Any degree in drama or theatre studies will provide you with a core understanding of what it takes to put on a play, whether it’s a small local production or a major Broadway show. A degree can also prepare you for other roles in theatre including stage manager, director, playwright and producer.
If you’re interested in acting, directing, or stage management, looking into an arts degree can help you focus on your craft. You can learn how to develop a performance, how to use technology on stage, and how to manage a theatre company or venue.
People with BA or MA degrees in drama or theatre studies may work in many different fields. Some are involved in creating theatre, while others work in the film industry as writers, directors, or producers.
Drama and theatre studies: Are they different?
If you love drama and the arts, you may be interested to learn that there are actually two different disciplines that study those topics. One is drama, which studies the performing arts – acting, dancing, singing, and the like. The other is theatre studies, which focuses more on the behind-the-scenes work and theories of theatre. Both fields are great for people who want to pursue a career in the arts and gain technical skills as well as insights into dramatic theory.
In general, a degree in drama will teach you how to perform specific skills such as acting or singing. A degree in theatre studies would prepare you for careers in production or management by teaching you how to present a performance—how to stage it and bring it from script to stage with as few hiccups as possible. Theater studies majors also learn about dramatic theory and methods of presentation.
One more thing: Both drama and theatre studies majors can lead to careers in education – for example, teaching children about music or theater at an elementary school level.
Today, theatre has become more than just an entertainment medium. It has evolved into plays that can be used to express ideas and social messages to a large audience. Therefore, theatre plays are no longer confined to acting on stage but also include dance and music performances, which are all important aspects of the art form.
Theatre professionals include playwrights who create the stories for the series of plays or drama; directors who oversee the whole staging of the play or drama; actors who portray various characters in a play or drama; dancers and musicians who provide musical accompaniments for a dance drama; stage technicians who operate lighting effects and sound equipment; and art directors who design sets for all productions to ensure that they meet artistic standards.
Theatre students study many subjects such as theory of drama (i.e., history of theatre), theories of acting, practical training in acting techniques and voice production among others.
