Directing, Playwriting and Production - Bachelor of Fine Arts (formerly Applied Theater Arts)

Program Total Credits: 124

The Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Directing, Playwriting, and Production (DPP) is designed to give students the practical, artistic, and intellectual foundation necessary for a successful professional life in live theater and allied disciplines. This program provides practical training for the student who possesses a collaborative perspective.

Theater artists must be well-versed in a variety of disciplines, each vital in itself and intimately related to all that occurs in production. Students majoring in Directing, Playwriting and Production are called upon to develop competencies across a spectrum of these disciplines including directing, stage management, playwriting, dramaturgy and producing, as well as acting and design. At the end of the Sophomore year, each DPP major declares a focus in a particular area of emphasis. This focus is reflected in upper-level courses, production assignments, independent studies, and a year-long culminating Senior project. Internships, arranged through the Brind School’s outstanding relationship with area professional theaters, further strengthen the students’ skills and enhance their professional viability. Students completing the program are prepared to enter the industry in either production or administrative positions and may pursue a range of career options including: directing, assistant directing, literary management, casting, stage management, production management, producing, marketing, playwriting, arts-in-education, dramaturgy, and more.

This program is an ideal course of study for the student who has a profound passion for theater and/or the entertainment field, but whose long-term interests are not limited to performing. At its core, the program is intended for interdisciplinary training. The best stage managers understand production from the point of view of the director, actor and producer. The best directors have a profound comprehension of the actor’s process and stage manager’s responsibilities. And the best playwrights understand the acting and directing processes that are ultimately responsible for getting his/her work from the page to the stage. The program is also well-suited to students who may have an interest in advanced or graduate study.