Enhance Your Education
Distinctive Programs in Theatre
In addition to theatre classes, Knox College offers countless opportunities to enhance your academic program through performance, independent study and College Honors; off-campus study and internships; and co-curricular activities such as student-run theatre productions.
Unique among liberal arts colleges, Knox's Repertory Theatre Term recognizes and meets the special needs of students interested in theatre, as well as provides an unparalleled experience for the community. Students in the program receive a full term's worth of credit for one ten-week experience -- "Rep Term." The program involves students in every aspect of a professional repertory theatre company, performing two complete shows in nightly rotation over a two-week-period, as well as conservatory work in voice and movement and a seminar that studies the theatrical and social context of the chosen productions.
Student Research and Creative Opportunities
Knox is a leader in promoting top-notch undergraduate research. In fact, more than 90% of all Knox students complete an independent research or creative project by the time they graduate. Many students' projects are supported by an unusually rich array of Knox College funding programs that together provide students more than $200,000 each year in support of their work. These sources include: Richter Memorial Scholars Program, Ford Foundation Research Fellows Program, Ronald E. McNair Fellows Program and departmentally supported independent studies. Assisted by faculty, many students find summer theatre fellowships in recognized theatres across the country. Examples of recent student research projects include:
- "Arts Administration," Allison Diamond '13, theatre major.
- "Devised Theatre," Willi Goehring '11, theatre major.
- "Design and Construction of a Pageant Wagon," Samantha Newport '10, theatre major.
- "Advanced Stage Lighting," Ryn Flynn '10, theatre major.
- "Teaching Beginning Acting," Kelsey Ingle '10, theatre major.
- "Costume Design," Amanda Smith '08, theatre major.
- "Documentary Theatre," Sylvie Davidson '06, theatre major.
College Honors
The Honors Program of advanced independent study allows outstanding Knox students to produce a major piece of research or creative work. The year-long project culminates in a thesis or creative portfolio followed by an oral examination conducted by your faculty committee and an outside examiner. Recent Honors projects in theatre have included:
- "Youth Outreach Through the Collaborative Creation of an Original Film," Pamela Rae Schuller, '09.
- "Passages at Random: An Evening of the Absurd," Brian Patrick Conley, '07.
- "The Death Penalty and Innocents," Heather Courtney, '06.
- "'As a Spark from the Fire': An Immigrant's Experience: A Museum Theatre Installation fo the Bishop Hill Colony Museum," Sylvia Davidson, '06.
- "Theatre is Universal: Learning from Non-Profit Organizations to Build a Community Program," Jacqueline Dehne, '05.
- Multimedia (English, Japanese, Art, Music, Theatre): "Between Creation and Translation: Concept to Story, English to Japanese, Story to Animation," Jasmine Jobe, '04.
Off-campus Study
Knox offers you plenty of opportunities to begin exploring the world while still a student. Almost 50% of Knox students participate in off-campus study and consider their studies abroad to be the highlight of their college experiences. In the past five years, students in theatre have studied in Chicago, Scotland, France, Italy, England and Russia.
Internships
As a student of theatre at Knox, you'll have the opportunity to expand your education -- to get that valuable experience you hear so much about -- by completing an internship. Internships provide an opportunity to explore and test career options, to gain experiences and skills needed to succeed as a professional, to build a resume, to network and make critical connections, and to experience a work environment. More and more employers are looking for college graduates with career-related experience. Knox's Center for Career and Pre-Professional Development specializes in helping you find an internship that best matches your goals and interests. A recent internship by a theatre student was:
- Acting Apprentice, New Jersey Shakespeare Festival. Avery Wigglesworth '13, theatre major.
- Costume Intern, TheatreWorks, Silicon Valley, California. Franzesca Mayer '13, theatre major.
- Administrative Intern, Lifeline Theatre, Chicago, Illinois. Kate Donoghue '12, theatre major.
- Advancement Intern, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Chicago, Illinois. Helen Drysdale, '05, theatre major.
- Assistant Director/Executive Director Intern at 13th Steet Repertory Theatre Company, New York, New York. Helen Drysdale '05, theatre major.