Drama and Speech
CHAIR: Georgia C. Gresham, M.F.A., Office: 312 Marquette Hall
PROFESSOR: Donald Brady, Georgia C. Gresham
W
EB PAGE: cas.loyno.edu/drama/
The Jesuit tradition in drama and speech goes back to the very beginning of the order’s educational activities. In the Jesuit school theatre, "the attempt was made for the first time to use the stage, not as the Humanists had used it, mainly for the sake of teaching Latin, but as a formative influence on the student’s entire personality." 1 At the same time, no element of the dramatic arts was left unexplored, so that the spoken word, while retaining its importance, took its place alongside of mime, music, and spectacle. It is not surprising, therefore, that a number of leading dramatists began the development of their art through contact with the Jesuit stage–Molière, Corneille, and Voltaire in France; Lope de Vega, Calderón de la Barca, and Tirso de Molina in Spain.
The faculty of the Department of Drama and Speech attempt to help students discover and develop their creative skills in theatre and speech arts. The faculty guide the students to develop sufficient knowledge of the whole of the theatre experience through courses and department productions. Each student participates and takes courses in all segments of drama. Those segments are: performance skills, dramatic literature, history and theory, theater management, theatrical technology, and design. Each student is given a foundation of learning through a core of required major courses. One of these is the foundation course Dramatic Imagination (DRAM A107), designed to introduce the student to dramatic theory and process. Drama and speech students have the opportunity to expand skills in a primary area of interest at an advanced level via the selection of department electives, adjunct courses, and production participation.
The department administers three degree programs, a bachelor of arts in drama, in drama and communications, and in theatre arts with a minor in business administration. All three are designed to provide 128 credit hours.
The drama major is designed to help the student develop a sense of artistic and personal discipline, responsibility, and commitment to theatre. The student gains an understanding of the social phenomena of theatre and how it imparts knowledge, values, and insight through the dramatic experience. The drama major is guided to look at theatre, its performance, history, and literature and to situate it critically in a context of events and ideas in world history and in the contemporary world. The drama/communications major allows the student to combine the study of drama with basic communications courses and one of the Department of Communication sequences. The possible communications sequences in the drama/communications major include advertising, broadcast production, broadcast journalism, print journalism, public relations, film studies, and communication studies. The theatre arts major with a minor in business administration was developed for those who are interested in arts management. The required core of drama courses roots the individual student in the theatre arts, while the business courses give the student complementary skills which may be applied to many areas of business and arts management.
In all three degree programs, no more than a total of six additional hours in Play Production (DRAM A300), Theatre Workshop (DRAM A262), and Advanced Performance Workshop (DRAM A321) may be counted toward the 128 hours needed for graduation. Dramatic Imagination (DRAM A107), Voice and Movement Workshop I (DRAM A110), Voice and Movement Workshop II (DRAM A112), and Stagecraft I (DRAM A103) are required of all majors their first year in residence. DRAMA A107 is a prerequisite for all drama courses above the 100 level.
There are two theaters. Marquette Theater is a proscenium theater, and the Lower Depths Theater is a flexible black box theater space. Productions are staged annually in both spaces.
All students are expected to be involved in at least one production each semester. Completion of at least one production crew is required by the fall term of the sophomore year. A student placed on probation must cease all production activity until good standing is restored. Majors and minors are expected to participate in departmental forums and the annual spring meeting.
A senior project is required for graduation. For the drama major, the directing of a short play and the compiling of a production book are the usual requirement. The drama/communications major may substitute the direction of a television play. The theatre arts/business administration major will propose a management project, such as the compiling of a complete log detailing all the managing aspects of one of the department’s major productions.
1 Reader’s Encyclopedia of World Drama
LOYOLA AND NEW ORLEANS THEATERS
Loyola University’s Department of Drama and Speech has affiliations with all local producing theatre companies for the placement of internship programs. Theaters with current or past affiliation include Southern Repertory Theater, Producer’s Circle, Summer Lyric, and the Saenger Theater. Junior or senior standing of Loyola students is required for internship. Internship programs, which are available year-round, include: assistant stage manager, assistant director, lights, sound, costumes, public relations, and media relations.
BACHELOR OF ARTS–DRAMA
| Freshman | F |
S |
|
| Major | DRAM A107 | 0 |
3 |
| Major | DRAM A110 — A112 | 3 |
3 |
| Major | DRAM A103, DRAM A104 | 3 |
3 |
| Major | DRAM A300 | 0 |
1 |
| Common Curriculum | 6 |
3 |
|
| Foreign Language | 3 |
3 |
|
15 |
16 |
||
31 |
|||
| Sophomore | F |
S |
|
| Major | DRAM A220, A300 | 3 |
1 |
| Major | DRAM Sequence I Elective | 0 |
3 |
| Adjunct | DRAM U130, V132 | 3 |
3 |
| Adjunct | Adjunct | 3 |
0 |
| Common Curriculum | 6 |
9 |
|
| Elective | 3 |
0 |
|
18 |
16 |
||
34 |
|||
| Junior | F |
S |
|
| Major | DRAM Sequence I&II | 3 |
3 |
| Major | DRAM A240, A300 | 3 |
1 |
| Major | DRAM A410 | 3 |
0 |
| Adjunct | 0 |
3 |
|
| Common Curriculum | 6 |
6 |
|
| Elective | 3 |
3 |
|
18 |
16 |
||
34 |
|||
| Senior | F |
S |
|
| Major | DRAM A300, A490 | 1 |
3 |
| Major | DRAM Sequence II | 3 |
0 |
| Adjunct | 3 |
0 |
|
| Common Curriculum | 6 |
6 |
|
| Elective | 4 |
6 |
|
17 |
12 |
||
29 |
|||
| TOTAL: 128 cr. hrs. | |||
(View A&S Common Curriculum Requirements.)
BACHELOR OF ARTS–DRAMA/COMMUNICATIONS
| Freshman | F |
S |
|
| Major | DRAM A103 — A107 | 3 |
3 |
| Major | CMMN A100 — A101 | 3 |
3 |
| Common Curriculum | 6 |
6 |
|
| Major | DRAM A110 — A112 | 3 |
3 |
15 |
15 |
||
30 |
|||
| Sophomore | F |
S |
|
| Major | DRAM A220 | 3 |
0 |
| Major | CMMN Sequence Electives | 3 |
3 |
| Major/Adjunct | DRAM A300, U130 | 1 |
3 |
| Common Curriculum | 6 |
9 |
|
| Foreign Language | 3 |
3 |
|
16 |
18 |
||
34 |
|||
| Junior | F |
S |
|
| Major | DRAM A410 | 3 |
0 |
| Major | CMMN Sequence Elective — DRAM A300 | 3 |
1 |
| Major | CMMN A400 — A401 | 3 |
3 |
| Adjunct | DRAM V132 | 3 |
0 |
| Adjunct | 0 |
3 |
|
| Common Curriculum | 6 |
6 |
|
| Elective | 0 |
3 |
|
18 |
16 |
||
34 |
|||
| Senior | F |
S |
|
| Major | DRAM A490 | 0 |
3 |
| Major | DRAM Elective* | 3 |
0 |
| Major | CMMN Elective (A402 — A480) | 3 |
0 |
| Adjunct | 0 |
3 |
|
| Common Curriculum | 6 |
3 |
|
| Elective | 3 |
6 |
|
15 |
15 |
||
30 |
|||
| TOTAL: 128 cr. hrs. | |||
(View A&S Common Curriculum Requirements.)
* One drama elective to be selected from A255, A325, A331, or A430.
BACHELOR OF ARTS–THEATRE ARTS WITH A MINOR IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
| Freshman | F |
S |
|
| Major | DRAM A103 — A107 | 3 |
3 |
| Major | DRAM A110 — A112 | 3 |
3 |
| Minor | BA B100 | 3 |
0 |
| Common Curriculum | 6 |
6 |
|
| Adjunct | 0 |
3 |
|
15 |
15 |
||
30 |
|||
| Sophomore | F |
S |
|
| Major | DRAM A220 | 3 |
0 |
| Major | DRAM A300 — A255 | 1 |
3 |
| Minor | ACCT B202 | 3 |
0 |
| Adjunct | COSC A106 | 0 |
3 |
| Foreign Language | 3 |
3 |
|
| Common Curriculum | 6 |
9 |
|
16 |
18 |
||
34 |
|||
| Junior | F |
S |
|
| Major | DRAM A410 | 3 |
0 |
| Major | DRAM Elective* | 0 |
3 |
| Major | DRAM A300, A300 | 1 |
1 |
| Minor | MKT B280 | 0 |
3 |
| Minor | LGST B205 | 3 |
0 |
| Minor | ECON X130 or B200 or B201 | 3 |
0 |
| Adjunct | ENGL Shakespeare | 0 |
3 |
| Common Curriculum | 3 |
6 |
|
| Elective | 5 |
0 |
|
18 |
16 |
||
34 |
|||
| Senior | F |
S |
|
| Major | DRAM Elective* | 3 |
0 |
| Major | DRAM A490 | 0 |
0 |
| Minor | FIN B200 or B300 | 3 |
0 |
| Minor | MGT B345 | 0 |
3 |
| Common Curriculum | 6 |
6 |
|
| Elective | 3 |
6 |
|
15 |
15 |
||
30 |
|||
| TOTAL: 128 cr. hrs. | |||
(View A&S Common Curriculum Requirements.)
Those who wish may select the additional business courses which fulfill the entrance requirements to Loyola’s M.B.A. program.
* One drama elective to be selected from A325, A331, or A430.