Chapter 24 / Assessments, Capstone and Senior Juries

Effective: July 01, 2019

Students in the Theatre Program are regularly assessed in and out of class through coursework, performance, design, and/or production work.

See Appendix for Assessment and Jury Feedback sheets

  1. Year-end Assessment

    All students in the Theatre program are reviewed at the end of the academic year by the Theatre faculty. These assessments take the form of a jury (for Performance majors), verbal evaluation between faculty and student, and a written record of the evaluation is placed in the student's file.

  2. Senior Capstone Project

    BA assessment comprises a Capstone project encompassing the student’s individualized areas of study in consultation with faculty advisor

  3. Senior Jury & Portfolio Review

    Senior students pursuing the BFA in Performing Arts – Theatre degrees are required to present a Senior Jury for the Performance track, or a Portfolio Review for the Design & Technical Theatre track as part of the Theatre Program’s final assessment process. The guidelines for this assessment procedure are as follows:

    1. Senior Jury

      Senior Jury is the final assessment for those BFA majors following the Performance track. It must be scheduled to take place at the end of the last or next to last semester before the student’s graduation. The specific time must be established by mid-term of the semester during which the jury is scheduled.

      Performance majors shall be assigned to a member of the performance faculty who will act as a jury advisor. This assignment will be made in consultation and agreement with the student. This faculty jury advisor will be responsible for overseeing the selection and preparation of the material to be presented, as well as any written material required by the performance faculty to document the work.

      Set pieces for the jury shall be limited to a chair or stool and a table. Minimal hand props (such as fans, handkerchiefs, etc.) and small costume elements (such as scarves, hats, etc.) may be used. The student is responsible for acquiring, striking, and returning any props, set and costume pieces used for the jury.

      The Jury consists of:

      1. Presentation of portfolio, résumé, and website to Design Faculty and invited guests.
      2. Question and answer period between faculty and student.
      3. Oral criticism of the works by Design faculty.

      4. Discussion of future plans with faculty.

    2. Portfolio Review

      For the Design & Technical Theatre major, the Portfolio Review is generally scheduled during the first semester of the senior or graduating year. The first semester is recommended for the student’s benefit so that during the second semester the student has materials to use for a job search, applying for internships, or applying to graduate schools. However, a student may choose to do the review during the second semester.

      The review time is to be established by the midterm of the semester in which the review is held. The student is assigned to one of the design faculty in consultation and agreement with the student.

      The review consists of:

      1. Two contrasting audition pieces, each between one minute and one minute-and-a half minutes in length.
      2. Two monologues or soliloquies from two distinct periods. The maximum time for each is five minutes.
      3. Two scenes from two distinct periods, to be performed with only one other actor. Each scene must be between seven and ten minutes in length.  Contrasting styles should also be selected, i.e., dramatic, comedic, farcical, etc.

      4. A student created program that includes the selections of material, the name(s) of the scene partners, and the link/website address for the student’s professional website.

        The performance selections must be from different plays, and must be chosen from four different periods. One must be from Elizabethan-Jacobean drama, and one from Classical Greek.

      5. The jury personnel shall consist of the theatre performance faculty.

      Format of the Portfolio Criteria:

      The student should choose the medium of displaying the portfolio. This can be a traditional hard copy presentation of the body of work, a digital presentation (PowerPoint, Prezi, Keynote, etc.), a professional website or other acceptable medium. The choice, by the student, should be decided based on career choices and available portfolio materials.

      These materials should be arranged in a determined order and show the following:
      1. Demonstrated Skills in Rendering: regardless of the design field, the student should show a working knowledge of executing a visual representation of the desired effect. There should be a demonstration of different mediums as well as a strong variety of production styles.
      2. Diversity in the Design Field: for the graduating senior, diversity in the design field is essential. The student should show experiences in several design fields, e.g. set design, lighting design, and/or costume design.
      3. Demonstration of Design, Technical and Artistic Skills: student should show their design, technical, and artistic skills through projects from theatre courses and other visual arts.

      4. Demonstrated Skills in Rough Sketching and Drafting: regardless of the design field, the student should show all work involved in the process. There should be a demonstration of the process and the progress through rough sketches and decisive choices in drafting.

      5. Presentation of Realized and Theoretical Projects: the student should present both realized and theoretical projects. Documentation should encompass evidence of concept through completion. Inclusion of Public Responses: it is important to get the differing reactions of several theatregoers, directors, other colleagues, and critics to show how the design student’s work has been received. Include both positive and negative responses.
      6. Current Résumé for Full Review Panel: the résumé should be developed and fine-tuned through early discussion with the faculty advisor. Include projects slated for graduating semester.