The RWU Theater Program

An important element in the overall design of the program is the semester-long London Theatre Program. Since 1971 theatre students have spent the fall semester of their junior year in London under the direction of the Roger Williams theatre faculty and a group of English theatre professionals. They see over 40 plays, concerts, dance events, and exhibitions, study the practical workings of various professional theatres and meet with a range of working theatre practitioners. The full schedule of classes taken by students in London combines theatre studies with courses that provide a broad background in the culture and history of England and Europe. These include field trips to every corner of London and many sites around England.

Many graduates of the theatre program pursue careers in a wide range of the theatrical arts: film, television, and the live theatre. Others have become educators. Theatre graduates can be found teaching on all levels, from elementary to university. Increasingly, those students interested in professional or teaching careers continue their studies through advanced academic and professional degrees in graduate schools throughout the country. But as befits a liberal arts program, many of our students take the research, analytical, organizational, and communications skills that are fundamental to the theatre arts and apply them to a wide variety of business and creative pursuits. Regardless of their ultimate career paths, theatre graduates take with them a deep appreciation of theatre as an art and of its place in our culture.