Hampshire College Theatre

 

Hampshire College Theatre Program Mission Statement
We declare, even amidst a mechanized and digitized world, that live theatre is still relevant. We believe it enraptures us, changes the way we think and feel, and allows us to enter and experience culture, class, race, gender and sexual orientation through completely different points of view. We believe theatre is a vehicle for social change, and that change often begins with self-awareness and transformation. Our interdisciplinary courses mediate between our historical roots and our interest in creating new and experimental forms through the use of flexible spaces, innovative forms of technology, non-traditional texts and movement-based languages. We enjoy pushing the boundaries of theatrical form, and redefining the content and character of contemporary drama. We believe theatre teaches and necessitates collaboration, and we implement this philosophy in our classrooms and studios where students, faculty and staff are required to collaborate.

Theatre Program Faculty &amp; Staff
(All Hampshire theatre faculty are generalists with different specialty areas.)

Djola Branner

Playwriting/Performance

dbranner@hampshire.edu, x5511

Peter Kallok

Design/Theatre Technology

pkallok@hampshire.edu, x5749

Will MacAdams

Acting/Directing

wmacadams@hampshire.edu

Natalie Sowell

Child Drama/Theatre for Social Change

nsowell@hampshire.edu, x6099

Mei Ann Teo

Directing/Dramaturgy

matIA@hampshire.edu, x6207

Beth Smolin

Costume Shop Supervisor

esmolin@hampshire.edu;, x5593

Amy Putnam

Staff Technical Director

aputnam@hampshire.edu

Theatre Board
Theatre Board is a student-run group of student-elected individuals that speaks to the needs of the Hampshire theatre community. Theatre Board is responsible for budget, setting group and community goals, inviting guest artists to campus, improving the theatre program, slotting spaces to students (use and time of the black box theaters), informing the community of current events, etc. New ideas are always being brought to Theatre Board and we welcome any and all community members to share with us! Meetings are OPEN and held in EDH classroom 2 Tuesdays from 3:30-5. Please also feel welcome to email us with any questions, concerns, ideas, or thoughts. Email all of Theatre Board at theatreboard@lists.hampshire.edu. Read more and find out who is currently serving at hampedia.org/wiki/Theatre_Board.

Important Information
Get on the same page as the theatre community, and be kept updated about current events, guest artists, and more! Join the Hampshire Theatre List Serve!

Visit our official Hampshire College Theatre website!

Visit the Five College Theatre website!

Call our Box Office to reserve tickets in advance for Hampshire performances! (413) 559-5351

Visit Our Hampshire College Facebook Page!

Courses
A core of theatre faculty design and teach interdisciplinary courses in design, playwriting, acting, directing, sotrytelling, child drama, dramatic literature, theatre history, management and theatre for social change. The faculty and staff facilitate learning by working closely with students and operate within a flexible and progressive curriculum which evolves from year to year. Our courses model collaboration through co-teaching between faculty who specialize in different fields, and between faculty members throughout the Five College Community.

Wayne Kramer Guest Artist Series
The W. Kramer Guest Artist Series is designed by Faculty, staff, and students to support the instructional process through workshops with professional theatre artists. Former guest artists include Peggy Shaw, The Paper Bag Players, Charles Bush, Onawumi Jean Moss, Double-Edge Theater, Naomi Wallace, and Eugene Lee. Through Institutional Advancement the Wayne Kramer Guest Artist Fund supports these efforts.

Child Drama Program
Hampshire Theatre houses the only Child Drama Program in the Five Colleges. This interdisciplinary program operates in the Five Colleges. This interdisciplinary program operates in conjunction with the Critical Studies in Childhood, Youth and Learning Program and provides courses and learning activities on subjects ranging from creative drama to theatre for young audiences. The program also manages Seedling Productions, offers teacher licensure in theatre through the Mt. Holyoke Teaching Licensure Program, workshops for children, professional development for teachers, and is connected with numerous community organizations and schools.

Slotting
Slotting is the competitive process by which Theatre Board sponsored shows are chosen for the following season. The Slotting Committee is made up of the Theatre Faculty, Staff, and those members of Theatre Board who are not involved in any potential slotted show. Additionally, Theatre Board may invite any Division III theatre student who has served on Theatre Board for over two semesters to be on the Slotting Committee. The process takes place in the spring and sets the season for the next academic year. Several weeks before the advertised deadline slotting applications will be made available from the Slotting Committee at a Slotting Workshop. Interested parties (the person presenting the application is the Slotting Agent) should attend the Slotting Workshop. If a Faculty member would like a slot for the following year, they will give the Slotting Committee ample notice. The Slotting Committee will read the Guide to Slotting then read the applications in order to prepare for the pitching meeting. A copy of the Guide to Slotting is available from Theatre Board upon request. At the pitching meeting Slotting Agents will have an opportunity to share and expand on their proposals to the Slotting Committee. The Slotting Agent must be present at this meeting and it is highly recommended that other members of the production team are present, as well. A representative is acceptable for students who are trying to slot while on leave. Once all pitches have been made, the Slotting Committee will conduct a closed session. The Slotting Committee will attempt to figure out an effective placement of shows within the season.

Slotting is often a difficult series of choices when there are many more applicants than available spaces, so Slotting Agents are encouraged to make their applications as strong as possible. The Slotting Committee then notifies the Slotting Agents that they have been slotted (or not) contingent upon appeal. Once notified, students have twenty-four hours to accept their slot. Appeals to the slotted season are accepted within forty-eight hours of the announcement. If an appeal is filed, it takes a vote of Theatre Board to hear the appeal and a vote of the Slotting Committee to accept it.

Annual Events
Theatre Open House

Every semester, Hampshire College Theatre holds an open house. This is a time for members of the theatre community to meet and socialize, and nominate and elect new members of theatre board. This is an extremely good chance for members of the theatre community to have their voices heard and become more involved in the theatre.

Lending Library
The Hampshire College Theatre Lending Library is located in Emily Dickinson Hall’s box office and is going through a transition. We have a growing selection of plays, anthologies, books on acting, directing, producing, stage management, playwriting, set design, light design, costume design, theater for young audiences, literary criticism, theater history, and DVD’s.

Five College Theatre
Hampshire College is a member of the Five College Theatre Consortium. Each school has its own theatrical style, with Hampshire focusing on the learning process and student responsibility and management. The Consortium offers theatre students at Hampshire a wonderful opportunity because auditions and performances are open to any Five College student, opening doors for experiencing and participating in countless areas of theater. Various theater courses are open to Five College students as well. Hampshire College Theatre often collaborates with other schools, by including Five College students in its productions as well as lending and borrowing speciality props and costumes. Hampshire College Theatre Board is currently brainstorming on how to better integrate the Five College communities, making the Pioneer Valley a theatrically-rich place in which to live and participate.

The main Five College portal can be found at www.fivecolleges.edu/theater

Five College Theatre Departments:

www.amherst.edu/academiclife/departments/theater_dance Amherst College

www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/theat/ Mount Holyoke College

www.smith.edu/theatre/ Smith College

www.umass.edu/theater University of Massachusetts - Amherst

Other important Five College links:

www.fivecolleges.edu/sites/theater/courses/coursecatalog Course Catalog

www.fivecolleges.edu/sites/dance/ Five College Dance Department