CREATE AT ILLINOIS
THEATRE
OUR MISSION We value innovation and collaboration in the creation of new artistic work and in approaches to the classics, along with the development of new technologies and methods of performance research.
We prepare students for professions in the theatre and related fields by fostering a deep understanding of traditional approaches paired with rigorous training in emerging professional practices.
Mr. Burns, A Post-Electric Play, fall 2016. Photo by Darrell Hoemann.
We believe that building cross-disciplinary partnerships will enhance our impact in local, national, and global contexts.
We stand for radical inclusion.
MISSION
We empower students to work entrepreneurially and as independent, critical thinkers.
BY THE NUMBERS
8
MAJORS
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Acting Costume Design + Technology Lighting Design + Technology Scenic Design Scenic Technology Sound Design + Technology Stage Management Theatre Studies
36 135 FACULTY MEMBERS
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS
GRADUATE STUDENTS
STUDENT TO FACULTY RATIO
RANKED #2 IN THE U.S. (College Factual)
* Numbers reflect Fall 2017
BY THE NUMBERS
73 10:1 2
Travesties, fall 2017. Photo by Darrell Hoemann.
FACILITIES OUR HOME IS THE WORLD-RENOWNED KRANNERT CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS, A 10-ACRE COMPLEX. YOU WILL BE INSPIRED BY THE EXCEPTIONAL WORK, REHEARSAL, AND PERFORMANCE SPACES AT ILLINOIS THEATRE, WHICH INCLUDE
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4 main theatres that seat between 200 and 2,000 patrons
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9 rehearsal and teaching studios
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A professional costume shop that produces 1,000 complete costumes a year and boasts a 75,000-piece collection
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A professional prop shop with a full complement of power, pneumatic, and hand tools for the creation of props and upholstered furniture
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A 4,800-square-foot scenery shop with extensive space and equipment for woodworking, metalworking, and setup/assembly staffed by full-time carpenters
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A media studio and light lab used to teach lighting fundamentals, programming, and video design and editing
These facilities support more than 350 performances annually, including resident productions and events featuring touring theatre companies and individual artists.
w krannertcenter.com
RESOURCES
THE FOLLOWING:
ON THE STAGE THE BFA IN ACTING PROGRAM AT ILLINOIS OFFERS INTENSIVE, CONSERVATORY-BASED TRAINING WITH A PERSONALIZED APPROACH, ENSURING GRADUATES ARE PREPARED FOR THE ARTISTIC AND BUSINESS DEMANDS FACING ACTORS AS THEY BEGIN THEIR
ACTING
PROFESSIONAL CAREERS. Students have extraordinary opportunities to develop and showcase their talent with theatre majors given priority casting for all main-stage, professional-level productions. In years one and two, students take introductory courses in movement, voice, and acting. In years three and four, students are invited into the acting studio, and meet in daily four-hour sessions including voice and speech, movement, and acting. Semester-long acting sections include advanced scene study, musical theatre, Shakespeare, and acting for the camera. At the end of the senior year, students have the opportunity to take the certification test of the Society of American Fight Directors and appear in the Chicago Showcase for agents, directors, and producers. ACTING GRADUATES GO ON TO PROFESSIONAL CAREERS: • • •
Actors Choreographers Drama Coaches
• • •
Fight Choreographers Theatre Educators Vocal Coaches
Romeo and Juliet, spring 2017. Photo by Darrell Hoemann.
ACTING
THEATRE STUDIES
Assassins, spring 2018. Photo by Darrell Hoemann.
THEATRE STUDIES Theatre Studies is intended to lay the groundwork for students planning to pursue professional careers in directing, dramaturgy, playwriting, social issues theatre, arts management, and theatre history and criticism. The flexibility of the theatre studies curriculum allows for a high degree of individual exploration. In consultation with faculty mentors, students may integrate study abroad, professional internships, and dual degree possibilities as part of the Theatre Studies BFA. RECENT THEATRE STUDIES GRADUATES HAVE PURSUED THE FOLLOWING CAREERS: • • • • • •
Arts Administrators Casting Directors Directors Performers Theatre Managers Writers
Many Theatre Studies graduates also pursue advanced degrees in Theatre.
THEATRE STUDIES
The BFA Theatre Studies Program focuses on the practical application of theatre scholarship and explores theatre production as a collaborative art form that is grounded in theory, criticism, history, research, and writing.
COSTUME DESIGN + TECHNOLOGY
LIGHTING DESIGN + TECHNOLOGY
SCENIC DESIGN
SCENIC TECHNOLOGY
SOUND DESIGN + TECHNOLOGY
STAGE MANAGEMENT
BEHIND THE SCENES This collaboration puts students in contact with professionally active faculty and more than twenty professionals in design and production who staff the Krannert Center. Rigorous training + practical experience = real skills students can use as they become designers, managers, and technicians.
PROFESSIONAL CAREERS IN THEATRE, MUSICAL THEATRE, OPERA, DANCE AND A VARIETY OF POSITIONS IN THE LIVE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY INCLUDING: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Automation Technician Costume Designer Costume Shop Manager Events Director Lighting Console Programmer Lighting Designer Live Sound Mixer Makeup Artist Master Carpenter Master Electrician Production Assistant Production Manager Props Artisan Recording Engineer Rigger Scenic Designer Scenic Painter Sound Designer Stage Manager Stitcher/Draper Technical Director Tour Manager
BACKSTAGE
The areas of Design, Technology, and Management converge in what we call Level 21 to collaborate and support productions of Illinois Theatre, Lyric Theatre @ Illinois, Dance at Illinois, and the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts.
LEVEL 21 GRADUATES GO ON TO
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT “
I never would have been on Broadway (my dream!) so soon without the training and experience that I got at Illinois. The variety of spaces I got to work in at KCPA set me up for success in the professional world and the time, attention, and feedback from my professors made me very well-rounded in my field. The most valuable skill I learned from them was how to adapt to any circumstance, and that has made all the difference.
My most notable recent credits are stage management roles on Mean Girls and On Your Feet! on Broadway and The Sting, starring Harry Connick, Jr., coming to Broadway soon. I’ve worked in stage management capacities on a total of twelve productions since graduating in 2016. I joined the Actors’ Equity Association in 2017 and am a member of its national Stage Management and Young Workers committees.
Armelle Cordelia Kay Harper Stage Management, BFA 2016
”
Photo provided by Armelle Cordelia Kay Harper.
FACULTY SPOTLIGHT Professor Sullivan serves as a key member of the three leading non-profit companies that have theatres in both the Broadway and Off Broadway arenas: Manhattan Theatre Club, Lincoln Center Theatre, and Roundabout Theatre Company. He also serves as resident artist for the Off Broadway-centric New York Shakespeare Festival/ Public Theatre, for which he frequently directs must-see summer productions in Central Park. Professor Sullivan was honored with the 2001 Tony Award for his direction of the Tony Awardand Pulitzer Prize-winning Proof by David Auburn. He has been nominated for the Tony Award on six other occasions. In 2011 he received the highest honor available to a theatre artist— induction to the Theatre Hall of Fame.
SPOTLIGHTS
Professor Daniel Sullivan has directed more than forty productions on Broadway— outpacing any living director—in addition to scores of productions Off Broadway and at regional theatres throughout the United States.
89%
OF RECENT GRADUATES WERE EMPLOYED, INTERNING, OR PURSUING FURTHER EDUCATION WITHIN SIX MONTHS OF GRADUATION.
STUDENT SUCCESS You can find our theatre alums working on the stage, behind the stage, and in front of the camera all over the world. The theatre alumni network is especially strong from NYC to Chicago to Los Angeles.
SHANOLA HAMPTON
NICK OFFERMAN
BETSY BRANDT
CAREER RESOURCES • • •
Chicago Senior Showcase (attended by talent scouts and theatre management) Annual Arts Administration & Non-Profit Career Fair in Chicago FAA Career Services: In addition to campus career services, Theatre students have access to the FAA Career Services office for guidance on portfolio and audition preparation and assistance utilizing resources specific to the performing arts.
STUDENT LIFE ALLEN RESIDENCE HALL – UNIT 1
Of the 1,600 student organizations available at Illinois, more than 100 are visual and performing arts related.
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Debono Improv Elysium on the Prairie (LARP) Eternity to Express Expression Theatre Troupe Hive Society Improv Illini Student Musicals Mithya New Revels Players Odd Request Improv Penny Dreadful Players Potted Meat Sketch Comedy Spicy Clamato The Phoenix Improv Company The What You Will Shakespeare Company
STUDENTS
Housing 651 students, Allen Hall is a creative and engaging community featuring about 60 credit-granting visual and performing arts courses, private music lessons, a music recording studio, darkroom, ceramics lab, free music lessons, and a renowned Guest-inResidence program.
SOME OF THESE CLUBS INCLUDE
THEATRE ABROAD When you study abroad, you are joining a passionate community of students, faculty, and staff from all over the world that have sought to explore new cultures, encounter fresh ideas, and create memorable experiences. Illinois Theatre values artistry, curiosity, and connection. We believe that the best artists are engaged artists, curious about the world around them. Therefore, we encourage our students to participate in Study Abroad Programs during the summer months, as a way to supplement and enhance the rigorous professional training received during the academic year. Illinois offers many study abroad opportunities.
w studyabroad.illinois.edu
“
I had the opportunity to experience studying abroad in Arezzo, Italy, as part of the Accademia dell’Arte physical theater intensive during the summer of 2017. It was amazing in so many ways. I am very grateful for the experience.
Vincent Williams Acting, BFA 2018
”
ENGAGE NOW DISCOVER FAA HIGH SCHOOL TALENT COMPETITION
FAA SUMMER INTENSIVE Immerse yourself in a one-week, college-level program. The FAA Summer Intensive provides a perfect platform for high school students to learn about careers in the arts, create strong portfolio/audition pieces, and get a true taste of college life. The broad curriculum allows students to choose a major and a minor in the visual or performing arts for the week. w go.illinois.edu/FAAsummer JUNIOR MOCK AUDITION DAY Each spring, Illinois Theatre hosts a mock audition day for high school juniors seeking feedback from faculty before applying the following fall. w go.illinois.edu/FAAvisit
OPPORTUNITIES
Theatre’s competition varies annually from a Shakespeare monologue to a set design for a specific piece. Check the website for the current year’s competition. For high school seniors, the prize is $1,000 to be applied toward your freshman year of study. w go.illinois.edu/FAAcompetitions
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 110 Architecture Building 608 East Lorado Taft Drive Champaign, IL 61820
Failure: A Love Story, spring 2017. Photo by Darrell Hoemann.
w theatre.illinois.edu w faa.illinois.edu w admissions.illinois.edu/apply Questions? faa-uaa@illinois.edu