DRAMA

Introduction  -  Our Teaching Approach   -  Professional Practice  - Honours  -  Complementary Studies  -  Career Opportunities

Introduction

Drama offers a major in the School of Humanities in the College of Arts and Social Sciences. The major takes the form of study of the Western theatrical tradition from its Greek origins to the present day. Courses focus on the examination of changing theatrical conventions that relate to the performance of dramatic texts.

While a Drama major does not provide professional training in the areas of acting, directing and design, practical workshops are employed to assist students to acquire the knowledge of these important aspects of theatre. A number of our graduates have moved on to professional training and have entered the theatrical profession. Many other graduates have used their Drama qualification in the teaching of the discipline in primary and secondary schools.

The knowledge and skills acquired by students who have graduated with a major in Drama has led to their being employed in a number of areas besides teaching and the theatrical profession. Our graduates are employed in a variety of work situations in both the public service and private enterprise. The flexibility and communications skills acquired by Drama students are particularly valued in the current ever-changing work environment.

Our Teaching Approach

Using a combined theoretical and practical approach, Drama courses concentrate on European, British, American and Australian drama and theatre. Play texts are studied as potential performance texts. While the historical performance conventions of staging and acting are examined, students also learn how to apply modern acting, directing and design conventions to plays written in earlier periods. A variety of approaches to acting, directing and design are explored. Students attend weekly lectures and tutorials in which questions relating to the theatrical conventions of playwriting and performance are explored. The practical workshops help clarify how these conventions work in the theatre.

Classes are conducted in the Drama Lab located in the ANU Arts Centre. The offices of the Drama staff are also located in the Arts Centre. A majority of the courses in the major are taught by the Drama staff, however, a number of drama courses are taught by staff in related disciplines such as Film Studies and English.

For information on majoring in Drama at ANU see Study@ANU .

Drama in Practice (Professional Practice)

As part of their professional practice, the staff of Drama, under the banner of ‘papermoon productions’ have directed, designed and performed in numerous plays. All these productions have used the talents of Drama students.

Some of the plays directed by Drama staff in recent years are listed below:

• A Streetcar Named Desire (Tennessee Williams)
• Equus (Peter Shaffer)
• The Cherry Orchard (Anton Chekhov)
• Julius Caesar (William Shakespeare)
• The Glass Menagerie (Tennessee Williams)
• Othello (William Shakespeare)
• Amadeus (Peter Shaffer)
• Ghosts (Henrik Ibsen)
• The Dresser (Ronald Harwood)
• Death of a Salesman (Arthur Miller)
• Endgame (Samuel Beckett)
• The Night of the Iguana (Tennessee Williams)
• The Homecoming (Harold Pinter)
• Twelfth Night (William Shakespeare)
• King Lear (William Shakespeare)
• Suddenly Last Summer (Tennessee Williams
• Three Tall Women (Edward Albee)
• Antony and Cleopatra (William Shakespeare)
• Waiting For Godot (Samuel Beckett)

Honours in Drama

Undergraduate students who have consistently maintained good marks in the Drama major are invited to undertake fourth year honours. This consists of a thesis,  an internship, a dedicated honours course and a fully mounted production in the Drama Lab or other appropriate venue. High achieving honours students may then study for an MA in Text and Performance at RADA in London.

Honours Application

Suggested Complementary Studies

• English
• Film Studies
• History
• Language Studies
• Philosophy

Career Opportunities

• Arts Administration
• Directing
• Drama teaching
• Dramaturgy
• Production Management
• Training