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Riverside: Departments

Dance
There is no history currently available for this department.

Drama and Speech
William L. Sharp, instructor of English and speech, taught courses in public speaking and dramatic literature as part of the humanities program when the College of Letters and Science opened in 1954. Curricular emphasis shifted in 1955 from speech to dramatic theory and literature. The addition to the staff of Harold V. Gould (1956) and Douglas N. Cook (1957) helped to define the nature of the program, and drama was organized as a divisional major (including work in art and literature) in 1957. Drama and speech became a separate department in 1963 under the chairmanship of E. Clayton Garrison.

Under the direction of Sharp the drama program placed heavy curricular emphasis upon dramatic analysis and theory. Basic theatrical skills were developed through a limited number of productions presented each year in a lecture hall adapted for the purpose, and through a close working relationship between director, designer, and students during rehearsals. This balance shifted gradually as the department expanded into areas of directing and design, and especially in 1963 with the opening of the new Humanities Theater. The changing nature of the campus, plus the demands of the new facility, called for a higher degree of technical proficiency on the part of students. Courses in advanced acting and history of dance were added in 1964. A program in forensics was inaugurated in 1965.

In 1964, both Sharp and Garrison left the campus. The academic staff in 1965 consisted of Michael Addison, Cook, Richard D. Risso, Christena L. Schlundt, and Willis L. Turner (chairman). In addition, the department employed two scene technicians and a costumer for the University Theater. In the spring of 1965, 156 students were enrolled in drama classes. source

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Last updated 06/18/04.