When Thomas Jefferson founded the University of Virginia in 1819, he envisioned a new form of higher education—one dedicated not only to training leaders in practical affairs and public service, but also to promoting the arts. We believe by accessing the artist within, students broaden the scope of their research and thinking in all academic disciplines and become more effective problem-solvers, citizens, and leaders. Nowhere is this philosophy more evident than in the Department of Drama at U.Va. We provide students with a liberal arts education in all aspects of theatre production, theatre history and dramatic literature. Our work is grounded in the idea that theatre is a vital form of artistic expression in today’s world. We stress collaboration, solid technique, artistic daring and risk-taking. We encourage everyone to test and question ideas and techniques in the classroom, in the studio and on stage. The Department of Drama offers a 33 credit-hour undergraduate major leading to a Bachelor of Arts degree within the College of Arts & Sciences, a 16 credit-hour minor in Drama, and a Master of Fine Arts with specialties in Acting, Costume Design and Technology, Lighting Design, Scenic Design, and Technical Direction. Drama Students at U.Va. have the opportunity to pursue their degrees in a state-of-the-art theatre complex, which includes the 595-seat Culbreth Theatre with proscenium stage, the flexible 160 to 200-seat Helms Theatre and, starting in early 2013, the brand-new 300-seat Ruth Caplin Thrust Theatre, which is currently under construction. The Drama Building also houses classrooms with state-of-the-art technology, studio space, costume and scene shops, and an excellent Fine Arts Library just a few steps away. This impressive complex of classrooms, workshops, studios and theatres is part of The Betsy and John Casteen Arts Grounds, where students studying a wide range arts disciplines come together in one of the University’s most vibrant and dynamic areas.
