The Senior Thesis

Write a full-length essay (35-50 pp.) on a topic of historical, political, and cultural significance using methods drawn from the fields of dramatic literature, performance history and criticism, and/or performance studies. Present your work to an invited audience (15-20 mins) and prepare your work for a real or imagined publication.

Write an original full-length script (play, screenplay, libretto, etc.) for theater, film, television, solo performance, or digital media. The definition of “full-length” that is appropriate for the genre in which you are writing should be discussed with your faculty adviser at the time your proposal is submitted. A presentation (15-20 mins.) or reading (up to 2 hours) for an invited audience is also required.

Prerequisite: B or above in a Yale, writing-focused course appropriate to the type of script you propose to submit (Playwriting, Writing for Television, Screenwriting, etc.)

Assemble a Writing Portfolio (35-50 pp.) that comprises shorter (though clearly connected) essays with different purposes, methods, and styles, as well as annotated images or video clips. A presentation (15-20 mins.) for an invited audience is also required. Majors in Computing and the Arts (CPAR - Theater Track) may complete a more concise PRAD Portfolio (15-25 pp.).

In addition to designing a curricular production, present a portfolio consisting of a statement of purpose (200-300 words), a project abstract (200-300 words), designer drawings, collected research (images and otherwise), paperwork (Q sheets, plot, etc.), and an essay of at least 15 pages (double-spaced). Please discuss the specific requirements of each part of this research project with your adviser.

In addition to directing a curricular production, submit a statement of purpose (200-300 words), a project abstract (200-300 words), an annotated prompt book or process journal, and an essay of at least 15 pages (double-spaced). Please discuss the specific requirements of each part of this research project with your adviser.

Prerequisite: B or above in a TDPS directing class: TDPS 3000 or above.

In addition to acting in a curricular production, submit a statement of purpose (200-300 words), a project abstract (200-300 words), an annotated script or process journal, and an essay of at least 15 pages (double-spaced). Please discuss the specific requirements of each part of this research project with your adviser.

Prerequisites: An acting-focused senior project must provide you with ample opportunities to conduct embodied research. You must also enlist a director who has earned a B or above in at least one TDPS course in directing. You must yourself take TDPS 2004 or TDPS 2005 as a prerequisite.

A senior project in dance will involve the creation of an original choreographic work and a 15-page accompanying essay, statement of purpose (200-300 words), and project abstract (200-300 words).  The original choreographic work may focus exclusively on movement, or explore dance in dialogue with other disciplines, including visual art, theater, music, and/or forage within the humanities, social sciences, or sciences for its point of departure. The project extends the strategies of movement research developed through the course work, giving students the opportunity to shape their own methods and process. A dance-focused project cultivates a strong authorial voice and clarity of ideas expressed in movement. Please discuss the specific requirements of each part of this research project with your adviser.

Prerequisites: TDPS 2304: Dance Theater or TDPS 3307: Choreographic Landscapes: Space, Time, and Contexts for Movement Composition (or alternate course with approval of the Director of the Dance Studies Curriculum).

Projects in musical theater can take the form of an original one-act or full length musical and culminate in either full production (TDPS 4901) or a reading (TDPS 4902). Your proposal should stipulate whether the project’s focus would be the book, lyrics, or score (or some combination thereof) and should list the collaborators who would complete the team. A 15-page accompanying essay is also required along with a statement of purpose (200-300 words) and a project abstract (200-300 words). Please discuss the specific requirements of each part of this research project with your adviser.

Prerequisite: B or above in at least one course in the Shen Curriculum for Musical Theater. Precondition: for curricular productions, you must enlist a director who has earned a B or above in at least one Yale course in directing.

Projects must explore the intersection of recorded media and live performance, integrating two or more of the following into a live performance framework: film, dance, theater, music, video games, mobile communications, social software and/or other media of representation. Project formats can vary but must be approved by the adviser and DUS. Inter-Media performance projects must be accompanied by an essay of 15 pages along with a statement of purpose (200-300 words) and a project abstract (200-300 words). Please discuss the specific requirements of each part of this research project with your adviser.

The documentary you create must focus on some aspect of theater, dance, and performance and can be proposed for Documentary Film Workshop. These projects must have a co-adviser on the faculty of Theater and Performance Studies other than the course instructor. Projects must be accompanied by an essay of 15 pages along with a statement of purpose (200-300 words) and a project abstract (200-300 words). Please discuss the specific requirements of each part of this research project with your adviser.

The project should bring a programming/digital media project, overseen by advisers in Computer Science, into the space of a live performance, overseen by an adviser in Theater and Performance Studies. Digital Media Performance Projects must be accompanied by a statement of purpose (200-300 words), a project abstract (200-300 words), a detailed description of the programming portion of the project, a bibliography of sources and models upon which the programming and performance drew, and an essay of 15 pages comprised of a critical analysis of the design and performance concept, research questions that guided the programming and/or performance design, and critical reflection on the performance itself.

Prerequisite: TDPS 3041 Digital Media in Performance or another digital media course.

Precondition: only for seniors in Computing and the Arts, concentrating in Theater and Performance Studies.

If you find that none of the above categories fits the research you hope to conduct for your senior project, let that not be a barrier. Past senior projects have conducted research through methods involving solo performance, devising, dramaturgy, stage management, community-engaged performance, and more. We hope and expect that future senior projects will continue to break new ground. Proposals for senior projects involving methods not described in a category above will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Although it is not possible to establish prerequisites or preconditions in such cases, your adviser or DUS may place such conditions on the project prior to approval of your proposal in order to ensure its viability. In addition to a statement of purpose (200-300 words) and a project abstract (200-300 words), you must submit additional materials that are commensurate with the goals of the project and with the requirements of other types of senior projects listed here. Please discuss the specific requirements of each part of this research project with your adviser and DUS.

Well before you submit your proposal in March, you must invite a faculty member to serve as your adviser. You must give them sufficient time to review your proposal(s) and materials and provide you with feedback before asking for their signature on your proposal submission. Please consult with your DUS if you are not sure who to approach or how to discuss your research goals and ideas. It is a good idea to talk to potential advisers as soon as possible as you may find that the adviser you were hoping to work with is not available. If, despite your best efforts, you are unable to confirm an adviser prior to submitting your proposal, please consult with your DUS.

Depending upon a variety of factors, including your own preference, your adviser may be more or less involved in the development of your senior project. In all cases you are responsible for clarifying expectations, meeting deadlines, and communicating with your adviser about your progress.

In consultation with your adviser, your DUS will also assign to your project a second reader who may or may not be part of the faculty of Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies. In general, the role of the second reader is to serve as an external reviewer who evaluates and provides feedback only on the final, culminating work(s). You may not recommend or request a second reader for your project. Please consult with your adviser about the role of the second reader in the process of evaluating your Senior Project research as this may be different from project to project.

If the culminating work of your Senior Project research is a curricular production (accompanied by an essay, portfolio, and/or other materials) these will be evaluated by your adviser, whose grade will comprise 35% of your Senior Project grade, and by a second reader, whose grade will comprise 15% of your Senior Project grade. Your grade for production given by the TDPS DUS accounts for 15% of your grade. The remaining 35% of your grade will come from your work in TDPS 4901a/b: The Senior Project in Theater Studies (see below).

If the culminating work of your Senior Research designates that you will take TDPS 4902: the Senior Seminar in Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies, your will be evaluated according to the syllabus:

• 35% of your grade is given by the instructor of 4902 for assignments within class consisting of milestone assignments and presentations designed to further your progress.
• 50% of your grade will be for your final essay, script or PRAD portfolio (35% by your adviser, and 15% by a second reader).
• 15% of your grade will be given for your final presentation or reading.

If the culminating work of your Senior Project research is a full-length-play through a seminar, it will be evaluated by your adviser, whose grade will comprise 80% of your Senior Project grade, and by a second reader, whose grade will comprise 20% of your Senior Project grade.

We encourage you to talk with your adviser about how and when you will receive feedback during the semester in which you will conduct your research. It is also a good idea to discuss with your adviser how your work will be evaluated and graded and to make sure that your goals and your adviser’s expectations are well aligned.

Seniors within TDPS 4902 focused on Performance Research, Analysis, and Design are permitted to use their curricular thesis research to support their extracurricular work in a production (workshop series, installation, etc.) that is organized and funded through the Creative and Performing Arts (CPA) process or through other Yale entities (School of Public Health, DGSD, Law School, History Dept., etc.). As such, this category applies to any senior pursuing a thesis that is related to–but does not depend upon– performance practice in acting, dance, vocal performance, improvisation, devising, solo performance, performance art, directing, choreography, design, dramaturgy, production management, stage management, community-based performance, digital media, film, and more. 

Seniors should be aware, however, that extracurricular productions will not be advised or supported by TDPS faculty or staff. Any CPA or other proposals will go through regular channels and are not more likely to be accepted because they are related to a Performance Research, Analysis, and Design thesis. Approved CPA proposals will be assigned technical advisers and mentors from Undergraduate Production. Off campus productions require additional consultation with UP before approval. Additionally, thesis research proposals should be designed in such a way that they can be completed regardless of whether or not an extracurricular production is proposed, approved, funded, or performed. 

When your requirements are due, you must submit all final project materials to a Box folder (or its equivalent) assigned to you no later than due dates and times listed above. All final project materials must be submitted at the same time for the project to be considered complete. There are no exceptions to the due dates above. Failure to meet the due dates for final project materials will result in a reduction of your final grade by a third of a grade (A to A-, B+ to B, etc.) for every day that final project materials are either late or only partially submitted.