Mission Statement

Fundamental to our mission is the strong belief in a liberal arts education. The study of theatre offers a valuable insight into our humanity. The practice of theatre affords a unique opportunity to embody and express social reality. The experience of theatre allows for the possibility of public reflection on community and identity. Thus the courses and production opportunities we offer are appropriate for students with professional aspirationsas well as for students witha general interest in theatre as a body of knowledge.

Our mission:

To educate critical/creative thinkers by offering them the special skills and wisdom of the theatre.
To provide students access to the breadth and depth of theatrical forms.
To free students from the constrains to their individual social, cultural, historical frames by offering theatrical portals to other times, other places, other worlds.
To provide experiences for students in the art of creative collaboration.
To work with students on experiential learning and embodied knowledge.
To encourage students to use their entire physical, sensory, intellectual repertoire to explore ideas, raise questions, convey messages, posit conclusions, and solve problems. Through theatre we gain experiential access to our histories, our current controversies, and our imaginative flights of fancy.
To develop in our students verbal and nonverbal methods of expression that involve the use and manipulation of visual imagery, aural awareness, intuitive knowledge, and affective experience.
To provide women with opportunities to explore fields that men have traditionally dominated such as directing, playwriting, design, and technical theatre. Also to focus on performance opportunities for women.
To foster an advocacy of the arts and to participate in the cultural life of the college and greater Northampton through theatrical presentations and the community investigation/expression of ideas, feelings, and values.
To provide faculty and staff opportunity for artistic expression and professional growth and thus enable them to serve as effective models and mentors for students.