CURRICULUM
The MFA program in Devised Performance is designed to train and launch the next generation of theatre professionals, adroit in creating original theatre with a rigorous attention to quality using all the materials at their disposal: their bodies, voices, imaginations and skills in collaboration and in creating surprising and arresting moments of live performance. The mission of the program is to expand and nourish the local, national, and international communities of forward-thinking theatre artists and to encourage the creation of groundbreaking original work.
The five-semester curriculum leverages a variety of disciplines and offers several channels of exploration in movement, voice, improvisation, and ensemble creation. The program is rooted in ensemble theatre practices and the embodied performance pedagogy of Jacques Lecoq, the French actor and movement coach who founded the internationally renowned theatre school École internationale de théâtre Jacques Lecoq. Multiple Devised Performance faculty members have trained at the Lecoq school in Paris. Weekly seminars include masterclasses with theatre leaders, as well as poets, sculptors, videographers, and artists who work in a range of disciplines.
Academic Program Guide
First Semester
⧫THD 07551 Devised Performance Ensemble I (9 s.h.)
THD 07574 Thinking Like a Producer (1.5 s.h.)
Second Semester
⧫THD 07552 Devised Performance Ensemble II (9 s.h.)
THD 07572 Being a Critical Consumer of Live Art (1.5 s.h.)
THD 07573 History, Theory, and Practice of Ensemble (1.5 s.h.)
Third Semester
⧫THD 07553 Devised Performance Ensemble III (9 s.h.)
THD 07581 Foundations of Teaching and Learning Theory (2 s.h.)
THD 07572 Contemporary Art and Culture (1.5 s.h.)
Fourth Semester
⧫THD 07554 Devised Performance Ensemble IV (9 s.h.)
THD 07582 Pedagogies of Performance/Teaching Methods (2 s.h.)
THD 07575 Creating and Leading a Healthy & Fulfilling Life as an Artist (1.5 s.h)
Fifth Semester
⧫THD 07555 Devised Performance Ensemble V (9 s.h.)
THD 07583 Teaching Practicum (2 s.h.)
THD 07576 MFA Thesis Seminar (2 s.h.)
THD 07577 Performance Documentation (1.5 s.h.)
Additional Requirements
Free Electives (6 s.h.)
Music Theory Toolkit Requirement (3 s.h.)
Music Performance Toolkit Requirement (3 s.h.)
Visual Arts Toolkit Requirement (3 s.h.)
Elective Courses Offered by Program
THD 07563 Music Skills (3 s.h.) *Fulfills Music Theory Toolkit Requirement
⧫THD 07561 Voice I (1.5 s.h.) *Fulfills Music Performance Toolkit Requirement
⧫THD 07562 Voice II (1.5 s.h.) *Fulfills Music Performance Toolkit Requirement
⧫THD 07590 Object Performance (3 s.h.) *Fulfills Visual Arts Toolkit Requirement
⧫ indicates a studio course.
Total Semester Hours/Credits Required for Graduation: 77 s.h.
Minimum Required Grades and Cumulative GPA
The Master of Fine Arts in Devised Performance requires a minimum GPA of 2.0.
About the Program
Philosophy
The Devised Performance program erases the lines of hierarchical artistic ownership in theatre and transforms the traditional norms and power structures central to the current regional theatre environment. Instead of working with pre-established texts, the program advocates creativity as dialogue rather than monologue; theatre-makers work together in an improvisational framework to create characters and performance texts wholly “owned” by creative ensembles. Rather than building new work around the spoken or written word, the program focuses intensively on the body and a physical approach to creating characters and theatrical ideas.
Structure
Students are in studio class between 4 and 8 hours daily, pursuing courses that are designed to train the total theatre artist. Throughout each semester, students work collaboratively on projects, practicing theatre-making with their peers for faculty evaluation. The second year features several public performances. The program culminates in presentations of original student-created work.
Physical Theater Foundations
The curriculum offers several channels of exploration each week structured on the three main arteries of physical theatre: movement, improvisation, and ensemble creation.
Movement
Students train their bodies each day through courses on acrobatics/gymnastics, movement analysis, dance and movement improvisation, movement composition, and core training.
Improvisation
Students work on a variety of themes, some lasting a week, some lasting up to a month. The work involves daily improvisation to train the performers to trust the impulses that arrive in the midst of performing. The body and mind collaborate to learn how to be a actor-writer.
Ensemble Creations
Each week students work in collaborative teams to develop original pieces based around specific themes/prompts. This is a chance for the students to answer the artistic and technical questions for themselves, working through the myriad problems the themes present. Students present their completed creations every Friday for faculty feedback and evaluation. Some weekly works are further prepared for public presentation, requiring the pieces to function theatrically from start to finish, and to be of the highest artistic quality.