Department of Theatre and Dance

2099 Buchanan Center for the
Performing Arts, (307) 766-2199
Web site: uwyo.edu/thd/
Department Head: Margaret Wilson

Professors:

CECILIA ARAGÓN, B.S. McMurry University 1991; M.A. University of New Mexico 1996; Ph.D. Arizona State University 2003; Professor of Theatre and Dance 2017, 2005.

WILLIAM MISSOURI DOWNS, B.S. Northern Michigan University 1977; M.F.A. University of Illinois 1980; M.F.A. University of California-Los Angeles 1988; Professor of Theatre and Dance 2004, 1994.

MARSHA F. KNIGHT, B.F.A. University of Utah 1979; M.F.A. 1983; Professor of Theatre and Dance 1998, 1984.

MARGARET WILSON, B.A. University of Wyoming 1981; M.S. 1987; Ph.D. Texas Woman’s University 2007; Professor of Theatre and Dance 2016, 2005.

LOU ANNE WRIGHT, B.A. California State University-Northridge 1990; M.F.A. National Theatre Conservatory 1993; Professor of Theatre and Dance 2007, 1994.

Assistant Professors:

CATHERINE FOLDENAUER, B.S. University of California, Davis 2006; M.F.A. California Institute of the Arts 2021; Assistant Professor of Theatre and Dance 2020.

PATRICK KONESKO, B.A. Saginaw Valley University 2008; M.A. Bowling Green State University 2009; Ph.D. 2013; Assistant Professor of Theatre and Dance 2015.

SCOTT TEDMON-JONES, B.F.A. University of Wyoming 2001; M.F.A. Carnegie Mellon University 2010; Assistant Professor of Theatre and Dance 2018.

Assistant Lecturers:

JASON BANKS, B.F.A. University of Florida 2004; M.F.A. The Ohio State University 2007; Assistant Lecturer FTRC 2020.

ANDREW LIA, B.A. Augustana College 2009; M.F.A. California Institute of the Arts 2013; Assistant Lecturer FTRC 2020.

Adjunct Professor:

Neil F. Humphrey

Emeritus Professors:

Rebecca Hilliker, Patricia Tate, Ron Steger, Larry Hazlett, Leroy Hodgson

Degrees Offered

The Department of Theatre and Dance offers curricula leading to the B.A. degree and the Bachelor of Fine Arts and courses which fulfill a part of University Studies and various colleges’ requirements, including the College of Arts and Sciences.

Curricula

Students may not take a course for S/U credit to satisfy course requirements in the major. This does not apply to courses offered for S/U only. Requirements for students majoring in the areas of the department are indicated below.

Theatre

The study of theatre provides students with a broad understanding of the art of theatre appropriate to theatre’s position as a fine art in a liberal arts college. The study of theatre is considered to provide a basis for more specialized theatre study in a graduate or professional school. The liberal arts education in theatre together with extensive experience in the production program also provides the foundation for a professional career in theatre, motion pictures, or television drama for those individuals with special desires and abilities. Secondary teaching certification in theatre can be obtained through this program of study.

Dance

The dance concentration within the Department of Theatre and Dance is designed to provide students with a broad foundation in the humanities and specific emphasis in performance and production aspects of dance. Students pursuing this course of study will have opportunities to attain technical competency in ballet and/or modern dance, to perform in yearly dance productions, to obtain practical experience in the fundamentals of teaching dance and to gain experience in technical theatre as an aid to dance production. The program seeks to provide a comprehensive view of dance as an artistically expressive medium, as well as a creative and recreational tool to human expression.

Students completing this program will qualify for more advanced private instruction as well as advanced academic instruction.

All dance students are matriculated into the BA degree. Students wishing to apply for the BFA in Dance Performance or BFA in Dance Science do so the second semester of their freshman year.

Students must receive a C or better in all courses designated THEA to satisfy department degree requirements. A student’s transfer courses in Theatre and Dance must also reflect a C or better to be accepted for credit. A grade of C- does not meet the requirement.

Outcomes:

Our goal is to nurture artists and scholars within aesthetic, social, critical, historical and contemporary performance and dance idioms, who appreciate cultural literacy and respect diversity, who think critically, who master discipline-specific performance and production skills, and who foster knowledge and make compelling artistic choice on stage.

The Theatre and Dance Department expects that upon graduation all students will be able to:

Demonstrate or detail the basic production process and make an informed assessment of quality in all areas of theatre and dance,
Honor and represent historical, contemporary, and cultural diversity in academic and performance settings,
Articulate the intersection of their personal, aesthetic, and social/political ideas in relation to a particular play, performance work or production,
Develop collaborative skills, communicate effectively and function in a variety of contexts with self-knowledge, resilence, and resourcefulness, both in performance and in creation,
Understand the demands and expectations of the profession,
Synthesize and utilize knowledge from courses in the breadth of the discipline,
Recognize and be familiar with postgraduate training opportunities in professional theatre, dance and academia.

Scholarships

A number of scholarships are available to interested majors in theatre or within the dance option. The University Theatre also maintains a summer company. Applications should be sent to the Department of Theatre and Dance, Dept. 3951, 1000 E. University Ave., Laramie, WY 82071.

Departmental Activities/ Organizations

The department sponsors one of the largest all-student activities on campus. Nearly 250 students take part in its productions each season. All students are eligible to participate in its productions through auditions.

Productions are mounted in the Buchanan Center for the Performing Arts which includes a flexible proscenium theatre and an experimental-studio theatre complete with scene and costume support facilities.

Auditions, open to all university students, are publicly announced for each production. Qualified students may receive credit in performance and production areas (THEA 2050 ).

The Wyoming Summer Theatre presents a season of plays of varying types during the summer session. Theatre majors and minors are urged to spend at least one summer working with this group.

Graduate Study

At present, no program for graduate degrees in theatre and dance is offered; however, courses may be counted at the graduate level.

Programs

Major

Minor

Courses

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