Department of Theatre

Mission Statement

We are a Christ-centered theatre program that challenges students to develop superior artistic skills in order to serve others in the areas of ministry, education and professional theatre.

Theatre at Harding University is about creating a collaborative community on an artistic mission. The art of theatre integrates the fine arts, the humanities and the performing arts into one immersive experience for all of its participants. The purpose of the Theatre Department is to develop Christian artists into proficient theatre practitioners, educators and advocates. Students are guided in this collaboration by a talented faculty and staff who strive to model Christian values and vision in the creative process, in scholarship, in mentoring and in service.

Goals

The goals of the Department of Theatre are accomplished by being centered on four parts of our mission:

1. Christ. Develop within theatre students a compassionate, engaging Christ-like spirit of service and ministry to others.
2. Community. Provide opportunities for students to collaborate and interact with professionals and peers in classes, forums, productions, travel and social interactions in order to create a community of support and trust.
3. Curriculum. Challenge students with a superior curriculum that promotes experiential learning and reflects academic and professional best practices.
4. Creativity. Provide opportunities for students to participate in a strong co-curricular production program that applies the creative principles and skills learned in the classroom to fully mounted faculty-directed theatre productions. Faculty-supervised student laboratory productions also provide co-curricular learning experiences.

Academic Programs

The Department of Theatre offers five majors and six minors along with an additional licensure area program for secondary education.

Students may choose to focus on a well-rounded study in Theatre, or an intensive program of Acting as a profession, or may choose to pursue training in Design and Production in any one of four concentrations: Set Design, Costume Design, Light and Sound Design or Production. Students may also choose to become licensed (7-12) to teach theatre or to become licensed (K-12) to teach speech, communication and theatre. In addition, all programs allow for the necessary educational preparation for graduate studies in Theatre.

The Department of Theatre also offers minors in Theatre, Costume Design (open only to ART and FCS majors), Lighting and Sound Design (open only to COMM majors), Set Design (open only to ART majors), Acting (open only to Music majors) and Technical Theatre. The Department also offers a Theatre licensure program for those Majors in other Secondary Education fields.

Faculty

Chair: Steven N. Frye, Ed.D.

Professors:

Steven N. Frye, Ed.D.
Britton Lynn, M.F.A.
C. Robin Miller, M.F.A.

Assistant Professors:

Dottie Frye, M.A.
Ben Jones, M.Ed.

Programs

• Acting Major (ACT), BA
• Drama/Speech Major (Teacher licensure) (DRSP), BA
• Theatre Design/Production (THDE), BA
• Theatre Major (THT2), BA
• Theatre, 7-12 (Teacher licensure) (THL7), BA

• Acting Minor (for Music majors only)
• Costume Design Minor (for Art and Family & Consumer Science majors)
• Lighting/Sound Design Minor (Communication majors only)
• Set Design Minor (for Art majors)
• Technical Theatre Minor
• Theatre as a Second Teaching Field
• Theatre Minor