Hanover Theatre Department
You learn to see through the eyes of others, to respond, to understand…Your mind becomes versatile – you can adapt. You learn art, history, politics, psychology, music, the sciences, self-discipline, skills, how to speak effectively, to communicate, to feel.
Jenny Thornhill , Class of 2006
Why Study Theatre?
Deciding upon a major can be an intimidating task and you may be wondering if theatre would be a good fit for you. If any of the following is true for you, then the theatre department at Hanover College may be just what you have been searching for.
You enjoy:
• Plays, musicals, films
• Performing in front of others
• Creative writing
• Exploring and analyzing great works of theatre
• Being creative
You want to:
• Create exciting, cutting-edge art
• Be an actor, director, designer, playwright or arts administrator
• Continue to hone your artistic craft and build your practical skills
• Support the arts through your involvement
What Hanover Theatre Offers
To study theatre is to explore the world of human experience. Theatre draws from many different art forms, as well as on technology, to reach audiences through storytelling, movement, music, lighting, costume and set design
In the Hanover Theatre Department the stage is the real classroom. Through active, hands-on experience, students learn their most valuable lessons about the theatre and theatre production. With at least four mainstage productions a year, multiple student-initiated productions, and a student-led improv group, there are countless opportunities for students to act, direct, design, write, and create.
In addition to acting, directing, playwriting, design, and technical theatre classes are history and literature courses. These are complemented by core curriculum classes that provide students with a comprehensive theatre education. Many students opt to combine their theatre studies with a second major, allowing them to tailor their education to their own specific needs and goals for the future.
As a theatre student, you will be encouraged to think independently and tap into your creativity. Also, with a small student-faculty ratio, you will receive close, personal attention to help you develop your artistic and analytical abilities. And, as you progress through the program you will be given the support and guidance you need to make future career decisions based on your interests and skills. By providing students with practical experience and a comprehensive education, the theatre department at Hanover prepares students for graduate school and a fulfilling professional career.
Highlights
Hands-on experience
Along with the experience students gain through numerous plays produced each year at Hanover, students are provided with hands-on experience through internships and off-campus work. These opportunities give students the chance to apply the skills they have learned in professional settings. Students have completed internships and apprenticeships with the following theatres and organizations:
• Warehouse Theatre
• People's Light & Theatre Co.
• New Jersey Shakespeare Festival
• Arden Theatre Company
• Smokey Mountain Shakespeare Festival
• High School Institute at Northwestern
• Actors Theatre of Louisville
• And many others!
The department also has a strong record of participation with the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF), which is a national theatre program involving 18,000 college and university students nationwide. This program gives students a chance to have their work critiqued and for them to receive national recognition for excellence. During this time students can develop their skills and improve the overall quality of their work.
Spring Term
During the four weeks of Spring Term, each student at Hanover takes only one course, providing an opportunity to study one topic in depth. Our Contemporary Theatre class is often structured as a summer stock experience, fully producing a play a week for each of the four weeks.
On alternate years, students may study Shakespeare while in residence in Stratford, England, for the entire term. Actors, directors, and staff from the Royal Shakespeare Theatre visit classes to discuss plays and present workshops. Other classes are conducted by scholars from the University of Birmingham's Shakespeare Institute and the resident scholars of the Shakespeare Centre. A theatre visit to London is always part of the course, as is a long weekend for individual travel to other areas of interest in England and other parts of Europe.
Variety
One major highlight of the Hanover theatre program is the variety of theatre that students are exposed to. Instead of focusing on one specific genre, theatre majors are able to study and experiment with a number of forms. This gives students a greater, more complete understanding of the art of the theatre.
Some recent Hanover productions have included: Royal Hunt of the Sun, The World is a Comedy, Secrets Every Smart Traveler Should Know, Boston Marriage, The Tempest, Two Rooms, Art, Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris, The Glass Menagerie, She Stoops to Conquer, Gideon, The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe, The Government Inspector and others.
Opportunities for Research
The theatre draws on all other disciplines and theatre artists must be learning new things continually. Wherever your interests may lie, the practice of theatre will draw them closer to you.
Career Opportunities
Studying theatre within the context of a liberal arts education equips students with the knowledge, skills, and experiences necessary to continue on to a variety of careers and/or graduate school opportunities.
Some theatres where our graduates have become company members include:
• Actors Theatre of Louisville
• Indiana Repertory Theatre
• Mill Mountain Theatre
• Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati
• ArtReach Touring Theatre
• Tennessee Repertory Theatre
• Bridgework Theatre
• Boston Improv
• American Players Theatre
• Atlanta Shakespeare Co.
• South Carolina Repertory Co.
• Cincinnati Shakespeare
• Cincinnati Playhouse
• Celtic Arts Theatre, Los Angeles
Other career opportunities can be found in:
• International business
• Advertising
• Ministry
• Teaching
• Film and TV Production
• Business Management
• Law enforcement/military
Graduate school placements have included:
• Harvard University
• Northwestern University
• Indiana University
• University of Illinois
• Oregon State University
• Arizona State University
• Yale University
• University of Birmingham - Shakespeare Institute
• Florida State University - Asolo Theatre
• Boston University
• American Repertory Theatre
• Moscow Art Theatre School
• Shakespeare Institute, Stratford-upon-Avon