Course in Performance and Communication Arts St. Lawrence University

A major in Performance and Communication Arts will give you the tools to better understand and communicate with others, personally, professionally, and socially.

Theatre studies engage students in critical inquiry into previous performances and previous performance texts and artistic engagement with the craft of producing original texts and performances. Performance studies, a broader term, includes theatre studies but also encompasses a broader array of performance behaviours, including (among others) the performance of gender, the performance of self in everyday life, the performance of texts other than plays, ritual performances, and political performances, both mainstream and activist.

Rhetorical studies focus on the use of symbols to alter attitudes and induce others to act in a particular manner, and students engaged in rhetorical studies are challenged to critically examine previous attempts at persuasion and creatively enter into the production of original persuasive messages. Communication studies, a broader term, includes rhetorical studies and encompasses a broader array of communication behaviours in various contexts, including interpersonal communication, small group communication, and intercultural communication.