Department of Speech, Theatre and Dance

Faculty: Associate Professor Staczar, Chair; Professor Luter; Associate Professors Finocchiaro, Gonzalez, and Gurrie; Assistant Professors Clements, Crotty, and LeMarquand; Professor of Instruction Foltz.

Our mission is to develop the talents of our students within a disciplined and creative environment necessary for success as theatre, dance or public speaking professionals.  Classes and practical experience are designed to nurture students' creative expression, their sensitivity to their own and other cultures, and their mastery of performance skills, communication skills,critical thinking skills, teaching skills and their perfection of voice and body.  Students are taught how artists encounter, examine, express and share with others their creative experiences; how performers and educators collaborate with one another; and how they shape their visions into tangible, meaningful performance events.  

We offer a variety of courses in speech, theatre and dance, designed for beginning to advanced learning.  Students choose the appropriate level of rigor and focus of study most suited to their technical proficiency, performance technique, and career aspirations.  Many of our courses are required for the majors in dance, musical theatre and theatre, while others fulfill requirements for minor degree programs, as well as satisfying core curricular requirements in the fine arts.  Courses are so designated in the course descriptions and in the descriptions of major and minor degree programs within the department.

We operate out of the historic David Falk Theatre, a renovated playhouse in downtown Tampa; we maintain a fully equipped scene shop adjacent to campus; we house dance studios and creativity classrooms in a dedicated campus building; and we sponsor and run the UT Center for Public Speaking, which prepares students for career success and civic engagement.  Additionally, the department offers study abroad courses that provide global perspectives and enriching educational experiences for our students.  The department is an active member in the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival, the Southeastern Theatre Conference, and the National Communication Association, enabling our students to network across the nation with peers and educators in the performing arts.  We also have faculty-led study to New York City where student witness and interact with preeminent professionals.