OpportunitiesDepartment of Theatre and Dance

The Theatre and Dance Department produces four main stage plays, two dance concerts, and a variable number of student-directed plays and senior projects each year. For most productions, roughly half of the student participants are majors or minors. Dance students may audition for the Gustavus Dance Company and the Apprentice Company as well as for the two dance concerts. Main stage shows represent a variety of styles and time periods and are intended to entertain and challenge. In alternating years, the Department produces a major musical.

You are also encouraged to do an internship or study away as additional experience to prepare you for your career path. Plus, there is a scholarship program to help make your Gustavus education financially possible.

Acting

  • Main Stage Shows

    • The Theatre program annually produces four main stage shows in a wide variety of styles and genres. Every other year we do a musical, which is rehearsed during January Term and performed in February.
    • Auditions for the year usually take place during fall semester (even for spring productions) so students will have the opportunity to register for the production for credit. Students interested in auditioning are encouraged to read the play before the audition and, whenever possible, to prepare a short memorized monologue of their own choosing. Specific audition information is posted prior to all audition dates.
    • Current Theatre students hold audition workshops most semesters and are happy to help you find or practice a monologue.

  • Student Shows Advanced Theatre students create a number of projects each year that need actors, designers, stage managers, and technicians. In alternate (even-numbered) years, the Department sponsors a Theatre Gallery with a number of one-act plays directed by students. Odd-numbered years feature a festival of 10-minute plays directed by members of the directing class. They are always looking for dedicated actors.

Social Justice Theatre

  • Social Justice Soup An annual showcase for work by the Creating Social Justice Theatre class and other interested performers. Spoken word, monologues, songs, and scenes are all welcome.

Dance

  • The Companies There are two dance companies at Gustavus. Auditions for the Gustavus Dance Company and the Gustavus Apprentice Dance Company are held the last week of classes during spring semester for returning students, and during orientation for first-year students. The annual spring dance concert is a fully produced set of work and features work of faculty choreographers, guest artists, and select student work.

  • Choreographers' Gallery Choreographers' Gallery presents select works of advanced choreography students every other fall semester. This opportunity is by application, due in the previous spring. Talk to your advisor for more information. Auditions for these projects are open to all interested dancers (membership in a Gustavus company is not required). Auditions are held in the beginning of the fall semester.

  • Shared Space A student-directed showcase for new dance and theatre pieces, offered in the fall of even-numbered years. Shared Space is a great place to experiment or get started with the idea of choreography. Auditions are announced early in the semester, and all are invited to give Shared Space a whirl. Further participation opportunities are offered during the year through alternative, experimental, or student-produced projects, Advanced Research projects and Honors projects. Specific audition information is posted prior to all audition dates.

Design and Technology

  • Main Stage Shows Students can work as designers, design assistants, carpenters, electricians, stitchers, and backstage crews for both Department and student productions. To participate as a designer or design assistant in the area of scenery, costumes, lighting, or sound, students must complete an application in consultation with the area advisor; this must be done in the spring prior to the year the student would like to design or assist. Designers and design assistants will then be chosen based on the criteria and questions listed in the application. Students interested in working in one of the production shops should talk to the head of the shop in their area of interest. Students who are interested in working backstage on department productions should speak with a faculty member or our technical director.

  • Student Productions Student-produced work often provides excellent opportunities for student designers and technicians, as well as for performers and directors. Watch for the chance to work with Shared Space, Honors Projects, One-Acts, and other projects in need of creative support in costumes, lighting, sets, or sound. These groups will often be quite grateful when you offer to get involved.

Other Opportunities

  • Evelyn Anderson Theatre and Dance Scholarship Gustavus recognizes theatre and dance as integral components of a liberal arts education. Through course work and performances, students are encouraged to develop creativity, knowledge, and skills necessary for perceptive, expressive interpretations of life. The Department of Theatre and Dance is strongly committed to the liberal arts ideal and involves majors and non-majors alike in classes and productions. The Evelyn Anderson Theatre and Dance Scholarships reward accomplishment and the potential for continued growth in theatre and dance.

  • Facilities for Learning and Performance With state-of-the-art facilities for practice and performance, your surroundings are more than scenery. Explore the cutting-edge technology of our brand-new Rob and Judy Gardner Laboratory Theatre, perform on the thrust stage of Anderson Theatre, freestyle in our fully equipped dance studios, lead your own production in the Black Box, or hone your craft in our scenery and costume shops.

  • Internships and Study Away You are strongly encouraged to consider a professional internship or international study program. Such programs are arranged individually, based on your interests and skills. Gustavus Theatre and Dance students have utilized the strong network of faculty and alumni connections and held internships at many major theatres and dance companies in the United States and have received credit for study all over the world. Gustavus students have studied in locales such as Russia, Sweden, Turkey, Germany, France, and England.

  • Career Paths for Theatre and Dance Majors By the time you walk across the stage at graduation, you'll be ready to take that next step onto the world stage. Our graduates flourish in performance venues across the country, both as artists and as creatives working in adjacent fields. Here is a list of recent alumni working in the field. The skills from a Gustavus degree in Theatre and Dance can also lead to some surprise professional "castings" - as business owners, designers, even doctors. There's no typecasting when it comes to the work our graduates can do.