A WELCOME
MESSAGE
FROM OUR CHAIR
WELCOME
PROFESSOR MATTHEW W. SMITH
SUNDAY
04.26
8AM-10AM
HEY THERE!
HEY THERE!
TAPS is hosting a virtual student hangout for admits! Current students with experience in acting, dance, and theater-making will be available to chat and answer your questions on SUNDAY APRIL 26 at 8-10AM PDT. Drop by on Zoom and we'll direct you to a breakout room hosted by students with your interests. Copy THE LINK below and save the date!
ZOOM ADDRESS
let's be friends
BRENNA McCULLOCH
ACTING CONCENTRATION
Brenna McCulloch is a senior double majoring in TAPS (Acting Concentration) and English. Her previous Stanford credits include TAPS's Life is a Dream (Bugle), The Tempest (Iris), and The Laramie Project (Ensemble), as well as Theater Lab's Stupid F***ing Bird (Mash). She's also worked as a producer and performer for Stanford Repertory Theater for the past two summers. Most recently, she's proud to have directed Ram's Head's Gaieties 2019.
IRIE EVANS
ACTING CONCENTRATION
Irie Evans (he/him/any) is a Senior majoring in TAPS (Acting Concentration) and minoring in Spanish. This past Winter, as his TAPS Capstone project, Irie directed and produced an original full-length play he wrote called Too Good. Most of Irie’s previous theatrical work has been in acting. His past credits include A Raisin in the Sun (Walter Lee) and Life Is a Dream (Segismundo). After graduation, Irie plans to move to Los Angeles and pursue an acting career.
ALEXA LUCKEY
ACTING CONCENTRATION
Alexa, a member of the Class of 2021, is pursuing a BA in TAPS (Acting) and a BS in Science, Technology, and Society (Communication and Media Concentration). Previous productions include TAPS's ReVIVAL: Millennial reMembering in the Afro NOW, Constellations (Marianne), Theater Lab's Angels In America Parts 1 and 2 (Angel), WiT's Hamlet (Laertes), and Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts' Blues for Mister Charlie (Juanita).
CLAIRE BREGER-BELSKY
THEATER-MAKING CONCENTRATION
Claire is a senior majoring in TAPS and minoring in Translation Studies. They are currently writing a thesis on Yiddish theater and are fascinated by non-traditional theater and performance, as well as theater that tells stories that are often silenced or erased. A favorite class at Stanford was Transgender Performance and Performativity. On the production side, Claire is primarily interested in stage management; they have been lucky to stage manage three TAPS main stage shows, and currently serve as production manager for the Nitery Experimental Theater. They have worked in both the scene shop and costume shops, as well as extensively in student theater.
KERSTIN HEINRICH
THEATER-MAKING CONCENTRATION
Kerstin is a senior double-majoring in Anthropology and TAPS. In addition to working for TAPS as a Space Supervisor and in the Marketing and Events Office, she has worked on countless productions in exclusively technical roles. With a focus in Production Management, Lighting Design, and Stage Management, Kerstin has worked on over 25 productions on campus not only with TAPS but with Ram’s Head, Theater Lab, Stanford Rep, and others. She also works for Event Services and the Office of Special Events and Protocol. All she’s done recently is play Animal Crossing.
KAITLYN KHAYAT
THEATER-MAKING CONCENTRATION
Kaitlyn is a junior studying American Studies and TAPS, the latter at which has worked in both the Scene and Costume Shops. Favorite Stanford credits include Ram's Head's The Addams Family (Stage Manager), Gaieties 2019 (Production Manager); TAPS Capstone next to normal (Stage Manager); Stanford Rep Theater's Hecuba/Helen (Asst. Stage Manager). She also serves on the Ram's Head Board of Directors.
JESS FRY
DANCE CONCENTRATION
Jess is a junior majoring in Physics and minoring in TAPS (Dance). She has performed professionally on Broadway in M. Butterfly; on National Tour in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory; regionally in Jerome Robbins’s Broadway and Mamma Mia. Within TAPS, she has performed in faculty pieces including Spatial Shiftand In a Winter Garden and represented Stanford TAPS at ACDA performing her own choreography. She also perform with student groups such as Ram’s Head, Alliance Street Dance, Urban Styles, and Cardinal Ballet Company.
COURSES OFFERED
We offer classes in everything from social dance and costume design to acting and performance theory
STUDENTS ENROLLED
Thousands of students of all experience levels enroll in our TAPS courses every year
DEPARTMENT EVENTS
We produce productions, workshops, master classes, guest lectures, and social events
STUDENTS INVOLVED IN PRODUCTIONS
Students of all majors perform, direct, build sets and costumes, stage manage, and more
TAPS BY THE NUMBERS
AT A GLANCE
The department gives students a strong grasp of historical, cultural, and practical contexts in which live performance develops. With close faculty contact, department majors pursue areas of interest that may include acting, directing, writing, dance, devised theater, design, stage management, performance theory, and cultural studies.
BACHELOR'S PROGRAM MISSION
academic program
The mission of the undergraduate program in Theater and Performance Studies is to provide a strong, non-conservatory program that joins the study and practice of performance within the context of a liberal arts curriculum.
THEATER-MAKING
This concentration develops students' creative skills in theater-making. The theater-making concentration reflects the collaborative interdisciplinary nature of theater practice, with rich partnerships and dialogues between the crafts of directing, playwriting, producing, design and stagecraft. Students learn skills to build original theater productions.
ACTING
The Acting concentration develops students’ skills in acting for the theater and related performance contexts. In practicum classes, students enhance their creative abilities under the guidance of teaching artists. Students also complete complementary coursework in performance studies.
DANCE
The Dance concentration offers diverse approaches to dance as a performing art, cultural practice, political act, and embodiment of ideology and beliefs. The program integrates academic and creative studio work to help students develop a command of dance as an art form and as a subject of critical inquiry.
AREAS OF STUDY
CONCENTRATIONS
All TAPS majors select a concentration in Acting or Theater-Making. Minors may also choose to concentrate in Dance.
SEE COURSE OFFERINGS
PERFORM
We produce six main season productions a year. All Stanford students are encouraged to audition for our productions regardless of experience!
BUILD + DESIGN
Students can design lights, costumes, and sets, and we offer paid student positions for those hoping to learn to build sets and costumes.
TAKE A CLASS
We offer a wide variety of classes open to students of all majors. Learn to design costumes, choreograph, or produce a production.
BEHIND THE SCENES
Work in critical backstage roles – as stage managers, deck crew, board operators, and more – and you can get academic credit, learning through doing.
WAYS TO GET INVOLVED
WE'RE LOOKING FOR YOU!
2018/2019
2017/2018
2016/2017
ANNUAL NEWSLETTERS
STUDENT VOICES
For an in-depth look at what we do, browse our recent newsletters containing student reflections on their experiences with TAPS productions, academic scholarship, events, and more.
TAKE A CLOSER LOOK
EXPLORE
OUR PRODUCTION WORK
TAPS produces six main season productions directed by faculty and guest artists, and fully produced with the help of our production staff and professional designers. We also support a number of student-led performance works. Hundreds of students work on our productions each year as performers, designers, technical staff, crew, costume and set builders, and more! Paid positions and academic credit are available. Opportunities are posted on our website under "Get Involved!"
Don't want to miss a thing? Join our email list for weekly emails listing upcoming events, auditions, and opportunities.
GET ON THE LIST!
NEXT STEPS
STAY CONNECTED
Connect with us! TAPS has an active social media presence and we want YOU to be part of it! Follow us on Instagram and Facebook, or check out our Vimeo account for regularly updated content including student interviews, production trailers, production team roundtables, faculty interviews, and more!
FEATURED VIDEOS
CONNECT!
DANCE | AMBER LEVINE
TAPS CONCENTRATION
HOW TO AUDITION FOR A TAPS SHOW
BACKSTAGE WITH BRENNA
YOUNG JEAN LEE
MEET THE FACULTY
REVIVAL BY AMARA TABOR-SMITH
MAIN STAGE TRAILER
SPECIAL EFFECTS | "EVERYBODY"
BEHIND THE SCENES
