Frequently Asked Questions

The Metamorphosis by Lary Opitz, Spring 2009

What is unique about Skidmore theater?

Unlike most liberal arts theater programs, students who major in Theater at Skidmore receive a Bachelor of Science degree. This reflects the fact that Theater is a pre-professional program. Out of the 120 college credits required for graduation, Theater students take a minimum of 48 credits in theater, and most students find themselves taking as many as 60. Typically, in a 120-credit bachelor of arts program students take 30–36 credits in Theater, and in a Bachelor of Fine Arts (conservatory) program, students take 90. We believe that the best possible education for a theater artist is to combine serious theater training with a rich and well-rounded liberal arts education. At Skidmore, Theater majors fulfill their choices for all-college liberal arts requirements, enjoy intensive theater training, and still have room for a variety of electives. Every Friday afternoon, all theater students and faculty meet in Theater Company. In this weekly town-hall style gathering, we present and discuss our shows, make announcements about upcoming activities, learn about professional opportunities, and tackle issues that effect our department, college, and the theater and arts community at large. Outside guests are often invited to speak at Company, and workshops are occasionally presented. The core of the Company meetings involves presentations prior to the opening of each production. Directors, designers, dramaturgs, stage managers, and actors discuss their work and their goals and sometimes present short scenes. After each production closes, a post show discussion takes place in a subsequent meeting.

What kind of productions does Skidmore theater present?

The Department of Theater produces a wide variety of events, showcasing eclectic material from all over the world and ranging in period and style from the ancient to the contemporary, from the realistic to the abstract, and from the classical to the postmodern. Our primary goal in planning our season is to offer appropriate opportunities for students to test their skills as artists and to experiment with different styles and genres.

Seminar Productions: Every semester we present two large productions, one in our 348-seat thrust stage theater and one in our flexible Black Box theater (50–120 seats). While the Black Box show is mounted in approximately six weeks, the Mainstage show goes into rehearsal at the start of the semester and performs at its end. This makes room for a great deal of exploration and experimentation. Our seminar productions are typically helmed by members of our faculty and certain qualified student designers, but occasionally guest artists (outside directors, actors, designers or composers) participate in these productions. Typically, the spring Black Box production is directed by an advanced senior directing student.

Labs and Senior Projects: 4-6 smaller Lab shows are produced each semester, usually in our Studio Theater on the second floor of our building. See Lab policies for more information: https://theater.skidmore.edu/department-policies-and-protocols/

Lab projects and senior projects are proposed to and selected by the Season Selection Committee.

Free Hour Theater: Every Friday afternoon following our Theater Company meeting, anyone with an idea can reserve an acting studio for a presentation. In the past we have had new play readings, poetry readings, sound designer/choreographer projects, puppet shows, short plays, etc.

Guest Productions: Professional guest productions are often brought to the campus and are performed in one of our theaters. Often, when producing the work of a living playwright, we have sought to bring the playwright to campus to participate in the seminar process. Recently, playwrights Caridad Svich, Tina Howe, Deborah Anne Byrd, Marisela Treviño Orta, Andrew Rincón, Genevieve Simon, Inda Craig-Galván, Charles Mee, Julia May Jonas and Elizabeth Meriweather have participated.

In addition to the types of productions listed above, theater students have created and staged their own productions, such as an annual AIDS benefit performance and The Vagina Monologues for V-Day.

Our Season runs from September through May, concurrent with the Skidmore College academic calendar.

Do I have to audition to be admitted to the theater program?

No.  Skidmore Theater operates within the greater liberal arts setting of the college, as opposed to a conservatory training program. Students do not have to declare a major until the end of their sophomore year, and everyone is encouraged to become involved in the Theater Department, whatever they may decide to major in. All classes are open to students who have met any necessary prerequisites. Some upper-level classes may be taken only with the permission of the instructor.

Do I need to submit a portfolio to the Theater Department when applying to Skidmore?

No.

Do you do musicals and train musical theater performers?

Musical productions are not regularly produced by the department, though we have staged some musicals and many plays that incorporate a good deal of music. We also offer coursework in Musical Theater Acting. Students interested in studying musical theater are encouraged to take appropriate courses in the Theater, Music, and Dance departments. Private voice lessons are available in the Music Department. Students interested in musicals also have the opportunity to participate in Off North Broadway, a student-run organization that performs musical cabarets on campus each year.

Are auditions for departmental productions open to all students?

Yes, combined auditions for the seminar and lab productions are held during the first week of each semester and are open not only to theater majors and minors, but to the entire student body. First-year students are encouraged to take part in auditions. Our productions typically involve a well-balanced mix of first-year students, sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Find out more here.

Where are audition announcements posted?

Open calls for auditions are announced through e-blasts to our all-college student email directories, postings on our social media accounts, and physical posters hung throughout campus. Once the shows are cast, final cast lists are emailed to auditionees and posted on the call board near the elevator on the first floor of the JKB Theater.

What do I need to do to prepare for an audition?

See here.

How does the audition process work?

There are usually two stages in the audition process—combined auditions and callbacks. Following the first stage of auditions on the first Thursday and Friday evenings of the semester, a callback list of actors under consideration will be posted in the lobby. Callbacks are usually held on either Saturday or Sunday of the first week during the day. At the end of callbacks a cast list is posted in the lobby and emailed to all actors who auditioned. Actors must initial their names on the cast list, and/or email the stage manager, to accept a role. See more information here.

Can I work on more than one show in one semester?

If responsibilities for each show do not conflict, yes. Many students routinely choose to work on both of the seminar productions in different capacities (such as acting in one and doing technical work on another).

May I receive academic credit when cast in a production?

Students who are cast in any faculty-directed seminar production are eligible to take TH 250 “Seminar Production” for 1, 2, 3, or 4 credits. Seniors may take TH 376 for 3 credits. Other students may choose, if cast in any seminar production, to use this as the fulfillment of half of their Theater Company requirements.

Can my diverse interests in a variety of theater areas be accommodated?

Absolutely. We offer courses of study and hands-on experience in acting, directing, design, stage management, and technical theater. Students are encouraged to branch out and experiment in different areas of theater. It is possible to act one semester, stage-manage another, and direct a show a third semester. You should make your interests known early on to your faculty advisor, who will work with you in creating a course of study that can satisfy your needs. In addition to acting, directing, and designing, many of our graduates have gone on to work as stage managers, dramaturgs, actors, directors, producers, technicians, etc.

I’d really like to get involved, but I’m not an actor. What can I do?

There are opportunities to work in all areas of production: painting, construction, running crew, properties, costume, makeup, stage management, sound, design, directing, theater management, lighting, etc. At the beginning of the semester, plan on attending the Theater Info Session (typically the first Wednesday of the semester at 7 p.m.) and the first Theater Company meeting Friday at 2:30 p.m. during the first week of classes. There you will find out the best ways to begin working and you will meet the appropriate faculty members to speak to regarding your interests. You may also contact any of our faculty to discuss your interests and opportunities in the department.

What acting method is taught at Skidmore?

We believe that every actor is unique and must develop their own process that can be tested and revised as they grow. Therefore, we strive to give the acting student foundational tools in order to explore further training and development as they work on their craft. Our beginning level classes are collaborative and exploratory, examining various acting methods and enhancing the actor’s creativity, imagination, awareness and sense of self. As the actor progresses, the student will receive further training in more advanced methods, either Stanislavsky-based, such as those developed by Sanford Meisner, Stella Adler or Uta Hagen, or through other methods such as Theatre of the Oppressed, Black Acting Methods, or physical-based training methods that may include Viewpoints, Suzuki, mask, clown, or commedia. Specialized training is also available in camera techniques, comedy improv, audition techniques, devising, ensemble-based creation, classical training such as Shakespeare or advanced scene work. We expect students who focus on acting will take voice, speech and movement classes (primarily based in Linklater, Rodenberg and Laban) as this will enhance their instrument and is integrated with our curriculum. While it is not a requirement that students take our acting classes in order to be cast in productions, it is highly recommended and will aid students in the production seminar process.

How is the Skidmore theater season selected?

Please see FAQs about seminar seasons, as well as Lab Policies, here.

What opportunities are there to study abroad or at other institutions?

Many of our students study abroad at Accademia Dell’Arte in Arezzo Italy, the British American Drama Academy in London, and the Gaiety School in Dublin.

Students have also taken semesters away at the National Theater Institute in Connecticut, Second City in Chicago, and Sarah Lawrence’s film program.

Do Skidmore Theater students work in other theaters?

We strongly encourage students interested in working in the theater to make the best possible use of their summers. Many of our students work in summer theaters throughout the country. We regularly help to place students in a number of local programs including Opera Saratoga, the Saratoga Shakespeare Company, Adirondack Theater Festival, Williamstown Theater Festival, and Berkshire Theatre Festival. A number of our students also explore professional internships in management, film, and TV. During the academic year there have been opportunities for students to work with SPAC School of the Arts, as well as Capital Rep in Albany. A number of stage managers have completed semester-long internships at regional theaters including Capital Rep, Dallas Theater Center, Arena Stage, and the Guthrie.

Does the Theater Department offer career development opportunities?

We offer courses in Professional Preparation and Theater Management which focus on professional training and building connections for a career in the performing arts. Students work closely with our faculty and guest artists, all professionals in their fields, to prepare materials for job applications and auditions.

Are there summer productions?

The Skidmore theater does not operate a summer production season.

Can I design for a Skidmore theater production?

The faculty selects student designers from among the students who have participated in the design curriculum and who have demonstrated excellence and interest. Student designers and assistant designers are enrolled in supervised design sequence and receive academic credit for their work. Be sure that you speak to members of the design faculty for further information.

What do I do if I would like to direct a production for the department?

See Lab Policies and Student Black Box processes here.  Students also regularly assistant direct faculty in seminar productions.  Students can also apply to dramaturg seminar productions.

Can I stage-manage a production?

All productions are stage-managed by students. Our production faculty select student stage managers from students who have served as assistant stage managers and who have demonstrated abilities and a desire to pursue this work.

What do Skidmore theater students do after graduation?

Our  graduates enter the entertainment profession and work at major regional, off-Broadway and Broadway theaters. Many students complete professional training programs in some of the nation’s best MFA graduate programs (NYU, Yale, Trinity/Brown, Cal Arts, UC Irvine). In addition to working as actors, directors, designers, technicians, stage managers, dramaturgs, writers, and administrators, many of our graduates currently teach theater at other colleges. One very exciting phenomenon is the number of active small theater companies that have been created in New York City, Chicago, and Boston by Skidmore theater alums over the years. Many of our graduates have also found success in other fields including psychology, law, medicine, publishing, etc.