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Faculty

Rufus Bonds Jr., Kerry Bereza, Kiira Schmidt Carper, Brian Cimmet, Diane Coloton, Marina de Ratmiroff, Danita Emma, Marcus Herndon, Rebecca Karpoff, Richard Koons, Andrea Leigh-Smith, David Lowenstein, Aldo Katton Santiago Mendez, Felipe Panamà,  Abel Searor, Bradley Stone, Kathleen Wrinn

Description

The purpose of the musical theater program is to train students in a systematic way that prepares them for the complex world of professional musical theater. Achieving this goal requires a carefully structured balance of studio and academic work. Musical theater studio work requires skills not only in dramatic performance, but in music and dance as well. Students develop their skills in a structured, intensive format that features careful and expert guidance.

Performance is a major focus of the 128-credit program. Students gain skills and experience in the various modes of musical theater: the revue, traditional musical comedies, operettas, and new and experimental forms. Coursework includes a balance of acting, voice, dance, theater history, music theory, and liberal education studies.

The first year is the foundation for all future training. It focuses on techniques of acting, ballet, voice (both singing and speaking) sight-singing, music theory, dramatic theory, and technical theater crafts. The first year is a non-performance year, but students are assigned to work on one production behind the scenes. They may elect to work on additional productions in a wide variety of jobs.

After the first year, students may audition for all productions - musicals, dramas, films - i.e., all productions connected with the Department of Drama, Syracuse Stage and the wider University. They also begin specialized training in musical theater performance, scene study, audition techniques, musical theater history, musical theater dance, and choreography. Supplementing these studies are courses in theater history, additional weekly lessons in voice, piano, and academic electives.

Students must complete a total of 128 degree credits for the Musical Theater, BFA. This includes 30 credits of liberal arts and science courses: 6 credits of Writing, 1 credit of First Year Seminar, and 23 credits of academic electives.