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Courses for First Year Students

General Recommendations


All courses offered by the Barnard Theatre Department are open to all Barnard, Columbia, and General Studies undergraduates.

First-Year Students are encouraged to consider the following:

THTR UN3150 Critical Histories of Drama, Theatre, and Performance

  • Mondays/Wednesdays 10:10am to 11:25am (Fall 2023)
  • All majors are required to take this course; fulfills a lecture/seminar "studies" course in the major requirements

THTR 3154 Theatre Traditions in a Global Context

  • Tuesdays/Thursdays 12:10pm to 1:25pm (Fall 2023)
  • This course fulfills a lecture/seminar "studies" course in the major requirements 

General Rule: Attend the First Day of Class

Students are required to attend the first day of class; students who do not attend the first day who are registered for the course will be dropped. Students in acting classes who have been admitted to the course who do not attend the first class meeting will be dropped. Some courses determine enrollment on the first day of class. If the course is over-enrolled, the instructor will determine a method for deciding which students get priority, and only those students present on the first day will be considered.

Questions?

Feel free to email theatre@barnard.edu with your questions and concerns. (Please note that the Department is closed during the summer months and will resume operations in late August.)

For First-Year Students looking for an introductory acting class, please consider taking the Acting I:

  • THTR UN3004 Acting I

Acting I is required first acting course for all students; we will likely have at least one section reserved for only first-year students.

Students who have taken Acting I, or another acting class at Barnard, or another college-level acting class (transfer students) should consider the Acting II sections.

All information for signing up for classes, and for auditioning for shows, is HERE.  

Auditioners will audition for stage productions. Everyone needs a 1-minute monologue. There are no auditions for acting classes; students should sign up for the waiting list and will be admitted by instructor. If you are auditioning for acting courses in musical theatre, you may need to provide a vocal recording to the instructor.

For full details on the auditions process, please see our Auditions page.

Students interested in working on backstage crews should contact Greg Winkler (our Technical Director) or Mike Banta (our Production Manager). Please note that the production offices are often closed during the summer and resume operations in late August.

For assistance in planning which courses to take in the Theatre/Drama & Theatre Arts major, we recommend that you make an appointment with one of our academic advisers. All full-time faculty members in the Department of Theatre serve as advisers:

  • Lecturer Gisela Cardenas
  • Associate Professor of Professional Practice Sandra Goldmark
  • Senior Lecturer Shayoni Mitra
  • Associate Professor of Professional Practice Alice Reagan
  • Associate Professor Hana Worthen
  • Professor and Chair, W. B. Worthen

These faculty also advise first- and second-year students as well. To make an appointment, simply email the professor directly and request an appointment.