Program: Musical Theatre, B.F.A.
Department of Theatre
College of Visual and Performing Arts
Williams Theatre 128 ~ 260-481-6551
Program Description
Students interested in this program must audition to gain acceptance, either prior to the start of freshman year, at the end of freshman year or in the first term of sophomore year. This nationally accredited Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Musical Theatre requires students to develop both a broad education in Theatre Arts but also a pre-professional level of education in concentrated studies of the performing arts.
Musical Theatre is an interdisciplinary degree that combines curricula of Theatre, Music and Dance, since a Musical Theatre performer must be proficient in all three performing arts areas. The program prepares students intent on professional careers in the performing arts either: to enter the field and begin professional employment or go on to more specialized training at the MFA level. Specifically, the degree will prepare students to enter professional theatre venues that offer Musical Theatre productions in the major urban markets nationally and internationally, as well as employment with professional touring companies, cruise ships, summer stock, and amusement parks. This program contributes to the academic offerings in Musical Theatre nationally by providing students a balance of theatre foundational studies and specialization studies in Musical Theatre.
The program also provides students exceptionally close mentorship by remaining modest in size. Students study and work one-on-one with dedicated and professionally active faculty. Students benefit from the small size of the department through opportunities to act, direct, and/or design in major productions during their entire four-year course of study, starting in the freshman year.
SLOs 1-9–These first nine Student Learning Outcomes are foundational and align with those of the B.A. in Theatre. Therefore, upon completion of their degrees, all B.A. and B.F.A. students in the Department of Theatre should be able to:
SLO 1: Function within the theatre complex. Conceptualize and demonstrate in practice, verbally, and in writing an understanding and appreciation for all the practical aspects of theatre, including acting, design, directing, stage management, and technical production.
SLO 2: Apply literary analyses to theatre practices. Demonstrate the ability to analyze and develop unique perspectives on theatrical texts, then analyze such texts to support, modify, clarify, and magnify said perspectives to suit the needs of the various practical areas of theatre.
SLO 3 Develop a historical timeline. Gain a broad understanding of the cultural and socio-political contexts behind each period of dramatic literature and its related production practices. Additionally, acquire a historical overview of the major trends in Western Theatre, encompassing dramatic genres, production design/technology, and performance styles from various time periods and locales.
SLO 4: Write critically. Be able to demonstrate familiarity with the basics of critical writing by utilizing a combination of close-reading skills and development of a thesis statement. Then, provide analysis and evidence-based argumentation based on supporting research, such as primary and secondary source analysis.
SLO 5: Exhibit communication strategies. Develop various rhetorical strategies, such as describing, arguing/persuading, tracing, or defining, to present the results of critical thinking and original ideas via oral, visual, written, or aural methods; then employ these methods in discussion, practice, and/or formalized presentation.
SLO 6: Develop research methods: Practice the integration of thematic, literary, experiential, and emotional research through theoretical and visual means. Additionally, understand and document secondary source material and integrate it into writing and/or creative practice.
SLO 7: Develop and apply technical skills. Display a progression of practical techniques in the various theatrical disciplines. Integrate and execute these techniques as realized projects, performances, or presentations for application in theatre or related fields.
SLO 8: Collaborate. Exhibit civility, receptivity and responsiveness when listening to and expressing original ideas about a dramatic work, while exploring appreciation and curiosity through discussion and thematic development, as well as technical skill and production development.
SLO 9: Synthesis and implementation of concepts. Integrate theoretical and practical storytelling concepts to produce staged productions, presentations, or other tangible products.
SLOs 10-16–The following collection of Student Learning Outcomes are particular to the B.F.A. in Musical Theatre. Therefore, upon completion of their degrees, all B.F.A. students in the Department of Theatre should be able to:
SLO 10: Demonstrate proficiency in dance. Acquire a strong foundation of dance vocabulary and execution in the principal styles of musical theatre dance: ballet, jazz, tap, achieving an intermediate level in two of these styles. Understand that continued development in dance training should continue post-graduation.
SLO 11: Demonstrate proficiency in music skills. Develop a comprehension of applicable music theory and musicianship skills for the purpose of learning and interpreting songs aurally and from sheet music. This should include skills in music reading, piano, and sight singing.
SLO 12: Demonstrate preprofessional proficiency in singing. Develop a flexible, healthy, and efficient singing voice capable of various singing styles.
SLO 13: Demonstrate preprofessional proficiency in acting. Use analytical skills to score dramatic repertoire of various styles and genres. Apply physical and vocal, analytical work to fully realized performances as appropriate for classwork, auditions, and productions.
SLO 14: Demonstrate preprofessional proficiency in acting while singing. Integrate the skills of acting and singing by embodying a character’s physical and vocal traits, in pursuit of an objective, with smooth transitions between speaking and singing.
SLO 15: Prepare for the profession. Develop the skills and repertoire necessary for assessing, pursuing, and securing work in professional musical theatre, including a growth mindset. Produce quality materials for a job search (headshot, resume, video clips, audition book, online presence, etc.).
SLO 16: Synthesize learning in performance. Synthesize all above SLOS 2, 3, 5-14 into the rehearsal and presentation of a musical theatre performance, demonstrating competence in acting, singing and dancing to the formation of a unified role.
Accreditation
Purdue University Fort Wayne is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Theatre (NAST).
Program Delivery
All courses for this degree program are conducted on-campus.
Declaring This Major:
It is possible to declare a B.F.A. in Musical Theatre Major first semester of the freshman year, if the student has auditioned for the faculty and been accepted into the B.F.A. in Musical Theatre program prior to freshman year. To arrange an audition, the student should contact the Department of Theatre office at: 260-481-6551. Students may also enter the university as a Theatre B.A. major initially in freshman year and then, at the end of freshman year or end of first semester of sophomore year, audition for consideration of entry into the B.F.A. in Musical Theatre. Students not accepted into this degree program by midpoint of sophomore year may petition for an audition and consideration of accentance, but granting of an audition after midpoint of sophomore year is at the discretion of the faculty. For those students not accepted into the B.F.A. in Musical Theatre or for those interested in less rigorous concentrated studies in Musical Theatre, the B.A. Theatre degree’s 18-credit concentration in Musical Theatre remains an alternative.
General Education Requirements and Program Requirements
Theatre Majors must earn a C- or higher in all Statewide General Education core courses, a grade of C- or higher on all Theatre core courses and a grade of C- or higher in all B.F.A. Concentrated Studies courses. An overall grade point average of 2.0 or higher must be maintained throughout the pursuit of the degree.
The categories of course completion requirements collectively total 120 credits for degree completion as detailed below:
- 1. General Education Courses: 33 credits from a specified variety of subject areas across the University’s curriculum (C- or higher required).
- 2. Combination of Theatre Core Courses and B.F.A. Concentrated Studies Courses: 85 credits (THTR 57 cr./DANC 8 cr./MUSC 20 cr.).
To earn the B.F.A. in Musical Theatre, students must satisfy the requirements of Purdue University Fort Wayne Academic Regulations, Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct and the College of Visual and Performing Arts College of Visual and Performing Arts . Theatre majors must earn a C- or higher in all Statewide General Education Core courses and all Theatre Core/B.F.A. Concentrated Studies courses. There are no open electives for this program.
The BFA in Musical Theatre degree requirements also require the candidate to pass annual juries, consisting of an interview with the faculty regarding progress and a performance of a song and monologue. All B.F.A. candidates will also be required to complete one major BFA role in a Musical Theatre production in the Department, referred to as the BFA Project and for which they receive credit. Leading up to the B.F.A. role, students have many opportunities to perform in Musicals and non-Musicals annually. BFA Musical Theatre students are required to audition for all Department productions and are expected to accept all roles offered.
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