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.
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.
The Pomona College Department of Theatre is situated on the unceded, ancestral homelands of the Gabrielino Tongva peoples.
We recognize and honor the past, present, and future elders, and stewards of these original homelands. This acknowledgment takes care to also honor the myriad cultures, languages, and traditions of all Indigenous Peoples and First Nations – those that are still being practiced, and those that were forcefully taken, destroyed, and otherwise harmed by direct colonization and settler colonialism.
This acknowledgment is the first step in carrying out our moral imperative to continue supporting, building relationships with, and amplifying the voices, histories, and rights of all First Nations and Indigenous Peoples. We have much to learn from the rightful communities of these lands. Learn more about the Gabrielino Tongva Tribe, Indigenous Sovereignty, and land stewardship by investigating some 5C-based programs, resources, and initiatives which include the Indigenous Peer Mentor Program, Native Initiatives, and the Tongva Living History Garden, which is within walking distance from the Pitzer College campus.
We need to protect, honor, and celebrate the history and ongoing legacy of the Peoples of the land on which we stand. This has always been, and always will be, Indigenous land.
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.
Please note that health and safety measures are subject to change at the discretion of Pomona College based on evolving health and safety guidance and protocols.
For Pomona College’s latest information on COVID-19, visit the College’s COVID-19 website.