Theatre and Film (Including Theatre Education)
D&E Theatre and Film: the first line of the greatest story you will ever tell!
Theatre Arts Stage & Screen Program
The Theatre & Film program at D&E is always an adventure. You may find yourself on a large 60-foot stage or performing in a banquet hall. You might be running a state-of-the-art lightboard, or tweaking lights on location in a lush forest. The variety of stage and film work you’ll encounter at D&E will always keep you engaged!
Purpose
The D&E Theatre & Film program prepares you with a strong foundation in acting, design, and community-engaged theatre as well as advanced skills in a specialty of your choice. Acting, design, directing, dramaturgy, education, film production, playwriting, stage management, theatre management – the possibilities are endless. Not sure which area you want to specialize in? Try them all! Flexibility in the Theatre & Film program allows for growth and self-discovery through exploration, observation, innovation, and collaboration.
But what do you do with a BA in Theatre & Film? Whatever you want! Our students have gone on to successful careers and graduate programs in a wide variety of fields from theatre and film to education and marketing. The skillset you learn in the Theatre & Film program at D&E prepares you for communication, creative thinking, and arts entrepreneurship – all elements highly sought after in the job market of the future. Alumna have gone on to act professionally, light rock shows, write for Pixar, produce television shows, craft life size puppets, and much, much, more!
Whether you’re a major, minor, or just love theatre and film, you’ll experience hands-on learning through courses, trips, and productions. From the moment you step on campus, you’ll have opportunities to participate (and even star!) in mainstage shows, film productions, and student driven works. Small class sizes and dedicated faculty provide individualized education and a tight knit learning community.
Program at a Glance
Degrees: B.A. in Theatre Arts; B.A. in Theatre Education; Minor in Theatre; Minor in Film Production
Optional Concentrations: Stage & Screen Performance; Technical Theatre; Musical Theatre
Nationally Accredited with the National Association of Schools of Theatre (NAST).
Scholarships available to majors, minors, and non-majors. Contact Professor Lonnie Martin, martinl@dewv, for more information.
Theatre Arts Majors Can Get Training in…
• Arts entrepreneurship
• Advanced acting techniques
• Comedy web series creation
• Community-engaged theatre
• Contemporary theatre
• Collaboration and devising
• Design and tech
• Dramaturgical methods
• Filmmaking and editing
• Improvisation
• Movie Production
• Playwriting and Screenwriting
• Voice and movement
• See Program Requirements link below for a full list of classes
Theatre Education Majors Get
All of the above options and…
- A Minor in Education through our Accredited Teaching Program for Teaching Licensure
- Hands-on teaching experiences
- Inclusion in all aspects of the Stage & Screen Program
- Equal opportunities both on and behind stage side-by-side with Theatre Arts Majors
- To direct, cast and design your own production in your Senior year
Productions
Production at D&E is always an adventure You may find yourself on a large 60 foot stage or performing in a banquet hall. You might be running a state of the art lightboard, or tweaking lights on location in a lush forest. The variety of stage and film work you’ll encounter at D&E will always keep you on your toes.
Annually, we produce a mix of 2-3 mainstage productions, one of which is often a longform film produced Hollywood independent style.
In addition to our newly renovated 350-1,000 seat performance space, the Harper McNeeley Auditorium, we perform live theatre “guerilla style” in “found” spaces both on and off campus. We look for ways to train you for any venue: from our on-campus mansions, outdoor pavilion and amphitheatre, and chapel to spaces in the community, we challenge you to be prepared for the demands of making theatre when you leave your undergraduate surroundings.
Through a mix of classical and contemporary work, students get a well-rounded exposure to a multitude of playwrights, acting styles, and production experiences. You’ll not only get to work with award winning faculty, but a variety of guest artists and directors.
Additionally, there are student driven filmmaking projects through coursework and clubwork which culminate in our annual filmmaking showcase in May.
Again, because of our small size and family atmosphere, these opportunities for students to direct, design, stage manage, and star in shows and films are available from the moment they step on D&E campus as a student in their first year.
Past Productions
2022-2023 Season
She Kills Monsters by Qui Nguyen
Legacy Bid [Original Movie Production] by Lonnie Martin and Lauren Whittier
45 Plays for 45 Presidents by Karen Weinberg, Chloe Johnston, Genevra Gallo-Bayiates, Sean Benjamin, and Andy Bayiates
Student Film Showcase
2021-2022 Season
Eurydice by Sarah Ruhl
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee by William Finn and Rachel Sheinkin
Based on C-R-E-P-U-S-C-U-L-E by Rebecca Feldman
Failure: A Love Story by Philip Dawkins
Student Film Showcase
2020-2021 Season
Proof by David Auburn
Student Film Showcase
2019-2020 Season
Frankenstein – Playing with Fire by Barbara Field
Based on the novel by Mary Shelley
The Apple Tree by Jerry Bock, Sheldon Harnick, and Jerome Coopersmith
Based on The Diaries of Adam and Eve by Mark Twain, “The Lady, or the Tiger” by Frank Stockton, and Passionella by Jules Feiffer
2020-2019 Season
A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare
Murdered to Death by Peter Gordon
How to Apply
Step 1
Apply to Davis & Elkins College.
Step 2
Schedule a visit.
Step 3
Set up a Stage & Screen Scholarship Audition by emailing esterhuizenb@dewv.edu. We accept video auditions.
*The Stage & Screen Scholarship ($500-$3,000) is open to all majors, minors, and non-majors.
Course Offerings
Stage and Screen Program Courses:
*Required for Theatre Core
+Required for Theatre Education (in addition to taking a Minor in Education)
105A | Beginning Improv+
111A | Voice and Diction*+
112A | Movement Fundamentals*+
116A | Beginning Acting Studio*+
150A | Stage & Screen Crafts 1*+
160A | Filmmaking
206A | Physical Comedy Studio
207A | Comedy Web Series
208A | Script Analysis*+
211A | History of Theatre I*+
212A | History of Theatre II*+
213A | History of Cinema
216A | Stage & Screen Acting Studio+
218A | Collaboration Lab
234A | Stage Management
250A | Stage & Screen Crafts 2+
251A | Stage & Screen Crafts 3+
260A | Film Production
261A | Film Post-Production
280A | Directing for Stage and Screen I+
312A | Advanced Stagecraft
313A | Advanced Design for Stage and Screen
316A | Shakespeare Studio*+
317A | Advanced Scene Study
318A | Musical Theatre Studio+
319A | Theatre Education Methods+
320A | Playwriting/Screenwriting
380A | Directing for Stage and Screen II
394A | Practicum
398A | Business & Marketing for Theatre & Film Artists*
399A | Independent Study
496A | Senior Acting/Directing/Design Thesis*+
Leading the Way.
Facilities
Boiler House Theatre
Constructed in 1924, the Boiler House functioned, as its name suggests, to provide steam heat to the original buildings of the College. In 1975, it was renovated into a flexible stage theater, capable of housing theatrical productions in a wide variety of configurations.
Gradual renovation over the next twenty years moved the Studio Theatre into the Boiler House.
In 1997 an extensive remodeling project was completed. This work included the construction of a new lobby area with box office, concession space and new patron restrooms. The other major component of remodeling was the addition of production spaces. These include a well-equipped scene shop and backstage space for the Studio Theatre.
Today, the Boiler House stands as one of the most interesting and usable theater spaces in the region.
Equipped with a state-of-the-art computer lighting system and a large inventory of conventional lighting instruments, the BHT can handle almost any lighting need and configuration of theatrical staging.
The 1997 renovation also moved the Light Control Booth inside the historical smoke stack, giving the light board operator a clear view of the entire Boiler House stage. It is truly one of the most unique booth configurations you may ever see.
The studio theatre is home to everything from acting and directing classes to student productions and projects.
Equipped with its own lighting and sound systems, the studio theatre provides an independent space for exploration and growth during a student’s tenure at D&E. This space is also home to the local chapter of Alpha Psi Omega (National Honorary Theatre Fraternity).
Built in 1997, the scene shop is equipped to work with everything from foam to steel. Stocked with a wide array of tools and equipment, it provides the opportunity to work with the tools and materials used by professional scene shops. Just as the studio theatre is where actors and directors learn their craft, this is where the real learning takes place for theatre designers and technicians. Being able to apply the knowledge acquired in class to the practical world of theatre gives the student a more well-rounded college theatre experience.
Clubs
lpha Psi Omega – National Dramatic Fraternity
Alpha Psi Omega is a National College Dramatic Fraternity. Davis & Elkins College has had a chapter since 1975. Students earn membership by participating in theatre productions in a variety of experiences including acting, design, and a variety of technical theatre endeavors.
Southeastern Theatre Conference
SETC is the largest clearinghouse for summer theatre work in the United States. Actors can audition for roles at summerstock companies throughout the nation. Technicians can interview for hundreds of available positions at some of the best theatre companies in the nation. D&E has a strong presence at SETC every year and an outstanding track record of placing students in meaningful jobs and internships. Visit SECT’s Web site for more information at www.setc.org.
West Virginia Theatre Conference
WVTC is your ticket to SETC. Each state represented within SETC has state-level auditions in the fall. Actors who receive a number at the state audition earn the opportunity to audition at SETC.
United States Institute for Theatre Technology
USITT is the national organization for theatre designers and technicians. It is the recognized authority in setting standards for theatre work. The national conference is a great opportunity to learn about the trade and meet new people. For more information visit their website at www.usitt.org.
Department Directory
Lead the Way at D&E. Contact us today.
