About Theatre UAB
Courses offered in our Department All about our Faculty and Staff
Most Frequently-Asked Questions
The Answers to Those Questions
WHAT KINDS OF FINANCIAL AID ARE AVAILABLE?

In addition to university aid packages, specific stipends and scholarships are available through the department of Theatre to qualified students. Students holding stipends and scholarships must remain active in department activities and must remain current in the completion of their core requirements. Our available scholarships include:
  • THE UAB DEAN'S SCHOLARSHIPS - ($1,000 scholarships)
  • RUBY LLOYD APSEY and DAVID LLOYD SCHOLARSHIPS - (A $500 to $3,000 scholarship)
  • FANNIE FLAGG/KATHY WAITE ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP - (A $250 to $1,000 scholarship)
  • BILL OZIER MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP - (A $250 to $1,000 scholarship)
We provide several ways to apply for scholarships:
  • The online application form is here.
  • A form to print out and mail in is available as an Adobe Acrobat file here.
  • A form to print out and mail in is available as a Word document here.
Stipends are also available in performance, design, and technical areas. These stipends are financed through grants and other sources and the availability varies from year to year. For more information on scholarships or stipends, please contact the department office at (205) 934-3236.
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CAN I STUDY MORE THAN ONE ASPECT OF THEATRE?

Absolutely. We offer a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in theatre. This is a broad study of acting, design, directing, technical theatre, and theatre history. Within this is a core of theatre courses and three tracks of specialization -- 1) General Theatre, 2) Pre-professional performance, and 3) Pre-professional design and technology.
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DO FRESHMEN EVER GET CAST IN MAJOR ROLES?

Frequently! The official casting priority is in this order: Department majors, other UAB students, faculty, staff ... and finally, people from outside UAB.
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HOW ARE ROLES CAST AT UAB?

The UAB Department of Theatre offers several types of performance experiences for the UAB undergraduate theatre student. These range from fully mounted main stage productions in the Odess and Sirote theatres, Actor Showcase presentations directed by faculty, and student-generated one act plays and scenes. The department views all productions as extensions of student training and makes every attempt to cast only from the UAB student body. If it is necessary to cast someone other than a student because of special requirements of a role, faculty and staff may be used. Casting outside the university community is rare. All auditions are open and equal consideration is given to freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Roles are assigned based on the needs of the production and in an attempt to further the development of each individual student. The department maintains a policy of non-traditional casting.
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ARE THEATRE UAB FACULTY MEMBERS REALLY EXPERTS IN THEIR FIELDS?

Our faculty is made up of award-winning theatre professionals with decades of experience and a roster of impressive credits too lengthy to post here. Many of our faculty are members of the Actor's Equity Association (AEA) or the Screen Actor's Guild (SAG), and the rest hold membership in exclusive professional organizations such as the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers (SSDC), The Dramatists Guild (DG), and the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employes (IATSE). They have personal and professional connections to theatre companies all over the country and are frequently sought out for extracurricular projects in those venues.
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DO STUDENTS GET TO DESIGN MAIN-SEASON PRODUCTIONS?

Absolutely. Qualified students are encouraged to design lights, sets, and costumes for these shows. Even more frequently, they serve as technical directors and stage managers.
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SO SUM IT UP -- WHAT DOES THEATRE UAB HAVE THAT OTHER UNIVERSITY PROGRAMS DON'T?

It's a combination of things. Add all of these together and you'll see what we mean:
  • Theatre UAB is committed to its stated pro-student casting policy.
  • Theatre UAB has pre-professional tracks in performance & design/technology.
  • Theatre UAB produces 5 or 6 major productions each year, plus numerous workshops, staged readings, and scene stagings.
  • Theatre UAB brings in high-quality professional workshops and guest artists.
  • Theatre UAB uses student designers and stage managers for its main season shows.
  • Theatre UAB collaborates with the Departmentof Communications to make films.
  • Theatre UAB has a large and extremely professional full-time theatre faculty.
  • Theatre UAB has strong relationships with various Equity theatre companies, which improves your chances of finding work after graduation.
  • Theatre UAB has two new state-of-the-art theatres for the production of plays.
  • Theatre UAB has four professional touring companies, offering extraordinary training for qualified students as well as priceless experience in touring, theatre management, elementary education, and on-the-spot problem solving -- and financial support for the students cast in each year's tour groups.
  • UAB is located in the Magic City: Birmingham -- Alabama's largest city, with all of the modern conveniences of restaurants, movies, professional sports, and major music tours -- and, of course, excellent area theatres...
  • Theatre UAB has a large and highly skilled full-time staff.
  • Theatre UAB courses are taught by experienced and knowledgable artists who are also gifted educators with specializations including stage combat, vocal projection and articulation, costume design, lighting design, scenic design, acting for the stage, acting for the camera, dialects, directing, movement, stage management, playwriting, screenwriting, theatre history, play analysis, computer-assisted drawing, advanced techniques in costume construction, and much, much more ...
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University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Theatre
PHONE: (205) 934-3236     FAX:(205) 934-8076
Mailing Address: ASC 255 1530 3rd Avenue South   Birmingham AL 35294-1263
Street address: Alys Stephens Center (1200 10th Avenue South)
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