Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien Hannover

Course leading to the degree of Diplom-Schauspieler/in ("Diplom" degree in acting)
Regular course length 8 semesters

Course content

1. Foundation course
   The course breaks down into a three-semester foundation course and a five-semester main course. The course focuses on the discovery and development of the stage personality and the acting instrument. In the foundation course, relaxation, movement work, respiration and voice training, textual work and speaking techniques, special exercises in the sensory and imaginative fields and work on scenes and characters are the most prominent elements. At the same time, the students experiment with stage situations in improvisation exercises and on the basis of narrative texts. The first year of the course is particularly concerned with again and again seeking new and imaginative approaches to bringing scenes to life, as a preliminary to repeatedly reproducible situations and scenes. In the theoretical area, the origin and history of the theatre, theories of acting and ways of analysing theatrical materials (the latter directly connected with practical work) are taught. It is a basic concern to bring students to work independently to the greatest possible extent, in the hope that as actors they will essentially be able to themselves initiate and follow through the complicated ways and processes that lead to the realisation of the characters they play. At all stages of the course, students are encouraged to undertake work not directed by teaching staff, in order to test the extent of their own independence
2. Main course
   During the main course, which begins in the 4th semester after the preliminary examination, at least two major theatre projects are carried out. In addition, there is an extensive programme of work (continuation of training and improvisation exercises, role studies, textual work, stagecraft, recitation, singing, stage combat and the theoretical subjects).In the last year of the course, the graduation production takes place. In addition, the degree course includes the writing of a thesis.