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The mission of the Department of Theatre is to provide programs that empower students to pursue career paths appropriate to their abilities, teach students professional ethics, and reflect the liberal arts vision of the university. The Theatre Department faculty and staff are dedicated to providing an education with strong professional ethics that empowers students to pursue career paths appropriate to their abilities. The faculty and staff are also committed to excellence and learning in a professional work environment that is instilled with mutual respect. These core values are the guiding principles behind the success of Chapman’s Department of Theatre and its students. As theatre majors at Chapman, students participate in a strong professional training program with high quality productions while enjoying the benefits of a small university. The Department of Theatre offers several programs tailored to the specific goals of each discipline. Students may choose from a pre-professional Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in theatre performance or from the more broad-based Bachelor of Arts degree in theatre. The department also offers an interdisciplinary BFA in screen acting, offered cooperatively with the Dodge College of Film and Media Arts. All of the degrees provide excellent preparation for those who plan to attend graduate school. The curriculum for theatre majors includes introductory classes in voice and movement, technical theatre, and directing; performance classes including acting for the camera, acting styles and beginning through advanced levels of acting fundamentals; movement for the performer, audition workshop, and specialized training in Shakespearian acting.
Every fall, majors from the department perform in Chapman’s American Celebration, a Broadway style musical revue produced in collaboration with the Departments of Dance and Music. This acclaimed performance is held in Memorial Hall and is always filled to capacity. The proceeds are used for Chapman’s scholarship and academic programs. Many Theatre Department students are also involved with Shakespeare Orange County during the summer. Chapman's Department of Theatre is proud to highlight the professional accomplishments of its faculty. The Chair, Thomas Bradac, is the founder of Shakespeare Orange County, now in its fifteenth season. Other faculty members include: Baron Kelly, a Fulbright scholar with a wide range of credits, from the Broadway production of Salome with Al Pacino to the major motion picture A Day Without a Mexican; Michael Nehring, founding member of several theatre companies including Shakespeare Orange County and Friends and Artists Theatre Ensemble in Los Angeles and on-camera acting coach at the Disney Channel; and John Benitz, creator of the PBS film Children of the Struggle, recognized by the NAACP Film Commission for its poignant portrayal of the struggle for black voting rights. To complement and complete the instructional staff, the Department also has seven adjunct faculty members and a full-time support staff. As part of the Department’s commitment to providing experiences similar to a professional work environment and high production values, a professional design team is hired for productions. The Department has an association with Shakespeare Orange County, which provides students backstage and onstage opportunities with a critically praised and nationally recognized summer Equity theatre. Additionally, the Department arranges many master classes and guest speakers. Graduates have been accepted to such prestigious MFA training programs as: Yale University, University of Delaware (PATP), Florida State University (ASOLO), American Conservatory Theatre, and Cal Arts. Alumni of the Department of Theatre can be found performing all over the country. One alumna is currently part of the national tour of Mamma Mia, and another can be seen in the recent film Letters from Iwo Jima. A graduate is currently Artistic Director of the LA Weekly award-winning Son of Semele Ensemble, seen on the cover of American Theatre magazine in December 2005. Other alumni can be seen performing in Shakespeare Orange County productions, directing for regional theatres such as South Coast Repertory, running successful theatre companies such as the Paradise Theatre Co. in central Washington, and working as professors, casting directors, and stage managers. |
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