Major

Theatre is education for life. The communications, analytical and artistic skills learned as an Eckerd College Theatre major will benefit students in any field of endeavor. Students from our program have attended graduate school, joined professional theatres, and formed their own theatre companies.

Eckerd Theatre students develop skills in acting, directing, design and technical theatre. They acquire knowledge of plays, theatrical movements and innovators. They gain real world experience by completing internships, networking at professional theaters and conferences, and producing their own work. This eclectic training produces independent, adaptable, motivated and responsible creative thinkers - high in demand in every field of opportunity.

The academic requirements for Theatre majors are ten courses including the Theatre Capstone in the spring of the senior year.

The ten courses are as follows:

  • Basic Acting or The Human Instrument
  • Stagecraft
  • Design Basics or Lighting and Sound Design
  • Two sections of Theatre Production
  • Performance and Design History
  • Theatre Capstone
  • Three theatre electives

A suggested sequence of courses is as follows:

First Years

  • Basic Acting or The Human Instrument
  • Stagecraft
  • Theatre Production

Sophomores

  • Theatre Production
  • Design Basics or Lighting and Sound Design
  • Theatre elective

Juniors

  • Theatre elective
  • Theatre elective

Seniors

  • Performance and Design History
  • Theatre Capstone

A minor in theatre requires five courses, of which at least two are at the 200 level or above. Three must be Eckerd College courses.

B.F.A. Degrees Offered in Partnership with Circle in the Square Theatre School

The B.F.A. degree program in Theatre and Musical Theatre offers qualified students the opportunity to combine a liberal arts education at Eckerd College with a two-year professional conservatory theatre training program at Circle in the Square Theatre School, located in the Broadway district of New York City.

The Theatre Discipline offers a 2 + 2 program through an articulation agreement with Circle in the Square Theatre School. This partnership results in a choice of one of two degrees granted by Eckerd College: either a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre or Musical Theatre.

A student will follow one of two paths to earn either a B.F.A. in Theatre or a B.F.A. in Musical Theatre:

1. STARTING AT ECKERD AND TRANSFERRING TO CIRCLE

Students who successfully complete their first two years of study at Eckerd College and who are accepted by audition to Circle in the Square Theatre School will then complete their junior and senior years at Circle in the Square.

B.F.A. in Theatre or B.F.A. in Musical Theatre

  • Major requirements at Circle in the Square (either Acting or Musical Theatre)
  • Humanities area course
  • Social Science area course
  • Natural Science area course
  • Quantitative area course
  • Environmental Perspective course (Performance and the Environment recommended)
  • Global Perspective course
  • Human Experience I
  • First-Year Experience Seminar
  • Autumn Term
  • Second Short Term
  • Language (2 semesters)
  • Writing Intensive course
  • Reflective Service Learning (RSL) academic course (Theatre Production recommended)
  • 20 RSL Hours
  • 16 College Program Series (CPS) events
  • Master class
  • 18 courses (Eckerd minimum requirement) + 20 RSL Service Hours + 16 CPS Events

ng>2. STARTING AT CIRCLE IN THE SQUARE AND TRANSFERRING TO ECKERD

Students who transfer to Eckerd College with two full years of study (with passing grades and two-year certificate) from Circle in the Square, either in Theatre or in Musical Theatre, may pursue a B.F.A. degree in Theatre or Musical Theatre at Eckerd College.

B.F.A. in Theatre

  • Major requirements at Circle in the Square
  • Humanities area course
  • Social Science area course
  • Natural Science area course
  • Quantitative area course
  • Environmental Perspective course (Performance and the Environment recommended)
  • Global Perspective course
  • Imagining Justice
  • 2 Short Terms
  • Writing Intensive course
  • Reflective Service Learning (RSL) academic course (Theatre Production recommended)
  • 2 Theatre Electives (in 200-level acting courses or above)
  • Writing Portfolio
  • 20 RSL Hours
  • Master class
  • 18 EC courses (Eckerd minimum requirement) + 20 RSL Hours

2. STARTING AT CIRCLE IN THE SQUARE AND TRANSFERRING TO ECKERD

B.F.A. in Musical Theatre

  • Major requirements at Circle in the Square
  • Arts area course
  • Humanities area course
  • Social Science area course
  • Natural Science area course
  • Quantitative area course
  • Environmental Perspective course (Performance and the Environment recommended)
  • Global Perspective course
  • Imagining Justice
  • 2 Short Terms
  • Writing Intensive course
  • Reflective Service Learning academic course (Theatre Production recommended)
  • 2 Electives (Theatre or Music)
  • Writing Portfolio
  • 20 RSL Service Hours
  • Master class
  • 18 EC courses (Eckerd minimum requirement) + 20 RSL Hours

General B.F.A. Degree Requirements:

  • Two full years of study (with passing grades and two-year certificate) at Circle in the Square will be counted as 63 semester hours or 18 courses (two full years) at Eckerd.
  • One full year of study (with passing grades) at Circle in the Square will be counted as 31.5 semester hours or 9 courses (one full year) at Eckerd.
  • Students must complete separate admission requirements for Eckerd College and for Circle in the Square. Students must interview and audition as part of the entrance requirements to Circle in the Square.
  • Students pursuing a B.F.A. degree will pay tuition/fees to the institution they are currently attending.
  • Eckerd students will be placed on College Leave status while they complete courses at Circle in the Square.
  • Successfully completed courses from Circle in the Square will be transcripted in as transfer courses with no grade/GPA value (they will not appear as Eckerd courses).