Theatre Major Portfolio Guidelines
DEPARTMENT OF THEATRE, DANCE & FILM ASSESSMENT PROCESS: THE THEATRE MAJOR PORTFOLIO
The purpose of assessment is to determine if the Department of Theatre, Dance and Film is achieving its goals with regard to educating theatre majors and preparing them for their future. Assessment is also an opportunity for majors to reflect on their matriculation as students of theatre and to consider the progress they have made as young theatre artists. Individual portfolios will be created in One Drive and shared with each student to populate. Support will be offered from the Academic Office upon request.
1. TDF GOAL: THEATRE MAJORS WILL COMPLETE ALL COURSE WORK REQUIRED TO GRADUATE WITH A DEGREE IN THEATRE. PORTFOLIO DEMONSTRATION:
All students will include in their portfolio an up-to-date degree audit sheet.
2. TDF GOAL: THEATRE MAJORS WILL HAVE THE ABILITY TO WRITE CRITICALLY
All theatre majors, regardless of primary area of theatrical interest, will develop the ability to analyze plays, write critically about performances and write a scholarly essay on a theatre related subject. PORTFOLIO DEMONSTRATION: All students will include in their portfolio a maximum of three varied writing samples from TDF course work. They may include: response papers to performances, character analysis reports, script analysis projects, history of theatre research papers etc.). Papers which include the professor’s comments and grade are preferred.
3. TDF GOAL: THEATRE MAJORS WILL BE EXPOSED TO THE IDEAS OF DISTINGUISHED THEATRE ARTISTS AND SCHOLARS
Theatre majors will develop an aesthetic philosophy and personal vision of theatre, in part, by engaging critical and theoretical reading of works by writers who have significantly influenced the way in which theatre is made and understood.
PORTFOLIO DEMONSTRATION: List five books (you may include text books) on theatre history, theory or criticism you have read that have strongly influenced your aesthetic life. Please confine your list to books that were assigned or recommended reading in a TDF course. Select the reading that you feel most influenced your development as a theatre artist and, in a short statement, describe why you found this particular book to so significantly impact your understanding of theatre.
4. TDF GOAL: THEATRE MAJORS WILL RECEIVE BROAD EXPOSURE TO A VARIETY OF THEATRE PRODUCITON DISCIPLINES
The curriculum of the Theatre, Dance & Film department provides students with the opportunity to select from a variety of courses across several different theatre disciplines. Theatre majors will be required to achieve four crew experiences during their matriculation. Theatre majors are given hiring preference in a variety student employment positions within the department.
PORTFOLIO DEMONSTRATION:
State your primary area of interest and emphasis: (i.e. acting directing writing design) and identify your participation at least three TDF experiences which were outside of your primary area of interest. In a short statement explain how one or more of these experiences significantly contributed to the development of your knowledge and understanding of theatre in ways that were new to you. How was your point of view changed by theatre experiences outside of your primary area of interest?
5. TDF GOAL: THEATRE MAJORS WILL ENGAGE IN LEARNING BY ATTENDING OFF CAMPUS PRODUCTIONS
During their matriculation, theatre majors students will supplement their course work and hands-on theatre experience and expand their vision of theatrical possibilities by attending at least eight plays produced locally at professional theatres or other colleges and universities.
PORTFOLIO DEMONSTRATION:
List at least eight off campus productions you have attended during your undergraduate matriculation. In a short statement explain how one or several of these productions influenced your ideas about making theatre. Be specific and reference as much detail as possible about the elements of the productions you cite (e.g. subject/content, visual elements, performance techniques/choices, etc.) and explain the ways in which the production taught you something that you had not previously considered.
6. TDF GOAL: THEATRE MAJORS WILL BE PREPARED TO APPLY FOR GRADUATE STUDY AND/OR TO SEEK ENTRY LEVEL EMPLOYMENT IN THE THEATRE:
Theatre majors will graduate with the capability to create a high quality resume sufficient for use with employment/graduate school applications in theatre related fields. Students with an interest in design will accumulate sufficient documentation to begin a portfolio of visual materials demonstrating their work. Students with an interest in acting will possess a repertoire of audition material in a variety of genres. Students with an interest in stage management will possess a detailed prompt book and related documentation developed during a stage management experience on a main production. Students with an interest in playwriting will possess a writing sample which has benefited from workshop feedback and/or faculty advice in its development.
PORTFOLIO DEMONSTRATION:
All Students: Present a resume which demonstrates your experience in an area of theatre in which you plan to seek employment. Write a short statement identifying how TDF assisted you in discovering your special area of interest and which learning experiences within TDF have, in your judgment, best prepared you to seek further study and/or future employment in the theatre.
Actors: Include a sheet listing all audition pieces in your repertoire which you have at the ready. Include play title, author, character name and short description of what the character is doing within the context of the monologue.
Designers: Present a selected portfolio of designs created as class projects or for actualized theatre productions.
Stage Managers: Present a prompt script from a production you stage managed which includes all script notations related to staging and cueing. Also, include samples of rehearsal reports, production meeting minutes and written correspondence with production staff.
Playwrights: Present a 10-15 page sample of an original play.
7. INDIVIDUL GOALS: THE FUTURE
PORTFOLIO DEMONSTRATION:
Juniors: Please state three to four things that you would like the opportunity work on during your senior year in order to maximize the benefits of your theatre experience within TDF.
Seniors: Please reflect on your short term and long term goals following graduation and identify how your experience in TDF has helped to prepare you for the future. Also, please offer suggestions about the ways in which TDF should develop in order to better serve its students.
Updated 3/17/2021 PDF available for printing here.
