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University Theater at The University of Chicago
Read the letter that has gotten lost in all the stuff that you received from the UofC over the summer.
Frequently and Infrequently Asked Questions Join the UT-General listhost Major or Minor in Theater and Performance Studies.
The student theater at the University of Chicago, University Theater (UT) builds on a strong tradition that began in 1898 and continues today under one unified organization. The symbiosis of practical and theoretical coursework with student-driven productions has created a thriving program that is unique to the University of Chicago. Currently University Theater productions involve approximately 500 students, including actors, designers, directors, and production staffs with a yearly audience approaching 6,500.
Theater and Performance Studies (TAPS) offers a rigorous academic program requiring students to acquire facility in the practice of two media (including but not limited to theater, film, video, dance, music, and creative writing) while gaining a fluency in specific methods of critical analysis. Students receive training in both performance practice and analysis, acquiring the fundamental tools necessary for artistic creation while at the same time developing a vocabulary with which to analyze creativity. In this way, the program aims to contest the separation of academic theory and artistic practice (or, for that matter, theorists and practitioners). The program is designed to be flexible (in order to afford its majors as much latitude as possible in pursuing their particular interests) and exacting (in order to guarantee the development of comparative practical skills and rigorous analytic capacities).
TAPS offers sequences in acting, directing and design, with advanced level courses offered by theater professionals who represent the best in their field. Each quarter culminates in “UT Day,” where the full day of Friday of 10th week is dedicated to showings from courses and individual projects. Three years ago “New Work Week” was established to workshop and showcase student written work. During the 2006-2007 academic year, University Theater will offer a total of 40 courses, 13 taught by guest lecturers, and serve close to 500 students. Almost half of the courses (101-104) fulfill the Core requirement. The majority of students are not TAPS majors but represent all concentrations in the College.