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.
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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Alone in a home on the verge of breaking, Alice follows a strange rabbit to a wonderland, both humorous and horrifying, where she confronts the challenges of growing up. Adapted from the books by Lewis Carroll, this new work with original songs creates a dreamscape of the adolescent psyche and its confrontation with adulthood.
Bolton Theater and Hill Theater
Kenyon College
Gambier, Ohio 43022