The Theatre Department at The Chicago Academy for the Arts involves immersive training in theatre and performance studies. In addition to regular and intensive work in the Acting Studio, Theatre students explore topics that fall under four curricular headings: Acting, Performance Techniques, Theatre Studies, and Production & Technical Theatre.
Projects and units that fall under these headings may include Stagecraft, Directing, Auditioning and Professional Business, Dialects, Stage Combat, Improvisation, Acting for the Camera, Playwriting, Circus and others. This model is integrated at every stage with contemporary and classical texts.
Projects will often culminate in a showcase of the student’s work.
Acting Studio is at the core of our work in the Theatre Department. Training in the Academy Theatre Department uses our unique Academy Actor Training Approach (see below).
Studio classes are typically divided into three sections: Introductory, Intermediate, and Advanced. Students who enter the program as freshmen can, in general, expect to progress sequentially through the acting curriculum. The theatre faculty will maintain consistent communication with the student about their progress.
Productions and performance opportunities in the Theatre Department showcase the top-tier acting and performance training our students receive. A typical production schedule includes a Fall Play, a Spring Play, a Shakespeare Festival in January in conjunction with the Musical Theatre Department, as well as several other performance opportunities based on the coursework for the semester. These opportunities may include one to two Directing Showcases, a Circus Project Culmination, a reading of Playwriting finals, and others. We also encourage our department members to audition for student films in the Media Arts Department.
Recent mainstage plays have included The Three Musketeers by Catherine Bush, The Skin of Our Teeth by Thornton Wilder, Little Wars by Steven Carl McCasland, Men on Boats by Jaclyn Backhaus, Everybody by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Simon Stephens, The Wolves by Sarah DeLappe, The Aliens by Annie Baker, columbinus by PJ Paparelli and Stephen Karam, Sense and Sensibility adapted by Kate Hamill, and She Kills Monsters by Qui Nguyen.
Guest artists will work with our students on immersive project experiences and shorter workshops. While our department faculty is made up of working professionals from the Chicago Theatre Community, The Academy is active in finding other artists to engage with our students. Recent and upcoming lecturers and instructors have included Peggy Roeder, Leah Urzendowski, Anthony Courser, Adrian Danzig, Kevin Mimms, Sylvia Hernandez-DeStasi, Darian Tene, Elizabeth Laidlaw, Kevin Beverley, Alex Aguilar, Jose Ramos, Leah Orleans, Orion Couling, Sara Gammage and others.
Play attendance in our vibrant Chicago theatre scene is another highly integral piece of our curriculum. We attend several professional plays during the school year. These productions are carefully selected to intersect with our coursework and will, as often as possible, include plays that we are reading in the Theatre Curriculum. In addition to attending the productions, we will provide opportunities for students to interact with production staff and cast members of the plays when possible.
Graduates of the Theatre Department attend programs at the nation’s leading conservatories, universities, and professional schools. Alumni may be seen on and off Broadway, in regional theatre productions, on television, and in major motion pictures.
Theatre Department FAQ’s
What’s the difference between Theatre and Musical Theatre at The Chicago Academy for the Arts?
In the Theatre Department, we train students to think about the entirety of the discipline of theatre-making and the expansive range of opportunities therein. Students who graduate from our program may want to pursue acting, directing, playwriting, devising, improv, stagecraft, production, stage management, or all of the above.
In the Musical Theatre Department, graduates gain the necessary tools to become performers in the genre of musical theatre with rigorous training in singing, acting, and dancing.
What do graduates from the Theatre Department go on to do?
Lots of things. Many of our students matriculate into schools that specialize in actor training while others pursue liberal arts colleges that have strong theatre programs. Supported by our strong academic program, students will also pursue a non-arts major in college. Occasionally, students will enter the business of acting and theatre straight from high school.
How many hours a week do I attend my theatre classes?
In a typical week, you can expect to study in your department for a minimum of 15 hours and a maximum of 25 hours while in rehearsals for one of our productions.
Where did the Theatre Department faculty receive their theatre training?
Our dedicated theatre faculty all have years of extensive training and professional work. Check out their bios here to find out more about them.
How do you handle casting for your department productions?
Each play produced in the department (fall mainstage, spring mainstage, and Shakespeare Festival) is chosen with the current ensemble of actors in mind. By the time our students are seniors, our faculty is intimately familiar with their unique skills and talents. Our show selection and casting takes into account each year’s specific ensemble.
More about the Theatre Department
Hear from Academy seniors!
Pictures from the 2021 Summer Program!
Read more from Theatre Chair Ben Dicke on the Theatre Department’s Spring Production of She Kills Monsters.
Check out the 2021 Brush Up Your Shakespeare Festival!
Theatre Department Chair Ben Dicke discusses The Academy Method and cultivating relationships.
A small army of faculty began a two-day, 400-mile caravan, stopping at each senior’s home to hand-deliver diplomas and personally applaud each graduate. Congratulations to the Class of 2020!
Hear from Theatre Department Chair Ben Dicke about their upcoming performance of Peter and the Starcatcher.
Pictures from the 2019 Alumni Party, updates of Alumni Grants, the 2020 Alumni Challenge, and Showcase Honoring Margy Stover
The Theatre Department’s Senior Show! Stay tuned for more info.
Grania McKirdie in the Beverly Review, CBS Radio, and WGN!
FACULTY
American Literature is a survey course that introduces students to a range of the best and most seminal works of literature of various forms and genres and from various historical contexts and literary movements in American culture. This course will build upon the methods of literary analysis introduced in Freshman English in order to provide students with the necessary tools for more complex written analysis. Students will develop a deeper understanding of the form-content relationship in order to make cogent arguments about the literature studied.
Analysis and Composition is designed to advance students' skills in The Academy's "what-how-why" methodology by incorporating non-fictive texts to introduce critical themes in two specific literary subjects. Through two quarter long units, Analysis and Composition investigates Justice and Sexual Identity through critical essays, drama, works of fiction, films, and graphic novels to locate salient themes, convergent and divergent understandings, and work towards complex, synthetic interpretations regarding justice, the state, and ethics, as well as sexual discourse and expression.
Algebra I provides students with the time and focus needed to develop fundamental ways of thinking mathematically. Students will engage with ideas and problems as preparation for moving from concrete problem solving to abstractions and general theories. Topics covered include but are not limited to: the Real Number System, absolute value, equations and inequalities, graphing, linear and quadratic functions, systems of equations, exponents, polynomials, radicals, and rational expressions.
Ballet classes presuppose a beginning knowledge of the technique. They foster strength, balance, and dexterity. At the barre, traditional exercises condition and prepare the musculature to anticipate the execution of virtually all movements of the classical vocabulary. The nature of the exercises allows students to widen their personal range of motion. The concepts learned at the barre are tested in the center through the adagio (lyrical quality, balance), and allegro (small and big jumps) components of the lesson. The knowledge and dexterity acquired in Ballet C are applied to more challenging usage of the exercises and center floor combinations for levels B and A.
Jazz classes are based in ballet technique with heavy reliance on the combination of African and modern dance idioms. All exercises stress central strength, with an emphasis on expressiveness through the torso, the isolation of the head, shoulders, rib cage and hips. Rhythmic patterns, dynamic variations, and strong and subtle qualities of movement are explored. Dancers are given combinations that are challenging at their level, depending on their level of technique.
Modern classes introduce the concepts of movement used in Martha Graham Technique. Strength is fostered through floor-work exercises designed to teach the initiation of movement from the back and lower spine. Flexibility is increased through a variety of stretching components within the exercises. The forms and patterns learned in floor work are applied to center work and to combinations across the floor. Movement and principles learned in level C (beginning) are furthered explored in B (intermediate) and A (advanced) classes. Accuracy and dexterity are emphasized. The complexity of movement increases as students become familiar with the Graham vocabulary.
Dance Composition enables students to explore their individual creativity. Through compositional studies, students learn to articulate and communicate ideas, as well as to analyze and to critically evaluate movement. Students will gain the ability to compose short movement phrases as well as more lengthy compositions that will be performed at the Senior Choreographed Dance Concert. Dance Composition is taken by students during their junior and senior years.
Students will learn and practice animation techniques guided by the study of the 12 Principles of Animation. As skills develop, they will investigate more experimental techniques. By exploring the animation process, students will create smaller works from flip books to motion graphics.
Chamber performance ensemble focuses on developing individual musicianship through a small group setting. Students will work on specific repertoire with an ensemble coach while developing note reading skills, intonation, rhythm, articulation, dynamics, and balance. Ensembles will study individual and group practice and rehearsal techniques, interpretive and stylistic decisions as an ensemble, and performance skills.
Honors Algebra I builds upon the knowledge students have gained in previous classes and lays the foundations for rigorous mathematical studies. Topics are covered at an advanced pace and include but are not limited to: the Real Number System, absolute value, equations and inequalities, graphing, linear and quadratic functions, systems of equations, exponents, polynomials, radicals, and rational expressions.
Algebra II extends and builds upon concepts learned in Algebra 1 in order to improve problem-solving skills. Algebra 2 continues the study of algebra with a focus on the analysis of functions, including polynomial, rational, exponential, and logarithmic functions. Emphasis will be made on solving, graphing, transforming, and modeling these functions.
Honors Algebra 2 continues the rigorous study of algebra at an advanced pace with a focus on the analysis of functions, including polynomial, rational, exponential, and logarithmic functions. Emphasis is made on solving, graphing, transforming, and modeling these functions.
Geometry introduces students to the basic principles of Euclidean geometry. Students will learn key definitions, symbols, notations, theorems, and properties of geometric figures which serve as the foundation for the course. Emphasis is placed on developing deductive reasoning and logical thinking skills through the use of geometric proof. Topics explored include: basic definitions, lines, angles, triangles, quadrilaterals, circles, polygons, solids, congruence, similarity, ratio and proportion, transformations, elementary trigonometry, and formulas for perimeter, area, surface area, and volume.
Honors Geometry is designed to meet the needs of students who are capable of studying geometry in greater depth and at a faster pace. The course focuses on plane and solid geometry. Students will develop deductive reasoning skills to solve problems and write complex proofs, will learn a logical approach to problem solving, and will improve their ability to communicate both concrete and abstract ideas. Topics explored include: basic definitions, lines, angles, triangles, quadrilaterals, circles, polygons, solids, congruence, similarity, proportion, trigonometry, fractals, three-dimensional coordinates, transformations, and formulas for perimeter, area, surface area, and volume.
Postcolonial literature introduces students to the relationship between the “Self” and the “Other” borne from the hegemonic history that indelibly connects Europe and Africa. Specifically, how imperial powers sought to represent the “Other,” and how the power of representation was used to justify and engender the subjugation of peoples and cultures. With the use of critical essays and Victorian and Modern novels, we will examine the complexities of representation and the ways in which literature can serve to either propagate or deconstruct the binaries that dominated colonial attitudes.
Shakespeare as Literature and Drama aims to help students gain an introductory understanding of Shakespeare's work and how it fits into the context of his life and times. Other goals for the course include the following: to learn to write about Shakespeare's work; to learn how to read and analyze Shakespeare’s plays and their significance linguistically, historically, politically, socially, and culturally; to do close readings of text, noting the integration of literary devices and textual directives for performance; and to develop a methodology for approaching antiquated texts for academic reading, pleasure reading, and performance.
Myth and Hero introduces students to mythic stories and heroes from around the world and investigates the underlying psychological need—both culturally and personally—to construct these tales. After a short introduction to mythic and heroic structure, the course examines different heroes from various cultures, drawing connections and shared needs between different peoples and time. More modern works will then be considered with an emphasis on the psychological aspects of heroic tales to understand the overall shift from epic to tragic, perfect to flawed, divine to sublime, and archetypal to individual in the heroic tradition.
Literature and the Comedic Form is designed to investigate central questions about humor while introducing students to numerous facets of comedy in literature. What is laughter? What is funny? How are these two both very different—one physical the other mental—and related? Although the comedic is something experienced on any given day, we rarely stop to rationalize why our bodies are convulsing uncontrollably. Students will explore various conventions in comedy, specifically, the mechanics of jokes, the experience of laughter, Greek comedic structure, hyperbole, satire, parody, black humor, and irony, in order to understand how each works, both emotionally and intellectually, on an individual level and in works of literature.
Chicago literature explores literature inspired by and about Chicago in an attempt to make sense of its disparate peoples and their experiences throughout history. Chicago has many names: The Windy City, City of Big Shoulders, The Second City, Paris of the Midwest, a City of Neighborhoods, a City on the Make, The Jungle, and so on; each of these names helps characterize aspects of Chicago, but none fully encapsulate its many sides. This course seeks to delve into a number of Chicago’s sides through their portrayal in various works of both fiction and non-fiction. Course materials will investigate the growth of Chicago from a swamp to a metropolis, and look at the diversity of experiences that helped build and continue to shape the city.
Literature of World War I is a survey course that introduces students to literature written in response to and in reflection upon the Great War. Through novels and poetry the course will examine the historic, sociopolitical, and cultural forces shaped by this event. Following World War One, Europe confronted itself and its previously unquestioned conventions. After the war, Europeans began to rethink their culture, resulting in modernist art forms, psychology, existentialism, and the like.
Other semester-long classes and workshops that occur during a student’s tenure in The Academy Theatre Department include Script Analysis, Stage Management, Voice & Movement, Makeup for Stage and Screen, Costume Concepts, Circus, Combat for Stage and Screen and Playwriting.
The Academy Theatre Department routinely invites guest speakers and resident teaching artists to connect students with the wider landscape of the industry. Recent and upcoming lecturers and instructors include Peggy Roeder, Leah Urzendowski, Anthony Courser, Adrian Danzig, Sylvia Hernandez-DeStasi, Kevin Beverley, Alex Aguilar, Orion Couling, Sara Gammage, and others.
*Course titles reflect transcripts for the 2017-2018 freshman class.
Freshman English provides the foundations for analyzing literature though writing, reading, and speaking and through an exploration of various texts, genres, forms, and styles throughout Western civilization. The course serves to establish the relationship between themes and devices and provides a comprehensive overview of literary conventions including, but not limited to: symbolism, diction, sensory detail, narrative point of view, and irony. Students learn the best practices for close reading and annotating as well as the literary analysis essay format and execution. Students also strengthen their writing through various revision strategies and peer workshops.