Theatre Management and Entrepreneurship

Student Learning Outcomes, Goals, Objectives:

Students successfully completing this course will be able to:

• Demonstrate why and how theatres operate in the twenty-first century from both theoretical and practical perspectives
• Demonstrate critical thinking skills related to making decisions like a successful theatre manager and entrepreneur
• Demonstrate greater understanding of reality-based industry best practices through exposure to guest speaker presentations from leaders and entrepreneurs in the field
• Evaluate the entrepreneurial skills needed to successfully launch a new theatre
• Apply concepts of entrepreneurship to develop a business model for a theatre

Course Grading Information:

Activity/Performance Measure	Percentage/Points
Course Document Quiz	2%
Article Responses	10%
Case Study	15%
Class Participation	8%
Journal Entries	20%
Midterm Exam	15%
Final Team Project	30%

Grading Scale:

Percentage	Letter Grade
100% to 91.5%	A
< 91.4% to 89.5%	A-
< 89.4% to 87.5%	B+
< 87.4% to 81.5%	B
< 81.4% to 79.5%	B-
< 79.4% to 77.5%	C+
< 77.4% to 71.5%	C
< 71.4% to 69.5%	C-
< 69.4% to 67.5%	D+
< 67.4% to 61.5%	D
< 61.4% to 59.5%	D-
<59.4 to 0%	F

Attendance/Participation:

Class attendance is required to best achieve the student learning objectives of this course and because of the specific structure of the course. For example, this class includes a significant amount of classroom discussion and group work. The instructor does not require quizzes (except for the Course Document Quiz) or exams in this class. Instead, he will know if you are learning based on continuous formative assessments such as journal entries, in-class discussion participation, group work, case studies, etc. There will also be a summative assessment in the form of a group project and a midterm essay.

Therefore, please do your best to attend as many classes as possible. If you miss more than two scheduled classes, your grade will be reduced by one letter grade for every additional absence. If you must be absent for health reasons (documented by a medical professional), to attend a mandatory department-related activity, death of a family member, fulfill religious obligations, care for a dependent, or to work to feed your family or pay your tuition because times are hard, you must inform the instructor before the absence, or it will count toward your unexcused absences.

Some leeway will be afforded for the reasons mentioned above with advance notice. If you know beforehand that life is going to get in the way of you attending class sessions in person this semester, this is not the best class to take because attendance is critical. Three late arrivals equal one absence for grading.

It is to your benefit to attend all classes as well as all the School of Theatre, actively participate in class discussions, and complete assigned readings and other homework before class. Sometimes we will have online Canvas-based discussion assignments that will be graded. Class participation is worth 8% of your overall grade. You should try to involve yourself in a discussion at least once per class period. You can do that by reporting out for your discussion group, asking a question of the class or your discussion group, responding to a comment or question, or offering your thoughts on a specific topic that is being discussed. This will help ensure that you earn a high participation grade.

Please note that in general, there is a strong, positive correlation between attendance/participation and performance on assignments and exams. It is important to attend School of Theatre productions, particularly because understanding how to manage a theatre requires attendance at theatrical productions and some understanding of the art form.

Class participation will be graded according to the following rubric:

The extent to which:

1. the student regularly attends on time.

2. the student regularly contributes or actively listens during class discussions.

3. the student completes class assignments in a timely fashion.

4. the student demonstrates a professional attitude and respectfully conducts themself during class sessions.

Course Materials Purchased by the Students:

Rhine, A. (2018). Theatre Management: Arts leadership for the 21st century. London: Palgrave/Macmillan Education.