The Centre for Drama, Theatre, and Performance Studies undergraduate program combines high standards of practical, professional theatre training with a broad, rich, and rigorous academic program. Offering courses in dramatic literature, dramaturgy, world theatre, and critical theory and history, as well as practical streams in acting, production and design, and playwriting and directing, the program emphasizes the integration of academic and practical work in its holistic approach to classical through contemporary theatre and performance.
Working towards an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree, students are required to take a complementary combination of courses resulting in broad knowledge of the field as a whole. A Drama major or minor may be valuably combined with programs in a wide variety of other fields, as offered both by language and literature departments and other departments and programs such as Anthropology, Canadian Studies, Cinema Studies, Classics, Commerce, Art, History, Music, Political Science, Psychology, Religion, Sociology, and Women’s Studies. The program’s flexibility allows students to select from a group of courses those in which they are most interested. Our small class sizes ensure students receive individual focus and attention.
The program’s mandate:
- Mounting courses on the historical, theoretical and practical aspects of drama, theatre and performance
- Integrating academic and practical dimensions of study in each course
- Involving undergraduates in the planning and execution of program activities
- Introducing students to the demands and expectations of a professional theatre career
- Fostering an environment that ensures individual growth as well as shared responsibility for the development of others
Follow your own interests and chart your own path through university. Our undergraduate major, minor, and specialist programs offer you plenty of flexibility.
Advice for First Year
1.0 FCE from our 3 first-year courses is a mandatory pre- or co-requisite for all studio entry courses to the four practical streams: DRM 200Y1 - Performance I, DRM 202H1 - Directing I, DRM 228H1 - Playwriting I, and DRM 254Y1 - Production and Design I: Production, all of which are open to first-year students. There are two rounds of auditions, interviews and/or portfolio submission to our four studio entry courses. The first round is held in April with an application deadline in March; the second round is held in August.
Teaching and Research
As a drama student, you'll gain a broad overview of the contours of drama, theatre, and perforamnce studies and in-depth knowledge of specific regions, time periods and themes. You'll be in good hands with our undergraduate faculty. Thanks to their diverse research interests, you'll be able to take courses on a variety of topics, from the history of Canadian Theatre to Comparative World Theatre to the Contemporary Avant-Garde.
Here are just a few of the resources available to our students:
- Backpack to Briefcase (b2B) – Meet and learn from our alumni (and other Faculty of Arts & Science alumni) at mentorship meals, speed networking events, career panel discussions and industry nights.
- Society of Undergraduate Drama Students (SUDS) – Build your skills and meet other people who share your interest in drama, theatre, and performance studies.
- University of Toronto Libraries – U of T’s award-winning library system offers you an extensive general collection, plus specialized collections such as the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library.
Your studies will help foster analytical and communication skills that are critical to many careers. Our alumni put their training to use in the arts, law, business, government, museums, non-profits, documentary filmmaking, journalism, international relations, urban planning, teaching, and many other sectors. Visit the Career Navigator website to see what our alumni are up to now.