Theatre Alive

London, England
Transform your winter break into a whirlwind of discovery and culture in London, England!
 

January Term corresponds to Winter Break. It starts at the very end of December and goes until about January 15. On this experiential Study Tour, you'll travel through some of Europe's most interesting cities with a group of peers, while earning credit for one course.

 

This experiential Study Tour is open to students who have never taken a Theatre class before, as well as to those who have taken multiple Theatre courses! All levels welcome.

 

Examine the complex relationship between London (a major urban center) and the art, industry, and practice of performance and drama. Additionally, this course focuses on class and gender, and the ways in which theatre engages with and represents these systems.

London is a diverse and historied city, which makes it a brilliant site for this course. Not only will we be reading plays, we will also be using field work - visits to museums and galleries, backstage tours, live performance, visits to historic sites - to add relevance and cultural context to our in-class discussions about theatre.

 

Developing an understanding of the way theatre, ballet, and visual art provide narratives and events that support the status quo or actively questions, disrupts, or overturns the narratives of dominance is central to an understanding of the cultural necessity of the free voice of arts to a society or culture.

 

This trip is capped at 30 students. Early application is recommended. Admissions are rolling, so you can apply anytime! 

Aix-en-Provence - 2024-11-20T173004.019
20231229_154707 (1)
Moquin,+Kayleigh+5
Kristina+MacLennan+-+Platform+9+3-4+in+London,+England
20240108_101120
20241230_145133
20240107_185400

Program Details

Theatre Alive: Studies in Theatre, Drama, and Performance

 

  • Cultural visits and guided travel in London
  • Travel with a group of peers and professor/professors
  • Curated on-site activities tailored to the study of Theatre in London
  • Attend live productions
  • Visit galleries, museums, historic palaces and homes
  • Walk the streets and green spaces, exploring the connection between city and theatre
  • Get to know London on a deep level, and be transformed from a tourist to a fledgling local by the end of this program!

View the itinerary: Theatre Alive

 

Some course readings and videos may need to be completed prior to your trip’s departure date. Before your trip start date, you will receive emails advising on you any readings or videos you need to complete before departure.

 

ASA reserves the right to cancel programs due to low enrollment. Students should consult with ASA before making travel plans or purchasing airfare. Itineraries, syllabi, and professors are tentative and subject to change. 

 

Course Information

All students will take the same interdisciplinary course, worth 3 US semester credits, and taught by the professor or professors traveling with you. Simply select the course code you want to receive credit for, and get course transfer pre-approval from your home institution beforehand.

  • Theatre 385: Studies in Theatre, Drama, & Performance
  • Literature 385: Studies in Theatre, Drama, & Performance

Course Syllabus 

Please note that this is a tentative schedule based on the previous year's and/or current offerings in London. If the program runs, the plays and readings, the performances, and the overall schedule will be updated to reflect the available offerings at that time. All content and itinerary are subject to change.

Credit Information & Eligibility

Language Requirement: None. Classes are in English.

 

Possible U.S. Credits: 3 semester credits (1 course). Classes are taken with other American students.

 

Final Transcript: Issued by IAU College.

 

Eligibility
  • Minimum GPA 2.50 (Students with a GPA between 2.20 and 2.49 will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Students with a GPA of 2.19 or lower will not be considered.)
  • Language requirement: None
  • At least 17 years of age
  • Must have graduated from high school
  • Transcript from most recent institution attended (unofficial is ok). If you have attended more than one institution, please submit a transcript from each institution.
  • ASA Application. To start a new application or continue an existing application, click here.
  • Scan of your valid passport that does not expire sooner than 6 months after the day you plan to return home from abroad. If you don’t have a valid passport, confirmation of an expedited passport application is required before you can be accepted into this program. Please submit your passport application by expedited service if you do not have a valid passport.

Costs & Dates

Program pricing and important dates.

Program dates are subject to change. Although date changes are rare, they are typically changes made by the host institution and are, therefore, outside of ASA's control. If any changes are made to your program dates, ASA is not responsible for fees or losses associated with changing or canceling your plane ticket, additional lodging and other travel costs, etc.

Please do not book a plane ticket until you are accepted to an ASA program and receive written notification of your program's arrival and departure date.

* Prices subject to change. Financial aid available.

ASA is a small program, but that’s what makes it so great. The personal attention can’t be beat and I made plenty of friends outside of the group.

Chelsea Francis

I would recommend ASA to other students because not only was it a great price for what you get, but it was so much fun and the site director was great.

Morgan Pecknold

ASA is a very thorough program. It is well organized and structured, yet allows for plenty of independent activity and personal responsibility. There were many times where I felt foreign, but I rarely felt like a tourist. I engaged in the culture with the ASA program, I didn’t just take a picture and a souvenir

Aaron Bannasch

Your Professor

Dr. Gretchen Elizabeth Smith is Associate Dean for Students in the Meadows School of the Arts and Head of Theatre Studies in the Division of Theatre. She provides oversight for the Theatre Studies track of the Division of Theatre’s B.F.A. program. Dr. Smith has been a tenured faculty member of the Division of Theatre for two decades, as well as holding the position of Chair (2018-2021).

 

She teaches courses in theatre history and performance studies, including seminars focusing on gender in performance and theory, American and English dramatic literature, analyzing performances of ritual and festival, and the B.F.A. playwriting sequence.

As a theatre historian and performance studies scholar, her research interests include analyzing texts and images from Molière’s popular and court performance in France during the reign of Louis XIV, and investigating Paris’s female performers (actresses, dancers, singers, and others) across the conflicting duality of employee and icon during the second half of the 19th century. She is currently writing about the imagery of Molière in texts published between 1660 and 1682.

 

As a playwright, her scripts focus on women and identity, interrogating narratives surrounding history, biography, gender, bodies and ageism; her plays have been performed in various cities including New York and Athens.

 

Since 1995, she has been the mentor and producer of New Visions, New Voices, staging original full-length plays written by B.F.A. students. Plays and playwrights from NVNV have gone on to readings and production in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Seattle, Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Austin, Miami, and Washington, D.C. She is a member of the Dramatists Guild and the International Centre for Women Playwrights, and served as the Regional Director of playwriting for the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival. In this position, she was instrumental in bringing the work of student playwrights to regional and national conference audiences as well as awarding honors and scholarships.

 

Dr. Smith has also taught and led study abroad programs in London and Oxford since 2003, and received an Engaged Learning’s Excellence in Mentoring Award for her contributions.

Program Inclusions

What's included in your program fee.

What's Included

  • Exclusive "A WORLD OF CARE" Student Support Suite.
  • LODGING & PARTIAL BOARD in hotels (usually 3- or 4-star) for January Term trips. Rooms are shared with other students in your group (typically double or triple occupancy).
  • MEALS: Breakfast each day and some group lunches and/or dinners are included. Other meals are the student’s responsibility.
  • ENTRANCE FEES to all scheduled cultural activities and academic visits.
  • INTRA-PROGRAM TRANSPORTATION to and from each city.  Round trip airfare to/from your home country and the program start and end locations is NOT included.
  • TUITION for 1 class (3 semester credits).
  • ACADEMIC CREDITS: Students who receive pre-approval from their home institution can transfer the credits they earn to their home institution.
  • OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT: Final transcript is issued by IAU. Upon completion of the program, ASA will provide one free shipment of your final transcript to your U.S. institution.
  • ON-SITE SUPPORT: Students will travel with faculty and/or staff member(s) on-site, who can assist them with any academic or cultural difficulties they may encounter.
  • MEDICAL INSURANCE: Comprehensive international medical insurance is included. Click here for details on benefits and coverage.
  • VISA ADVISING: Students are ultimately responsible for obtaining any visa required for their term/host country, but ASA will provide detailed, helpful information upon acceptance about how to apply for a visa, if one is required for any of the countries visited during your program itinerary.
  • PRE-DEPARTURE HANDBOOK & ON-SITE ORIENTATION.
  • SUBSCRIPTION TO SAFETURE SAFETY-ENHANCING MOBILE APP.
  • SUBSCRIPTION TO MINDHAMOK: a 24-7 service designed to support your mental, physical, and social wellbeing throughout your program. You can find out more about mindhamok in our Pre-Departure Guide for All Programs

Not Included

  • Round trip airfare and travel expenses to and from the program start/end locations
  • Meals, except for those included with your program fees, as described above. The number of meals included varies depending on the trip.
  • Airport pick-up (Students will receive detailed instructions via email shortly before the program starts on how to get from the airport to the first group meeting point.)
  • Local transportation – e.g. taxis, subway, and bus fare, etc.
  • Personal expenses
  • Laundry
  • Textbooks and course materials.  You will receive a list of required books before departure, which can be ordered from Amazon.
  • Baggage fees, if your luggage is in excess of the airline’s Baggage Allowance (This refers to intra-European travel. One airline frequently used is RyanAir; other airlines may be used as well. Prepare to pack light to avoid baggage fees!)
  • Transportation back to the airport at the end of the program
  • Visa, if required (If a visa is required for any of the countries visited during your program itinerary, ASA will notify you in time for you to obtain it before your trip’s start date.)

Ready to Apply?

Take the next step in your study abroad journey. Contact our team to learn more about our programs and start your application today.

Apply Now