Drama
Learn to act for theatre, film, radio and television. Write a play. Explore the directing process, participate in coaching, conducting auditions and developing rehearsal schedules. Interpret dramatic text. Design and construct stage sets and costumes. Gain hands-on experience with lighting, sound production and stage management for on-campus performances. Study the evolution of theatrical production. These opportunities and more are available to you when you choose to major in Drama at the University of Saskatchewan.
What is Drama?
Drama is the study of theatre with an applied approach to learning. Drama students will discover the art of acting, directing, designing, stage-managing, writing and presenting plays. Students are invited to become creative partners with their instructors, working together to develop unified artistic and intellectual works.
Photo taken from a recent production of Timothy Findley's Elizabeth Rex.—
A Stepping Stone...
Graduates of the Drama program have exciting career opportunities. Many U of S graduates have been successful in finding employment in film, theatre, radio, and television throughout Canada and the United States. Students can continue the study of drama through specialization in graduate work. Further studies include theatre history, theatre theory and conservatory studies in acting, design or directing.
The University of Saskatchewan Drama program is highly regarded nationally and internationally. Our students have appeared in productions locally, at the Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan Festival, the Saskatoon Fringe Festival, 25th Street Theatre and Persephone Theatre. On the national and international scene, former students have acted in CBC television productions, on stage in Stratford (Canada), London and New York and in major Hollywood films.
Career Opportunities
Drama graduates look forward to diverse and exciting career opportunities on stage and in film and radio.
The U of S Advantage
The U of S Drama Department was the first to be established in Canada and the Commonwealth! The Department’s distinctive personality centres on the extent of its creativity, the freedom of its artistic opportunities and the variety of theatrical experiences it offers.
As an integral part of the U of S, the Drama Department began offering degree studies in 1946. The Department’s mainstage is the Greystone Theatre, a well-equipped studio theatre which provides students with the opportunity to create and present live theatre. Students explore and develop their talents as actors, technical crew, stage managers, writers, directors and designers. The U of S Drama Department is a vibrant contributor to Saskatchewan art and culture.
Choose Your Program!
Students choose from three fields of specialization:
- Theatre History (B.A.) — specialize in the history, theory and criticism of theatre.
- Acting (B.F.A.) — study the practice of acting in various media such as stage, screen, television and radio.
- Design (B.F.A.) — specialize in lighting, scenic and costume design for the stage.
A Major in Drama
Students majoring in Drama can choose from one of the following degrees:
- B.A. Three-year
- B.A. Four-year
- B.F.A. Four-year
When I decided to go to university I didn't know what I wanted to do. When I had an opportunity to take an elective I took Drama by chance, even though I'd never taken a Drama course or even been in a play in high school. Two years later I was majoring in Drama and I knew I wanted to be an actor. I still remember the teachers; they had a huge influence on me and were instrumental in becoming who I am today.—Kim Coates
B.A., 1981
Professional Actor
Outstanding Students & Faculty
The University of Saskatchewan's Department of Drama is proud of the many achievements of its students and faculty.
Actors in Canada and Abroad:- Alumnus Frances Hyland (1927-2004) acted in London's West End and at Canada's Stratford Festival.
- Alumnus Eric Peterson is best known for his role as Oscar Leroy on CTV's Corner Gas. For all his talent, including his work on Street Legal, This Is Wonderland and Billy Bishop Goes to War, Eric is the recipient of four Gemini Awards and a Dora Award.
- Alumnus Kim Coates, now based in Hollywood, has been featured in many major films such as Blackhawk Down, Waterworld, Hostage and Open Range.
- Professor Emeritus Henry Woolf has acted in London's West End and in such films as The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Gorky Park. He recently performed Harold Pinter's Monologue in New York to great critical acclaim. He recently performed Harold Pinter's The Hot House at the National Theatre in London.
Accomplishments of Current Faculty:
- Professor Jim Guedo has directed professionally for the past twenty-eight years, including the recent productions of It's All True and Julius Caesar.
- Professor Stephen Wade designs regulary for Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan. He is a member of the Associated Designers of Canada (ADC).
- Professors Pamela Haig Bartley and Dwayne Brenna are regular contibutors (production, writing, acting, directing) to CBC Radio, both provincially and nationally.
- Professor Haig Bartley has studied voice in England with Cicely Berry and Andrew Wade of the Royal Shakespeare Company as well as with Patsy Rodenburg at the National Theatre.
- Professor Brenna has acted with the Stratford (Canada) Festival. He has studied with Yoshi Oida and Tina Packer and has appeared in films with Kelly McGillis and Michael Ironside.
- Professor Moira Day has served as a co-editor of Theatre Research in Canada and has contributed to Canadian studies at home and abroad. She has edited two collections of plays: The Hungry Spirit: Selected Plays and Prose by Elsie Park Gowan and The West of All Possible Worlds. Her work also appears in Establishing Our Boundaries: English-Canadian Theatre Criticism.
Getting Involved!
U of S students direct, produce and act in four main-stage plays each year including large-cast plays, plays from the classic repertory, and cutting-edge contemporary plays. Past performances include
The Bacchae,
One Flea Spare,
Macbeth,
Machinal,
Top Dogs,
The House of Bernarda Alba and
Mad Forest, [sic], and
Nothing Sacred.The Drama Students’ Club hosts an annual theatre-going trip to a major theatrical centre and many other social events.
Laboratory Facilities
The main laboratories in the Drama Department are two theatres, amply equipped with the latest innovations in stage lighting and sound. On the theatre history side, the U of S houses the Pettingell Collection of 19th Century Plays (microfilm) and the 25th Street Theatre Archives.
Admission Requirements
The following is a list of high school subjects required for admission. Please select the province/territory where you completed high school.
Additional Information
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