BFA Theatre Arts: Physical Theatre Concentration
“Theatre is a physical and visual medium, but the play’s not always the thing. There is a strand of theatre – the physical and the visual – that speaks a completely different language from the traditional well-made play and spans theatre, puppetry, dance and visual art. This work uses the language of gesture, an area of theatre that in the past was dubbed mime and thought of as entirely silent. Nowadays, such pieces frequently include spoken text, but the body speaks as eloquently as the voice, and one of the great strengths of this form is that is can often mine the emotions that fall into the silences between words.”Lyn Gardner, The Guardian (UK)
WE PREPARE
This exciting degree is at the forefront of theatre studies among undergraduate institutions in America. One of the first B.F.A. degrees with a Physical Theatre Concentration in the United States, it draws from the European performance and training traditions to apply acting, voice and movement techniques to a variety of applied physical performance methods. It is geared to students interested in exploring the interaction of physical theatre, traditional theatre, activism and experimentation through traditional and artist-initiated works.
We Pursue Excellence
Three years of the program will take place on campus and will focus on an intense regimen of acting technique, script analysis, theatre history, criticism, voice and movement.
We Practice
Practical training occurs in the classroom and through an aggressive production schedule. Casting in production is accomplished across the degree concentrations and in all genres. All students are evaluated annually and must meet professional standards to achieve the BFA Theatre Arts degree (Physical Theatre Concentration) degree. BFA students in the Physical Theatre Concentration will have the opportunity to participate in the CCU Senior Showcase.
We Create Fun
In its simplest form, physical theatre is a form of theatre that places emphasis on movement rather than dialogue. However, there are a vast amount of variations that fall within a broad range of work defined as physical theatre. At its essence, physical theatre is anything that puts the body at the center of the storytelling process. It often centers on an abstract style, using movement (puppetry, gymnastics, dance, clowning, etc) in a stylized and representational manner. Often, but not in every case, performers use very little or no dialogue.
Our program allows actors to explore a vast range of performance via the classroom, showcases, cabarets and production schedule. Physical theatre performers, like all performance majors, will cross over into all genres regarding casting. Students are also encouraged to explore the creation of their own devised work.