Areas of Focus
Performance
- In addition to classroom work, graduate students in this area are required to assist the teaching of classes and participate actively in the production of plays and musicals on the VCUarts mainstage and Shafer Street Student Alliance Laboratory Theatre. Upper-level graduate students may have the opportunity to teach classes in their area of specialization. Performance students often act and/or direct professionally for theatres around the city of Richmond.
Stage Voice and Speech
- Graduate students have opportunities to coach plays directed by faculty and guest artists. When ready, they will teach undergraduate voice and speech classes in basic voice work, IPA, vocal dynamics, Shakespeare, and dialects, and have the opportunity to create and teach their own devised courses. At the end of their training, students may request to be certified in those areas in which they are proficient in teaching.
Movement
- Movement courses are designed for students who desire to work professionally as dance or fight choreographers or movement coaches or to teach movement-related courses at the college/university level. The curriculum includes training in movement analysis, movement for actors, mime, clowning, stage combat, dance and fight choreography, musical theatre, and physical acting and directing physical theatre. Graduate students are expected to study a minimum of two to three of these areas.
Images on this page by Aaron Sutten