Illinois Theatre

Founded by the distinguished theatre historian Barnard Hewitt, the PhD Program in theatre at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is one of the oldest and most prestigious in the country with more than 130 degrees granted. Its graduates are leading scholars and teachers across the country. The program has been recognized for its focus on American theatre history. The vast collections of the University Library make the campus one of the nation’s most productive centers for arts research.

The program is designed for students who wish to undertake a scholarly study of theatre. The program requires students to acquire a general knowledge of the history, literature, and theory of theatre in its social and cultural contexts. This broad study is accomplished in courses taken during the first two years of residence and is tested in a Preliminary Examination. The program further requires students to develop expertise in a particular branch of theatre. This "Special Field" may be in a specific era or genre of dramatic literature or in the history and theory of a particular area of theatre. The completion of the degree requires a dissertation, which must be an original contribution to theatre scholarship in the area of the special field.

Recent books by Department of Theatre Faculty

Esther Kim Lee, A History of Asian American Theatre

Robert B. Graves, Lighting the Shakespeare Stage, 1567-1642

FORMS FOR PhD STUDENTS

PhD Program Plan Form
PhD Preliminary Examination Form




ADMISSION

Admission to the PhD Program normally requires the presentation of a master's degree in theatre or in a closely related field. A student finishing an MA degree in theatre at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign must apply formally and will be considered in competition with applicants who have taken master's degrees elsewhere. Because applications for admission usually far exceed capacity, the selection process is highly competitive.

The committee on admissions tends to select those applicants who present a solid array of theatre and dramatic literature courses, knowledge of a foreign language, and real promise of earning degrees within a reasonable time. Preference is given to applicants who will be full-time students and active degree candidates.

While interviews are not required, we strongly recommend prospective students visit the UIUC campus to meet with faculty and students. To arrange an interview, contact the Chair of the MA/PhD Program.

Anyone interested in applying should obtain an Application for Admission to the Graduate College. Applicants are required to complete this form, pay a processing fee, and supply the following material.

• Transcripts of all previous college work.
• Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores in the verbal section.
• Three letters of recommendation, preferably from instructors of the applicant's theatre and drama classes or from experienced theatre professionals (to be sent separately by the letter writers).
• Two writing samples consisting of original scholarly or critical essays. These may be papers written for earlier courses or newly written papers for the application. They should demonstrate the applicant's competence in writing and in dealing with a significant topic in theatre or drama.
• A statement of academic and professional intentions.
• A resume of activities in theatrical production.
• International students must submit recent TOEFL scores. The minimum score for consideration is 550. In addition, the Test of Written English (TWE) is strongly encouraged for non-native speakers.

The deadline for applications is January 15, and decisions are ordinarily announced by February 15 in the spring preceding enrollment. Additional instructions for applying are available at the Graduate College and from:


Department of Theatre
4-122 Krannert Center for the Performing Arts
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
500 S. Goodwin Avenue
Urbana, IL 61801
Phone: (217) 333-2371
Fax: (217) 244-1861
E-mail: theatre@uiuc.edu


FINANCIAL AID

Financial aid is available to most PhD students admitted to the program. The Department offers several teaching and research assistantships and a limited number of fellowships. Tuition and fee waivers are included in all assistantships and fellowships. Financial aid is ordinarily provided for four academic years to students who remain in good standing and successfully complete their assigned duties.

A current student needing an assistantship in the following academic year must write a letter of application to the MA/PhD Assistantship Committee, which consists of all MA/PhD faculty members and other instructors who use MA/PhD teaching assistants. The letter should describe all previous assistantships the student has received at UIUC and list two ranked choices for desired assistantship in the following academic year. A brief explanation should be given as to why the student is qualified to take on the assistantship. All current students may submit the letter, but preference will be given to those in their first three years of the program. Assistantships are awarded on a competitive basis, and the committee considers the student’s performance in coursework and previous assistantships when making decisions.


SUMMARY OF REQUIREMENTS FOR THE PHD

Students should be familiar with all of the doctoral degree requirements as stated in the Graduate College Handbook.

COURSEWORK

• A master's degree or its equivalent (the equivalent is at least thirty-two hours at UIUC or thirty-two semester hours of acceptable graduate work at another university).
• Sixty-four semester hours of graduate courses beyond the master's level, with no more than twenty-four of these hours counted as thesis research (THEA 599).
• At least sixteen hours of the above-listed sixty-four hours must be in 500-level theatre seminars.
• Maximum of eight hours of the above-listed sixty-four hours can be used for independent studies (THEA 591). .


RESIDENCE

• At least forty-three hours beyond the master’s degree must be earned in courses meeting on the Urbana-Champaign campus or Chicago campus, or in courses meeting in other locations that have been approved by the Graduate College.
• Once residence has been completed, students may petition the Graduate College for permission to register in absentia.


FOREIGN LANGUAGE

A reading knowledge of at least one foreign language is required. This requirement may by satisfied in three ways: (1) by completing the appropriate 501-level language course with a grade of A or B, (2) by presenting the equivalent of three years of college-level language study, or (3) by receiving a score above 500 on the Graduate Student Foreign Languages Tests (GSFLT). The GSFLT is a national test administered on campus.


ADVISOR

A faculty member is temporarily assigned as the advisor for all incoming doctoral students. By the end of the second year, each student is required to select a permanent advisor who typically also serves as the dissertation director. The advisor must be a core faculty member of the PhD program in theatre.


SECOND-YEAR EVALUATION

At the end of the second year, the student should receive a written evaluation that describes his or her progress in the program. Written by the student’s advisor, the evaluation should indicate whether the student is making satisfactory progress and whether he or she may advance to taking the Preliminary Examination. The evaluation is primarily based on the student’s performance in graduate seminars. Upon consulting other faculty members, the advisor should evaluate in detail the quality of the student’s research projects and assess the general suitability of continuation in the program.

The student must also submit the “PhD Program Plan” form to the Chair of the MA/PhD program. The form is available on the Department of Theatre website and in the Department of Theatre office.


PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION

Students must complete at least forty hours of coursework before taking the Preliminary Examination. The Preliminary Examination, usually given at the beginning of the third year beyond the master's degree, consists of two parts: (1) A Comprehensive Examination that tests the student's knowledge of theatre history, dramatic literature and critical theory; and (2) A Special Field Examination that tests the student’s expertise in a particular topic, which is determined in consultation with his or her advisor. Both exams must be taken at the same time. The Special Field Examination is intended to test the candidate's knowledge of the principal historical, theoretical, and pedagogical issues of the particular area of theatre and drama in which the dissertation topic lies and in which the student will likely teach.

At least one year before the examination, the student must form his or her examination committee, which should consist of at least four voting members, three of whom must be members of the Graduate Faculty and at least two tenured.
The Preliminary Examination is written over four consecutive school days and is based on reading lists developed by the student with the assistance of members of his or her examination committee. The examination should cover four areas (theatre history, dramatic literature, theory, and special field), and students are expected to spend the entirety of one day (about six hours) on each area. Each committee member will write the examination questions in consultation with the student.

At least three weeks before the written examination, the student must submit the “Preliminary Examination Form” to the Chair of the MA/PhD program. The form should detail the dates, types of questions, number of questions, number of hours required for each question, whether the examination is open or closed book, and other requirements for the examination. The form is available on the Department of Theatre website and in the Department of Theatre office.

The examination committee will review the test with the student in an oral examination, which must be held within two weeks of the written examination. A failed Preliminary Examination may be retaken only once.

DISSERTATION COMMITTEE

After passing the Preliminary Examination, candidates should form a dissertation committee, which is also his or her final examination committee. The committee must be composed of at least four voting members, at least three of whom must be members of the Graduate Faculty and at least two members tenured. This last requirement may be met by term members of the Graduate Faculty who retired or resigned with tenure for a period of three years following their resignation or retirement; that period may be extended at the request of the unit, so long as the faculty member remains actively involved in the graduate program. If there are more than four voting members on the committee, at least half of the voting members should be members of the Graduate Faculty. The dissertation director normally serves as the chair of the committee, but exceptions are allowed. The chair of the dissertation committee must be a member of the Graduate Faculty but does not have to be a faculty member in the Department of Theatre. A contingent chair may be designated to serve as the chair of the dissertation committee should the original chair be unable to serve for any reason.


PROSPECTUS

After passing the Preliminary Examination, each candidate must submit a dissertation prospectus to his or her dissertation committee. The written portion of the prospectus should be between 10 and 15 pages. A bibliography should also be submitted. The prospectus must be approved by the dissertation committee within a maximum of six months after the student passes the Preliminary Examination. Extensions of time require the approval of the dissertation director and the dissertation committee.

The prospectus should demonstrate the student’s potential to write a dissertation that makes a substantial contribution to the literature relating to the project. It should also describe the scope of the project, which is expected to be completed in approximately two years. The following items must be included in the prospectus:

1. A tentative title for the dissertation, emphasizing key topics addressed.
2. The initial premise or hypothesis from which the research will begin.
3. An appraisal of the need for this study in the light of previous scholarship, including other dissertations.
4. A consideration of the probable methods of research and analysis.
5. A description of the resources necessary for the writing of the dissertation and their availability.
6. Tentative chapter divisions.
7. A bibliography of relevant works.

The dissertation committee may request that the candidate revise and resubmit the prospectus.

DISSERTATION

Guided by the approved prospectus, the candidate will undertake research in the dissertation topic under the supervision of the dissertation director. For full information, see the Department of Theatre brochure, "Guide to Dissertations," available at the Department of Theatre office.


FINAL EXAMINATION

Once the dissertation has been completed, it must be unanimously approved in a final oral examination by the candidate's dissertation committee. See the Graduate College Handbook for more detail.


COMPLETING THE DISSERTATION

The candidate must complete all requirements for the PhD degree within six years of the first registration in the doctoral program on the UIUC campus. Time extensions are granted only when justified and approved by the advisor, the Head of the Department, and the Graduate College. If more than five years elapse between a candidate’s preliminary and final examinations, he or she will be required to pass a second Preliminary Examination. An examination committee must be formed, and the format of the examination should be decided by the candidate’s advisor.

PAST DISSERTATIONS (PDF)

GRADUATE THEATRE FACULTY

The PhD Program in Theatre is administered by a director with the advice of an executive committee of members of the Graduate Faculty.


Core Faculty

PETER A. DAVIS, Associate Professor, Department of Theatre (PhD, University of Southern California). Areas of Interest: American theatre history, eighteenth and nineteenth-century theatre, theatre and economics, theatre and cultural history. Contributor to the Cambridge Guide to American Theatre and the Cambridge History of American Theatre.

ROBERT B. GRAVES, Professor, Department of Theatre (PhD, Northwestern University). Areas of Interest: Renaissance theatre and drama, Asian theatre, intercultural theatre, and dramatic literature. Author of Lighting the Shakespearean Stage, 1567-1642.

VALLERI J. HOHMAN, Visiting Assistant Professor, Department of Theatre (PhD, Ohio State University). Areas of Interest: Twentieth-century American theatre, Russian theatre, modern European theatre, and dramaturgy. Author of “Morris Gest and the Russian Invasion of the American Theatre” published in the New England Theatre Journal.

ESTHER KIM LEE, Associate Professor, Department of Theatre (PhD, Ohio State University). Areas of Interest: Asian American theatre, American theatre, ethnic theatre, performance studies, and theory and criticism. Author of A History of Asian American Theatre.


Affiliate Faculty

CHARLES CAPWELL, School of Music: Indian music and drama

BRENDA FARNELL, Anthropology: Native American performance

DAVID GOODMAN, Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures: Japanese theatre

ALLEAN HALE, Department of Theatre: Tennessee Williams

LEANNE HOWE, American Indian Studies and English: Native American drama, Playwriting

DAVID KAY, Department of English: English Renaissance drama, Ben Jonson

HERBERT KNUST, Program in Comparative Literature: Brecht

JAMES MARCHAND, Program in Comparative Literature: Medieval drama

ROBIN MCFARQUHAR, Department of Theatre: Stage movement and fight choreography.

CAROL NEELEY, Department of English: Shakespeare, feminist theory

LORI NEWCOMB: Department of English: Shakespeare

KATHRYN OBERDECK, Department of History: American popular culture and entertainment

CYNTHIA OLIVER, Dance: Performance Studies

KATHY PERKINS, Department of Theatre: Lighting design, African-American female playwrights and designers.

CURTIS PERRY, Department of English: Renaissance drama

MICHAEL SHAPIRO, Department of English: English Renaissance drama and theatre

ANNA STENPORT, Scandinavian Studies: Ibsen and Strindberg

CAROL SYMES, History: Medieval theatre, premodern theatre

JULIA WALKER, Department of English: Modern American theatre and drama

ISABEL WONG, Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures: Asian Studies, Chinese theatre

YUTIAN WONG, Dance: Dance History, ethnography

ROCHELLE WRIGHT, Department of Scandinavian Studies: Ibsen, Strindberg, Bergman