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Department of Theater & Dance

BA Theatre Studies


Scene from "The Ghost Sonata"st

Overview | Curriculum | Student Testimonial | Collaboration/Performance |
Faculty | Facilities | Accreditation | Applying| Contacts and Visiting


BA Theatre Studies/
What it’s About

The Bachelor of Arts (BA) in THEATRE STUDIES program provides students with a solid foundation in performance, dramatic literature, theatre history, dramaturgy, and stagecraft within the context of a liberal arts curriculum. The program emphasizes the practical as well as academic and theoretical aspects of theatre, and is oriented toward the rigorous training of well-rounded, responsible theatre artists who value ensemble, collaboration, and artistic community. Through classroom and practical experience, students prepare for broad-based careers in theatre and theatre-related professions, for advanced training programs and/or for graduate study. To complement their course work, BA students may audition for departmental productions mounted in the college's performance facilities as well as participate in backstage/front-of-house production capacities.

Located on a campus just 14 miles west of Manhattan, our BA in Theatre Studies program attracts an outstanding faculty and prominent guest artists to work with our students every semester. Likewise, our 30-minute train ride to New York connects students with Broadway productions, internship opportunities and all that attracts artists from all over the world.

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What you will Study

The BA in THEATRE STUDIES curriculum is comprised of a total of 120-credits, including 58 credits in the major and 62 credits in general education. Core courses include acting, voice and movement, directing, playwriting, stagecraft, theatre history, script analysis, dramaturgy, and collaborative creation. There is also a focus on the play-making process, culminating in a senior project – created in collaboration with a professional theatre artist and performed as part of the department’s production season.

In addition to the core curriculum, BA Theatre Studies students complete a series of electives to define a "track" of their choosing (i.e., acting, directing, playwriting, design or management). Such flexibility allows students to explore their particular area of interest as well as participate in Study Abroad and earn credit through professional internships in the NY/NJ area. (The program is unique in this regard among programs in the department.) The Plays in Performance class, which includes 7-8 trips to New York City, further distinguishes the program and introduces students to the wide spectrum of professional productions reflective of the industry.

Curriculum Links –

Curriculum requirements of the BA Theatre Studies program, in relation to other Theatre and Dance options, may be found within the following links:

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Student Testimonial

Malcolm McMichael - Theatre Studies Major

Malcolm McMichaelIf you ask 100 students in the Department of Theatre & Dance why they decided to come to Montclair State, you'll hear 100 different answers. Here's what Malcolm McMichael told us about his experience with Montclair and his choice of Theatre Studies as a major.

"I chose to go Montclair State University for a number of different reasons. It has a beautiful, nice-sized campus that doesn’t feel like a maze, it is close to my home, and it has one of the very best performing arts departments in the whole country.

As a Theater Studies major, I can audition for a variety of professional-quality performances, even as a Freshman. Here, it doesn't matter whether you're in the Musical Theater department or in one of the sciences––everyone can audition because the department values talent way more than politics. In my program, I get to take hands-on classes in acting, directing, play writing, as well as all the behind-the-scenes production disciplines. For example, last semester I helped build the sets for our production of Sweeney Todd, and now I'm in the Costume Shop creating costumes.

I feel really lucky to go to a school that offers so many amazing opportunities. I’ve met all sorts of interesting people who are all just as committed to getting what they want out of life. Montclair State has students from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, and many foreign countries as well. Going to a diverse university was a crucial deciding factor for me, so I'm extremely thankful that this school is exactly that.

When you ask someone about their college experience, they might talk about parties or roommates. But for me, I can talk about my first casting call and photo shoot, or the fun of having a theater class with the head of your department! In other words, I love this university and feel that Montclair State literally acts as a doorway to personal success."

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Collaborations and Performance

Through collaborations with the Arts & Cultural Programming unit, BA Theatre Studies students are afforded one-of-a-kind opportunities to work with world-class guest artists and theatre companies in the state-of-the-art Alexander Kasser Theatre. Students perform in productions that are created and/or directed by professional artists and companies with national and international reputations. Previous projects included works such as "past-Tense", where students worked with director Robert Wood and the Pig Iron Theatre Company, the London-based DV8 physical theatre company, and the multi-disciplinary director/choreographer David Gordon.

Additional performance opportunities include the annual Senior Project production, departmental productions and workshops, directing class scenes, play-readings series, and participation with MSU’s student organization, Players.

Students also have opportunity to attend more than 500 professional performance events produced annually through Montclair’s internationally acclaimed Peak Performances – a program of eclectic theatre, dance and music productions. Students are admitted at no additional charge by presenting their MSU student ID.

Successful alumni of the Theatre Studies program are currently working in all facets of the theatre industry in addition to being actors, directors, producers, playwrights and educators.

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An Outstanding Faculty

More than seventy-five permanent faculty and visiting professionals, including celebrity guest artists and artists-in-residence, mentor our Theatre and Dance students every semester - their shared experiences lending invaluable insights into the ‘real world’ of their professions and opportunities which go beyond the classroom.

Faculty Directory Links –

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Exceptional Facilities

Montclair State’s performance facilities are exceptional. With six glorious theatres, students experience theatre in spaces that are the best of their kind. Venues include the state-of-the-art Alexander Kasser Theater, a 1000-seat auditorium, 2000-seat amphitheater and the intimate L. Howard Fox Theatre.

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Accreditation

The Theatre Studies program meets the rigorous standards of the Department of Theatre and Dance’s accrediting body – the National Association of Schools of Theatre (NAST), thus placing it among the best such programs in the nation.

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How to Apply

For information on applying to the BA Theatre Studies program, see the Department Admissions page

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For Further Information

For further information regarding Theatre Studies and other programs in the Department of Theatre and Dance, please contact and/or visit us on campus.

Contact –

Theatre Studies Program Coordinator:
Dr. Debbie Saivetz
973.655.3353

Events for Prospective Students –
Arts Days and Open Houses

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