Mission Statement

The Music Theatre minor, open to students in any major, provides a grounding in the fundamental principles of the music and theatre arts as well as an opportunity to explore how the disciplines come together in both conventional musicals and productions that combine music and theatre in new and innovative ways. The Music Theatre minor is designed not only for performers but also for students interested in dramaturgy, directing, composing, dance, history, and criticism, as well as costume, stage, lighting, and sounddesign. Minors will gain an historical perspective, an appreciation of aesthetic form, and the tools to perceptively question their fundamental assumptions about the relationship between music and theatre. At Denison we value the role of the liberal arts in helping students make connections across disciplines; this program is designed to spark collaboration and innovation in this interdisciplinary way. Our goal is to provide students engaging creative experiences and to prepare them for postgraduate pursuits in Music Theatre as well as for lives as active supporters of the arts.

Faculty

Professor Ching-Chu Hu, Associate Professor Richard D. Blim, Assistant Professor Brad Frenette, Instructor Kevin Wines

Requirements

To avoid double-counting, the requirements for the minor differ depending on whether a student is a music major or minor, a theatre major or minor, or neither. All three “tracks” require 26 credit hours, including a new core course, Music Theatre 100, “Creating Music Theatre” (based on the afore-mentioned Denison Seminar).  In the (likely rare) case of  double major in Theatre and Music wanting to add a Music Theatre minor, a slightly reduced "track" of 22 credit hours would be required (see below).

Music Theatre courses will count toward the Fine Arts GE separately from either Music or Theatre courses. That is, students may fulfill their Fine Arts GE requirement by taking one 4-credit Music Theatre course and either a 4-credit Music course (or the equivalent in 1-credit ensembles) or a 4-credit Theatre course (or the equivalent in 1-credit laboratories).

Each student’s individual course of study will be developed in consultation with and approved by the Music Theatre Committee. Students will be advised to choose electives that deepen their knowledge of music and theatre and meet their primary area(s) of interest (e.g., performance, dramaturgy, directing, composing, dance, history, criticism, and/or costume, stage, lighting, and sound design).

A list of approved electives will be created and updated each semester by the Music Theatre Committee (see below for a provisional list). Elective courses will be selected based on their ability to meet the program’s learning goals. For example, dance courses will help students build artistic skills in movement in ways that will expand their versatility as performers or directors and/or spark new ideas for collaboration. Likewise, courses in creative writing, playwriting, and screenwriting will deepen students’ understanding of the fundamental principles of dramatic narrative, whether designed to be read, staged, or filmed.  

The Music Theatre Committee Chair will maintain careful records of student course approvals and keep in close contact with the Registrar to ensure regular updates, as we understand that Banner currently cannot automatically update the Degree Evaluation with requirements that differ depending on a student’s major.

STUDENTS WHO ARE NEITHER MUSIC NOR THEATRE MAJORS OR MINORS

Course List

Code	Title
MUTH 100	Introduction to Music Theatre
THTR 100	Introduction to Theatre-making
THTR 200	Intermediate Theatre-making [1]
or MUS 215	Popular Musical Theater in America
or MUS 315	Popular Musical Theater in America
MUS 200	Music Theory I
1 elective from a list of approved courses or approved by committee
2 credits of Theatre Laboratory
2 credits of STW
Private Lessons, minimum 2 semesters (on the same instrument)
Total: 26 Credits

STUDENTS WHO ARE THEATRE MAJORS OR MINORS

Course List

Code	Title
MUTH 100	Introduction to Music Theatre
MUS 200	Music Theory I
MUS 215	Popular Musical Theater in America
or MUS 315	Popular Musical Theater in America
2 electives from a list of approved courses or approved by committee
2 credits of STW
Private Lessons, minimum 4 semesters (on the same instrument)
Total: 26 Credits

STUDENTS WHO ARE MUSIC MAJORS OR MINORS

Course List

Code	Title
MUTH 100	Introduction to Music Theatre
THTR 100	Introduction to Theatre-making
THTR 200	Intermediate Theatre-making
or MUS 315	Popular Musical Theater in America
2 electives from a list of approved courses or approved by committee
2 credits of Theatre Laboratory
2 credits of STW
2 credits of ensemble experience, approved by the Music Theatre Committee
Total: 26 Credits

STUDENTS WHO ARE DOUBLE MAJORS (OR HAVE A MAJOR/MINOR COMBO) IN BOTH MUSIC AND THEATRE 

Course List

Code	Title
MUTH 100	Introduction to Music Theatre
MUS 315	Popular Musical Theater in America
2 electives from a list of approved courses or approved by committee
2 credits of Theatre Laboratory
2 credits of STW
2 credits of ensemble experience, approved by the Music Theatre Committee
Total: 22 Credits

MUSIC THEATRE MINOR ELECTIVES (provisional list)

Course List

Code	Title
ARTS 225	Stop Motion Animation
ARTS 267	Performance Art
DANC 122	African/Diasporan Dance I
or DANC 222	African/Diasporan Dance II
DANC 132	Modern/Postmodern Dance I
or DANC 232	Modern/Postmodern Dance II
or DANC 332	Modern/Postmodern Dance III
DANC 174	Dance as an Art Form (depending on the topic)
DANC 274	Cultural Studies (depending on the topic)
DANC 284	The Art of Dance-Making (depending on the topic)
DANC 384	Laban Movement Analysis
CINE 104	Film Aesthetics and Analysis
CINE 202	Screenwriting
ENGL 237	Introduction to Creative Writing
ENGL 240	20th-Century Drama
ENGL 340	Contemporary Drama
MUS 215	Popular Musical Theater in America
or MUS 315	Popular Musical Theater in America
MUS 216	Sound Editing and Recording
MUS 246	Psychology of Performance in the Arts
MUS 247	Music, Race, and Identity
MUS 314	Music in America (Majors/Minors)
MUS 320	Women in Music (Majors/Minors)
MUS 331	Film Music and Sound
MUS 332	Music and Sexuality
MUS 339	The History of Rock Music (Majors/Minors)
THTR 200	Intermediate Theatre-making
THTR 210	Scenic Design
THTR 220	Lighting Design
THTR 230	Acting: Realism I
THTR 240	Acting: Brecht and Beyond
THTR 270	Directing: Realism
THTR 275	Fashion: History, Culture and Identity
THTR 301	Advanced Theatre-Making: Performers, Directors, and Text
THTR 302	Advanced Theatre-Making: Devising and Collective Making
THTR 340	Practicum: Assistant Costume Designer
THTR 373	History, Literature, and Theory of the Theatre: Modern World
THTR 374	History, Literature, and Theory of the Theatre: Theatre of the Americas