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Theatre Arts Tracks & Schedules

At a Glance

 MORNING: Each student in the Theatre Arts Division spends their mornings the same way. All students take an Acting class and a Voice & Movement class (called “Core” classes). Students also attend a Division-wide morning meeting, which will cover everything from important program updates, presentations from NU Undergraduate Admission, guest artist appearances, and more. 

AFTERNOON: After lunch, students will have individualized schedules based on the track they are enrolled in: Performance, Stage Management & Design/Tech, or Musical Theatre.  Please see below for more information about each track, as well as schedule samples. All students will also spend an afternoon period on a Crew, building the sets, costumes, or lights for the final productions.

EVENING: After dinner, students reunite with the other tracks to participate in rehearsals for a production made up of ensembles of 14-16 students, with SMDT students serving on a stage management team instead of performing. These productions are fully realized, 60-minute plays that will be performed during the final week of the Institute for family and friends.

The morning Core and evening Rehearsal cohorts are assembled from the entire population.  It is only during the afternoon classes that students will take classes with  their track.  Folks of all tracks learn and explore together in the morning and evening.

Performance Track

The Performance Track offers students a unique opportunity to explore the world of theatre with a focus on performance. Mornings are spent in the Core classes of Acting and Voice & Movement, learning with students from the other tracks. In the afternoons, Performance students are able to choose from a wide variety of Electives with classes like playwriting, directing, auditioning, Shakespeare, Viewpoints, and design. The electives offered vary from year to year, as the faculty build electives based around their own areas of expertise. 

In addition to elective classes, Performance students also take afternoon classes in Text Analysis and Performance Theory, as well as work in a Crew to build the sets/costumes/lights for the final productions with all other Cherubs.

Every weekday evening is spent rehearsing a play, directed and designed by industry professionals, with an ensemble made up of students from all 3 tracks. The rehearsals allow students to apply what they learn every day to a fully-realized show: building characters, exploring physicality, connecting with scene partners, and collaborating with a creative team. 

Born to Be Wild (Justin Barbin Photography)
Born to Be Wild (Justin Barbin Photography)
Morning Core
Morning Core
Afternoon Crew
Afternoon Crew
Lucky (Justin Barbin Photography)
Lucky (Justin Barbin Photography)
Morning Core
Morning Core
How to Mourn the Dead (Justin Barbin Photography)
How to Mourn the Dead (Justin Barbin Photography)
Outdoor Rehearsal
Outdoor Rehearsal
Afternoon Crew
Afternoon Crew
Walking back from Core
Walking back from Core

Stage Management & Design/Tech Track

Backstage and design work is brought into the spotlight in this track. SMDT students take the same morning Acting and Voice & Movement Core classes with students from the other tracks, and work on an afternoon Crew.  In the afternoon, SMDT students have specialized courses in Stage Management and Design Theory. The Design Theory class also includes Text Analysis curriculum from a design perspective. These specialized classes offer students in-depth and wide-ranging opportunities for individual instruction from a select staff of design and technical theatre professionals.

Instead of performing in the final productions, SMDT students work on a Stage Management team to collaborate with their Performance and MT peers throughout rehearsals, working alongside the Director, and contributing to the vision of their production. SMDT students eventually manage all aspects of the show during tech and performance week from backstage and/or the stage manager booth. All experience levels are welcome and encouraged – limited spots available. 

Taping out Space
Taping out Space
Design Challenge
Design Challenge
Tech Rehearsal
Tech Rehearsal
Website Design Challenge 3
Backstage
Backstage
2023 Cohort
2023 Cohort

Musical Theatre Track

MT students spend their mornings in the same Core classes (Acting and Voice & Movement), learning with students from the other tracks during class and the Division meeting.

In the afternoons, the Musical Theatre track offers an exploration of storytelling specific to the world of musical theatre, building on the foundation from the morning Core classes. MT students will take Dance and Acting the Song classes in lieu of afternoon electives. MT students also spend some afternoon periods taking Performance Theory with their Performance track peers, and work in a Crew to build the sets/costumes/lights for the final productions with all other Cherubs.

MT spend weekday evenings rehearsing a play, directed and designed by industry professionals, with an ensemble made up of students from all 3 tracks. The rehearsals allow students to apply what they learn every day to a fully-realized show: building characters, exploring physicality, connecting with scene partners, and collaborating with a creative team.

Limited spots available in this track.

MT Dance
MT Dance
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Core
Core
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2024 MT Cohort
2024 MT Cohort
Core
Core
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Please take some time to review the daily schedule for the track you are interested in, and consider the time commitment that the Institute requires. The program is a 5-week commitment, and the schedule does not allow for outside activities. Be thoughtful in considering your interest in the intensive schedule of the program. We hear from students every year that the program is both rigorous and rewarding.