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Arizona State University

The Theatre & Film Department at Arizona State University

Welcome to the School of Theatre and Film in the Herberger College of the Arts at Arizona State University.  We are a collaborative community of artists, scholars, students, faculty and staff. Through inventive curricula, innovative theatrical production programming and the latest digital film production technology, we are paving the way to the future of theatre and film.

At the center of our philosophy are the four "Cs": creativity, community, collaboration and collegiality. We build on these core values in our classrooms and studios, research endeavors, public programming and community engagement.

Each year we present plays that push the boundaries of contemporary theatre and an annual student film festival that highlights the best emerging talent in digital film production.

Our Performance in the Borderlands series explores the cultural richness of the US/Mexico border region through live performance, lectures and symposia. Our Student Production Board provides opportunities for burgeoning students ready to bring their artistic vision to the stage and simultaneously learn how to operate an arts-based venture. 

 

Our Mission

...To educate imaginative, knowledgeable, skilled and responsible artists, teachers, scholars and audience members for the future of theatre and film arts. We work collaboratively to celebrate and confront our diverse artistic heritage and to examine and practice the complex process of constructing meaning in live performance and media. We emphasize the importance of ethics. We create new work and engage existing work to challenge, enrich and transform the university and community.

...To provide undergraduates with a comprehensive theatre or film education within the context of the liberal arts in the following areas: performance, design and production, new work development, Theatre for Youth, film and media production and theatre and performance studies.

...To educate the theatre scholars of the future in our PhD program by engaging and developing the theories, histories, literatures, and practices of Theatre for Youth and Theatre and Performance of the Americas.

...To train the creative artists of the future in our MFA program teaching you to work across and between performance disciplines and provide you with the skills needed to achieve your full potential. MFA students create new work and original interpretations that are engaged with and responsive to diverse communities.

...To provide production opportunities that are integral to your theatre and film education; complement the classroom and studio curricula; enrich the cultural life of the university, the community, the state and the region; and move theatre and film production into the future.

The School of Theatre and Film was established in 2005 after ABOR approved the reorganization of the Department of Theatre following the addition of the BA Film degree - a degree program offered jointly by the School of Theatre and Film in the Herberger College of the Arts and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Theatre has been present on the ASU Tempe campus since 1920 when it was a component of the liberal arts program. In 1957, the Department of Speech and Drama was formed in what was then called the College of Arts and Science. When the College of Fine Arts, now the Herberger College of the Arts, was founded in 1965, the Department of Speech and Drama moved to the new college as one of three units.

In 1977, the department became the Department of Theatre to reflect its focus on performance, production and theatre education. Classes in film production and film studies have been offered since 1980.  In 1990, the PhD in Theatre with a concentration in Theatre for Youth was approved to complement an existing MFA emphasis in that area. The PhD concentration in Theatre and Performance of the Americas was added in 2005.

With 28 full-time faculty, 400 undergraduate students and 55 graduate students, the School of Theatre and Film is a leader in performing and media arts education in the U.S.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

What is special about ASU Herberger School of Theatre and Film?
Students who attend the School of Theatre and Film receive an education infused with facets of both theatre/live performance and the digital media arts. This unique approach offers students a comprehensive overview of their affiliated fields.

What is the School's Philosophy on Teaching?
At the center of our philosophy are the four "C's": creativity, community, collaboration and collegiality. We build on these core values in our classrooms and studios, research endeavors, public programming and engagement with outside constituencies. We educate imaginative, knowledgeable and skilled and responsible artists, teachers, scholars, and audience members. Through innovative curricula and programming to the latest digital production technology, the school is paving the way to the future of theatre and film arts.

Does the Film and Media Production Program differ from that of other universities?
We train students to thoughtfully consider not only how to look through a lens, but why they should. The program places unique emphasis on ethical decision making in content creation and business practices.

What kind of plays does the school produce?
The School produces new work and innovative productions of established work. Our goal is to train artists for the future of theatre, well into the 21st century.

Are auditions open to everyone?
Auditions are open to all faculty, staff and students of ASU - you do not have to be a major.

Can students audition for a play if they are a film major?
Yes you can!

Do students have an opportunity to work with artists outside of ASU faculty?
Nationally renowned guest artists and industry professionals work directly with students as directors, designers, actors, fight choreographers, and composers, and share their expertise through workshops and lectures.

Recent Guest Artists:
Anne Bogart, artistic director of SITI Company
Laurie Brooks, playwright
Jim Brubaker, president (physical production), Universal Pictures
Johann Stegmeir, costume designer
John Watson, screenwriter

What type of technology do students work with in the Media Production Program?
Students use contemporary digital technology to study and practice as screenwriters, directors, cinematographers, editors, and producers.

What have students said about the School?

"The school sets up internships and extra roles on pictures being filmed in the area, giving me a front-row seat to the entire production process. That has helped me lock in film production as my career." Chelsea, BA film and media production

"I have the opportunity to work with a number of guest artists such as Laurie Carlos and the SITI Company, both known for their work on national, and even international, scales." Trevor, BA acting

"At first I was skeptical about the emphasis on ethics in the program, but I've come to learn that it is crucial and something I could get only at Herberger College School of Theatre and Film." Michael, BA film and media production

"The breadth of majors in the Herberger College makes it possible for artists of different genres to work together. I've worked with dancers, musicians, visual artists, and multi-media artists, all within the context of my MFA program." Patrick, MFA directing

"The great thing about the college is that even if you have differing artistic views, you're still welcomed and listened to instead of shunned or ignored. I have seen nothing but great collaboration from both students and faculty." Joshua, BA theatre

Facilities:
The School of Theatre and Film has exceptional performance and teaching spaces, including the Paul V. Galvin Playhouse and Lyceum Theatre. The Nelson Fine Arts Center contains five rehearsal studios. The recently renovated Cornerstone Performing and Media Arts Building houses the 1500 sq. ft. film studio and the Prism Theatre.

The beautiful Paul G. Galvin Playhouse is a proscenium theatre with continental seating and a capacity of 485 seats.  The Galvin Playhouse is located in the southeast portion the Nelson Fine Arts Center, at the corner of Mill Avenue and 10th Street on the ASU Tempe campus.

The intimate Lyceum Theatre is a modified proscenium space with 162 seats. The Lyceum Theatre is located on the north side of the ASU Tempe campus, 100 yards south of University and Forest avenues.

       

Film Studio: The film studio is housed in the Cornerstone Performing and Media Arts Building.  It provides a facility for high definition digital video production as well as the teaching of directing, cinematography and acting for the camera.

Acting Studios: The Nelson Fine Arts Center includes five rehearsal studios and a design studio.  Among the five is the Barbara Salisbury Wills Child Drama Studio, which includes an observation room as well as a movement studio and a rehearsal studio that converts to a black box performance space

Prism Theatre: The Prism Theatre is the School of Theatre and Film's flexible performance space for student-produced and experimental works.

Shops: The Galvin Playhouse scene shop is directly backstage, measures 56 X 60' and includes a well and paint frame for painting scenery flats and drops, as well as an oversized freight elevator connecting to loading dock and set storage area. The facilities allow for full wood, metal and plastic construction. The Lyceum Theatre scene shop is also directly backstage and measures 24x 43' with obstructions and includes a 10' wide by 11'-1" high loading door connected to the loading dock.

FACULTY:
The Herberger College School of Theatre and Film faculty are masters in their fields. Theatre and Film faculty encourage students to fully explore the possibilities of their interested medium and mentor students to successfully seek grants, internships and other growth opportunities. They continue to their research and pursue professional projects that enhance what they can teach students.

Linda Essig

Director, School of Theatre & Film, artistic director, Herberger College MainStage Theatre.
Office: Ghall 232A
Phone: 480-965-5337
Fax: 480-965-5351
Specialty: Director and Artistic Director, Lighting Design
Email: linda.essig@asu.edu
WebPage: http://theatre.asu.edu/

Linda Essig is Director of the School of Theatre and Film in the Herberger College of Fine Arts. She also serves as Artistic Director of the Herberger College Mainstage Theatre. In that capacity, she recently received funding from the National Endowment for the Arts for “The Venus Project,” which included a production of Suzan-Lori Parks’ Venus and a public symposium. Essig’s lighting design for that production has been accepted for inclusion in the USA National Exhibit of theatrical design at the Prague Quadrennial in 2007. In addition to her designs for academic theatre, Essig has designed lighting for professional theatres throughout the country including Cleveland Playhouse, Milwaukee Rep, Missouri Rep, Utah Shakespearean Festival, Skylight Opera, La Mama ETC, Pioneer Theatre, Madison Repertory Theatre and others. She is the author of numerous articles and two books: Lighting and the Design Idea (recently published in an expanded second edition) and The Speed of Light: Dialogues on Lighting Design and technological Change. Prior to joining the ASU faculty in 2004, Essig taught lighting design at UW-Madison for 16 years, the last two as department chair. At ASU, Essig teaches Orientation to Theatre and mentors the Student Production Board.

Faculty Directory:

Acker, Barbara: Faculty, Voice, Acting
Anderson, Lisa: Faculty, Multicultural Theatre, Women and Gender Studies
Barker, David: Faculty, Movement, Acting, MFA Performance coordinator
Bedard, Roger: Faculty, Theatre for Youth (head), History, Theory, Criticism
Bowditch, Rachel: Faculty, Theatre and Performance Studies, Directing
Coffman, David: Faculty, Production Manager, Stage Management
Danowski, Chris: Faculty, Experimental performance
Eckard, Bonnie: Faculty, Acting, Directing
Edwards, Gus: Faculty, Film, Arts Entrepreneurship
Essig, Linda: Faculty, Director, Director and Artistic Director, Lighting Design
Etheridge Woodson, Stephani: Faculty, Theatre for Youth, History, Theory, Criticism
Furr-Soloman, Connie: Faculty, Costume Design, Head of Design and Producution
Gharavi, Lance: Faculty, Performance Technology, Theatre History
Giner, Oscar: Faculty, Performance, Multicultural Theatre, Film
Griffith, C.A.: Faculty, Film Production
Hall, Brian: Faculty, Singing Musical Theatre
Honegger, Gitta: Faculty, History, Dramaturgy, Theory
Knapp, Margaret: Administration, Faculty, History, Theory, Criticism, Director of Graduate Studies
LaMont, Chris: Faculty, Film Production
McMahon, Jeff: Faculty, Performance, Movement, Playwriting
Melo, Carla: Faculty,
Newcomer, Ron: Faculty, Film Production
Partlan, William: Faculty, Directing, MFA Directing Coordinator
Pinholster, Jacob: Faculty, Media Desig, MFA Design Coordinator
Reyes, Guillermo: Faculty, Playwriting (head)
Saldaña, Johnny: Faculty, Ethnography, Theatre Education, Associate Director, Director of Undergraduate Studies
Setlow, Jennifer: Faculty,
Sterling, Pamela: Faculty, Theatre for Youth, Playwriting
Switzer, Michael: Faculty, Film Directing
Taylor, Philip: Faculty,
Thacker, Ronald: Faculty, Theatre Technology, Technical Director
Thomson, Jeffrey: Faculty, Scene Design
Underiner, Tamara: Faculty, Performance Studies, Theatre History, Director of Graduate Studies
Valenti, F. Miguel: Faculty, Lincoln Professor of Ethics, Film (head)

Our philosophy and range of activity demonstrates our commitment to the highest standards of excellence. While we value innovation, we expect meaning.

Each artist brings a unique perspective to our experiences, challenging us to consider our lives and relationship to the world. Our remarkably accomplished faculty is committed to bringing students' creative and intellectual talents to full flower.

Young people studying the arts learn a host of other skills: discipline; focus; problem solving; creative expression; the ability to manipulate high level abstract concepts; and the commitment to achieving goals without the promise of reward or recognition. These skills are necessary in society and the workplace. We look for them in our leaders and colleagues. Much hinges on our success.

The larger community provides an infinite series of opportunities for learning through new interactions. At Herberger, we seek to create a multiplicity of such opportunities that prepare our students for success.

These are exciting times at the Herberger College of the Arts. Join us and experience the possibilities. Visit us on the web at: Theatre & Film at ASU