AA in Theatre

Students are encouraged to discover and develop their own voice and style in theatre arts. NCC's theatre program allows students to apply their skills in production settings, with public performances in the College's two theatres or in non-traditional spaces throughout the Lehigh Valley.

The curriculum for acting/directing, design/technical and theatre education majors closely integrates performance and academics. The coursework intertwines the practical application of theatre arts and electives that will provide a solid foundation and ready students for transfer.

Performance opportunities include four major productions each season in the 350-seat Lipkin Theatre and the 100-seat Norman R. Roberts Lab Theatre. Other highlights of a program that provides students with a well-rounded theatre education include a fall tour at NCC's campuses, summer performances for new student orientation, trips to professional city theatres, specialized workshops, and student-directed plays.

NCC Theatre produces four major productions each season in both the newly renovated 350-seat Lipkin Theatre and the 100-seat Norman R. Roberts Lab Theatre. In addition, there is a variety of ensemble, experimental, touring, and special occasion productions mounted during the year. All NCC students are welcome to participate in productions.

The Theatre Department Faculty have diverse backgrounds and professional experience in acting, directing, technical theatre, design, performance studies, speech communications, oral interpretation, education outreach, and children's theatre. The full-time faculty is augmented with a professional customer, various guest directors, and adjunct faculty.

The program offers field trips to professional theatres in New York, New Jersey, and the Philadelphia area, along with specialized workshops by visiting artists, and individual coaching of student auditions and presentations. All graduating students participate in a capstone showcase during their last semester. Graduates in good standing with a GPA of 3.0 or higher may be eligible to receive the Norman R. Roberts Theatre scholarship which is applied to their first semester at a transfer institution

Requirements

Before admission to the program, students must successfully complete a departmental interview and audition or presentation. Contact the admissions office at 610.861.5500 for further information. Non-program students are welcome to enroll in any theatre class with the exception of Theatre Portfolio, CMTH218.

First Semester

• COLS101 College Success
• CMTH110 Introduction to the Theatre
• CMTH111 Acting I
• CMTH102 Introduction to Communication
• ENGL101 English I
• MATH Mathematics Elective (QL)

Second Semester

• ARTA101 Art History Survey
• CMTH115 Technical Theatre and Design
• CMTH189 Stage Voice and Movement
  or
  CMTH190 Stage Production
  or
  MUSC130 Chorus
  or
  DANC 1 any 1 credit DANC course
• CMTH205 Public Speaking
• ENGL151L English II
• PSYC103 Introduction to Psychology

Third Semester

• CMTH211G Plays: Classical to Contemporary
• CMTH212 Acting II
  or
  CMTH117 Stagecraft
• CMTH189 Stage Voice and Movement
  or
• CMTH190 Stage Production
  or
  MUSC130 Chorus
  or
  DANC 1 any 1 credit DANC course
• Science Elective (SCI) ++
• Social Science: Societies and Institutions over Time Elective (SIT)

Fourth Semester

• CMTH206 Directing
• CMTH218 Theatre Portfolio
• ENGL2__G Literature Elective (WI) +
• MUSC101 Introduction to Music
• CMTH Television/Film Elective +++
• Transfer Elective

+ Literature Elective options: ENGL203 (Shakespeare) is recommended; but any ENGL 2xxG, Writing Intensive, literature course is acceptable.

++Science Elective options: BIOS105 (Contemporary Biology) or BIOS160 (Human Biology) is recommended, but any four-credit lab science course may be taken.

+++ Television/Film Elective options: CMTH170 (Television Production), CMTH180 (Multimedia Production), or CMTH240 (Portable Video Techniques) are recommended; but CMTH104 (Mass Media & Society), CMTH126 (The Communication Arts), and CMTH220 (Introduction to Film) may be taken.

• Computer competencies are included in various courses in this program. Thus, completing the program automatically satisfies the computing requirement for this program.

Graduates of the program will:

• Demonstrate an understanding of theatre arts as a creative expression that reflects the diversity of human experiences.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the theatrical conventions and cultural/historical backgrounds behind a cross-section of plays and productions.
• Demonstrate theatre practitioners' methods and skills in the collaborative and creative process.
• Begin a lifelong participation in theatre as both audience and artist.

The career options that exist for theatre majors are quite extensive. They range from professional actors and actresses to playwrights, directors, stage managers, theatre educators, arts administrators, scenic designers, and other production support specialists. The study of theatre equips students with a broad range of communication and organizational skills that would be applicable to many of these careers, but as with any performing arts career, careers in theatre are highly competitive.

Future Career Paths

• Actors
• Designers
• Educators
• Technicians
• Directors
• Theatre Arts