Tour Registration

The Department of Theatre and Dance will be offering tours throughout the fall / spring semesters and summer. If you are interested in touring our facilities via a bundle to your regularly scheduled, Admissions Tour, please email

theatredance@wcupa.edu

to schedule.

Tour Bundle Information

Bundle a Theatre and Dance space tour with your Admissions Tour!


Take a student lead facility tour and meet with the chair and/or faculty member as appropriate to your major.
2 comp theatre tickets available for the production of your choosing when you pre-schedule.


Recommended dates/times:  

  • March 18 & 19 from 12:30-1:30pm
  • April 15 & 16 from 12:30-1:30pm


Email:  theatredance@wcupa.edu
 
Go here for information on Admissions Tours. 

 

Pre-College Summer Intensive

June 22, 2023 - July 1, 2023

The Pre-College Intensive is a summer training program for motivated high school students with an interest in the study of theatre arts. In this immersive experience on the beautiful campus of West Chester University, students take classes with professional artists, rehearse in our world-class facilities, and further explore their art form alongside theatre professors in a college-level environment.

This ten-day "theatre boot camp" will focus specifically on audition prep, acting technique, and the college application process. Students will work with our trained roster of theatre professors and professional working actors and teachers to craft a repertoire of contemporary and classical monologues and musical theatre songs. In addition to daily college-level courses in acting, voice and movement, improvisation for the performer, and classical text, each student will receive individual coaching, and exit the intensive with a headshot from Kate Raines of PLATE 3 Photography.

This intensive is a residential, on-campus experience. Participants will live in dorms, eat in the dining halls, and train alongside like-minded peers as they experience a taste of campus life. Please note that all COVID precautions are being taken seriously; specific policies regarding residential health and safety will be communicated closer to the camp start date.

There is no audition required to participate. All spots are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Space is extremely limited.

Tuition + Schedule
Thursday, June 22nd - Saturday, July 1st, 2023

Cost: $1,825 (inclusive of all housing, meals, field trip, and other costs)

Theatre and Dance Opportunities

Theatre and Dance Scholarships and Awards

THEATRE ALUMNI DIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP FOR EMERGING BIPOC ARTISTS

The Theatre Alumni Diversity Scholarship for Emerging BIPOC Artists provides financial assistance to help bridge the gap between opportunity and talent for BIPOC theatre makers. This scholarship will contribute to establishing a sustainable legacy of equality, diversity, and inclusion in the Department of Theatre and Dance. We envision a thriving theatre arts program rooted in empowering BIPOC theatre artists, and representative of the community it creates for and the world its artists will enter. The scholarship will be awarded to a current, incoming, or transfer student who identifies as Black, Indigenous, Person of Color (BIPOC), Latinx or Asian. The applicant must be a theatre major who exhibits an exceptional desire to pursue a career in theatre arts. Preference will be given to applicants who demonstrate financial need. Contact THEATREBIPOC@wcupa.edu for more information.

J.PETER ADLER PRIZE FOR EXCELLENCE IN THEATRE

The J. Peter Adler Prize for Excellence in Theatre is an annual award endowed by the family and friends of J. Peter Adler and West Chester University. The J. Peter Adler Prize will be awarded each spring to a current West Chester University Senior, regardless of undergraduate major, who has participated in the theatre arts while at West Chester University and will use the scholarship associated with the prize to attend graduate school or work in professional theatre. The winner of the J. Peter Adler Prize may take up to three years from graduation to initially use the scholarship funds associated with this award.

J.PETER ADLER SCHOLARSHIP

The J. Peter Adler Scholarship is a $1000 renewable scholarship awarded to a first year student who demonstrates high academic and creative potential. The award is based on a review of grades, community, extra and/or co-curricular, or volunteer activities, performance audition/portfolio, and an interview. Applications can be obtained by calling the theatre office. This scholarship is renewable for four years based on the recipient maintaining an overall 2.5 GPA and a 3.0 GPA in theatre courses. Contact Thomas Haughey for more information.

THE BARBARA J. LAPPANO DANCE SCHOLARSHIP FUND

The Barbara J. Lappano ’67, M ’73 Dance Scholarship honors Barbara Lappano who taught dance at WCU from 1970-2004.  This scholarship is awarded to a full-time student who has declared a dance minor and completed at least 60 credits.  Selection is based upon academic record and active involvement in the university dance program. Other factors include involvement in the field of dance outside the university and a personal statement. Applications are due in April, contact Gretchen Studlien-Webb for more information.

DANCE ALUMNI AWARDS FOR CHOREOGRAPHY

The Dance Alumni Chapter, started by Barbara Lappano, WCU dance faculty from 1970 -2004 and founder of Dance Production Workshop, honors current University Dance Company students for their excellence in choreography. Recipients receive an award stipend.  The fall awardee is invited to perform their work in the Winter Alumni Dance Festival. Contact Gretchen Studlien-Webb for more information.

EMERGING DANCE MINOR SCHOLARSHIP

This scholarship is awarded to eligible full-time dance minor who has successfully completed 15 credits and a maximum of 55 credits at West Chester University (transfer students must have completed 15 credits at WCU). Selection is based upon an academic record of minimum 3.0 GPA and involvement in the field of dance, primarily within the WCU dance program. Applications are due in January, contact Gretchen Studlien-Webb for more information.

Current Scholarship and Award Recipients

J. Peter Adler Prize Scholarship | 2023-2024  

  • Elijah Mcbride ’26 (Musical Theatre concentration) 

Barbara J. Lappano '67, M'73 Dance Scholarship Fund | 2023-2024  

  • Emily Gilligan ‘25 (Dance minor) 
  • Molly Thorpe ‘24 (Dance minor)  

Emerging Dance Minor Scholarship | 2022-2023  

  • Laura Whittaker ’25 (Dance minor)  

Lila Berkovich Achuff Memorial Scholarship | 2022-2023  

  • Emily Spatz ‘25 (Dance minor)  

J. Peter Adler Prize For Excellence In Theatre | 2022-2023 

  • Jason Spiegelman (B.A. Theatre with Design and Production concentration) 

Alumni Awards For Choreography | 2022-2023 

  • Elizabeth Powell ‘23 (Dance minor) 
  • Sara Magrino ‘24 

National Organizations

Students in the Department of Theatre & Dance also regularly are involved with activities in the following organizations to gain further understanding of their field of choice and also participate in adjudications or master classes with working theatre and dance artists:

Study Abroad

Commedia dell'Arte in ItalyStudy Commedia dell'Arte in Italy with the Ombelico Mask Academy at West Chester University

Commedia dell'Arte is an amazing theatrical art form, but sometimes things get lost in translation. For a true understanding of Commedia, you really need to get back to the source... Italy.

Join Ombelico Mask Academy this Summer for one month, as we travel to the sun-drenched land of coastal Calabria, where Magna Grecia once ruled supreme, where Odysseus roamed the shores, and where Pulcinella first cheated Death.

Discover which Commedia character secretly resides within you... and how to bring that being to life for maximum joy and laughter. Get back to the roots of theatre as a wholly collaborative effort, where you are at once the actors, the playwrights and the directors. Delve into the rich history and influence of Commedia through classes in Greek Tragedy, Stage Combat, Burratini (traditional Italian puppetry), and of course, Italian culture.

And savor the best food you will ever eat in your life.

This program is being offered for credit through West Chester University, but anyone is welcome to apply. Space is limited. For questions,

email Professor John Bellomo.

 

Student Organizations

University Dance Company (UDC) is a faculty advised and student run concert dance organization. The focus of the UDC is to promote dance as an art form at West Chester University and to provide students with interests in choreography, performance, stage management, lighting and costume design, and arts administration the opportunity to create and shape their voice within this art form. UDC has two concerts every season; the fall concert focuses on faculty and guest artist work, while the spring concert mainly presents student choreography and design. Students work with both faculty and guest artists in the creation of new choreography and design.

University Theatre, which offers excellent opportunities, functions in the StudioStage and MainStage theatres of the Bull Center and in the new Madeleine Wing Adler Theatre. Its major productions, drawn from the classics, contemporary drama, and Broadway musicals are outstanding events for the University and community as well. Additional activities can include participation in Homecoming, the AIDS benefit, working concessions for MainStage productions, and monthly socials. All students with an interest in drama are welcome.

Alpha Psi Omega (Theatre Honor Society), an honorary fraternity, recognizes excellence in and dedication to the theatre arts. It is sponsored by the Department of Theatre & Dance and membership is open to all students regardless of major.