Study performance, design and technology, theatre history and dramatic literature, and the moving body.
Through a synthesis of body, mind and spirit, theatre students engage great works of dramatic literature both in the classroom and in production. The curriculum includes performance, design and technology, theatre history and literature, movement, and community engagement.
The Pomona College Department of Theatre serves as the theatre program for all five undergraduate Claremont Colleges, presenting four major productions each year in the modern Seaver Theatre Complex.
Students from all The Claremont Colleges, majors and non-majors alike, serve as performers and production personnel. The department also co-sponsors a dynamic season of student-generated productions.
As majors and minors, or as interested students, you’ll devise creative solutions to complex problems, and develop interpersonal skills and savvy inherent in the collaborative artistic process—qualities that prepare you for a wide range of careers, as well as further study on either the graduate or professional levels.
Many department graduates have become successful members of the professional community as actors, dancers, designers and technicians, producers, writers, dramaturges, teachers and administrators.
Check out our Instagram! And our Linktree!
About Us
Department Mission Statement
The Pomona College Department of Theatre embodies the goals of liberal arts education by exposing students to dramatic literature and diverse performance and design methods. Through a synthesis of body, mind, and spirit, theatre excites the imagination and address global issues of concern. Rooted in the values of creativity, passion, joy and collaboration, students, faculty, and staff are committed to and excited about creating meaningful, relevant, and inspiring works of art both in the classroom and in production.
Theatre studies exposes students to a variety of skills, contexts, and perspectives that deepen their understanding of the creative process. Our approach prepares students to imaginatively collaborate and to utilize what they learn - from critical theory to embodied praxis – in order to produce various results in any environment.
Learning Outcomes Include:
- The ability to ethically describe, analyze, interpret, and evaluate text, performance, and production.
- Competence in one or more theatre specializations: dramaturgy, theatre history, dramatic literature, design, technology, playwriting, directing, devising, applied theatre, stage management and performance.
- A foundational understanding of generative, collaborative and equitable production processes.
- The ability to develop, articulate and support informed judgments, and to write clearly and conceptually about performance.
- A breadth of historical knowledge and an understanding of theatre's use and impact in the world
Commitment to The Black Lives Matter Movement
We commit to answer the call set by the Black Lives Matters movement and our colleagues in the Department of Africana Studies to implement and sustain “substantive, consequential, and measurable programs that address anti-Blackness.” In order to do this, we are implementing diversity, equity, and inclusivity training for faculty, staff, and students. As we embark on this much belated process of dismantling white supremacy, we express our deep apologies to those who have been injured by our ignorance and commit to critical self-reflection in the interest of creating a radically healthier and thriving community.
Land Acknowledgement
The Pomona College Department of Theatre acknowledges our presence on the territory of Tongva peoples and pays our respects to the original caretakers of the land and their descendants. We stand united with all of those calling for social, political and economic justice. We pledge to apply our crafts in the performing arts to this time of great transformation.
Response to COVID-19
The Pomona College Department of Theatre is committed to the Health and Safety of all Students, Faculty, Staff and Guest Artists.
The Pomona College Department of Theatre is currently collaborating with the Claremont College Consortium to develop and maintain professional health and safety guidelines. Pomona College has instituted an online Self-Health Check In for all individuals working on campus. In addition, the college is providing PPE for all departments. The Department of Theatre is committed to follow safety standards and practices adopted by industry unions and OSHA.
More information on Covid-19 practices will be distributed once the College approves of individuals on campus.