Hudson County Community College Offers Associate in Arts Degree with Theatre Arts Option

January 15, 2013, Jersey City, NJ – Students who wish to pursue a bachelor’s degree or higher in  theatre arts may now begin their journey by earning an Associate of Arts in Liberal Arts with a Theatre Option from Hudson County Community College.

The new program has been designed to provide students with a broad-based liberal arts curriculum and core theatre options, including Introduction to Acting, Introduction to Theatre, Introduction to Drama, Contemporary Drama, Acting II, and Intro To Playwriting, and will prepare them for transfer to four-year colleges and universities. Hudson County Community College is arranging for articulation agreements with New Jersey City University and Kean University, amongst others, thus allowing for credits earned at HCCC to be transferred.

HCCC President Dr. Glen Gabert said the Theatre Arts program is being coordinated by Joseph Gallo, a seasoned theatre professional with a diverse background. Mr. Gallo, who studied at New York University, and the Ohio University Graduate Playwriting Program, and is a member of the Actors Studio Playwrights and Directors Workshop in New York, has written, produced, and performed in a variety of plays and productions throughout the U.S.

Mr. Gallo holds a Master of Fine Arts degree in playwriting from Ohio University and has penned a number of plays that have been performed off-Broadway, as well as at the Kennedy Center, and a number of other stages throughout the country. He is also a screenwriter who has penned television and cinematic scripts. Mr. Gallo produced theatre and dance projects in Los Angeles and New York and has been in charge of project development for film and television.

An experienced college instructor, Mr. Gallo has taught Playwriting, Acting, Screenwriting, Introduction to Film, Monologues for Auditions, Creative Writing, Introduction to Theater and other theater-related courses at the School of Visual Arts, Drew University, Kean University, Manhattan Marymount College, McCarter Theatre and Ohio University.

“The students in this program will be attending productions in the Broadway, off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway theatre communities, which are natural ‘labs’ for this course of study,” Dr. Gabert stated.

For more information about the HCCC Associate in Arts — Liberal Arts, Theatre Arts Option program, visit www.hccc.edu.