About Fort Lewis College Theatre

Our Mission

With a unique multidisciplinary and multicultural approach toward performance, we actively pursue an exciting and innovative program for majors in all disciplines. We create opportunities that allow students to reach beyond the college campus, extending regionally, nationally, and internationally. We strive to design and maintain a program that gives students the opportunity to fully explore their potential as creative, productive, articulate, and humane contributors to society.

Our Vision

We strive to be the finest and most innovative Theatre Arts Department in the Southwest United States.

Department History

The Theatre major at Fort Lewis College began as an option of the English major in the 1960’s. In 1994, the Theatre major was approved by the Colorado Commission on Higher Education and the Colorado State Board of Governors. We currently offer programs of study leading to a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre with options in General Theatre Studies, Performance and Directing, Design and Technical, and Arts Administration. We also offer a Bachelor of Arts degree in Humanities with a concentration in Theatre and a minor in Theatre. There are currently about 40 student majors actively pursuing a degree in Theatre at Fort Lewis College.

Theatrical Production

Creating theatrical productions for an audience is fundamental to our departmental mission as well as the best education of our students. Each year we produce up to four faculty directed shows, various senior productions, and multiple class projects. In addition to this, we offer summer opportunities as well as guest artist productions. All our productions require student contributions in scholarly, technical, administrative, and performance aspects. This work is considered an academic endeavor and, like a “laboratory” course, applies the knowledge that students learn in class, garnering course credit.

Auditions

Because we strive to nurture the best talents in all of our students it is not necessary to audition to be a Theatre major. It is however necessary to audition/interview for our productions. Each semester begins with auditions for performers and the distribution of tasks for technicians, designers, and stagehands. Theatre majors remain actively involved in all productions during their tenure. This involvement may include acting, directing, publicity, lighting, set design, sound design, costumes, property construction, and more.

The Ensemble Experience

The words “collaborative” and “ensemble” appear often in discussions about theatre. More than any other discipline, theatre requires people to work together to create something that is larger than any one individual. Playwrights, directors, actors, dancers, designers, technicians, choreographers, administrators, and spectators all function together to make the theatre art. Our students and professors model such cooperative behavior. As an ensemble of individuals who share goals and ambitions, we work together to provide the best, most professional educational experiences for all involved.

Examinations

Entrance and Exit Comprehensive diagnostic examinations are administered for incoming and graduating students. These are strictly confidential examinations intended to measure accomplishment and further develop the best curriculum and programming possible. Measured in these examinations are the student’s ability to communicate in writing as well as the student’s awareness of the human condition and how theatre probes that condition.

Senior Seminar

All Theatre majors are required to take Theatre 496 and 497, Senior Seminar, in their senior year of study. This course requires theatre majors to demonstrate the ability to connect analytical research to performance. The requirements include a research paper on an approved topic and a public performance or presentation of that research paper.

Advising

Theatre students may be advised by any Theatre faculty member that they choose. They must simply fill out the appropriate forms for both major declaration and advising. To become a theatre major it is necessary to get approval from the prospective advisor, fill out the Change of Major form, and submit it to the Records Office.