Theatre, Dance, Music Theatre

Department of Theatre and Dance
College of Arts and Sciences
285 Alumni Arena
North Campus
Buffalo, NY 14260-5030
(716) 645-6898
Fax: (716) 645-6992
Web: Theatre and Dance
Vincent O'Neill, Chair
G. Casarella, Associate Chair
T. Ralabate, Assistant Chair, Dance; Co-Director of Dance
T. G. Crehan, Co-Director of Dance
L. Kurdziel-Formato, Director of Music Theatre
J. Finnegan, Director of Theatre Performance
C. Norgren, Director of Theatrical Design and Production
M. Casarella, Assistant to the Chair; Director, Undergraduate Advising

The Department
The Department of Theatre and Dance offers B.A. and B.F.A. degree programs in which students may study a broad range of production, design, technology, performance, historical, and literary aspects of theatre, dance, and music theatre. A central curriculum of courses is shared by all theatre, dance, and music theatre majors from which students pursue separate majors in theatre, dance, music theatre, or theatre and dance areas. Auditions are required for entrance into the B.A. Dance and all B.F.A. programs.

Department classes balance scholarship and practical training. In theatre, there is a full sequence of courses in theatre technology and design, acting, playwriting, directing, and history and literature. In dance, there is a full sequence of courses in jazz, ballet, contemporary dance, tap, choreography, teaching methods, and history and research.

Performance and production are essential parts of the curriculum. There are four performance spaces in the Center for the Arts: small and large proscenium houses, and two multipurpose black box spaces. The Katharine Cornell Theatre provides added dimensions to performance opportunities. Theatre, dance, and music theatre performances produced by the department provide hands-on learning experiences. The department's Zodiaque Dance Company performs at the university and presents a touring program; membership is by audition held early each September, as are auditions for the Zodiaque Studio Dance Ensemble, and Young Choreographers Showcase, featuring the work of student choreographers by invitation of the dance faculty. Dancers Workshop, a student-run organization, also generates a production annually. Workshop advisors are members of the faculty. The GUILD, a student theatre and dance organization, acts as a liaison between students and faculty, and generates performances through "Proba," a student run production company for workshop productions.

Students may shape the courses that complete the requirements for the B.A. major by following sequences in such areas as general dance, music theatre, dance performance, theatre performance, choreography, design/technology, dance teaching, playwriting, directing, history, and literature.

Nonmajors are welcome into most courses for which they are qualified, within the limits of staff and space. Admission to nonmajors is at the discretion of faculty and the department.

Auditions are required for all dance and music theatre majors and dance minors. Placement auditions are required for all dance courses.

Careers and Further Study
Career possibilities include performance; stage management; technical and design aspects of stage, television and film; teaching; choreography; directing; criticism; arts therapy; and research. The department's graduates have gone on to graduate study, where several have received fellowships to prestigious programs or immediately begun professional careers in performance and production. Graduates who have chosen not to enter the professional fields of theatre and dance have found the interpersonal, group, and leadership skills that their training has developed to be invaluable in many other professions, such as law, business, government, and social services, as well as in the arts and education.

Study in Theatre and Dance with a Focus on Arts Management
Arts management is an academic option that, when combined with the B.A. in theatre and dance, prepares students for work on the administrative and organizational aspects of arts centers, theatres, and other institutions promoting the performing arts. To concentrate in arts management in the Department of Theatre and Dance (in any of the theatre, dance, or music theatre options encompassed by the department), one needs to complete two semesters of TH 498 Arts Management Internship and any one of four general management minors offered by the School of Management: general management (eight courses); human resources management/organizational behavior (seven courses); accounting (six courses); or marketing (six courses). Students apply directly to the School of Management to enter the minor. Details concerning admission and the minor itself are indicated under the School of Management listing. Students are encouraged to consult their advisor in theatre and dance for further information.

Special Features
The $50 million Center for the Arts benefits UB students directly through outstanding public performance and exhibition facilities. The center houses the Departments of Art, Media Study, and Theatre and Dance, showcasing both academic and public presentations of the arts in its many intriguing and interdisciplinary forms. The Department of Music is housed in adjacent Slee and Baird Halls, allowing music students to also discover a genuine intermingling of the arts.

Theatre and dance students have a variety of theatres and studios in which to work and learn. The range and complexity of theatre spaces allow students great versatility in their professional preparation. Supporting this effort are excellent shop facilities for costumes, scenery, properties, paint, and makeup.

The 400-seat Drama Theatre is intimate and the decor inviting, with technical advantages that make it ideally suited to theatre and dance department productions and chamber operas. The orchestra pit can accommodate approximately forty musicians.

Mainstage is an 1,800-seat theatre that houses the majority of the professional touring companies at the Center for the Arts. Other features include a custom-built orchestra shell, allowing stage concerts to take place without the need for microphones and speakers. Computer-controlled panels on the walls of the auditorium are designed to adjust the acoustics at the touch of a button.

Also available to UB arts students are twin black box theatres that allow almost any kind of theatrical presentation, especially multimedia and experimental works. A 200-seat media study screening room can be used for departmental programming, as well as for the public presentation of films, speakers, panel discussions, poetry readings, and press conferences.

Dance studios are spacious with maple wood floors engineered for maximum resiliency, twelve-foot mirrors, upper-level observation spaces and specially designed sound systems.

The students of Theatre and Dance enjoy a working relationship with Irish Classical Theatre Co., Shakespeare in Delaware Park, MusicalFare, Artpark, Buffalo United Artists, Theatre of Youth, Alleyway Theatre, and Studio Arena Theatre. Studio Arena is a LORT theatre located in the heart of the theatre district in downtown Buffalo.

Creative and Performing Arts Scholarships are available through the University Honors Program. Auditions are required for applicants. To qualify for consideration, students must have a minimum high school average of 90 percent and a combined SAT score of at least 1230, or an ACT score of 28. Transfer honors applicants must hold a minimum GPA of 3.8 . The Perry Watkins scholarship is available to African American freshman students majoring in design/technology. Talent-based scholarships are also available to all students. Auditions, portfolios, and a personal interview are required for all scholarship students.

Academic Affairs

Phone: (716) 645-6003

Fax: (716) 645-2549

Last updated: Thursday, 09-Dec-2004 15:21:20 EST