Theatre practitioners are regularly applying their practice in the fields of education, medicine, therapy, political advocacy, environmental justice, community organizing, social services and justice reform. The academic area that studies these applications is called Applied Theatre. This part of the field is an ever-evolving and hybrid study of artistic, cultural and social practices that are advanced through a continued examination of their efficacy and ethics.
Students interested in Applied Theatre Studies often ask:
- How do I use my art form to create a more just society?
- How can I use my art to help my community?
- How do my politics and my identity impact the work I make?
- How is my art relevant to the major global issues we are dealing with today?
- How can we use theatre to disrupt systems of oppression?
- How do I make theatre more accessible?
- What is Theatre of the Oppressed? Playback Theatre? Educational Theatre? Theatre of Witness? Revolutionary Theatre? Street Theatre? Theatre for Development? Drama Therapy? Eco-Theatre? Community-Based Theatre?
All of these questions are relevant to the study of Applied Theatre!
What is the Applied Theatre Minor within Tisch Drama?
The Applied Theatre Minor is an effort to support students that want to focus their time on studying how theatre can be applied to the pursuit of improving the lives of individuals, communities, and societies. It was created by Jan Cohen-Cruz with the support of then department chair, Una Chaudhuri. As more students became interested in the minor, Cohen-Cruz found collaborators in Awam Amkpa and Rosemary Quinn, who then went on to mentor interested students and administrate the minor for more than a decade.
How do I engage with Applied Theatre at NYU?
There are many scholars/practitioners throughout NYU that engage with different practices within Applied Theatre. Professors within Tisch Drama, Experimental Humanities and Social Engagement, Gallatin, Art and Public Policy, Steinhardt, Open Arts, and elsewhere are teaching courses related to specific Applied Theatre Studies theories and practices.
How do I get an Applied Theatre Minor?
Students interested in completing an Applied Theatre Minor will receive support from their Advisor and the Director of Applied Theatre, Mauricio Tafur Salgado, in order to ensure that they can complete the minor alongside their Studio work and their academic responsibilities. If you decide to pursue the minor, Salgado will meet with you monthly to talk through your progress. Below are five steps that describe what will be required from you in order to complete the minor.
Applied Theatre Courses
These are some of the many courses that could be considered towards an Applied Theatre Minor: