Students who undertake the study of theatre at Middlebury College are expected to master the following:

  • History and Theory: Demonstrate knowledge of seminal and diverse theatrical traditions in their respective historical, cultural and theoretical contexts.

     
  • Dramatic Literature: Demonstrate the ability to analyze theatrical literature from dramaturgical, performative and visual perspectives.

     
  • Praxis: Demonstrate a high level of skill in at least one of the following theatre-making areas: acting, directing, design, playwriting or production.

     
  • Creativity: Demonstrate the ability to draw on diverse resources, including the self and others, to generate solutions to abstract and material problems.

     
  • Verbal Expression: Demonstrate the ability to articulate a critical response to dramatic theory, literature, design and performance, including one’s own work and personal aesthetic.

     
  • Professionalism: Demonstrate the ability to collaborate effectively in a manner that translates into the professional arena.

A unique feature of the Middlebury Theatre program is the focus on connecting the student with the professional art form. During their time at Middlebury, the student of theatre will submit work for evaluation and adjudication to academic and professional theatre organizations, travel to theatre festivals and centers of theatre and, finally, focus on a senior project as a culminating experience at once experiential, collaborative and analytical. The department enjoys an extraordinary relationship with alumni, through residencies, workshops, and newsletters.