PhD in Theatre - Western Theatre in Honolulu United States | University of Hawaii at Manoa

The Western Theatre program blends academic studies in theatre history, theory, performance analysis, and dramaturgy with hands-on training in acting and directing. Faculty research spans diverse areas including Russian theatre, performance theory, American avant-garde movements, and African-American drama. Teaching and productions in the Western program showcase this same breadth of international perspectives. Students gain additional experience through specialized workshops in commedia dell'arte, stage combat, Theatrical Biomechanics, clowning, devised theatre, and television performance. The department has hosted distinguished guest artists like Anna Deavere Smith, Gennadi Bogdanov, Antonio Fava, and Tim Miller.

Our department is particularly celebrated for its collaborative World Theatre history courses, taught jointly by Western and Asian Theatre experts. These courses explore subjects ranging from commedia dell'arte to women's contributions in theatre to modern political drama. Theory classes examine foundational dramatic theories, current critical approaches, and performance studies. Students engage with their community through dramaturgy coursework and projects, a discipline growing in importance within American theatre today. Through initiatives like the Page to Stage program, dramaturgs connect with schools across the island, serving secondary schools, community colleges, and universities. Notable recent events include the international "Brecht In/And Asia" conference and a public series exploring "The Zombie Renaissance."

Western theatre faculty and directing students regularly stage both classical and contemporary productions at Kennedy Theatre's Mainstage and Earle Ernst Lab Theatre. The repertoire spans from Shakespeare, Aeschylus, Ibsen, and Gogol to modern works by Mee, Mamet, Churchill, Steinbeck, and Rodgers & Hammerstein, alongside original pieces by MFA playwrights. Collaborative projects with the Asian Theatre program yield particularly innovative productions. Late Night Theatre, a student-led company, provides additional opportunities in theatre administration, artistic leadership, and experimental performance in an intimate venue.