Acting of Dramatic Theatre (8203T044)

master's programme qualification

Specific admission requirements:

Above all acting talent, which is assessed during the three rounds of the entrance examination. This includes psychological and personality aptitudes: sensitivity, temperament, musicality, sense of spatial awareness, sense of rhythm, dramatic awareness. Important prerequisites are perceptiveness, imitation ability, a sense of internal tactility, dexterity, physical stamina, a healthy voice, good appearance and specific aptitude for theatrical training. Knowledge of the most important historical events, of artistic currents and personalities (especially actors) is assumed, as is an overview of contemporary literature, theatre and film.

Specific arrangements for recognition of prior learning:

The programme does not have any specific requirements for the recognition of prior learning.

The procedure for recognition at AMU is governed by Articles 89 and 90 of the Act on Higher Education Institutions No. 111/1998 Coll., as amended, and by the AMU Attendance and Examination Regulations (Articles 8, 14, 18).

Qualification requirements and regulations

Required qualifications: A completed secondary or a completed secondary vocational education; exceptionally, it is also possible to admit candidates without a completed secondary, a completed secondary vocational or higher vocational education at a conservatory. Regulations: The Czech education system is governed by the Act on Higher Education Institutions, as amended (Act No. 111/1998 Coll.), and by the internal regulations of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague.

Field of study characterization

The programme in acting is based on a refined and tested instructional methodology which is built on a unique system of cooperation between students and pedagogues according to the model of a small professional repertory theatre. From the beginning, students are led to intensive team cooperation and become acquainted - on both theoretical and practical levels - with the individual professions necessary for the creation of a collective theatrical work. They undergo the cycle of historical and theoretical training common to all fields at DAMU, but are also introduced to the issues of the other theatrical fields. From the beginning, attention is devoted systematically to mastering speech, singing and movement - all disciplines necessary for an actor`s professional preparation for dramatic theatre, but also for other types of theatre (musical theatre, motion theatre) as well as for various media (radio, film, television, dubbing). The point of departure and common denominator of all subjects is theatricality as the quality which provides the impulses and prerequisites for an actor to create a dramatic character in any extent or genre. A student in the field of acting has the opportunity to undergo a range of courses taught by foreign pedagogues, in particular from the Moscow Art Theatre, who are regularly invited by the Department of Dramatic Theatre. Also, a graduate can do various internships at foreign theatre schools (in London, Moscow, Berlin, etc.).

Key learning outcomes:

The programme in Acting of Dramatic Theatre is aimed at providing a wide spectrum of knowledge and skills, so that graduates can work in theatres of various types and focuses, from large repertory theatres to small experimental stages, and the same applies to other media - in radio, film, television and dubbing. The Department of Dramatic Theatre does not train actors of a single defined theatrical poetics, but for the profession of acting as such, capable of transformation and development in accordance with the current needs of contemporary theatre. The gradual increase in the extent and demandingness of artistic tasks in individual semesters culminates in the creation of an integrated and genre-specific character in the graduate performance in the school`s theatre, Disk.

Occupational profiles of graduates with examples:

A graduate in the field of acting is thoroughly and versatilely prepared for professional acting work in the most diverse types of theatres, especially in a large dramatic theatre based on the interpretation of dramatic literature, but also in artistic projects which transgress standard theatrical productions with their innovative poetics. Grounding in singing and movement also enables the graduate (depending on the nature and level of his/her talent) to apply his/her skills in musical and movement theatre. In any case, he/she should be able to master radio and film acting.

Access to further studies:

A graduate may continue on to further studies at DAMU in a different field or in the doctoral programme in Theory and Practice of Theatrical Creation and in Scenic Creation and Theory of Scenic Creation, where he/she can pursue research in acting from a historical, theoretical or pedagogical standpoint. He/she may also study in doctoral programmes at theatre schools of a similar type (Janáček Academy of Music and Performing Arts, Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava) or at foreign universities (assuming sufficient language skills).

Examination regulations, assessment and grading:

At the end of each semester, students` knowledge and skills are assessed with credits and examinations stipulated by study plans, and the student is informed of these through the information system (KOS). The organisation and form of credits and examinations is precisely stipulated by the AMU Attendance and Examination Regulations (Article 15). It is not permitted to repeat an examination for the main artistic subjects, where the grade F (especially in the first year) expresses insufficient student aptitudes of talent, creativity or diligence, which could not be identified during the admissions process. A quantitative metric is ECTS (European Credit Transfer System), which enables the transfer of credits within the ERASMUS exchange programme of European theatre schools.

Graduation requirements:

A condition of advancement to the Master`s examination is the fulfilment of all the requirements of the study plans, successful completion of an acting task in the graduate production and its reflection in a written diploma thesis. The State Master`s Examination consists of an assessment of an artistic performance, defence of the diploma thesis and an examination on pre-assigned questions on the history and theory of theatre and on the theory of acting taken before an examination commission composed of internal pedagogues as well as external experts in a given area.

Mode of study:

full-time

Qualification director or equivalent:

Jan BURIAN

Field of study is part of study programme:

• Dramatic Arts – (M8203)
• Dramatic Arts – (M8216)

Qualification study plans

• Acting for Dramatic Theatre (M.A.)