Textual Analysis
The close reading of dramatic texts for contemporary production. Focus on finding
original answers to directorial, design, and dramaturgical questions. Dramatic
texts selected from a broad spectrum of world repertory.
750 Directing Studio
Problems in play direction. Work chosen and closely supervised by the directing
faculty and presented in a production format determined by the student's current
needs and abilities and demands on the department's performance facilities.
760 Scenic Design Studio
A working studio in which scenic design students and faculty take on specific
responsibilities for departmental productions. Depending on the needs and competence
of the individual student, the work may include researching, conceptualizing,
drafting, and designing all ongoing productions. Special attention to portfolio
development.
761 Lighting Design Studio
Tutorial projects in design theory and conceptualization and the solving of related
technical problems. Over a three-year period, the course covers lighting technology,
technical and artistic problem solving, graphics, research, critical and analytical
skills, visual light lab projects, and portfolio development. Design, assistant
design, and technical assignments on Department of Theater productions.
762 Costume Design Studio
Design and technical assignments
on Department of Theater productions and varied tutorial projects in design and
related technical problem-solving. May include research techniques, conceptualization,
the study of characterization,
elements of design, rendering techniques, draping, tailoring, make-up, and
portfolio development.
796 Independent Study
Independent projects by special contract.
799 MFA Project
Culminating creative thesis project in the degree program. Prerequisite:
degree candidacy.
top of page
The M.F.A. Project
The M.F.A. Project, also known as a thesis project, is intended to be a convincing
demonstration of skills and talents developed throughout the training program.
It is formulated and executed under the supervision of the major advisor and
the student’s thesis committee. The project is undertaken in the final
year of residence in the program, with the exact timing arranged according
to the needs of the student and the production schedule of the department.
M.F.A. projects in directing, scenic design and lighting design consist of the
student assuming full responsibility for his or her area in a major university
production. In addition, an analytical and critical essay on the play and the
production is required.
In the area of costume design, a paper project is required in which the student
designs costumes for a complex play or opera. In addition, an analytical and
critical essay on the subject of the play and the design concept is required,
together with such supporting materials as reproductions of original sketches
and renderings.
In the area of dramaturgy, the M.F.A. Project will be tailored to the student's
skills and interests - possibly (though not necessarily) linked to production.
It might consist of a translation of a full-length play, a production-based dramaturgy
assignment, or a special lab project that foregrounds text, critical context,
and dramaturgical issues. A written thesis on the subject of this project is
required. The thesis is intended to demonstrate the research, analytical writing,
and conceptual skills of the student.
The essays that accompany all M.F.A. projects must conform to the general format
of the Master's thesis as outlined in the Graduate School literature. The original
and one copy (both unbound) must be submitted to the graduate dean by the published
deadline. The Department of Theater, however, does not require a copy for its
files.
top of page
Assistantships
Graduate students in theater are eligible for appointments as assistants
in the areas of teaching, research, production and administration. Full-time
appointments require service amounting to 20 hours per week during the academic
year. Assistantship stipends are competitive and include a full-tuition waiver.
Each graduate assistantship appointment is for a specific period, not to exceed
one year. In the appointment of graduate assistants, preference is given to those
who demonstrate exceptional artistic promise and who have appropriate qualifications
for available assignments. Subject to availability of funds, full-time assistants
are usually renewed for a total of three years, provided that the student remains
in good academic standing, is making satisfactory progress toward the degree,
and has carried out the duties of previous appointments at a high professional
level. Funding cannot be guaranteed for students who take a leave of absence
from the program. Graduate students in theater who are awarded assistantships
may not receive simultaneous funding for which services are required without
the express permission of the Department of Theater.
The graduate
school website has information on assistanships and
other matters.
top of page
The Facility
The Department of Theater is located in the Fine Arts Center of the University
of Massachusetts. The FAC houses the Departments of Art, Music, and Theater;
an art gallery; a recital hall; and a large 2000-seat concert hall. The FAC also
sponsors a number of first-rate performing arts programs. The Department frequently
collaborates with these programs, including New WORLD Theater and the Asian Arts
and Culture Program.
The Department of Theater, housed in the west wing of the FAC, operates two fully
equipped theaters, in which the department's five or six season productions are
performed annually. The Frank Prentice Rand Theater is the larger of the two.
It can seat approximately 560 people and features a traditional proscenium stage.
The Curtain Theater is a smaller black box theater that nonetheless allows the
flexible staging of fully mounted and produced plays. It seats between 90 and100
people and provides students and faculty with the opportunity to work in an alternative
space. In addition to being the home of several season productions, it is often
used by students wishing to mount independent productions.
Fully equipped costume and scene shops, as well as dressing rooms, a make-up
room, and a green room support the two theaters.
Elsewhere in the building, the department has a number of classrooms suited for
design instruction as well as performances classes. These rooms, as well as other
spaces in the building and on campus, are also used by theater majors to put
on more informal productions of experimental pieces, one-act plays, staged readings,
and more. For example, several nights a week, Room 204 becomes Studio 204, a
low-tech performance space where student can mount short, experimental or original
works.
top of page
Theater in the Area
Students of theater in western Massachusetts are as well off as students in
any major city when it comes to the number of opportunities available to them
to augment what we can offer them in the department.
Aside from the talented faculty and staff members of our own program, students
can avail themselves of the skills and knowledge of the members of the Five
College community. The University of Massachusetts is located only a few
miles away from Amherst College, Mount Holyoke College, Smith College and Hampshire
College, four liberal arts school with rich theater traditions of their own.
Students from all five schools may take courses at any of the other five schools.
In the same way, most auditions for productions are open to students at all five
schools, a fact that geometrically increases the number of productions in which
actors can participate.
The cultural wealth doesn't stop there. Local performance organizations ranging
from professional theater companies to community drama abound. Not only do those
organizations (which include New
Century Theatre, The Miniature
Theater of Chester,
Enchanted Circle
Theatre, Hampshire Shakespeare
Company) put on interesting
work, many of them welcome our students as interns or employees.
The Fine Arts Center here on campus and the Calvin
Theater, the Iron Horse Music
Hall, and the Massachusetts International
Festival of the Arts in Northampton,
as well as the Civic Center and CityStage down the road in Springfield, regularly
bring in touring shows of the highest caliber.
Finally, some of the most respected resident theaters in the nation are easily
accessible from Amherst, including the American
Repertory Theater, the Huntington
Theatre Company, the Long Wharf Theater, Trinity
Repertory Company, Yale Repertory
Theatre, Shakespeare and Co. and the Hartford
Stage. Many of our students intern
at these companies.
Only an hour away are these major summer theaters: Berkshire
Theatre Festival,
The Berkshire Opera, the Barrington
Stage, and the Williamstown Theatre
Festival.
In Amherst itself, top-quality new work is showcased each summer at the New
WORLD Theater PlayLab and the Ko Festival of Performance.
top of page
Admissions, Financial Aid, and University Policies
Applicants follow the procedures for admission established by the Graduate School
at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. In addition, the Department of
Theater requests the following:
1. Applicants should submit a complete resume of production experience.
2. Applicants who intend to concentrate in dramaturgy or directing must provide
at least two sample essays which demonstrate research, analytic, and writing
skills. Dramaturgy applicants may provide essays consisting of dramatic criticism,
historical production research, or criticism of witnessed theatrical performances.
Directing applicants must provide essays on plays they have directed or would
like to direct.
Note: Preference is given to applicants in dramaturgy who are proficient
in a second language.
3. Those who intend to focus their graduate training in design must provide a
portfolio in a format of the applicant's choosing. The portfolio may include
draftings, light plots and paperwork, scenic or costume design renderings, photographs
or slides of models and executed projects, or samples of graphic or other applied
arts. Descriptive accounts of each item in the portfolio should be included.
Portfolios are returned upon request.
4. After the faculty has reviewed all completed applicant files, those candidates
selected for consideration will be invited to the campus for an interview. (In
some instances, this may be replaced by a regional or phone interview.)
Completed application forms, transcripts, letters of recommendation and GRE scores
should be sent directly to:
Graduate Admissions Office
530 Goodell
University of Massachusetts
Information on graduate programs and the on-line application.
Essays, portfolios, and other supporting materials should be sent to:
Graduate Program Director
Department of Theater
112 Fine Arts Center
University of Massachusetts
151 Presidents Drive Ofc. 2
Amherst, MA 01003-9331
For more information, call (413) 545-3490
or e-mail umasstheater@theater.umass.edu
Information on procedures
and regulations governing graduate school programs.
The University has a variety of financial
aid options available to qualified students.
Graduate students have many opportunities to participate in the
performances offered by the department each year. Our fall 2000 production
of Doctor Faustus, adapted from the Marlowe classic, featured
a graduate student director and dramaturg, as well as scene and costume
designers.
|
STATUS OF ADMISSION
Applicants may be admitted to the graduate program in theater in one of the
following categories:
Degree Status: Applicants who qualify fully to undertake the graduate work in
theater leading to the degree of Master of Fine Arts are admitted with degree
status.
Provisional Status: Students who are permitted to enter the graduate program
in theater on a probationary basis are admitted with provisional status. Provisional
students may register for a maximum of 12 credits or for two consecutive enrollment
periods, whichever is completed first. Admission to provisional status may be
considered under two circumstances:
1. Applicants whose cumulative grade point average for all previous college work
is below 3.00 (on a scale of 4.00) yet who demonstrate an unusual aptitude for
theater may be accepted provisionally. At least nine of the 12 credits for which
provisional students may enroll must be earned in graduate courses approved by
the department's graduate committee. To be considered for admission to the program
with degree status, the student must earn a minimum cumulative grade point average
of 3.00 in all graduate courses taken during the probationary term.
2. An applicant's undergraduate degree need not be in theater, but previous training
and experience should be comparable to that required for the Bachelor of Arts
in Theater at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Applicants with incomplete
backgrounds in theater who show exceptional artistic promise may be admitted
provisionally. Provisional admission under these circumstances is ordinarily
for one semester only, although an additional term may be approved if previous
training in theater is minimal.
Work used to correct deficiencies may be taken at the undergraduate level only,
with courses specified by the department's graduate committee, and does not apply
toward the degree of Master of Fine Arts. To be considered for admission to the
program with degree status, the student must earn a minimum grade of B in each
course used to remedy the deficiencies.
Non-Degree Status: Regulations governing the admission of students with non-degree
status are the same as those described in the Graduate School Bulletin. Participation
by non-degree students in the Department's graduate program is on a space-available
basis. Non-degree applicants, therefore, should inquire of the graduate program
director at the earliest possible date to learn whether enrollment is possible
in graduate-level courses in any given semester.
ADMINISTRATION OF PROGRAM
In the student's initial semester, a program of instruction is established in
consultation with the department's standing graduate committee prior to registration
at the beginning of the term. A major advisor is selected at this time.
During the first semester in residence, the student initiates a meeting with
his or her major advisor to develop a complete plan for a sequence of study and
training leading to the degree of Master of Fine Arts in Theater. At this time,
at least two additional members of the faculty are chosen to serve with the advisor
on the student's graduate committee.
At the end of each semester in residence, the Department's graduate program director
will convene the student's committee for the purpose of reviewing the semester's
work and approving the student's continuation in the program. Each area of study
within the M.F.A. program has its own specific requirements, including the submission
of portfolios and/or written projects, which students are expected to meet.
DEGREE AND RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS
Upon admission to the degree program in theater, a graduate student usually trains
for six full-time semesters in residence and accumulates a minimum of 60 credits
in graduate courses applicable to the degree of Master of Fine Arts in Theater
in one of the areas of specialization offered by the department. To be considered
in full-time residence, a graduate student in theater must carry, during any
given period of enrollment at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, a minimum
of nine graduate credits applicable to the degree of Master of Fine Arts in Theater.
Credits for courses audited or from which a student withdraws do not pertain.
An approved Master's project must be satisfactorily completed. Professional internships
appropriate to the student's degree programs and not available in the existing
curriculum may be applicable with the approval of the student's committee.
NEW ENGLAND REGIONAL STUDENT PROGRAM
Qualified residents of Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont are eligible
to participate in the regional graduate tuition rate, currently 50 percent over
the rate charged to residents of Massachusetts. Inquiries regarding the New England
Regional Student Program should be directed to:
Graduate Admissions Office
530 Goodell Building
University of Massachusetts
140 Hicks Way
Amherst, MA 01003
Phone: (413) 545-0721
Fax: (413) 577-0010
TRANSFER CREDITS
Upon admission to the degree program in theater, students may petition the graduate
program director in writing to recommend to the graduate dean the transfer of
a maximum of 12 graduate credits earned at other institutions. The credits requested
for transfer must be in graduate courses applicable to the degree of Master of
Fine Arts in Theater at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst as determined
by the student's committee.
Students permitted to transfer credits from other institutions will have the
statute of limitations reduced, but by no more than one semester.
Under unusual circumstances, students have received up to 18 credits for prior
professional experience. Such students typically enter into the second year of
the M.F. A. program.
LEAVES OF ABSENCE
Normally, residency in the degree program in theater is continuous. A student
may petition the graduate program director in writing for a leave of absence,
with a detailed justification and a specific date of anticipated return. Leaves
of absence must be personally unavoidable and academically defensible. A given
leave may not exceed one calendar year and requires the approval of the graduate
dean. The program fee must be paid each semester the student is on leave.
STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS
Students may not register for course work applicable to the degree of Master
of Fine Arts in Theater for more than four consecutive calendar years. The statute
of limitations is reduced proportionally for students permitted to apply degree
credits transferred from other institutions. The statute of limitations for students
on approved leaves of absence is extended for a period of time equal to the leave.
Students who require more time than permitted by the statute of limitations may
petition the graduate program director in writing for a specific period of extension,
with detailed justification and a timetable for completion. This petition will
require the approval of the graduate dean.
DISMISSAL POLICY
Dismissal from the program may be made only by the graduate dean, upon the recommendation
of the chair of the department. Failure to meet the requirements, regulations,
and deadlines established by the Department of Theater and the Graduate School
is considered sufficient grounds for dismissal. In particular, the following
pertain:
1. Failure to remain in good academic standing for two consecutive periods of
enrollment.
2. Failure to make satisfactory or reasonable progress toward the degree as indicated
by the program reviews.
3. Failure to obtain approval for a leave of absence from the program.
4. Failure to obtain approval to complete the requirements of the degree in absentia.
5. Failure to complete the degree requirements within the approved statute of
limitations.
6. Plagiarism, fraudulence, or other illegal or unethical practices.
top of
page
Affirmative Action and Non-Discrimination Policy
The University of Massachusetts at Amherst prohibits discrimination on the
basis of race, color, religion, creed, sex, age, marital status, national origin,
mental or physical disability, veteran status, or sexual orientation; in any
aspect of the access to, admission, or treatment of students in its programs
and activities, or in employment and application for employment. Furthermore,
University policy includes prohibitions of harassment of students and employees,
i.e., racial harassment, sexual harassment, and retaliation for filing complaints
of discrimination.
top of
page
For More Information
If you would like to learn more about the opportunities available to undergraduates
in the University of Massachusetts Department of Theater, please write or call.
We welcome visitors to our campus year-round and will be happy to meet with
you and answer any questions you may have about the program. Meetings with
students of the department are also available. To set up an appointment, please
contact:
Graduate Program Director
Department of Theater
112 Fine Arts Center
University of Massachusetts Amherst
151 Presidents Drive Ofc2
Amherst, MA 01003-9331
(413) 545-3490
umasstheater@theater.umass.edu
top of page
|
© 2008 University of Massachusetts
Amherst. Site
Policies.
