Drama & Theatre Studies
About
The Department of Drama & Theatre Studies at Mary Immaculate College was established in June 2015 with Dr Michael Finneran as the founding Head of Department.
Undergraduate Level
At undergraduate level, we offer a number of pathways to study drama and theatre. The BA in Drama and English (MI010) is offered in conjunction with the Dept of English Language and Literature. It offers students a unique and exciting degree in these subjects that will develop critical thinking, problem-solving, and excellent writing and communication skills. The department offers Drama & Theatre Studies to full degree level on the joint honours BA in Liberal Arts (MI002) programme, which allows drama to be studied to degree level alongside one of thirteen other subjects.
Postgraduate Level
Our full-time faculty conduct and supervise research in a number of aspects of drama and theatre studies, particularly in contemporary theatre and performance practices, applied drama and theatre, theatre for young audiences, performance studies and practice as research. We are home to an ever-expanding range of research studies at PhD level.
Studying Drama at MIC
Mary Immaculate College has rapidly become one of the most desirable places in Ireland to study drama at third level. Our campus is rich in artistic provision, and our relationship with visiting artists and our two linked professional venues (Lime Tree Theatre and Belltable) is central to our teaching and research. Our drama programmes are designed to accommodate all students passionate about drama, including those who wish to pursue a career in performance.
Check out our social media pages for all up to date information about us and events in the department:
Subject Overview
Undergraduate Programme Modules
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BA in Drama and English (MI010)
Full programme details, including entry requirements, can be found on the MI010 programme page.
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Drama & Theatre Studies offered as a full subject on the BA in Liberal Arts (MI002)
Full programme details, including entry requirements, can be found on the MI002 programme page.
BA in Drama and English (MI010) Modules
| Semester 1 (Year 1) |
|---|
| Introduction to Drama, Theatre and Performance |
| Modern Irish Theatre (1601 - 1960) |
| Introduction to Literature 1 |
| Adaption: Page to Stage and Screen |
| Semester 2 (Year 1) |
|---|
| Introduction to Acting and Ensemble |
| Contemporary European and World Theatre |
| Introduction to Literature 2 |
| Literature and Drama of the "Long" Eighteenth Century |
| Semester 3 (Year 2) |
|---|
| Contemporary Irish Theatre (1960 - Today) |
| Scenography and Technical Theatre |
| The Novel in the 20th and 21st centuries |
| Utopian and Dystopian Literature |
| Students to select 1 of the following: |
| Introduction to Devising Theatre |
| Critiquing Theatre |
| Cultural Policy and Administration |
| Musical Theatre in Performance |
| Ensemble Performance Elective 1 |
| Development of Modern Drama |
| Teaching English as a Foreign Language 1 |
| Semester 4 (Year 2) |
|---|
| Performance and Music |
| Applied and Social Theatre |
| Irish Poetry and Prose in English |
| Literature and Society |
| Students to select 1 of the following: |
| History of Theatre and Performance |
| Drama and Theatre Education |
| Contemporary Theories of Performance |
| Masks and Puppetry in Performance |
| Storytelling and Poetry in Performance |
| Ensemble Performance Elective 2 |
| Teaching English as a Foreign Language 2 |
| Semester 5 (Year 3) |
|---|
| Students to select 1 of the following: |
| Placement 1 |
| Study Abroad Semester 1 |
| Semester 6 (Year 3) |
|---|
| Students to select 1 of the following: |
| Placement 2 |
| Study Abroad Semester 2 |
| Semester 7 (Year 4) |
|---|
| Core Ensemble Performance |
| Literary Modernism |
| Interpreting Literature |
| Undergraduate Research Project 1 |
| Semester 8 (Year 4) |
|---|
| Directing and Writing for Theatre |
| Young People, Education, and Theatre |
| Romantic Literature in English |
| Elizabethan/Jacobean Theatre: Shakespearean Drama and its Contexts |
| Undergraduate Research Project 2 |
BA in Liberal Arts (Drama & Theatre Studies) (MI002) Modules
| Year 1 |
|---|
| DT4711: Introduction to Drama, Theatre and Performance (6 Credits) |
| DT4714: Contemporary European & World Theatre (6 Credits) |
| Year 2 |
|---|
| DT4715: Ensemble and Devising in Theatre (6 Credits) |
| DT4714: Contemporary Irish Theatre 1 (6 Credits) |
| DT4722: Social & Applied theatre (6 Credits) |
| DT4754: Performance & Music (6 Credits) |
| Year 3 |
|---|
| OC4310: Off Campus Placement Programme 1 (30 Credits) |
| OC4320: Off Campus Placement Programme 1 (30 Credits) |
| Year 4 |
|---|
| DT4733: Contemporary Irish Theatre 2 (6 Credits) |
| DT4747: Directing & Writing for Theatre (6 Credits) |
| DT4767: Undergraduate Dissertation 1 (6 Credits) |
| DT4728: Contemporary Performance Theory (6 Credits) |
| DT4734: Storytelling & Poetry in Performance (6 Credits) |
| DT4758: Undergraduate Dissertation 2 (6 Credits) |
Staff
Past Conferences
Irish Society for Theatre Research (ISTR) Annual Conference 2019
Mary Immaculate College hosted the 2019 ISTR Conference.
The conference theme: Conversations Through Time: Intersectional, Intergenerational, Interdisciplinary
Keynote Speakers:
- Dr. Lisa Fitzpatrick, University of Ulster
- Dr. Emilie Pine, University College Dublin
Theatre and performance practices have often been called upon as ways to understand contemporary discourses. Now more than ever academics and theatremakers need to use art and the analyses of various mediums to explore and explain the world in which we live. This conference sought to provide a platform for discursive practise to allow for conversations on how we engage with, and interpret given narratives, through the broad spectrum of theatre practice and performance types. Through promoting such conversation this conference sought to generate new links between theatre and performative practice in light of the current international discourse.
Full more about the 2019 ISTR Conference click here.
Irish Women Playwrights and Theatremakers Conference
Mary Immaculate College hosted the Irish Women Playwrights and Theatremakers Conference in 2017.
Keynote Speakers:
- Ursula Rani Sarma, playwright
- Dr. Cathy Leeney (UCD)
- Dr. Melissa Sihra (TCD)
- Dr. Mária Kurdi (University of Pécs)
The conference was organised to highlight the vital, frequently overlooked contributions that women have made to Irish theatrical life from the eighteenth century to the present.
Full details about the Irish Women Playwrights and Theatremakers Conference available here.
Departmental Assistantships
Departmental Assistantships in Drama & Theatre Studies 2025
Details of the competition for Departmental Assistantships in Drama & Theatre Studies 2025 are here.
The deadline for receipt of application is 5pm on Friday 30 May 2025.
Please forward all queries to the Head of Department, Dr Michael Finneran: Michael.Finneran@mic.ul.ie
Departmental Handbook
- About
- Subject Overview
- Staff
- Past Conferences
- Departmental Assistantships
- Departmental Handbook
