Interdisciplinary Theatre Studies PhD at University of Wisconsin Madison

Interdisciplinary Theatre Studies (ITS) is a cross-campus coalition of faculty who research and teach in drama, theatre, and performance studies. Together, we offer a truly interdisciplinary program of study for the M.A., Ph.D., and doctoral minor. ITS consists of more than two dozen faculty from more than a dozen departments and programs. ITS students ground their studies in theatre history, dramatic literature, and performance theory, and go on to develop innovative research that demonstrates the intellectual capaciousness that is a hallmark of theatre and performance studies as a field.

The Interdisciplinary Theatre Studies Program prepares Ph.D. students to pursue innovative, interdisciplinary research in theatre studies, and to conduct inquiry through scholarly research, practice as research, and meaningful teaching experiences. Through rigorous coursework enhanced by the study of, and participation in, various forms of theatre and performance practice, the Ph.D. program prepares graduates for positions as college and university researchers and instructors, as well as public intellectuals and scholar/practitioners. Students with a background in theatre by, with, and for children and youth may apply to specialize in theatre for youth.

The programs core and affiliate faculty are leaders in theatre and performance studies, whose scholarship, practice, and leadership in the profession are recognized nationally and abroad. The core facultys strengths include global dramatic literatures, theatre history and historiography, theatre and cultural theory, the theory and practice of theatre for youth, and relational performance. Our affiliate faculty expand the coursework and advising available to students, incorporating related fields of visual cultures, anthropology, art and art history, literary and theatre studies across English and non-English-speaking traditions, music, new media and digital design, gender and women's studies, and other disciplines.

The program attracts students from across the United States as well as internationally. It creates opportunities for students to engage in teaching and practice as part of their research. It also encourages students to participate in national and international professional meetings, working groups, and colloquia; and to share their art and research through practice and publication in their field.

1. Demonstrate understanding of the theory, history, and practice of drama and theatre as collaborative cultural forms across historical periods.
2. Master the methods and materials of theatre and performance research and writing in order to produce original scholarly projects that range in complexity from term papers to dissertations.
3. Develop methods for theatre and performance practice and theory in order to test the reciprocal relations between research and practice through reflective participation in the production process.
4. Identify and distinguish among the diverse global locations of theatre and the intercultural contact among theatre traditions, especially as these multiply in the modern and contemporary periods.
5. Prepare for future careers combining theatre and performance scholarship, teaching, and/or practice.
6. Demonstrate professionalization in the discipline of theatre through participation in conferences and submission of work to scholarly journals.