CUNY offers New Degree in Applied Theatre

Building on the achievements of its partnership with the Creative Arts Team, (a group that has been working on Creative and Applied Theatrical Techniques since 1973) the School of Professional Studies at CUNY (City University of New York) is now offering the M.A. in Applied Theatre. The M.A. in Applied Theatre, the first of its kind in the United States, is a sequential, ensemble-based program for students interested in the use of theatre to address social and educational issues in a wide range of settings. The program stresses the unity of theory and practice and is linked to the professional applied theatre work of the renowned Creative Arts Team. Applied theatre is a specialized field that uses theatre as a medium for education and social development. It involves the use of theatre and drama in a wide variety of non-traditional contexts and venues - in teaching, the justice system, healthcare, the political arena, community development, museums, social-service agencies, and business and industry. Program Goal The goal of the program is to educate scholar-practitioners to become future leaders in the field of applied theatre. Students explore key theories in the fields of theatre, education, and community development, and acquire the skills and strategies necessary for creating and implementing the work. Curriculum The Master of Arts in Applied Theatre is a 36-credit program, which may be taken full-time or part-time. Students admitted to the program will be introduced to the history of the theatre movements and practices from which the field of applied theatre has developed. They will explore key theories in theatre, human development, learning theory, and community development, all of which help to define and support Applied Theatre practices. Students will be taught the skills and strategies necessary for creating and implementing the work, and they will be asked to think critically about the goals of the work in relation to different audiences, needs and community contexts. Apprenticeship opportunities are offered with CAT's professional outreach programs or appropriate programs elsewhere. All students culminate their studies with a Project Thesis in which they research, create, implement, and document an original applied theatre model. Faculty The faculty includes distinguished CUNY faculty members and visiting international leaders in the field of applied theatre, such as Dale Byam, Warwick Dobson, Tony Goode, Gwendolen Hardwick, Michael Rohd, Chris Vine, and Helen White. For more information, please contact the M.A. in Applied Theatre advisors at 212-652-2820 or email at appliedtheatre@sps.cuny.edu.