Quick Links & Forms

This page is meant to serve as quick reference for the Theatre Program policies and information that is frequently used. It does not cover all policies in place, nor does it excuse Theatre Program students from understanding and following all policies detailed on this Intranet.

Graduation Requirements

All academic policies can be found here.

Completion of the following while maintaining Satisfactory Academic Progress is required to earn the Masters of Fine Arts (MFA) from Columbia School of the Arts:

  1. sixty (60) points of required and approved graduate coursework,
  2. two (2) production assignments for thesis productions (usually completed in the first year). More information can be found here.
  3. at least two* professional internships, documented by executed internship contracts and a five-page paper documenting the internship experience and lessons learned. Details about internships can be found here.
          *The exception to this rule is for those in the Acting program, who are exempted from completing internships. Students in the Theatre Management and Producing program are required to complete three internships.
  4. a thesis approved by the student’s advisor. The thesis is either a written document or participation in a production, or both.

In addition:

  • Theatre Management and Producing students must also serve as a General Manager or Producer for a Columbia-affiliated production.
  • Dramaturgy students must have either:
    • earned a grade of “C” or better (or “Pass” for those graded Pass/Fail) in two semesters of an intermediate-level undergraduate language course
    • passed one semester of Rapid Reading and Translation at Columbia
    • received a grade of “B” or better in the equivalent of Rapid Reading and Translation at another accredited college (including CUNY’s Language for Reading Knowledge classes),
    • or passed a language proficiency exam at Columbia.

It is the student’s responsibility to provide evidence of fulfillment of this requirement (transcript, letter/certificate of completion, etc.) to the Director of Academic Administration.

Complimentary Tickets

Theatre Program Thesis Productions

Students of the Theatre Program are entitled to one (1) complimentary ticket for each thesis production (i.e., Actors’, Playwrights’, and Directors’), subject to availability. Complimentary tickets for professional contacts (e.g., agents, outside producers, etc.) must be pre-approved by the General Manager of the production and are subject to availability. The production team of each thesis shall dictate any additional policies that apply to that show.

Any Theatre Program student who does not show up for their reserved seat to a Thesis production, or does not find someone to replace them, are at risk of losing the privledge of free tickets for one (1) semester, for both Columbia theses and non-Columbia shows. Repeat offenders are at risk of permanently losing their free ticket privileges.

In addition, your ticket will be released if you do not arrive at least 10 minutes before showtime. If you must cancel your reservation, you may do so up to 48 hours before the performance by contacting the Thesis’ Company Manager or the Director of Production.

Non-Columbia Productions

The Theatre Program believes part of the education of a theatre professional is attending as many theatrical experiences as possible. To aid in this, a Ticket Fellow is hired every year to procure complimentary tickets from shows throughout New York City and the surrounding area, including Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off Broadway, dance, opera, and performance art. Producers often provide these tickets during press performances (attended by critics and members of the creative team) as a way to paper the house with audiences who will be engaged and vocal in their appreciation of the work. Announcements about these opportunities are made via Columbia email only, and reservations are always first come, first serve. There is no set time when ticket announcements will be made.

Though the ticket(s) to the performance is free, reserving requires the following:

  • showing up (or finding someone else to use the ticket).
  • remaining until the end of the show.
  • being discreet and tactful about the fact that the tickets were free.
  • not speaking ill of the production while in the theatre.

Because of the above, a student should only request a complimentary ticket if they are confident they will be able to attend. If a student breaks any of these rules, the Ticket Fellow has the right to remove that student from all future offers for one semester. Repeat offenders are at risk of permanently losing their free ticket privileges.

Internships

All details concerning internships can be found here.

  1. Each internship must be a minimum of 120 hours, which averages to approximately 10 hours a week for a semester-long internship.
  2. With few exceptions, each internship must be with a different organization, individual, or department within the same organization.
  3. Before beginning an internship, an Internship Contract, signed by the internship supervisor and student, must be submitted to the Program Assistant and approved by the Director of Academic Administration. The internship is in jeopardy of not counting toward graduation if the contract is not submitted in a timely fashion before the internship begins. Contracts can be downloaded from the Theatre Program wiki or picked up from the Program Office.
  4. Within six months of the end of the internship, each student must submit a 1,500-word reflective essay (double-spaced, 1-inch margins, standard 12-point font) that details the internship experience. This paper must include the following:
    1. how the student was hired,
    2. the specific responsibilities,
    3. what lessons were learned about the field and/or the student, and
    4. a recommendation for others about doing the same internship.
  5. Similar to the Internship Contract, this essay must be approved by the Director of Academic Administration. If the essay is not acceptable, the student will have the opportunity to re-write it. If the student fails to do so within one month, the internship may not be counted toward graduation.
  6. The scope of work is quite broad. Any internship that supports a student’s educational or professional goals can be used to meet the graduation requirement.
  7. The student is responsible for the successful completion of the internships. The Theatre Program expects its students to act in a professional manner throughout the tenure of the internship. Promptness, politeness, and a strong work ethic are expected from all students.

Room Reservations

All details regarding room reservations can be found here.

  1. All reservations are reviewed on Thursday for the following week (Friday-Thursday).
  2. Room requests for rehearsals can only be made up to four (4) hours at a time.
  3. A rehearsal for the same project scheduled for longer than four hours must leave at least 30 minutes before the start of the next rehearsal block. If a room request lasts longer than four hours, a 30-minute break in the space will automatically be scheduled after the first four hours.
  4. Duplicate bookings will be automatically deleted. Please do not book multiple spaces at the same time in an attempt to prioritize your request(s).
  5. It is very important to indicate alternative spaces in the “Notes” section should your first priority not be available.
  6. Space can only be reserved in the reservation in the week prior to the time needed, except for special circumstances arranged with the Theatre Program staff. Any attempt to book a space before the designated reservation window will result in your reservation being deleted.
  7. Requests are processed both first come, first served and according to the priority order listed below.
  8. If the room is no longer needed, we expect students to be courteous to their colleagues and cancel the reservation within EMS right away, so someone else can use the space.

How to Request Space

  1. Please check to see which spaces are open before you attempt to make a reservation. If you attempt to book a space during a time when the building is not open, the request will not be processed.
  2. Click here to login and put in your space request. Click on “My Account” and then go to either “Log In” or “Create an Account”.
  3. In the “Event Notes” field, note what project (e.g., name of play, name of classroom assignment, etc.)
  4. In the “Event Name” space, enter your name and UNI.
  5. All weekly requests must be submitted between Wednesday at 12:00pm and Thursday at 9:00am. This is to ensure fairness in our first-come, first-served method. If you have class Wednesdays at noon, that will be taken into consideration when granting space requests.
  6. Once space requests have been reviewed – usually by COB Thursday – the Program Assistant will send an email confirming this fact. You may also log into your account, click on “My Requests”, and see all approved or changed reservations.
  7. Space requests made after the reservation window must still be submitted through EMS. They will be reviewed once a day during normal business hours. There is no guarantee for available space through this reservation method.