Department of Theatre, Dance & Film
Faculty Statement on Actor Participation Expectations

Growth and excellence in performing arts disciplines require commitment. As teaching artists,
the theatre faculty of Providence College is focused on the training and development of student
artists. The faculty’s commitment to serving students’ educational and artistic needs requires a
reciprocal commitment on the part of students enrolled as theatre majors and minors within the
Department of Theatre Dance & Film.

In order to take full advantage of the academic and creative opportunities available within the
Department of Theatre, Dance & Film, theatre students are expected to refrain from
participation in theatre productions offered outside the department during the academic year.
The primary performance goal of undergraduate theatre students should be participation in the
work produced by the Department of Theatre, Dance & Film and all theatre majors and minors
are expected to audition regularly for main stage and laboratory productions.

However, TDF faculty recognize that occasionally opportunities to appear in off campus
productions at reputable theatre organizations become available to undergraduate students and
that such experiences may compliment the training students receive within the department.
Therefore, it is the faculty’s position that, while participation in departmental productions should
remain all theatre students’ top priority, under certain limited circumstances, participation in off
campus productions may be feasible for upper-class-students during the academic year. Those
theatre majors and minors who have not been cast in a TDF production and who have fulfilled
their departmental crew commitments and have no other specific academic obligation to
participate in a TDF production, may make themselves available to audition for outside
companies in the region. Students who exercise this option should be advised that by doing so
they may forfeit the opportunity to appear in subsequent TDF productions due to production
schedule conflicts that will likely occur.

During summer months theatre majors and minors are encouraged to seek acting opportunities
at a wide variety of summer theatres and open audition calls. The faculty of the Department of
Theatre, Dance & Film is committed to helping theatre majors and minors locate and prepare
auditions for all summer theatre opportunities which they choose to pursue.

Updated 12/12/17 PDF available for printing here.