Dance, Drama & Film

Studying Dance, Drama & Film at Kenyon

Kenyon’s theatrical tradition has produced performers and writers who learned their craft on the stages of the Bolton and Hill theaters, on the floor of the Shaffer Dance Studio, and in the state-of-the-art Wright Center film studio. Dance, drama and film students learn the historical roots of performance through a challenging and rewarding course of study. This firm grounding has launched several generations of students into successful careers, with stars of stage and screen, founders of dance companies, and Academy Award- and Pulitzer Prize-winning actors and playwrights counted among the ranks of the program’s alumni.

Act, direct, write and light.

The Bolton and Hill theaters are home base for dance and drama students, while film students learn their craft in cutting-edge facilities at the Wright Center.

From Shakespeare and Molière to Albee and Mamet, the Bolton Theater offers an exciting venue for drama.

Students learn by engaging in all aspects of the work to make plays, dances and film.

Multiple mainstage shows, dance concerts, senior theses and student groups offer numerous entryways for students interested in dance, drama and film at Kenyon.

In the Wright Center, students have access to a two-story film studio, classrooms with 75-inch screens, a 30-seat screening room and a room devoted to teaching post-production editing.

Students explore light and composition in "Basic Cinematography," taught by Professor of Drama and Film Jon Tazewell '84.

Featured Courses

Writing the Television Pilot

So you’ve produced your first indie film, written a popular play or paid your dues on a writing staff. Now Hollywood’s calling. What makes for a good TV show, and how do you get it on the air? Students will take an idea from pitch to script and discuss the pilots of shows like “Girls,” “Homeland” and “The Office.”

More about FILM 336

Introduction to the Theater

Affectionately known as “Baby Drama,” this course is your entry into the drama program that produced actors like Oscar winners Paul Newman '49 and Allison Janney '82. Examine how a play comes to life on stage, culminating in writing, directing and presenting a final short play in collaboration with fellow students.

Moe about DRAM 111

Union of Music and Dance

Music and dance are inexorably linked. This interdisciplinary class co-taught by professors of dance and of music explores the historical intersections of both art forms. Students will learn how composers and choreographers dialogue with each other in works ranging from Lully and Petipa to Philip Glass and Mark Morris.

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The Western

Guns. Horses. Saloons. Whiskey. Are cowboy movies really worth studying? Can movies starring John Wayne and Clint Eastwood be sublime works of art? In short, yes. Westerns are among the most visual of all film genres, and some of the finest directors of classic American cinema specialized in them.

More about FILM 254