Welcome to the Theater and Dance Department!

Our department offers small academic and studio courses in which students are closely mentored by expert faculty. Our curriculum includes advanced classes for those interested in pursuing a career in the performing arts. We also encourage students without previous experience to try a beginning course in acting, dance, design, or playwriting. Always make sure to contact the instructor if you do not meet prerequisites for a given course; oftentimes, first-year students have past experience that will ease them into such learning opportunities.

With the exception of dance technique courses, THDA classes count for your Fine Arts requirements. Many fulfill USID, Internationalism, various Writing and Q requirements.

In the fall 2023, the Theater and Dance Department will offer two sections of the First Year Course (FYC) THDA105, Seeing Performance in the Twin Cities.

Theater and Dance Audition Information

Auditions for theater productions and dance concerts are open to all Macalester students. First-year students are regularly cast in theater productions and dance concert pieces.

An acting workshop with alumna Mandi Masden for first-year students only will take place on Saturday, September 2.

Auditions for the Fall Theater Production will be on Saturday and Sunday, September 8 & 9, with callbacks on Monday, September 10. Auditions for the Fall Dance Concert will be held on Saturday and Sunday, September 8 & 9.

1) The Titanic Orchestra by Hristo Boytchev, available here (click on the US flag icon next to the play’s title) Directed by Barbra Berlovitz – Fall 2023 Theater Production

This ensemble piece employs tragedy and comedy; clown; burlesque; and magic (one of the characters is the Great Houdini!)

It’s the end of the world. In the middle of nowhere. The train is moving but it isn’t stopping for everyone. A community struggling together. Four people in an abandoned train station. Meto, Doko, Luko and Luba. Their suitcases are packed and they want to leave.  But the train never stops at this station until one day Harry Houdini arrives with his magic. They are philosophers, dreamers, looking for a connection to the world and each other. The play speaks to the absurdity of life, the joy in play, the love of each other and how cruel they can be to each other. It’s a group of friends.

Cast of 5 actors:

One sings. One performs magic tricks. The three others find their way.

2) Eurydice by Sarah Ruhl – Directed by Randy Reyes – Spring 2024 Theater Production

From playwright Sarah Ruhl:
Eurydice reimagines the classic myth of Orpheus and Eurydice not through Orpheus’s infamous pilgrimage to retrieve his bride, but through the eyes of its heroine. Dying too young on her wedding day, Eurydice must journey to the underworld, where she reunites with her father and struggles to remember her lost love. With contemporary characters, plot twists, and a script written to be a playground for designers, the play is a fresh look at a timeless love story.

Characters

EURYDICE: The Protagonist. A beautiful spirit who loves books and always tells the truth.

Her FATHER: Resides in the underworld. Looks after Eurydice from afar and takes care of her in death.

ORPHEUS: A talented musician and composer who is deeply in love with Eurydice.

A NASTY INTERESTING MAN: Catalyst of Eurydice’s death.

THE LORD OF THE UNDERWORLD: Starts as a child and grows to over 10 feet tall.

BIG STONE, LITTLE STONE, and LOUD STONE: A Chorus of stones. They reside in the underworld.

This production will also include a Chorus of Dancers (3-5) and Musicians to perform live on stage (1-3).

Keep your eye on the Theater and Dance Department website to sign up, and for information on times and additional details!

Arts @ Mac: An Open House & Lunch Social

When you arrive on campus, keep an eye out for information on Arts @ Mac Welcome Week, sponsored by the departments of Music, Art and Art History, and Theater and Dance. Meet faculty, returning students and guest artists, and get information on auditions, backstage work opportunities, the curriculum and courses, and special events.

For more information visit our website: https://www.macalester.edu/theater-and-dance

Contact:

Cláudia Tatinge Nascimento, PhD 

Professor and Chair, Theater and Dance Department

Take a Virtual Tour

Department News


Visiting Artists

Recent visiting artists include Sarah Bellamy, Kate Bornstein, Li Chiao-Ping, Eliot Gray Fisher, Shawn Judge, MJ Kaufman, Jennifer Liestman, Iris McCloughan, Juliana Neves, Eiko Otake, Miranda Rose Hall, Ingrid Sonnichsen, Darrius Strong, Paula Vogel, & Steve Yoakam