Developing Theatre Artists
Ripon College offers a major and minor in theatre with education accreditation also available. We strive to develop theatre artists and scholars who have an understanding of all the areas of the theatre from onstage to backstage, from drama and history to technology and artistry. While our students are able to specialize in their areas of interest in the theatre, they also understand the process of theatre and learn how to collaborate with other artists in the theatre.
The Department of Theatre is invested in nurturing artists and teachers for the theatre, but we are open to the whole student community. Auditions and crew calls are open to the entire college, and we expect and plan on students with majors other than theatre to take part in our productions.
Faculty
Prerequisites
THE 101 Introduction to Theatre, 131 Beginning Acting, 231 Theatre and Drama I: Ancient Through Renaissance, 232 Theatre and Drama II: Restoration through Contemporary, 255 Stagecraft, 512 Senior Seminar in Theatre
Elective Courses
THE 101 Introduction to Theatre, 131 Beginning Acting, 231 Theatre and Drama I: Ancient Through Renaissance, 232 Theatre and Drama II: Restoration through Contemporary, 255 Stagecraft, 512 Senior Seminar in Theatre; two courses selected from THE 260 Introduction to Lighting Production and Design, 268 Makeup Design and Application, 301 Classroom and Children’s Theatre, 352 Acting II: Topics in Acting, 362 Scenic Design, 363 Costume Construction and Design, English 340 (Shakespeare); one of the selected courses must be at a 300 level; a minimum of four credit hours in THE 202 and/or 210 and/or 212.
Requirements for Teaching Major in Theatre
THE 101 Introduction to Theatre, 131 Beginning Acting, 231 Theatre and Drama I: Ancient Through Renaissance, 232 Theatre and Drama II: Restoration through Contemporary, 255 Stagecraft, 512 Senior Seminar in Theatre; two courses selected from THE 260 Introduction to Lighting Production and Design, 268 Makeup Design and Application, 301 Classroom and Children’s Theatre, 352 Acting II: Topics in Acting, 362 Scenic Design, 363 Costume Construction and Design, English 340 (Shakespeare); a minimum of four credit hours in THE 202 Topics in Theatre and Drama and/or 210 Production Lab-Scenery and Lighting and/or 212 Production Lab-Costumes
Choose a direction: Direct a One Act play or Design scenery, lighting, or costumes for a play on campus.
Additional Criteria
THE 101 can be waived for students with extensive high school coursework and production experience. However, the total hours of theatre courses must be satisfied by substituting an upper-level course. Electives develop special skills or knowledge and at least one is recommended beyond the minimum requirements: any of the 200- or 300-level courses.
Prerequisites
THE 101, 131, 255; two courses selected from: THE 231, 232, 260, 268, 301, 352, 362, 363, 512; minimum of four credit hours in THE 202 and/or 210 and/or 212.
Elective Courses
Required to take 3 distribution courses with laboratories, one in each area of organismal, cell and molecular, and ecology and evolutionary biology, and at least 9 additional electives. Two courses toward the major must be taken at the 300 level.
Requirements for Teaching Minor in Theatre Production
101 Introduction to Theatre, 131 Beginning Acting, 200 Acting Lab, 202 Topic in Theatre and Drama, 255 Stagecraft, 301 Classroom and Children’s Theatre, 512 Senior Seminar in Theatre; minimum of four credit hours in THE 202 Topic in Theatre and Drama and/or 210 Production Lab-Scenery and Lighting and/or 212 Production Lab- Costumes.
Additional Criteria
The 101can be waived for students with extensive high school coursework and production experience. However, the total hours of theatre courses must be satisfied by substituting an upper-level course
Career Tracks
- Stage Manager
- Scenic Designer
- Lighting Designer
- Costume Designer
- Dramaturg
- Theatre Critic
- Fight/Intimacy Choreographer
- Box Office Manager
- Teaching Artist
- Artistic Director
- Casting Director
- Playwright
- Actor
Recent Graduates:
Jessie Lillis: Founder of Starling Shakespeare Co. (Class of 2013)
Jimmy Balistreri: Lighting Designer with credits at Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Renaissance Theaterworks and Northern Sky Theatre. (Class of 2019)
Amanda Finn: Freelance Theatre Critic and journalist. Published in American Theatre Magazine, Chicago Reader, Newcity Stage, and Footlights Performing Arts Magazine. Amanda also serves as the Vice Chair of the American Theatre Critics/Journalists Association. (Class of 2014)
Sophie Widman: Marketing Director and Events Coordinator at Northern Sky Theatre. (Class of 2018)
Unique Opportunities
Students take active roles on stage and in production in several shows offered by the department throughout the year.
Students are helped to find summer internships. Recent internships have include Peninsula Players, Northern Sky Theatre, First Stage, Children’s Theatre of Madison and Walt Disney World.
At the annual Region III Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival, Ripon enters associate productions and sends talented students to compete in various theatre arts. Amanda Finn ’14 won the national competition for theatre journalism and advocacy in Washington, D.C., in the spring of 2013. James Balistreri ’19 was an Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship competition semi-finalist and a Design and Technical Management finalist in 2018.
Through the Department of Educational Studies, certification in theatre is available in early childhood/adolescence (birth-grade 12).
Advising
Ripon College faculty and professional staff are dedicated to helping you reach your goals, whatever they may be and however often they may change along the way. It’s part of our value statement to you.
As a student at Ripon, you will be assigned a faculty adviser based on your area(s) of interest. You will meet with your faculty adviser throughout your time as a student to discuss your current aspirations, plan your course schedule and plot a future trajectory. We also work collaboratively with Ripon College Career and Professional Development to help match your interests and skills to concrete goals and construct a plan for professional success offering personalized career counseling, off-campus learning opportunities and an online job board with potential to connect with local, national and international employers.
Benstead Theatre Shines
Benstead Theatre is located in the C.J. Rodman Center for the Arts, home to music, fine arts and theatre. The theatre is an innovative flexible-space black-box. It includes a proscenium opening, stage deck and a fly gallery, allowing plays to be staged in arena, thrust, environmental or proscenium depending upon the director and designers’ creative vision. The facility is dedicated to the theatre department so rehearsals and construction occur right in the space.
Productions are free to the campus and community.
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