Ithaca College School of Humanities and Sciences

The School of Humanities and Sciences (H&S) at Ithaca College is the liberal arts school of Ithaca College, in Ithaca, New York. It is one of the five schools of the college. In terms of enrollment, it is Ithaca College's largest school.

Academics

H&S consists of 23 academic departments.

Department Of Theatre Arts

Ithaca College's theater program is over 70 years old. The first degree in Theater at Ithaca College was awarded in 1931, A Bachelor of Science degree in Theater Arts. The Theater Department offers five separate majors; B.F.A. in Acting, B.F.A. in MusicAL Theater, B.F.A. in Theatrical Production Arts, B.A. in Drama, and B.S. in Theater Arts Management. There is also a theater and dance minor. For acceptance into the program there is an audition and interview process that takes place across the country. A very Small number of students are selected for each major, creating a community that is small and tight knit.

Ithaca's theater department produces five main stage productions and one opera each year. The shows vary from dramatic plays to musicals. They are all done in either the Hoerner Theater, a large proscenium theater or the Clark Theater, a more intimate theater that can be made either a theater in the round or a thrust. Many student productions take place in Studio 2, a small black box theater in the basement of the building. There is many theater groups run by students that produce work around campus, notably No Bucks Theatre, IC Triple Threat Theatre, IC Underground and IC Players. Ithaca students may also participate in shows done by Melodramatics Theater at Cornell.

Students at Ithaca have many opportunities for experience outside of the school; The Kitchen Theater offers many students chances to participate, as well as the Hangar Theater. B.A.'s have the opportunity to go to the National Theater Institute in Connecticut or Moscow. Many students choose to study abroad in London, where the school has a specialized program with a focus on British Theater. The program is designed to provide students with an understanding and experience of British cultural life -- both historical and modern -- through the medium of the theater.

The program has many notable alumni within many concentrations. A brief list of notable theater alumni are:

  • Kerry Butler (B.F.A. 1992), Tony Award-nominated Broadway actress
  • Matt Cavenaugh (B.F.A. 2001), film, tv, and Broadway actor
  • Michelle Federer (B.F.A. 1995), theatre and film actress; originated the character, Nessarose, in Broadway's Wicked 2003-2006
  • Sara Schmidt (B.F.A. 1999), theatre actress; originated the character, Francine Valli, in Broadway's Jersey Boys
  • Amanda Setton (B.A. 2007), film and tv actress, Gossip Girl (TV series)