Department of Theatre and Dance

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The Department Office is located on the 2nd Floor of the Robinson Hall building, Room 220

Open 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Monday - Friday

Dept. Phone: (510) 885-3118

Faculty

Professors Emeriti

Ann Fajilan, M.F.A. University of California, Davis

Darryl V. Jones, M.F.A. The Boston University School of Theatre Arts

Professors

Eric Kupers, M.F.A. University of California, Davis

Assistant Professor

Richard Olmsted (Chair), M.F.A. Carnegie Mellon University

Mission Statement

Through Inclusiveness and rigorous creative inquiry, the Department of Theatre and Dance provides comprehensive training in theatre and dance emphasizing passion, performance, collaboration, community and issues of social justice.

Theatre and Dance, as performing arts, provide sparks that transform a person into a lifelong student. Across the campus and in diverse communities we offer opportunities for participation both in art-making and in critical examination that help students to discover, accept, and express themselves as active, compassionate persons, and to know and appreciate the work and values of others. To succeed in their creative practices, students study world history as well as theories of art, gender, social justice, inclusion/diversity, and body politics by use of the everyday practices of the liberal arts, including collaboration, research, writing, figuring, reasoning, and experimentation. They learn practical, usable skills. Students experience the problems of making choices while on stage and off. They learn to recognize the connection between art and life, as well as to discover their own capacities to make choices as citizens, as creators of art, as collaborative team members, as “emotional first responders,” and as directors of their lives.

Our department values a diversity of approaches to performance, including: traditional, contemporary, professionally-oriented, experimental, interdisciplinary, inclusive, adaptive, indigenous, DIY, and outsider art. We welcome interested students of all sizes, shapes, abilities/disabilities, gender expressions, sexual orientations, ages, ethnicities, ancestral identities, experience levels, creative forms, and cultures.

About the Department

Use our university website link to learn more about what the Theatre and Dance Department has to offer.

• Degree Roadmaps
• New Single Subject Teaching Credential Programs for Dance and Theatre
• Auditions
• Performance Season
• Anyone Can Get Involved (open casting)
• Alumni
• Inclusive Interdisciplinary Ensemble
• Creativity Lab
• Us in the U.S. Ensemble
• Healing the Trauma of Racism Altar Project
• Videos
• Social Media Links
• And more…

Programs

• Theatre Arts, B.A.: Cross-disciplinary Performance Concentration
• Theatre Arts, B.A.: Dance and Inclusive Performance Concentration
• Theatre Arts, B.A.: Stage Technology and Design Concentration
• Theatre Arts, B.A.: Theatre Performance: Emphases in Acting and Musical Theatre

• Dance Minor
• Inclusive and Social Justice Performance Minor
• Theatre Minor

• Inclusive Performance and Dance Certificate

Courses

• DANC 102 - Diversity in Dance
• DANC 110 - Contemporary Ballet I
• DANC 111 - Hip Hop Dance I
• DANC 113 - Jazz Dance I
• DANC 115 - Modern Dance I
• DANC 116 - Dance Partnering I
• DANC 210 - Contemporary Ballet II
• DANC 211 - Hip Hop Dance II
• DANC 212 - African Dance
• DANC 213 - Jazz Dance II
• DANC 215 - Modern Dance II
• DANC 216 - Dance Partnering II
• DANC 217 - Musical Theater Dance
• DANC 218 - Wellness through Taiko, Tango, Tai Chi & Beyond
• DANC 233 - Street to Stage: History of Hip Hop Dance
• DANC 234 - Tap and Musical Theatre Dance on Stage and Screen
• DANC 271 - Physics of Inclusive Dance
• DANC 293 - Dance Projects
• DANC 313 - Jazz Dance III
• DANC 314 - Modern Jazz Dance III
• DANC 331 - Sex, Race, and Body Politics in Dance
• DANC 332 - World Dance and Cultures
• DANC 333 - Cross-Cultural Identity, Creativity, & Social Justice Abroad
• DANC 334 - Healing Our World through Ancestral Performance Practices
• DANC 341 - Dance for Children
• DANC 345 - How to Watch Dance
• DANC 360 - Inclusive Interdisciplinary Ensemble Performance
• DANC 362 - Inclusive Interdisciplinary Ensemble
• DANC 370 - Dance Ensemble Performance
• DANC 371 - Dance Stage and Screen Ensemble
• DANC 372 - Dance Creative Process Ensemble
• DANC 401 - The Expressive Body
• DANC 490 - Independent Study
• DANC 493 - Dance Capstone
• DANC 497 - Issues in Dance

• THEA 151 - Fundamentals of Acting
• THEA 251 - Stage Voice and Classical Repertoire
• THEA 252 - Voice and Movement for Actors
• THEA 341 - Dramatic Activities for Children
• THEA 351 - Intermediate Acting
• THEA 371 - Musical Theatre Techniques
• THEA 372 - Musical Theatre Rehearsal
• THEA 493 - Theatre Capstone
• THEA 498 - Internship

• THEA 100 - Theatre: A Spotlight on Life
• THEA 101 - Doing The Right Thing: Social Justice Theatre
• THEA 110 - Discover Acting
• THEA 111 - Costume Techniques
• THEA 112 - Makeup Techniques
• THEA 113 - Stage Lighting Techniques
• THEA 114 - Sound Production Techniques
• THEA 115 - Safe Scenery and Costume Construction Techniques
• THEA 231 - Creating Theatre from Personal Experience
• THEA 232 - Oral Interpretation of Literature
• THEA 233 - Pilipinix Culture: Theatre Ensemble
• THEA 234 - Social Justice Theatre Ensemble
• THEA 242 - From Stage to Screen: Dramas and the Films They Inspired
• THEA 244 - The Genre of Horror
• THEA 246 - Women in Performance
• THEA 254 - Acting and Diversity
• THEA 260 - Architecture and Costume History
• THEA 261 - Stage Management
• THEA 262 - Pencil and Color Sketching
• THEA 263 - Wood and Metal Construction
• THEA 264 - Non-Western Costume
• THEA 265 - Fashion History and Design
• THEA 293 - Theatre Projects
• THEA 321 - History of Black Theatre
• THEA 322 - History of Musical Theatre
• THEA 323 - Shakespeare on Film
• THEA 330 - Theatre of the Oppressed
• THEA 331 - Solo and Devised Theatre Ensemble
• THEA 344 - Interpretation of Women’s and Ethnic Literature
• THEA 345 - How to Watch Plays and Film
• THEA 350 - Theatre Performance
• THEA 359 - Directing
• THEA 360 - Technology and Design Studio
• THEA 361 - Scene Painting
• THEA 362 - Computer Aided Design and Model Making
• THEA 363 - Advanced Costume Construction
• THEA 365 - Masks and Specialized Makeup
• THEA 370 - Musical Theater Performance
• THEA 380 - Festival and Touring Participation
• THEA 381 - Production Support: Stage, Lights and Sound Shop or Crew
• THEA 382 - Production Support: Costume and Makeup Shop or Crew
• THEA 398 - Internship
• THEA 431 - Exploration of Dramatic Literature Characters
• THEA 432 - Exploration of Dramatic Literature Themes
• THEA 461 - Scenery, Lighting and Sound Design
• THEA 462 - Costume and Makeup Design
• THEA 490 - Independent Study
• THEA 497 - Issues in Dramatic Literature

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