The mission of the Department of Theatre and Dance at the University of Wyoming is
dedicated to the advancement, practice and understanding of theatre and dance arts.
The central focus of the department is the preparation of students for graduate studies
or for professional careers in the creation and interpretation of the visual and performing
arts. Related to this focus is the commitment to share a wide range of human experiences
with the UW student body and Laramie community through a vibrant and varied production
season.
Areas of study in the department include acting, costuming, lighting, scenic design,
playwriting, dance, dance science, musical theater, and theater education. Each of
our degree tracks is varied according to discipline, but the underlying unifying force
behind the training is the commitment to artistic excellence. The department believes
that artistry in both theatre and dance are informed by a thorough study of history
and literature across a wide range of diverse cultures, as well as a continuous engagement
in the practices of theatre and dance production. It is also the philosophy of the
department that all areas of study are complimentary and majors are encouraged to
have experiences in all areas.
All undergraduates should demonstrate the ability to:
Throughout a student's career in the Department of Theatre and Dance at the University
of Wyoming, there are both formal and informal assessments in place for all majors.
All acting and dance majors must audition in order to be in all productions in our
program. All design majors must be selected to design a show through class evaluations
and assignments. Playwrights, directors and choreographers wanting to direct, choreograph
and write for a main-stage or studio show, must be sponsored by a faculty member and
present a proposal. These auditions and proposals serve as an informal assessment
of the student's abilities and a way for students to be given informal feedback. Those
students that are cast in the productions or who are selected to design, choreograph,
or write an original piece for performance receive further assessment as they go through
the process of preparing the play or dance concert.
In addition we have four formal assessment tools that provide feedback about our
curriculum and production work: l) end of the year evaluations; 2) outside reviews
of production work from regional and national respondents; 3) KCACTF (Kennedy Center
American College Theatre Festival), ACDFA(American College Dance Festival Association)
and USITT (United States Institute for Theatre Technology) assessment through regular
competition and juried presentations; and 4) senior exit interviews.
End-of-the-year evaluations are a valuable tool for recognizing areas in need of improvement.
As a result, over the years many substantive changes have been implemented in our
department including hiring a voice and dialect coach and a male dance teacher, and
courses to prepare our students for professional and educational auditions.
Although this process is constantly changing to meet the needs of the students and
the department the current process divides the evaluations into the areas of study.
Each area of study uses tools and documentation specific to the discipline. Following
evaluations, faculty members from each area discuss the overall effectiveness of their
training and look at any additional changes that need to be made. These discussions
are documented by one of the faculty members and filed for future reference.
Outside regional evaluations are done for each of our five main stage productions
as well as those that are written and directed by students on a yearly basis. An outside
respondent from KCACTF Region VII or a dance respondent is brought in to evaluate
all aspects of the production and to give feedback to the quality and success of the
work. Feedback is given verbally after the performance. This feedback is audio recorded
and filed. Additionally, the director is requested to type a written response to
the feedback and keeps this on file for future reference.
A wide variety of response voices from across our entire region provide valuable
feedback to faculty and students alike. The best student actors and pieces are nominated
by these regionally trained adjudicators to go on to compete at the KCACTF regional
festival where they are given the opportunity to be evaluated by national professionals
and compete against other schools from our region. Faculty members are nominated for
achievement awards for exceptional work. Dance performances are also taken to ACDFA
where choreographers and student performers are given adjudicator feedback. Furthermore,
for faculty members up for tenure or promotion, a respondent with a national reputation
from outside of our region provides a written evaluation.
KCACTF and ACDFA Festivals and USITT Conference have become an important tool in assessing the development and training of our students. At the festivals students perform, direct, and design, and have their work evaluated by national professionals. Our successes at these festivals are a clear indication of our successes in the classroom and a clear indication of the level of training in our program.
Exit interviews are an annual part of our evaluation process. This year we will continue
with implementing online evaluations. Seniors will be sent a series of questions,
which they can respond to anonymously through an online server. Seniors will also
have the option to meet with a faculty member to discuss these questions if they prefer.
This evaluation process provides a truthful picture of how our graduating students
perceive our program. These responses are anonymously documented and shared with all
faculty members. Important issues are then highlighted and discussed at the following
faculty retreat.
All of these formal tools (exit interviews, festival participation, outside regional
evaluations and end of the year evaluations) have become an important part of student
preparation for entering prestigious graduate programs or the job market. With every
end of the year evaluation, every outside response, every KCACTF and ACDF competition,
students develop stronger skills in presenting themselves to the outside professional
world.
In addition to outside assessment, we have several capstone courses that prepare students for graduate level research and academics. Theatre History I and II (for all theatre students) and 20th Century Dance (for dance students) prepare students do graduate level research and formal presentations of that research. Directing I (for theatre performance majors) brings together all of the acting and technical training into a course where they must apply all of their learning. Intermediate Dance Composition courses serve the same purpose as Directing I. Design and Technology Seminar, Auditioning and Careers in Dance, and Auditioning and Professional Issues all serve as a capstone course specific to the area of study that prepares the students to present their portfolios, audition, and apply for graduate schools.
Students at the University of Wyoming are given exceptional opportunities to do independent projects. This culmination of practice can be through upper division classes, as part of their scholarship requirements, or a special Senior Project. Advanced Directors and Choreographers direct one acts or choreograph mounted productions for the public. Like our faculty production season, student productions are entered in KC/ACTF, ACDFA, and are adjudicated by outside regional respondents. Advanced designers have the opportunity to design fully mounted main-stage productions, and other projects such as the original student one acts. Student playwrights have their best scripts produced both the in the one-act and full-length form. Students in Dance Science conduct a pilot research study. Students also have the opportunity to showcase their projects at regional festivals and to have their work responded to by national respondents.
We keep track of all of our alumni on a yearly basis so that we can stay informed about their success in their careers. Through online social networking sites such as Facebook we continue to gain information about our alumni. We incorporate this information into our print newsletter and have a separate online alumni news feature.
