Discover The Drama Department
The department of Drama offers a program balanced between practical theatre and academic study of dramatic literature and theatre history. Our aim is to permit undergraduates to explore the subject as a liberal arts discipline and prepare them for graduate, professional, and conservatory schools.
The department offers Major and Honours programs designed to expose students to all facets of theatre practice and study as well as provide them with the flexibility to orient their program towards a particular field of study: Dramatic Literature and Theatre History, Performance (acting, directing, and playwriting), and Production (technical, stage management, and design).
By the end of their final year students will have had ample opportunity to work on the department 's season of productions in the Studio Theatre and Centennial Theatre (including at least three productions in the Studio, one mainstage production in Centennial during the second semester, the New Plays Festival and the student produced Theatre Activ). A number of students will also have had the opportunity to become Theatre Assistants for Centennial Theatre, receive an honorarium, and be responsible for the proper running of the facilities ' operations.
Interested in Bishop’s Drama? Our Department is happy to answer your questions. Student representatives Samantha Adams and David Fuerst Ackles and Department Chairperson Rebecca Harries will tell you what you’d like to know about life and learning at Bishop’s University Drama.
Why study Drama at Bishop’s?
An intense study of Drama in an intimate setting, students can experiment and try out all of their theatrical interests over their time at Bishop's in a supportive and collegial atmosphere.
Program strengths
- A 6 production season in 2 performance spaces
- Committed Faculty with significant professional experience
- Visiting artist program
- 2 Student Festivals each year (New Plays and Theatre Activ )
- Countless opportunities for involvement, backstage and onstage.
Popular courses
- Concentration in performance with 3 levels of Acting followed by 3 full productions
- 2 levels of Playwrighting and Directing
- Senior seminar courses ie: Topics in Shakespeare, Contemporary Theatre Practice, and more !
Did you know ?
- Student playwrights have the opportunity to see their scripts staged and student directors put theory into practice during our annual TheatreActiv student festival and bi-annual New Plays festival.
- The New Plays Festival not only provides student writers with an opportunity to showcase their work, but also gives first year students the chance to become involved in a play almost immediately upon arrival at Bishop's
-
Alexander McKelvie '99McKelvie is an Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship at the Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University, one of the top-ranked universities in Entrepreneurship in the US. He earned his PhD in 2007 from Jönköping International Business School in Sweden. He has published widely in leading entrepreneurship and management journals on topics concerning new firm growth and innovation. In 2008, he received the National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB) best doctoral dissertation award within the field of Entrepreneurship as well as a 'Research Promise' Award from the Academy of Management. Alex says, "BU was a huge factor in my development. I believe that BUs teaching philosophy on critical thinking and challenging the status quo really has helped me to ask more interesting research questions and bring in new approaches to understanding problems".
