54 courses with the subject DRAM, each shown exactly as we captured it from the college's catalog, with every element we hold. Where the wording looks broken, that is our reading of the catalog, not the college's text.
DRAM 102Introduction to Theater-Making: Theory and Practice1
An exploration of the strategies theatre artists use to approach the realization of dramatic texts on the stage. Through weekly practical projects, the class examines the challenges posed by a variety of dramatic genres. Peter Gil-Sheridan, Christopher Grabowski. Two 75-minute periods, plus one 75-minute laboratory. Course Format: CLS
This is a course designed for students to examine and appreciate the technical aspects of theater making. We explore stagecraft, technical drawing, carpentry, sound design, stage lighting, rigging, safety protocols, costume construction, and design. Students gain a first-hand appreciation for the behind-the-scenes contributions of designers, stagehands, stage managers, and technicians as they work towards producing their own moment of stagecraft James Hunting. First six-week course. Two 1-hour periods. Course Format: OTH
Designed to provide an opportunity for first year and undeclared acting students to continue exploring their collaborate skills from the point of view of the actor. This includes script analysis, rehearsal preparation, historical research, and etiquette and traditions. The lab portion of the class facilitates the collaboration between acting and directing students who participate in a joint lab. Christopher Grabowski. Two 2-hour periods; additional lab time required. Not offered in 2026/27. Course Format: CLS
This course offers physical training in stage movement for actors. Focus is placed on functional alignment, breath initiation, movement sequencing, spatial awareness, effort qualities, and rhythmic dynamics. Exploration of movement is both vigorous and athletic, as well as more theatrical and gestural. Through elements of Laban Movement Analysis, as well as yoga, improvisation, and vernacular movement, students discover pathways to create a richly physical development of character. Two 75-minute periods. Not offered in 2026/27. Course Format: CLS
This course is the introduction to critical methodology in the conception, creation, and presentation of scenic, lighting, costume and sound design. Through the use of theory and practice students engage with the fundamental elements of design and their use in the theatre production to support storytelling. Throughout this course students develop skills and methodologies in research, technical design and presentation. Tania Barrenechea Barreda, Kenisha Kelly. Two 2-hour periods. Course Format: CLS
DRAM 126Our Bodies, Our Selves, Our World: Improving Your Sense of Self Through the Awareness Through Movement0.5
(Same as MUSI 126 ) Moshe Feldenkrais (1904-1984) is widely considered to be a pioneer in the field of neuroplasticity. Working initially with individuals with neurological challenges such as cerebral palsy and grave injuries, Feldenkrais developed more than 1500 group lessons in Awareness Through Movement which can be helpful to anyone of any capacity. Each class will teach one of these lessons, which deepen our sensitivity, thoughts and feelings of ourselves and the environment, producing an enhanced way of being and improved abilities in performance and interaction. Senior Lecturer in Music Drew Minter is a certified Feldenkrais practitioner. The class is open to all students (no previous experience required). Maximum of 20 students. Drew Minter. First six-week course. Two 75-minute periods. Course Format: CLS
(Same as RUSS 143 ) Close reading of major plays and selected short stories by Anton Chekhov. Focus on the forms and themes of Chekhov’s works, as well as their historical contexts in terms of dramaturgy, reception and artistic legacy. Special attention is given to the spectrum of interpretations of Chekhov’s works in a transnational context. Accompanied by film screenings. Dan Ungurianu. Open to all classes. Readings and discussions are in English. Russian majors see RUSS 243 . Two 75-minute periods. Course Format: CLS
DRAM 102 , DRAM 103 , and permission of the department. May be repeated up to four times; non-drama majors may participate one time without having taken DRAM 102 . One 3-hour period plus rehearsal and crew calls. Course Format: OTH
Offered
Fall and Spring
DRAM 203The Actor’s Craft: The Study of Acting1
The Actor’s Craft is an introduction to the tools and methods with which an actor may build a reliable artistic process. Through the use of targeted exercises, games, improvisation, scene study, and reflection, students will establish a basic technique to support their acting work. We will place our greatest emphasis on the principles of actor training introduced by Stanislavsky, but our exploration will be enriched by the techniques and practices of many theater masters, including but not limited to Uta Hagen, Anne Bogart, Sanford Meisner, Michael Chekhov, and Jacques LeCoq. Shona Tucker.
Permission of the instructor. Two 2-hour periods. Course Format: CLS
Offered
Fall
DRAM 204Theatre Technologies: Stage Lighting1
This course is an in-depth study of the technology and theories used in the theatrical production process for theatrical performance. Through readings and practicum, the history and evolution of stage lighting are explored.
DRAM 102 . One 2-hour period plus one 2-hour lab. Not offered in 2026/27 Course Format: CLS
DRAM 205The Actor’s Voice1
The Actor’s Voice is an introduction to the tools and methods with which an actor may develop an efficient, nuanced, and clear vocal instrument. A primary focus on breath work provides actors with a foundation for healthy and robust vocal usage while deepening emotional access. Targeted exercises in speech and rhetoric expand the actor’s ability to communicate large and complex thoughts and make creative choices more legible. Through an exploration of the particular demands and opportunities of Shakespeare’s verse, the course prepares students to tackle challenging text with confidence. Conrad Schott.
Permission of the instructor. One 3-hour period. Course Format: CLS
Offered
Spring
DRAM 206Greek Tragedy and Its Reception1
(Same as GRST 206 ) In this class we consider the work of the three surviving Athenian tragedians –– Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides–– as well as the continued flourishing of their plays in the forms of new translations, performances, and adaptations. In our study of the ancient plays we examine the historical and civic role of tragedy in Athenian society and the ways in which each tragedian brought his distinct vision to the reshaping of inherited myths to suit his own voice and political moment. We begin with a close study of plays from each tragedian written about the family of Agamemnon– Aeschylus’s Oresteia , Sophocles’s Electra , and Euripides’s Orestes – and look at the different ways that each playwright works within the same mythic cycle. This study of the flexibility of tragic myth-making in antiquity then creates a foundation for our study of modern reinterpretations of select other ancient plays. The modern examples we consider come from a variety of global contexts and a variety of media including dramatic, cinematic, and novelistic. Among the questions we consider are: how does the translator/ playwright / author/ director position their work in relationship to the ancient source text they are working with? What is the difference between a “translation,” a “version,” and an “adaptation”? How does cultural context work to shape a distinctive meaning that is both in conversation with the Greek play and distinctly original? Rachel Friedman. Two 75-minute periods. Not offered in 2026/27 Course Format: CLS
This course considers the various techniques of hand and computer based communication used in presenting conceptual ideas in theatre design. Areas of study include drafting and rendering for scenic and lighting environments. One 2-hour period plus one 2-hour lab. Not offered in 2026/27 Course Format: CLS
DRAM 208Draping and Pattern-Development for Stage Production1
This course focuses on developing a two-dimensional pattern into a three dimensional form. Students learn basic pattern-making, draping and sewing skills. Kenisha Kelly.
DRAM 102 and permission of the instructor. One 3-hour period; additional lab time required. Course Format: CLS
Offered
Spring
DRAM 209Introduction to Costume Design for the Stage1
This course focuses on the study and practice of visual representation utilizing the principles and elements of design in conjunction with historical and conceptual research in order to build collaboration, design presentation and creative thinking skills. Students will create production design assignments through the use of the mediums practiced throughout this course. Kenisha Kelly. Two 2-hour periods. Course Format: CLS
This course emphasizes the student’s work through the craft of playwriting, theatrical storytelling and narrative. Reading of plays, discussion, writing and reading aloud of material with group feedback constitute the major portion of this course. Generative writing exercises are done in class or suggested for outside class time. The course ends with informal readings of students’ final plays. A communal workshop atmosphere prevails so that students engage in a collaborative approach to problem solving, through rewriting, which dramatic writing requires. The collaboration process between directors, actors and designers is also discussed. Peter Gil-Sheridan.
This class explores models of the ways directors conceptualize their work, and how to communicate with actors, designers, and technicians. The work of the class is both theoretical and practical, and though open to all majors, it is particularly useful for students in Drama hoping to Direct in the Experimental Theater for the Steerman New Play festival, or In the Mainstage season as a Senior Project. Christopher Grabowski. Two 2-hour periods. Course Format: CLS
Introduction to Stage Management in Production focuses on the skills and mechanics necessary to contribute to the production process as a Stage Manager. This practicum course focuses on organization, leadership and communication in a production setting. Chelsea Gillespie.
This course is an intensive study in the realm of Clown. Clowning is a transformative tool for every performer that deepens the actor’s presence on stage, develops comic timing and improvisational skills, teaches specificity of movement, encourages bolder physical and vocal choices and develops playful responsiveness as a tool for connecting with audiences. Through an exploration of the very personal and specific way in which each of our physical bodies move, trip, dance, and play through the world students discover the heart of their personal funny. Hannah Gaff.
DRAM 102 and DRAM 103 . Two 2-hour periods. Not offered in 2026/27. Course Format: CLS
DRAM 215Introduction to Theatrical Design1
This course is designed to introduce students to the concepts and practicalities of designing in a theatrical setting. Touching on all of the design fields, students leave this class with an understanding of how the fields of set, costume, lighting, sound, and media design interact. Students learn the theories behind theatrical design and complete hands-on experiments and projects to bring the theories into reality.
Permission of the instructor. Two 2-hour periods; additional lab time required. Not offered in 2026/27. Course Format: CLS
DRAM 221Sources of World Drama1
Drama 221/ DRAM 222 is a yearlong course that provides an introduction to dramatic literature and performance practice from around the world. In 221 students read an array of dramatic texts from the works of the ancient Greeks to English comedies of the seventeenth century, along with works from Japan, China, and India. The course balances an exploration of dramatic literature and staging with an investigation of the theories that have affected both the literature and practice of theater, such as Aristotle’s The Poetics , neoclassicism, and Bharata’s The Natyasastra . The course focuses on a series of critical periods and explores the relationship between the theater and the culture responsible for its creation. Joanna Gurin.
DRAM 102 . Yearlong course 221/ DRAM 222 . Two 75-minute periods. Course Format: CLS
Offered
Fall
DRAM 222Sources of World Drama1
This course is the second half of the yearlong DRAM 221 /222. This course provides an introduction to dramatic literature and performance practice from around the world with works from Africa, the Caribbean, the Middle East, Europe, Asia, and the Americas. In 222 students read an array of dramatic texts from the eighteenth century to today. The course balances an exploration of dramatic literature and staging with an investigation of the theories that have affected both the literature and practice of theater, such as; Realism, Epic Theater, Theater of Cruelty, Theater of the Oppressed, Post-Colonial Drama, Docudrama and Immersive Performance. The course focuses on a series of critical periods and explores the relationship between the theater and the culture responsible for its creation. Joanna Gurin.
DRAM 102 and DRAM 221 . Yearlong course DRAM 221 /222. Two 75-minute periods. Course Format: CLS
Offered
Spring
DRAM 224Introduction to Performance Studies: What is(n’t) Performance1
What do we mean when we refer to something as a “performance?” From traditional theatrical productions to social media, from every day interactions to political speeches to religious rituals to sporting events, performance is everywhere, permeating our interactions with the world in ways both familiar and surprising. How we understand performance, and ourselves as performers, can offer us a profound critical lens for understanding cultural and artistic production as well as social development and identity formation. In this course, students engage with the theoretical foundations of the discipline of Performance Studies as well as emerging trends in performance scholarship and artistic production. Amanda Culp. Two 75-minute periods. Course Format: CLS
DRAM 225Design Detectives: Uncovering history through architecture, furniture styles and decor1
This course has two primary objectives: Firstly, to provide a survey of Western period style ranging from ancient Greek culture, to the present day, while examining the expression of each style in the art, architecture, interiors, and decorative arts of the time. With this knowledge acquired, students in this course will then develop and enhance the skills necessary for conducting visual research. Tania Barrenechea Barreda.
DRAM 102 , DRAM 103 . Two 75-minute periods. Not offered in 2026/27. Course Format: CLS
DRAM 226Prop Making1
Students explore creating tridimensional objects for theatre, like props and scenic elements. There is an exploration of different materials and craft skills to create: paper props, fake food and drink, sculpting, and other similar theatre related props. Tania Barrenechea Barreda. One 3-hour period. Course Format: CLS
At first glance an odd pairing, the disciplines of stage combat and intimacy work are often practiced by the same professionals in the theater industry — and upon closer examination, the combination makes sense. Whether staging a fight or a moment of intimacy, performers must work together to tell a convincing story with care for each other’s safety. This course introduces tools and strategies for safely and effectively handling the violence and intimacy that abound in theatrical storytelling. By practicing the skills required to communicate boundaries and to work within the boundaries of a partner, students can build a culture of consent that is the foundation of safe theatrical collaboration. Within that context, the course examines the choreographic vocabulary of staged intimacy and provides a practical grounding in the techniques of Unarmed combat along with a sampling of other weapon styles recognized by the Society of American Fight Directors. These specialized subjects ultimately return theater artists to the fundamentals of partnering: listening and responding, taking care of each other, and working together to tell a live, embodied story. Conrad Schott.
DRAM 102 and permission of the instructor. Two 2-hour periods. Course Format: CLS
Offered
Fall
DRAM 232Dramaturgy1
This class is an exploration of dramaturgy and the art of the dramaturg. Each week, students complete readings and assignments that provide context for the art and practice of dramaturgy, as well as afford practical, hands-on experience of the craft. Students learn how to read texts deeply and critically, how to research historically and creatively, and how to present that work to collaborators in a manner that is accessible, illuminating, and productive. By the end of the term, students not only are able to define dramaturgy and the role of the dramaturg clearly for how they relate to each individual artist’s practice, but they also are able to step confidently into that role in production, and/or to collaborate effectively with dramaturgs on their team. In addition to work in the classroom, students attend two plays in New York City, and interact with working dramaturgs in the field. Course materials may include, but are not limited to: Medea by Euripides, Les Blancs by Lorraine Hansberry, The Piano Lesson by August Wilson, Harvest by Manjula Padmanabhan, Rhinoceros by Eugene Ionesco, Mother Courage and her Children by Bertolt Brecht, Life and Times by Nature Theater of Oklahoma. Amanda Culp.
DRAM 102 . One 3-hour period plus one 75-minute period. Not offered in 2026/27. Course Format: CLS
DRAM 234Topics in Global Performance1
(Same as ASIA 234 ) This course showcases the wealth of theater and performance traditions that exist beyond the Euro-American canon. Taught on a rotating basis by members of the Drama Department faculty, each semester features a different tradition of theater practice. Possible topics include, but are not limited to: Caribbean Theater; South Asian Theater; West African Theater, and Latinx Theater. Amanda Culp.
(Same as ENGL 241 ) Study of a substantial number of the plays, roughly in chronological order, to permit a detailed consideration of the range and variety of Shakespeare’s dramatic art.
(Same as DANC 255 ) This course explores the history and changing landscape of dance in musical theater as we delve into the art of storytelling through movement. Broadway has changed dramatically over the years and has been influenced by changes in music, culture, social trends, and the aesthetic of renowned choreographers. The world of musical theater now encompasses a crossover of dance idioms, and that diversity of movement is so important as that is what brings so many stories to life on stage. Students are introduced to the different eras of musical theater and to the choreographers who have emerged from each generation. Focus is placed specifically on how dance is used as a narrative in performance as well as how to approach different styles of movement as both a dancer and an actor. Each class includes a warm-up, followed by across the floor stylized sequences and a combination. Some previous dance training is required; the course includes a written component as well as video analysis. Lisa Harvie Covin. Two 75-minute periods. Course Format: OTH
(Same as ITAL 261 and WFQS 261 ) What makes theatre an effective (or ineffective) vehicle for radical politics? How and why is Italy a valuable case study to consider the relationship between political activity and performance practice, particularly in light of post-1968 social ferment and during the politically explosive (and notoriously violent) 1970s? In this course, we look at plays and performance projects by artists like Dario Fo, Franca Rame, Dacia maraini, Mario Mieli, and numerous theatre collectives operating across the peninsula, as well as culutural theorists that may include Antonio Gramsci, Umberto Eco, Walter Benjamin, and Bertolt Brecht. In light of a historical moment that saw unprecedented worker and students protests and occupation of factories and universities, we consider how performance moved out of the theatre and redifined its goals and boundaries. We also devote particular attention to how feminist and queer theatre-makers critiqued institutional power and re-imagined art, society, and revolutio. This course investigates key concepts, texts, and artists involved in the theatre communities in 1970s Italy, their visions of politics and revolution, their artistic strategies, and their lasting resonance and influence on contemporary practice and aesthetics. Two 75-minute periods. Not offered in 2026/27. Course Format: CLS
(Same as MEDS 285 ) What makes for a compelling podcast? What makes an audio play unforgettable? How do writers build, maintain, and grow an engaged audience through sound alone? This course explores the art and craft of writing for podcasts and audio performance, examining how storytelling is transformed when voice, sound, rhythm, and silence become the primary tools of dramatic expression. Students study contemporary podcasts, radio drama, and audio storytelling forms to understand how writers create intimacy, tension, atmosphere, and emotional resonance without visual elements. Through listening analysis, writing exercises, collaborative workshops, and script laboratories, students develop original scripts for podcast and audio performance while learning how audience engagement, episodic structure, pacing, and sonic identity shape successful audio narratives. The course emphasizes the relationship between text and sound, asking students to consider not only how stories are written, but how they are heard. Attention is given to storytelling strategies that sustain listener investment across episodes, cultivate distinct narrative voices, and create immersive auditory worlds. Patricia Achiro Olwoch. Two 75-minute periods. Course Format: CLS
0.5 to 1 unit(s) Independent work is the study of a topic in depth of a subject that is not already offered by the Drama Department. This means that credit cannot be given to proposed productions as this opportunity already exists in the Experimental Theatre within the department. Examples of possible independent works are: investigations in advanced technical theatre, dramaturgical research projects, and dialect work. If you are interested in electing to pursue an independent project, please consult the appropriate faculty member within the department. Course Format: OTH
The Art of Acting: Shakespeare offers an advanced study of classical acting with a focus on the works of Shakespeare. Students explore in depth some of the most challenging and popular dramatic material available in the English language, preparing them not only for classical repertoire but also for texts of any style. Techniques for confronting the demands of Shakespeare are applied in a laboratory setting with an emphasis on language, breath, and connection. Chris Grabowski.
DRAM 203 , DRAM 205 , one unit in dance or movement analysis, and permission of the instructor. Two 2-hour periods; additional lab time required. Course Format: CLS
Offered
Fall
DRAM 306The Art of Acting: Comedy1
Advanced study of comic acting styles including clowning, Commedia Dell’arte, Restoration, High Comedy and Absurdism. The work of Lecoq, Suzuki, Wilde, Coward, Ionesco, Beckett and Callow are explored. Shona Tucker.
DRAM 203 , DRAM 205 , one unit in dance or movement analysis, and permission of the instructor. One 3-hour period and one 4-hour laboratory. Not offered in 2026/27. Course Format: CLS
DRAM 307The Alexander Technique1
Explore the mind-body connection of the Alexander technique and its application to performance rooted in principles such as primary control, awareness, and inhibition. This course, structured around weekly private lessons, empowers students to recognize and transform habitual patterns of movement and tension, fostering a deeper understanding of their physical self and more ease and freedom on stage. This introductory course provides practical tools for actors, emphasizing hands-on work alongside theoretical exploration of its principles, including reading, discussion, and self-observation.
DRAM 102 and DRAM 103 . Not offered in 2026/27. Course Format: CLS
DRAM 308Auditioning and Acting for the Camera1
This course focuses on audition skills needed for the various arenas in the life of the actor: the classical and contemporary stage, commercial television, film, industrial film, etc., and provides the tools for sustaining work on the camera, including developing a reel by the end of the semester. Shona Tucker.
DRAM 203 and permission of the instructor. One 3-hour period. Course Format: CLS
Offered
Spring
DRAM 310Advanced Playwriting1
Building on the skills developed in DRAM 210 , this course offers students the opportunity to continue their exploration of script analysis and play construction at an advanced level. Emphasis on developing each writer’s vision and voice while also focusing on craft, form and style as well as revision processes, all culminating in staged readings of selected student work. Peter Gil-Sheridan.
DRAM 102 and DRAM 210 , and permission of the instructor. One 3-hour period; additional lab time required. Course Format: CLS
Offered
Fall
DRAM 311Advanced Playwriting: Playwriting in Production1
This advanced playwriting course is designed specifically for students who are interested in seeing their full length plays realized in live performance or other media. Writers focus heavily on rewriting their play based on notes from their instructor, collaborators, and audience members. Actors are invited to class regularly to read and perform scenes so that the writer can see how the play functions on its feet. The course culminates in a complete script ready for production. May be taken up to three times for credit. One 3-hour period. Not offered in 2026/27. Course Format: CLS
DRAM 313Historic Costume Collection and Exhibition1
(Same as GNCS 313 ) This course is created to support both the research and study of clothing as artifacts. Students have the opportunity to work with objects from the Vassar College Costume Collection and another community based historical collection. Students conduct research, examine garments, learn various preservation and stabilization techniques for textile preservation, and methods for mounting historic exhibitions. The course is one unit and meets once a week. Explore the Vassar Historic Clothing Collection and its history connected to the individuals who created its garments. Throughout the semester we center on the importance of the manufacturing labor force of the late 19th and early 20th century, to make visible and tangible many silent histories of the seamstresses and tailors from that time. Students conduct research on the makers of those garments and learn about their work practices while also assessing the importance of the fabrics that were used to create each garment, examine how certain textiles were manufactured during the period, as well as study the origins of the fabric itself in order to gain understanding of how many of these materials were created and distributed during that time. Susan Hiner, Kenisha Kelly. One 2-hour period. Not offered in 2026/27. Course Format: CLS
DRAM 102 or FILM 209 , and permission of the instructor. Writing sample required two weeks before preregistration. Open only to juniors and seniors. One 2-hour period plus outside screenings. Course Format: CLS
Offered
Fall
DRAM 323Scenic Design1
Studio class with an emphasis on the technical and artistic necessities for the design of scenery for the stage. Covering areas like scenic design basics and history, hand and computer drafting, rendering, drawing techniques and script analysis of the play. Tania Barrenechea Barreda.
Students in the course study the physical circumstances of Elizabethan public and private theaters at the beginning of the semester. The remainder of the semester is spent in critical examination of the plays of Shakespeare and several of his contemporaries using original staging practices of the early modern theater. The course emphasizes the conditions under which the plays were written and performed and uses practice as an experiential tool to critically analyze the texts as performance scripts. Denise Walen. Enrollment limited to Juniors and Seniors. One 3-hour period. Not offered in 2026/27. Course Format: CLS
DRAM 340Seminar in Performance Studies: Artaud and His Legacy1
This course explores the work and legacy of Antonin Artaud, one of the most influential thinkers about theater and its role in society to emerge from early 20th century Europe. Through the lens of Performance Studies, we spend the first half of the semester surveying Artaud’s essays, poems, plays, films, radio texts, magic spells, drawings, and letters, tracing the evolution of his thought processes on the radical, and perhaps revolutionary, potential of theater. During the second half of the semester, we turn to the myriad ways in which his proposals have helped to form the great performance traditions of the late Twentieth and early Twenty-First Centuries, and the profound legacy of his life and work. Some of the artists examined as part of Artaud’s legacy are: Peter Brook, Jerry Grotowski, The Living Theater, Marina Abramovic, Yoko Ono, Guillermo Gómez-Peña, Coco Fusco, Saint Orlan, Ron Athey, Sins Invalid, and Sasha Velour. Amanda Culp.
Permission of the instructor. One 3-hour period. Not offered in 2026/27. Course Format: CLS
DRAM 342Studies in Shakespeare1
(Same as ENGL 342 ) Advanced study of Shakespeare’s work and its cultural significance in various contexts from his time to today. This course satisfies the pre-1800 requirement for the English major. One 2-hour period. Not offered in 2026/27. Course Format: CLS
(Same as CHIN 362 and MEDS 362 ) A study of Chinese culture and society through well-known dramatic genres - zaju, chuanqi, kunqu , Beijing Opera, regional operas, modern and contemporary Spoken Drama; a close reading of selected plays in English translation (or in Chinese upon students’ request). Scheduled films of performances convey Chinese theatrical conventions and aesthetics. Research projects are chosen by students or assigned by the instructor. Based upon students’ research presentations, discussions center on a variety of major themes and genres from East-West perspectives. Students are encouraged to use Chinese language in their research projects at their appropriate proficiency levels. Wenwei Du.
One 200-level course in language, literature, culture, Drama, Media Studies or Asian Studies; or permission of the instructor. Two 75-minute periods. Course Format: CLS
Offered
Spring
DRAM 382The Business of Show1
In these uncertain times, we artists are still bold enough to want to enter into show business and to create work with audacity, panache, and style. But how do we do it and maintain our integrity, self-worth, and healthy personal relationships? We study it, like it’s our job, because it is. It is the business of show, this “Show Business.” In this course, you study the business of The Business: reviewing its history, current status, and where the industry is headed. You look at yourself as a business and learn how to market yourself, how to seek mentors, and learn techniques of negotiation. We do modules on solo performance and presenting for television/film and voiceover work. We learn the importance of what industry publications to read and how to read them, and what to do with yourself when you’re in between jobs. We look at the work of David Dean Botrell, Mari Lyn Henry, Joanna Merlin, and several others on the disciplines required to become a working actor. By the end of this course, you have a plan that is specific to you for what to do the moment you walk out of Vassar at the end of your senior year. Shona Tucker. One 3-hour period. Course Format: CLS
Students may propose to undertake a project in one of the following areas: research in dramatic literature, theater history, performance studies, acting, directing, design, or playwriting. Proposals can range from collaborative ensemble projects to solo work, to more conventional endeavors in specific areas such as research, acting, directing, or designing. The nature of this project is to be determined in consultation with the department. Chris Grabowski (Fall); Shona Tucker (Spring).
Senior standing and permission of the department One 3-hour period plus rehearsal and crew calls. Course Format: INT
Offered
Fall and Spring
DRAM 391Senior Production Laboratory1
Participation in the performance, design, or technical aspects of department productions. Students undertake a major assignment with significant responsibility focusing on theory, craft and collaboration. The department.
Senior standing, one unit at the 300-level in Drama, and permission of the department. Enrollment limited to seniors. May not be taken concurrently with DRAM 390 . Not offered in 2026/27. Course Format: CLS
DRAM 392Intensive Topics0.5
This Intensive course is designed to accommodate small groups of students (roughly 6-8), working in a mentored relationship with a faculty member on a topic related to an aspect of performance or performance theory. Not to be confused with the senior projects or with preparation for a performance, this course provides students the opportunity for study in a specific area in drama. Topics might include, but are not limited to, professional considerations in acting, such as the audition process and finding an agent, a deep dive into the professional actor’s creative process; stage management, archival research, directing styles or the history of directing, the historic costume collection, etc. Yearlong course 392- DRAM 393 . One 3-hour period. Not offered in 2026/27. Course Format: INT
This course is the second half of the yearlong DRAM 392 /393. This intensive course is designed to accommodate small groups of students (roughly 6-8), working in a mentored relationship with a faculty member on a topic related to an aspect of performance or performance theory. Not to be confused with the senior projects or with preparation for a performance, this course provides students the opportunity for study in a specific area in drama. Topics might include, but are not limited to, professional considerations in acting, such as the audition process and finding an agent, a deep dive into the professional actor’s creative process; stage management, archival research, directing styles or the history of directing, the historic costume collection, etc. Yearlong course DRAM 392 -393. One 3-hour period. Not offered in 2026/27. Course Format: INT
