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| Department of Theater Doctorate Program |
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The
interdisciplinary Doctor of Philosophy degree in conjunction with
the Department of Speech Communication offers a broad range of course
work in the Theater/ Speech Communication Arts including playwriting,
theater history and criticism, dramaturgy, performance studies,
intercultural communication, interpersonal communication, communication
pedagogy, rhetoric and the philosophy of communication.
PLAYWRITING
We offer the only MFA Playwriting degree in the state, and the only
PhD program which allows for a creative dissertation. The program
combines a variety of playwriting courses with an extensive range
of actual production/reading opportunities including short showcase
readings, full productions of short plays in our annual JOURNEYS:
NEW PLAYS production, and a full production of a thesis or dissertation
play. In addition, our connections to two active Chicago Off-Loop
theaters provide readings and networking with the Chicago theater
scene. MFA THESIS: The M.F.A. Thesis involves writing a full-length
play which is produced; the document includes the text of the play,
a critical description of the playwriting challenges solved in the
project, indication of future work on the project, and an evaluation.
DOCTORAL DISSERTATION: The PhD in Playwriting involves writing three
full-length dramas (1 screenplay allowed), which all center around
a specific theme, playwriting challenge, critical issue, or some
other connective. The scripts are prefaced by a scholarly/critical
essay dealing with the critical question concerned, and uses most
of the techniques and disciplines of scholarly writing. One of these
three plays is produced. COURSES PROVIDED REGULARLY: *Theater 411A:
The Short Play *Theater 411B: The Long Play * Theater 503: Professional
Development (taken by graduate playwrights every semester) *Theater
504: Theater Theories & Conventions, Part I *Theater 505: Theater
Theories & Conventions, Part II COURSES OFFERED ON A ROTATING
BASIS: Mythical Structures for Storytellers – a look at the
Hero's Journey as a script model; Deconstructing "Othello"
– a close analysis of Shakespeare's play to discover theoretical
principles; Modern Experiments in Drama – a study of contemporary
non-traditional playwriting ADDITIONAL ELECTIVE COURSES, offered
through Cinema, English, and RTV. |
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The
Ph. D requires 51 semester credit hours of course work. A minimum
of 18 hours must be in Speech Communication courses with 24 hours
in Theater and 9 hours of advanced course work outside the two departments.
In addition, 24 semester credit hours of dissertation work are required. |
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Besides
dedicated faculty and excellent coursework, SIUC offers some very
unique theater research opportunities. Our university library houses
several theater collections including the Sherman Theater Collection
with over 4000 melodrama scripts, the papers of African American dancer/chorographer,
Kathryn Dunham: labor playwright, John Howard Lawson; Broadway designer,
Mordecai Gorelik, Epic Theater practitioner, Erwin Piscator; the Abbey
Theater Collection, the Unity Theater Collection, as well as the Herbert
Marshall Collection which contains many materials on African American
performers Ira Aldridge and Paul Robeson. |
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There
are a limited number of departmental assistantships available to
graduate students. Assistantships cover full tuition and offer a
monthly stipend. The assistantship duties typically involve working
in a production capacity or teaching introductory classes. These
appointments cannot be offered until the student has been admitted
to the Graduate School. The Ph.D. students are also eligible for
a variety of financial aid opportunities including competitive fellowships,
minority fellowships, federal work-study, and research assistantships.
Please note that you must apply by the end of January, and submit
GRE or GMAT scores to be considered for a fellowship.
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The
application forms are available by downloading from this
website or by contacting Dr. David Rush, the Director of Graduate
Studies.
All forms, including official transcripts
from all undergraduate and graduate institutions attended, the application
for Admission to Graduate Studies plus three letters of recommendation
in sealed envelopes, should be addressed and sent to the Director
of Graduate Studies in the Department of Theater. Prospective playwriting
students must also submit approximately 2 to 2 1/2 hours of writing
material consisting of one full-length play and/or several significant
short pieces.
PLEASE NOTE: As your application is processed through the Department
of Speech Communication, please email the Director of Grad Studies,
David Rush, and inform him of your intent to apply. This will expedite
your application.
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PLEASE NOTE: ALL APPLICATION
MATERIALS FOR THE THEATER DOCTORATE SHOULD BE SENT DIRECTLY TO THE
DIRECTOR OF GRADUATE STUDIES, DEPARTMENT OF THEATER, DAVID
RUSH
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An overall GPA of at least 3.25 minimum
- GRE Scores 75% or above
- Official transcripts sent from ALL Schools attended
- A resume
- A statement of intent: 300 words minimum on your background,
your goals in pursuing this degree, and any other relevant material.
- 3 letters of recommendation
- Sample of your scholarly work
- A sample of your playwriting work. All candidates for the playwriting
program must include 2 to 2 1/2 hours of stage script material,
formatted and bound in a professional manner.
- In addition, some form of personal interview - either a visit
to campus or a phone interview.
Deadline:
Applications for the MFA and PhD programs must be submitted by
March 1. If the student is applying for financial support from PROMPT,
Graduate Fellowships, etc., the deadline is earlier: January 1.
(This is because the Graduate School has its own application deadlines
which we must adhere to.) In special and highly unusual situations,
some of these deadlines may be occasionally adjusted. Please contact
the Director of Graduate Studies for further information.
After perusing these materials, please
feel free to contact Dr. David Rush
about Playwriting, Dr. Anne Fletcher
about Theater History and Criticism, or Dr.
Ronald Naversen about Theater Design. Questions regarding the
Speech Communication portions of this degree should be directed
to Dr. Ron Pelias, Director
of Graduate Studies for Speech Communications or by
viewing their webpage.
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