THEATRE ARTS
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The Dordt Difference Theatre can open you to the human experience in a unique way. It challenges participants to confront issues and creates a context for discussion. Theatre helps an audience ask “what if?” and leads them to think about how to live before the face of God. Plays can put flesh on our worst side, making us want to repent, and, by God’s grace, become better human beings. Our program integrates the study of theatre with the doing of theatre. We use a collaborative, problemsolving approach that emphasizes learning to think critically. Dordt College is among a handful of Christian colleges with a stand-alone theatre department. We offer options for those who wish to prepare for a professional career in theatre, learn to teach theatre skills, or use their experience of this vital art form to develop skills that will lead to a job in another field. Whether you wish to be a theatre major or minor—or simply to broaden your liberal arts background—we have something for you.
HANDS-ON OPPORTUNITIES You’ll have many opportunities to get involved, even in your first year on campus. You will be able to audition for three to six performances a year that require actors and technical crews. American College Theater Festival representatives respond to each performance, giving our students the opportunity to advance to regional and national competition. Our students have choreographed dance concerts, led children’s drama workshops, organized storytelling sessions, and directed middle and high school productions. They have taken internships at the Guthrie and CLIMB theaters in Minneapolis, the Santa Fe Opera, the Berkeley Repertory Theatre in California, and more. At our High School One Act Festival, held every other year, our students work with high school students from across the nation who come to perform their plays. Dordt students also perform and help lead workshops and discussions about dramaturgy, directing, technical theatre, and other aspects of theatre. You will learn hands-on skills by working in the scene shop, costume shop, and box office. Many of these are student employment positions, which allow you to get paid while learning valuable skills.
THE PROGRAM As a theatre student at Dordt you will quickly become part of the stage production process. You’ll be mentored by faculty and fellow students as you learn the fundamentals of theatre. As part of a collaborative team that prays and works together to create performance art, you will learn to care about theatre as a gift from God that engages our community, critically examines our culture, affirms our humanity, and clarifies our beliefs. Auditions are open to all students, so you will work closely with people whose backgrounds and interests differ from your own. In the intensity of the work, a new community is forged with each production. We have been invited to perform whole and partial productions at the annual regional Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival. One-person shows, sets, costumes, and original music compositions have received awards, and our students have advanced to the finals in the Irene Ryan Acting Competition. We offer emphases in • Acting/directing • Design and technical theatre • Dramaturgy/ playwriting • Drama ministry • Theatre management Many of these emphases involve other departments. The communication and interpersonal skills you develop while involved in the theatre department will prepare you for work in public relations, sales, or journalism. Our graduates have gone to graduate school, worked in film in Los Angeles, performed on stage, and worked in theatre management with professional companies. They have also become teachers, drama therapists, business people, pastors, and designers.
JOBS FOR THEATRE MAJORS Human resources • Teacher • Marketing/PR director • Sales representative • Talent agent • Community arts center director • Arts management/fundraiser • Media consultant • Interior/fashion designer • Animator • Lighting designer • Theatrical equipment sales • Carpenter/electrician/welder • Children’s program leader • Pastor • Cinematographer • Sound engineer
WHO EMPLOYS THEATRE MAJORS? Theatres • Advertising firms • Colleges, universities, schools • Youth organizations • Television/film companies • Telecommunication companies • Amusement and theme parks • Museums/libraries/event centers • Arts councils • Entertainment law firms • Travel agencies • Production companies • Government offices • Fundraising firms • Nonprofits • Churches • Retail businesses
For more complete lists, please visit our website at dordt.edu/academics/programs/theatre_arts
FACILITIES The New World Theatre is a black box performance space with a recently upgraded lighting and sound system. It is used for rehearsals, experimental pieces, student productions, and more intimate main stage shows. The TePaske Theatre is a 514-seat, modified thrust stage theatre used for most main stage shows. It was completely renovated in 2009. We also have a large, well-equipped scene shop where sets are constructed and a busy costume shop where student employees have the opportunity to help create custom character costumes. These costumes are available to students and the community for a small rental fee.
THE FACULTY Teresa TerHaar, Ph.D., Bowling Green State University. Theatre history and educational theatre, directs main stage productions. Teresa.TerHaar@dordt.edu Josiah Wallace, M.F.A., Baylor University. Directing, acting, and playwriting courses, directs main stage productions. Josiah.Wallace@dordt.edu Laura Berkompas, M.F.A., University of Idaho. Technical theatre and design courses, technical director for all productions. Laura.Berkompas@dordt.edu Susan Blom, B.A., Northwestern College (Orange City). Designs, coordinates, and builds costumes; 36 years of experience as a professional seamstress. Susan.Blom@dordt.edu August 2015