BA Honours in Theatre (Acting)
The main objective of the Acting Program is to satisfy the needs of those students who have decided to pursue a career as performers in the professional theatre. The program is progressive in nature, culminating in a company of student actors who perform in three theatrical productions in the Fountain School season in their fourth year. Third year students in the Acting Program will participate in the third play of the Fountain School season. Students may secure a spot in the Acting Program by auditioning EITHER directly out of high school before enrolling in their first year at Dalhousie OR upon completion of their first year. In both scenarios, they MUST complete THEA 1801.03 and THEA 1802.03 (or equivalents at another university) in order to be eligible for the next three years of the program. In addition to meeting degree requirements, students must achieve a B in all Acting Program courses, and must also be recommended by the Acting Faculty in order to advance to the next term's/year's course of study. The program provides these students with professional training and the benefits of a liberal-arts education at a major Canadian university. Honours students must maintain an average of at least B+ in all of their advanced Theatre courses.
Year 1
- PERF 1000.03: Writing About Performance
- PERF 1002.03: Writing About Stage and Screen
- THEA 1801.03: Introduction to Acting and Performance a
- THEA 1802.03: Introduction to Acting and Performance b
- 18 elective credit hours
Year 2: The Discovery Year
The second year of the Acting Program introduces students to the fundamental principles of acting through an introduction to devised theatre, classical text work, voice, and movement. Emphasis is placed on the discipline and dedication that is the basis for a career in the professional theatre.
Year 3: The Transformation Year
The third year of the Acting Program is structured to build on the knowledge acquired in the previous two years. Students learn how to integrate what they have discovered as they gain further understanding of skills, techniques and creative expression. Third-year students perform in one show of the Fountain School season and may be invited to perform in others, depending upon the needs of the plays chosen and the student’s readiness for the performance situation as assessed by the faculty.
Year 4: the Interpretation and Performance Year
In the final year of the Acting Program, students’ studies are geared toward performance and entering the world of professional acting. The company of fourth year Acting Program students will be cast in two Fountain School season shows. Classes are devoted to preparing the student actor for transition into the profession.
- THEA 4801.03: Acting 4a
- THEA 4802.03: Acting 4b
- THEA 3503.03: Modern Theatre
- Any TWO of the following creation/collaboration courses: THEA 2901.03 (Dramaturgy: The Art of Developing Plays), THEA 2902.03 (Play Analysis for Directing), THEA 3601.03 (The Playwright in the Theatre a), THEA 3602.03 (The Playwright in the Theatre b), THEA 42.50.03 (Artists as Entrepreneurs: From Concept to Creation), THEA 4925.03 (Puppets: Bringing Objects to Life), or other Special Topics class as approved by the Acting faculty members.
- Any ONE of the following Theatre History courses: THEA 3911.03 (Gender and Theatre), THEA 3912.03 (Gender Theory and Contemporary Performance), THEA 3915.03 (Stars and Stardom on Stage and Screen), THEA 4501.03 (Canadian Theatre Since 1968), THEA 4701.03 (Special Topics 1), THEA 4921.03 (Special Topics 2), THEA 4702.03 (Special Topics 3), THEA 4735.03 (Advanced Seminar in Baroque Culture), THEA 4922.03 (Topics in Theatre History), THEA 4923.03 (Topics in Dramatic Literature), THEA 4924.03 (Special Topics in Theatre and Cinema), THEA 4925.03 (Puppets: Bringing Objects to Life), THEA 4926.03 (Creative Responses to A Midsummer Night's Dream), THEA 4931.03 (Contemporary Theatre)
- 12 elective credit hours (3 credit hours can be in THEA)
Honours Acting students will be awarded the Honours Qualifying Project upon the satisfactory completion of a professional portfolio.
NOTES:
1. Applications for Honours in Theatre are not considered by the Fountain School of Performing Arts until the winter term of the student’s third year. Please enquire at the School for the relevant deadline.
2. For historical reasons, many classes with FILM codes are crosslisted as THEA. However, no such class will count toward any Theatre degree, with the exception of FILM 3915.03/THEA 3915.03 (Stars and Stardom on Stage and Screen), FILM 3314.03/THEA 3314.03 (Shakespeare and his Contemporaries on Film), and FILM 4393.03/THEA 4924.03 (Special Topics in Theatre and Cinema).