Students of the program in Theatre Arts Management will develop hands-on knowledge in arts and non-profit administration along with program management through a combination of stage production, in classroom simulation, and through hands on experience in the workforce through internships. This dynamic major includes not only courses through the Theater Arts program, but also courses in business programs including management, marketing, finance, and other business-related courses. This program will give students the skills needed to enter the performing arts industry, and even develop their own theatre company, enabling and providing platforms for future artists to fulfill in a business enterprise.
Student participation in the staging of plays, musicals, and dance performances for the public is a required part of the theatre major’s training. This hands-on production experience provides ample opportunity for practical application of course work. The combination of coursework and intensive practical experience ensures the development of the broad range of practical skills necessary for success in the field including a variety of technical trade skills, collaboration, creative problem solving, communicative clarity, organizational prowess, ethics, and time management skills. Departmental faculty facilitates students in planning and achieving career goals. To this end, students are encouraged to seek summer employment in theatrical endeavors according to their interests, to participate in professional organizations, to attend conferences and workshops (such as the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival in which the department participates yearly), to work on Discovery projects, and to take on lead assignments in the mounting of departmental productions.
Program Mission
The mission of the Theatre Arts Management Program is dedicated towards creating “total theatre-makers.” Performing arts provide the indispensable social functions of entertainment, enlightenment, and education. For the theatre artist, performing arts teaches practical skills including collaboration, creative problem solving, communicative clarity, organizational prowess, ethics, and time management skills through the execution of production. Those same skills are implemented in this dynamic major with not just an emphasis in the Theater Program, but also through courses from various business programs including management, marketing, finance, and other business-related courses. The program will hone student skills to develop their own theatre company, enabling and providing platforms for future artists to fulfill in a business enterprise. This execution is implemented onstage, in classroom simulation, and through hands on experience in the workforce through internships.
Program Outcomes
- Comprehend how the techniques and practices of theatre arts and dance are used for creative thought and artistic expression.
- Possess knowledge of diverse historical and multi-cultural dimensions and traditions of theatre arts and dance.
- Execute basic production processes in the areas of acting, dance, stage direction, choreography, design, and the necessary technical operations related to production.
- Graduates will be prepared for successful transfer to graduate or conservatory programs and/or to pursue professional careers in the theatre and dance performance, theatre and dance education or allied fields.
- Develop a plan for a homegrown theatre organization to be simulated in class, focused on a multi-year plan of implementation to production.
- Have experience assisting in the production program as box office manager and stage manager for two separate productions.
Program Requirements
Majors must complete three hours of Production Arts. Majors must also participate in the college production program as assistant director or stage manager, and in box office and publicity, plus two of the following capacities: performance, technical design including costume, lighting, scenic, sound, and props design, and/or production run crew.
Transfer students majoring in Theater Arts must take a minimum of 40% of the coursework required for the major at Benedictine College. Transfer students pursuing a minor in Theater Arts must take a minimum of 25% of the coursework required for the minor at Benedictine College.
