Shakespeare Studies Minor
Shakespeare so fully renders human behavior on stage that scholars still endlessly debate the meaning of his plays, finding within them a seemingly bottomless well of philosophical, political, and psychological insight.
Theatre – Shakespeare Studies Minor
Theatre, Shakespeare Studies Minor
Offered as a Secondary Discipline Minor
The Shakespeare Studies minor is part of the Theatre program of the Oregon Center for the Arts at Southern Oregon University. The interdisciplinary field of Shakespeare Studies connects the playwright and his works with the culture of Elizabethan and Jacobean England. The Shakespeare Studies minor at SOU emphasizes the performance of Shakespeare’s plays and their cultural impact during the past 400 years. The program is supported by the special resources of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF), the Margery Bailey Renaissance Collection, and the Center for Shakespeare Studies.
The Shakespeare Minor at SOU provides a thorough, thoughtful overview of Shakespeare’s work. To know Shakespeare is not only to know a literary and theatrical genius but to possess a set of references and a reservoir of meanings that our culture continually draws on. Classes in Shakespeare Studies combine historical, literary, and performance analysis, examining a Shakespeare play as a historical artifact, a transhistorical text, and a script for contemporary performance.
Degree Fit
Program Preparation
Shakespeare Studies offers not only a body of knowledge but also an exhilarating learning experience, teaching students how to interpret complex texts and how to express those interpretations in words, images and performance. Our ultimate goal is to lead Shakespeare enthusiasts on an epic intellectual and creative journey, in which they explore the richest and deepest expressions of human experience ever rendered on page or stage.
The Shakespeare Minor enriches and expands the curriculum of many academic programs. It is inherently interdisciplinary, drawing on the resources of seven departments, including English, Music, History, Art, and Emerging Media and Digital Art.
Degree Roadmap
The curriculum starts with an introductory course that explores the various ways of knowing and understanding the plays, centering on the question, “What does it mean to do Shakespeare?” The course prepares students for survey classes that canvas Shakespeare’s greatest plays and lead, in turn, to more specialized classes that immerse students in a single play or vigorously investigate a specific topic (recent offerings include “Shakespeare’s Problem Comedies” and “Post-Modern Shakespeare”). Electives such as “Shakespeare and Film” and “Shakespeare and Popular Culture” fill out the curriculum. Most classes make ample use of film and other visual media as well as take advantage of the productions at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Indeed, one class, the “Summer Shakespeare Intensive” is based entirely on OSF’s annual offerings. In addition, actors, directors, and dramaturgs from OSF are frequently guest speakers and occasionally even guest teachers. Students may also avail themselves of the 10,000 volume Margery Bailey Renaissance Collection in SOU’s Hannon Library, which encompasses both classic and cutting-edge works of Shakespearean scholarship.
Degree Integration
Some Shakespeare Studies Minor students will prepare for their intended career through a major degree, while pursuing personal Theatre Studies interests with their minor. Other students may pursue a Shakespeare Studies Minor to provide specific specialization to compliment their Theatre Studies major.
Career Path
Become a Professional
Career opportunities for a Theatre degree:
- Actor
- Scenic Designer
- Costume Designer
- Sound Designer
- Lighting Designer
- Projection/Media Designer
- Sound Engineer
- Studio Engineer
- Master Electrician
- Director
- Dramaturg (Literary Manager)
- Stage Manager
- Production Assistant
- Production Manager
- Theatre Administration
- Theatre Management
- Artistic Director
- Producer
- Theatre Education
- Choreographer
- Scenographer
Salary Range
$25,000- $125,000
*Based on National Average
Future Success
SOU Theatre Studies Alumni
Kristen Mun - 2009
BFA Management (Stage Management)
Kristen is an Equity stage manager with Portland Center Stage, and has worked as a production assistant for Portland Center Stage, Artist Repertory Theater, and the Actor’s Theater of Louisville.
Blaine Johnston - 2010
BFA Performance
Blaine works for Disney ABC Television Group in New York as a Casting Assistant and Showcase Coordinator for ABC Primetime.
Alex Meyer - 2012
BFA Technology (Technical Direction)
Alex is currently a foreman and lead mechanic at BBI Engineering, a San Francisco company that designs and build audio-visual interactive exhibits for theatres, museums, and corporate installations.
Section Contents: Theatre Programs
Contact the Theatre Program
SOU Theatre Program
1250 Siskiyou Blvd.
Ashland, OR 97520
541.552.6346
– Questions About Theatre? –
