Carroll College - Helena, MT

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Theatre at Carroll College - the focus is on you!

We offer options that allow you choose how you want to study Theatre. At Carroll we follow the liberals arts model, and provide a range of learning opportunities. We feel your education is more complete when you have the ownership, and make the decisions. When you are in charge you become an active participant in your education.

You are in charge of your education and your life. We are here to support your decisions and efforts. So we have designed a curriculum that puts you in charge. You may select courses that lead to

  • a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre with concentrations in
    • Acting & Directing
    • Design & Stagecraft
    • Both, and still finish in 4 years.
  • a Minor in Theatre
  • a Minor in Arts Management and Administration.

At Carroll we feel that being involved in the Theatre should be a choice available to everyone. We love Theatre and we understand that many students in other disciplines love it too. We welcome students who are pursuing other educational goals and just want to participate in our shows! At Carroll Theatre is available to everybody.

If you choose to study Theatre, consider what Carroll College has to offer:

Individual Attention: Over the past 10 years we have averaged 15 - 20 theatre majors and 5-6 minors. Students don’t get lost in classes of that size. The faculty, and your fellow students know you, and work with you, as a close-knit team. Now think about being in a class with 100 or 125 majors, quite a different environment.

Opportunity: Undergraduate students are our only focus. Here there are no graduate students or professional training program students to get preference for the best assignments. At Carroll College everybody is on the same footing. Here a freshman can play a lead role and a junior can design a main-stage show. The opportunity to earn an important work assignment is here at Carroll, waiting for you. Listen to what one of students has to say:

"At Carroll, I’ve designed lighting for three main-stage productions and one children’s show. In larger programs, undergrads are lucky to have even one design implemented on stage. I’ve also worked as a stage manager, carpenter, painter, and costumer. Additionally I’m a member of the Improv Troop, and have acting credits in 11 productions. Plus, I will be directing a show this fall. Carroll Theatre has afforded me the opportunity to grow in a variety of disciplines. " - David M. Gerke BA Theatre, Dec. 2007

There are also opportunities in the larger Helena Theatre community. Carroll students are welcomed at Grandstreet Theatre, The Myrna Loy Center, The Helena Theatre Company, the IT Company and the Helena Civic Center. The college also partners with these companies for joint productions and other efforts. We are planning a joint production for fall 2008.

Hands-on Experience: We use many teaching methods, but firmly believe in the value of experiential learning. We believe that students learn theatre by doing theatre, repeatedly, and at a progressively higher level each time. We believe this teaches more than skills, it teaches self confidence.

Successful Outcomes: We are proud of our graduates. We know they can do this work, because they did the work here with us. Many of our graduates can be found working in the best graduate programs in the country. Some of our graduates have gone on to further studies at top graduate programs around the country.  And many of our other graduates are doing their work professionally. Other students have used their theatrical skills in other fields, such as law, education, electronics, and business, to name a few.

But the key outcome is that our graduates hold the values, the vision, and the personal power, to make the world a better place. Wherever they work and whatever they do.

 

Theatre Department Faculty & Staff

 Chuck Driscoll -   Director of Theatre, Designer/Technical Director, Associate Professor. He has worked as a professional actor, designer/technical director, and union stagehand in the Seattle and Puget Sound area. He holds BA in Speech/Theatre Arts from Washington State University under Paul Wadleigh and Richard Slabaugh, and an MFA in Theatre Design/Technology University of Washington, under Jay Glerum. He has over 16 years experience in community theatres where he served in every capacity needed. His acting credentials number well over 100 plays and he has directed over 25 productions. He has served on the Board of Directors for various theatre and arts organizations. He is currently a member of USITT, RMTA, and past member of IATSE #15. Prof. Driscoll teaches classes in Stagecraft, Design, Theatre History, and Dramaturgy.

 Nancy Harper - Theatre Faculty/Costumer/Designer, graduated Summa Cum Laude with a fine arts degree from Rocky Mountain College. She has acted with the Royal Shakespeare Company with Leon Rubin, director, the LA Public Theatre, the Los Angeles Shakespeare Festival, and toured with Colorado Chautauqua, as well as performing off Broadway in New York in OUTSIDE THE WALL. She has extensive musical training with Dale Moffitt at SMU, Kiva Lawrence Voiceovers in LA, and Elizabeth Rowan from the MET. Nancy has been a guest soloist with the Helena Symphony for the last 10 years. She was a recording artist in Nashville, and has taught workshops in costuming and musical theatre at numerous theatres across the country such as Belmont University and Colorado Women’s College. She teaches courses in Acting, Costuming, Make-up, and Theatre Appreciation.

 Michael McNeilly - Theatre Faculty/Improv Director, graduated with a BFA from the Professional Acting Studio at Ohio University. He has been a Guest Artist in Theatre at UCLA, USC, Cal Poly: Pomona, UC: Santa Barbara, University of Washington and at LSU for over 20 years, to name a few. He spent 17 years as a professional actor in Hollywood acting in over 40 productions, at the Mark Taper Forum, the John Ford Theatre, the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., the Theatre Exchange. He has appeared in movies, television, commercials and was a Mighty Carson Art Player with Johnny Carson. He is also a playwright and his company Mimeprov has performed his original works Jungle Life and The Lost Journals of Lewis and Clark. He is currently writing The Pirate Play to premier sometime in 2007-08. He teaches courses in Advanced Acting, Improvisation and Play Direction.

Edward Noonan - Theatre Faculty/Arts Administration, AB Speech (Theater) Lewis University, MA Speech (Theater/Film) Ball State University. Mr. Noonan is the Executive Director of the Myrna Loy Center; and a playwright, winner of Montana Arts Council Fellowship for Playwriting. He teaches History of Film, Playwriting and Arts Management and Administration.

 

Student Staff

As we said previously, students at Carroll are active participants. The students listed below are very active.

Theatre is a team art. The faculty may be the coaches, but these people are the players. They put our shows up before the audience. Some are theatre majors, and some are not. But each one of them is a vital member of our team.

Stage Techs - Scenic

Eric Williams - Master Carpenter, Senior Theatre Major at Carroll College, minor in Philosophy & English Literature.

Hannah Batey - Head Scenic Artist. Junior Theatre & Engineering Major.

Anna Wirth - Carpenter/Painter. Freshman, Theatre minor trying to decide her major.

Stu Strothman - Carpenter/Painter, Junior Theology Major & Theatre Minor.

Stage Techs - Lighting, Properties & Costumes & Makeup

Bre Wong - Master Electrician, Make-up Artist, Senior Theatre Major.

Ryan Pfeiffer - Properties Master. Senior Theatre Major. Actor/martial artist..

Jordyn Auvil - Costume assistant. Sophomore Theatre Major.

Stage Techs - Box Office & Publicity

Kaylee Dart - Box Office & Publicity. Junior Arts Management Minor.

Alicia Davis - Box Office & Publicity. Junior Business Major.

Blair Parker - Box Office. Sophomore Theatre & Communications Major.

If you want to join a great team, contact Chuck Driscoll 447-4309.