Students involved in Department of Theatre Arts productions collaborate with faculty and students (and often professional or community guest artists) in research, development, rehearsal and performance of productions each semester. Student designers and stage managers have the opportunity to move from crew to assistant positions and then, when they are ready, to production design or management positions. Student actors, directors and dramaturgs who design their Senior Capstone around research and experimentation with a specific mode of production preparation may apply that research and share their results through public performances.
Theatre for Change students have researched various theatrical modes for raising awareness of and facilitating community conversations about contemporary social issues. Those inquires resulted in lobby displays about the Human Rights Defenders highlighted in our production of Speak Truth to Power: Voices From Beyond the Dark as well as post-show discussions and networking with community service organizations.
Another project led to the creation and performance of environmental theatre pieces to raise awareness of sustainability issues on campus. Students then shared their discoveries in a panel presentation for Earlham's Annual Research Conference.
Theatre Arts-in-Education students will spend the 2014 May Term researching, developing and delivering workshops to help elementary, middle school and high school students improve communication, creative problem solving and group collaboration skills through an introduction to the plays of William Shakespeare.