Mission
The Theatre Department supports the proactive mission of SUNY Oneonta to create and promote scholarly and cultural opportunities in the theatre discipline that serve the entire university and the surrounding community. The Theatre Department serves this mission in four major areas: pedagogical excellence, cultural enrichment, involvement and retention, and authentic artistic practice.
Pedagogical Excellence
The Theatre Department is committed to sustaining a curriculum that fully prepares students for continued study or professional practice in the theatre discipline, through rigorous academic instruction in dramatic theory, history, criticism, and literature; strong faculty mentorship; and pragmatic study of acting, design, directing, and production methods.
Cultural Enrichment
The Theatre Department is committed to the creation of events and learning experiences that support the diverse and varied social environment of the campus, develop cultural awareness within SUNY Oneonta and the region, and inform critical responses to theatre as an art form and instrument of social expression.
Involvement and Retention
The Theatre Department is committed to providing positive social contacts and learning experiences for students interested in participation in theatre as a student activity and sustaining the involvement of students from all areas and academic disciplines of SUNY Oneonta. Theatre programming and course work should be a rewarding component of student life, stressing ideals of collaboration and creative expression, and supporting the liberal arts mission of SUNY Oneonta.
Authentic Artistic Practice
The Theatre Department is committed to providing students with experiences consistent with technical and artistic standards in the field of professional theatre, using productions supported by the department as a laboratory extension of the theatre curriculum.
Goals
- To provide our students with a solid background in general theatre studies, and to provide them with opportunities for advanced study and practical experience in their chosen areas of specialization in theatre.
- To guide our students to expand and integrate their understanding of the interrelationship of the histories and major theories of theatre, art, music, and social thought.
- To guide our students toward an understanding of the vocational opportunities available to them in the commercial, not-for-profit and educational theatre settings, and to help them prepare to enter those fields after graduation.
Values
The values of the Theatre Department inspire every aspect of the theatre program. From academic coursework to the production of shows for public viewing, the Theatre Department values the following:
- Preparation of students for participation in theatrical production or advanced study after graduation
- Providing opportunities for students to discover interests and develop specialties in any of the various aspects of theatrical production (performance, stage management, technical direction, rigging, carpentry, lighting, scenery, sound, costuming, make-up, etc)
- Providing opportunities for students to utilize creative and critical thinking to solve problems
- Providing opportunities for students to demonstrate responsibility and practice leadership
- Ensuring students are able to work collaboratively and meet deadlines, even when under stress
- Ensuring students are able to receive and respond constructively to criticism
- Encouraging cultural inquisitiveness and providing cultural enrichment to students and audiences
- Providing a means of reaching out to and engaging with the campus and surrounding community