Ph.D. in Theatre and Performance Studies

General Information

The fields of Theatre and Peformance Studies require teachers and scholars who can bring substantive research skills to bear on contemporary issues of theatre and performance. The University of Maryland Ph.D. program trains students to cross disciplinary boundaries, pose challenging questions, and combine incisive analytical skills with original research.

The Ph.D is an interdisciplinary degree that prepares teachers and scholars of theatre and performance studies. The program offers students two interrelated areas of concentration:
1) History & Theory of Theatre and Drama
2) Theatre and Performance Studies

Areas in the doctoral program are distinguished by focus. Area studies in the history and theory of drama and theatre focus primarily on developments in Western theatre practice and dramatic literature. Area studies in theatre and performance studies focus on a broad spectrum of international and American performance traditions as seen through a flexible framework of interdisciplinary methodologies. Although points of intersection are inevitable between traditional study of theatre and drama and the evolving field of performance studies, the latter is distinguished by its expanded definitions of performance.

Philosophically, theatre history and production are fundamentally interdisciplinary activities that cannot be divorced from literature, art, music, dance, nor fully understood apart from social context and historical moment. Performance Studies is an auxiliary framework that extends this fundamental inter-connectedness to the cutting edge of current scholarship about performance. In essence, performance studies defines "performance" more broadly than traditional theatre studies and has, therefore, allowed scholars to use methodologies from anthropology, ethnomusicology, critical theory, sociology, cultural studies, American studies, gender studies, and area studies. Using these methodologies, scholars have developed new theories and perspectives about theatrical representation and practice, as well as performance in every day life. The success of the Ph.D. program rests on its inter-connectedness with related disciplines. urpose of this Ph.D. program is to educate scholars who can excel in the challenging and increasingly interdisciplinary academic world, bringing substantive research skills to bear on contemporary questions of theatre and performance.Philosophically, theatre history and production are fundamentally interdisciplinary activities that cannot be divorced from literature, art, music, dance, nor fully understood apart from social context and historical moment. The success of the Ph.D. program rests on its inter-connectedness with related disciplines.

Admission

In addition to the University's graduate application, applicants must submit:

• A statement of purpose which should address the candidate's areas of interest, professional goals, and previous preparation for the doctoral program
• Three letters of recommendation
• Acceptable GRE scores (minimum 1200 composite, verbal and analytical), or minimum 600 verbal and 4.5 analytical
• Acceptable TOEFL scores for international students (minimum 575 on the paper exam, 233 computer exam) For more information regarding international students'campus resources please see the University's International Education Services )
• A writing sample which should demonstrate the applicant's critical or historical writing abilities
• Other evidence of scholarly and production or performance experience where appropriate

An M.A. or M.F.A. degree in a related field is required for admission. In rare cases, equivalent experience may also be considered.

• Methods Courses:

  Ph.D. students will take four methods courses. All students will take:

  • THET 700 Introduction to Doctoral Studies
  • THET 711 Critical Research Methods in Theatre
  • THET 712 Historiography
  • THET 713 Introduction to Performance Studies

All teaching assistants must take THET 606 (Teaching Theatre) and all TAs in the Fundamentals series must also complete THET 607. Students may petition the Director of the History/Theory Area to waive or substitute one or more of the methods courses; for example, in consultation with their advisors, students whose research interests require alternative methods may take methods courses from, among others, English, Comparative Literature, History, and Women's Studies. The Area may also waive methods courses for students who have taken similar courses at doctoral granting institutions. No exception will be made to the general principle that all doctoral students must have practical experience in one or more areas of theatrical production before finishing their Ph.D. degree.

• Elective Courses:

  In consultation with an advisor, doctoral students will determine an individualized program of study (40 - 60 hours beyond the master's degree) appropriate to their area of concentration. Under normal circumstances, students will take a minimum of 6 electives (600 or 700 level); of these 6 electives, all students must take a minimum of three electives in the theatre department and three from affiliated disciplines. Students may enroll in courses that are not on the approved list, but only one of the six required electives can be outside the recommended course of study and the course must be approved by their advisor. Courses selected should prepare each student to take the comprehensive examination, write a dissertation, and enter the field as a teaching scholar. In addition to the methods requirements, all students will register for 12 hours of THET 899 (Dissertation).

• Production/Performance Requirement:

  Doctoral students are expected to enter the program with training and experience in the artistic and production areas of theatre. Persons without such training and experience should plan to obtain it before earning the degree by enrolling in appropriate classes or engaging in production activities appropriate to the student's skills and areas of interest (e.g. directing, dramaturgy, stage management, film, acting, video production, etc.).

All students must have demonstrated reading knowledge of a foreign language. A student's knowledge may be demonstrated in a variety of ways, and the exam may be administred by the Theatre Department or another Department on campus. The student's dissertation topic may require additional research languages. The language exam must be completed prior to taking the comprehensive exams.

The doctoral comprehensive exam tests three areas:
1) History of Drama and Performance
2) Theory of Drama and Performance
3) The student's area of specialization.

Members of the student's comprehensive examination committee write the questions. Area questions are designed to interrogate both literary and performance issues. Selected by the student and her/his advisor, the examination committee consists of the advisor and two members of the core and/or affiliate faculty (total 3). Exams may be taken one of two ways: in-house or take home with an oral defense. The examinations are based on course work and reading lists. All students are responsible for a core reading list of approximately 15-20 books and articles. In addition to the core reading lists, each student will be responsible for developing a reading list of no less than 50 books and articles reflective of the student's dissertation topic and tailored to his/her interests as they relate to the examination areas. Students devise these lists in consultation with the members of her/his committee. Students have two opportunities to pass the comprehensive examinations. Please note that the examinations are only offered at specific times each semester and that students must plan to take the comprehensive exams during these times.

Dissertation

All doctoral students will engage in original research (in some cases, complemented by appropriate non-print documentation), the result of which is a book-length manuscript. In consultation with her/his advisor, the student selects a five-member dissertation committee (which may or may not be identical to the comprehensive examination committee). At least three committee members must be permanent members of the University of Maryland Graduate Faculty and each committee must have a chairperson who is a permanent member of the graduate faculty. Please note that the Dean's Representative on the committee may not be a member of the History/Theory Area, but must be from another department at the University of Maryland. In rare cases, students will need an expert in an area not represented by the History/Theory Faculty. Students are reminded that these members must be present at the defense and that the Department cannot guarantee to fund the travel of committee members from other universities.

Each doctoral student must defend her/his dissertation orally as a requirement in partial fulfillment of the doctoral degree. Dissertations must follow the guidelines established by the University. Please see the Graduate Student Handbook (available online throught the Graduate School) for guidelines on committee selection and defense procedures.

The Ph.D. program relies upon the expertise of affiliate faculty from across the disciplines. In addition to offering appropriate courses and advising students, core affiliate faculty from participating disciplines may chair or serve as members of dissertation committees in theatre and performance studies.

Faculty

Core Theatre Faculty in the Theatre and Performance Studies Area:

Faedra Carpenter
Franklin J. Hildy
Laurie Frederik Meer
Heather S. Nathans
Catherine Schuler

Student Opportunities

Our graduate students enjoy a strong record of success in publishing and presenting their work, and in securing prestigious research fellowships. They have penned articles in The Journal of American Drama and Theatre , Theatre Symposium, and The New England Theatre Journal , and four of our current students have contributed chapters to forthcoming works published by Routledge and other significant scholarly presses. Our students regularly present their research at national conferences and have received awards from the Black Theatre Network and the American Theatre and Drama Society.   Maryland graduate students have also secured fellowships from the Fulbright Foundation, the Gilder Lehrman and Mellon Foundations, as well as the Maine Women's Writers Group, the Society of Early Americanists, and the American Society for Theatre Research.

Financial Support

We offer Fellowships and Teaching Assistantships, both of which include tuition remission.  Our Graduate Teaching Assistantships offer students opportunities to teach in our undergraduate program, to develop new courses, and to collaborate on faculty research projects.

We also offer a variety of fellowships, including two specialized ones for students with interest in the following areas of research:

•  The Driskell Center Fellowship for the Study of Theatre and Performance in the African Diaspora

•  The Shakespeare Globe Center-USA Fellowship for the Study of Renaissance Theatre and Performance

In the past, Globe Fellows have traveled to England to work with actors at the reconstructed Globe Theatre, while our 2004 Driskell Fellow spent two months in Brazil, conducting an on-site investigation into the transformation of African culture in the South American diaspora. Students who wish to be considered for these specialized fellowships should indicate their interest in their application to the program.

Although three categories of courses exist for the Ph.D. degree (courses with content that address 1) theatre and dramatic literature, 2) performance studies, and 3) historical context), courses are listed by department rather than category because overlap between categories frequently occurs.

A significant percentage of upper-level undergraduate courses and graduate seminars are repeatable (those with course numbers ending in 8 & 9). The list below includes only those repeatable courses and seminars that frequently include theatre, dramatic literature, and performance in the course content. An asterisk indicates those repeatable courses (courses with the same # but different content.)THET 606, THET 607 Teaching TheatreTHET 608, Seminar, Theatre Theory, Performance Studies and Criticism (e.g. Aesthetics, Gender & Performance)*
THET 610, The American TheatreTHET 630, The Performing Arts: Contextual ApproachTHET 698, Seminar, Theatre History (repeating topics include the history of directing & non-traditional theatre)*
THET 685, History of Theory before Modernism
THET 686, History of Modern TheoryTHET 687 Non-Traditional Theatre
THET 700, Introduction to Doctoral Studies in Theatre
THET 711, Critical Methods in Theatre
THET 712, Historiography
THET 713, Introduction to Performance StudiesSeveral members of the core and affiliate faculty have also expressed interest in developing new courses for the program. For example: "Other Theatres/Theatre of the Other: Women's,Asian, and Minority Drama & Poetics from Kalidasa to Maria Irene Fornes," "Renaissance Drama from the Perspective of Performance," "The History of Latin America Through Its Theatrical Performances & Popular Culture: Strategies of Rebellion," "Women in 'American' Theatre," "Oral Epic Poetry &Performance," "Performance Comedy (Vaudeville, Burlesque, Variety Theatres)," "The History, Theory and Practice of Musical Theatre," "Black Performance."The following are 400 level courses that pertain to theatre, performance studies and dramatic literature. Although the number of 400 level courses doctoral students can take is limited, this list suggests the breadth of available courses.
DANC 481, History of Dance I
DANC 482, History of Dance II
DANC 483, History of Dance III
ENGL 403, Shakespeare: The Early Works
ENGL 404, Shakespeare: The Later Works
ENGL 434, American Drama
ENGL 450, Early Tudor & Elizabethan Drama
ENGL 451, Jacobean & Caroline Drama
ENGL 452, English Drama from 1660-1800
ENGL 454, Modern Drama
CMLT 488, Genres
CMLT 498, Selected Topics in Comparative Literature *
AMST 429, Perspectives on Popular Culture
ARTH 466, Feminist Perspectives on Women in Art
FREN 484, The Age of Anxiety: Existentialism and the Absurd
FREN 480, French Cinema
CLAS 420/621, The Classical Tradition
CLAS 470, Advanced Greek & Roman Mythology
MUSC 432, Music in World Cultures, I
MUSC 433, Music in World Cultures, II
MUSC 438, Area Studies in Ethnomusicology
HIST 430, Tudor England
HIST 431, Stuart England
HIST 433, Changing Perceptions of Gender Identities in the U.S.
HIST 456, History of American Culture & Ideas to 1865
HIST 457, History of American Culture & Ideas Since 1865
HIST 461, Blacks in American Life: 1865 to Present

For additional infomation contact:

Director of Graduate Studies:
Dr. Franklin J. Hildy
2828 Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center
University of Maryland, College Park MD 20742-1610
Office: 301.405.3157
Fax: 301.314.9599
hildy@umd.edu