About Theatre Studies
Theatre Studies at the University of Essex
Each year, the Centre for Theatre Studies admits a small group of
students who display both practical creativity and academic capability. The
select nature of year groups means that students quickly forge close working
relationships with each other, and with tutors. Members of staff work
actively in the professional world of theatre and performance, whether as
playwrights, directors, actors, performance artists, theatre in education
animators, or translators. Moreover, teachers in the Department conduct
academic research and publish widely. Staff are therefore ideally equipped
to provide students with the half-practical, half-theoretical degree courses
in which the Centre specialises.
The Centre for Theatre Studies provides students with a thorough
grounding in areas that are key to theatre and performance, notably the
theory and practice of comedy, tragedy, physical theatre, performance art,
classic texts, and contemporary writing. Students are able both to write and
direct new plays, as well as to redefine classics and rediscover neglected
masterpieces. Drama students can also broaden their academic scope by taking
options in subjects such as film studies, US literature, and creative
writing.
The Centre's graduates have gone on to become directors, actors,
playwrights, performance artists, theatre programmers, and teachers.
The Department offers an
MA in Theatre Studies
(full-time or
part-time)
which specialises in playwriting and Shakespeare studies but also offers the possibility of
combining playwriting with other creative writing disciplines. The
Centre for Theatre Studies is led by
Jonathan Lichtenstein, a professional
playwright, who has enjoyed recent successful runs with the National Theatre
of Wales, and in London, Edinburgh and New York.
Elizabeth Kuti, also a
successful playwright, has had her work staged in London and Dublin.
Her radio plays have been broadcast on Radio 3 and Radio 4.
Clare Finburgh,
who teaches Twentieth-Century Political Theatre is currently
engaged in research on postcolonial francophone theatre. Her
translation of French contemporary playwright Noell Renaude's play, Par les
routes, has recently been performed at the Edinburgh Festival.
The Centre for Theatre Studies welcomes applications for PhD research.
Please see individual web pages of the tutors named above for areas of
expertise. Some examples of present PhD theses can be seen at
current research students.