PROGRAM OVERVIEW
AT-A-GLANCE
LOCATION
United Kingdom
PROGRAM DATES
December 29, 2026 – January 16, 2027
LANGUAGE OF INSTRUCTION
English
APPLICATION DEADLINE
September 30, 2026
This seminar course examines the complex relationship between London (a major urban center) and the art, industry, and practice of performance and drama London is a diverse and historied city, which makes it a brilliant site for this course:
- Read plays, and use field work (museums and galleries, backstage tours, live performance, historic sites) to add relevance and cultural context to our in-class discussions about theatre
- Develop an understanding of the way theatre, ballet, and visual art provide narratives and events that support the status quo or actively questions, disrupts, or overturns the narratives of dominance is central to an understanding of the cultural necessity for the free voice of arts to a society or culture
- Learn about class and gender, and the ways in which theatre engages with and represents these systems
- Explore and appreciate the diverse cultures of England – visit historical sites and museums, eat at local restaurants and experience the tradition of afternoon tea, and meet local residents
Please note: IAU reserves the right to cancel programs due to low enrollment. Itineraries are tentative and subject to change at the discretion of IAU. Students should consult with an IAU advisor prior to purchasing their flights.
ACADEMICS
Students can choose one of the following courses:
Theatre 385: Studies in Theatre, Drama & Performance
Literature 385: Studies in Theatre, Drama & Performance
All content and the itinerary is subject to change.
ITINERARY
Sample itinerary, all details subject to change.
FACULTY
Gretchen Elizabeth Smith is Associate Dean for Students in the Meadows School of the Arts and Head of Theatre Studies in the Division of Theatre. She provides oversight for the Meadows offices of Student Academic Services; Scholarships & Financial Aid; and Recruitment & Admissions, and for the Theatre Studies track of the Division of Theatre’s B.F.A. program. Dr. Smith has been a tenured faculty member of the Division of Theatre for two decades, as well as holding the position of Chair (2018-2021).
She teaches courses in theatre history and performance studies, including seminars focusing on gender in performance and theory, American and English dramatic literature, analyzing performances of ritual and festival, and the B.F.A. playwriting sequence.
As a theatre historian and performance studies scholar, her research interests include analyzing texts and images from Molière’s popular and court performance in France during the reign of Louis XIV, and investigating Paris’s female performers (actresses, dancers, singers, and others) across the conflicting duality of employee and icon during the second half of the 19th century. She is currently writing about the imagery of Molière in texts published between 1660 and 1682.
As a playwright, her scripts focus on women and identity, interrogating narratives surrounding history, biography, gender, bodies and ageism; her plays have been performed in various cities including New York and Athens.
Since 1995, she has been the mentor and producer of New Visions, New Voices, staging original full-length plays written by B.F.A. students. Plays and playwrights from NVNV have gone on to readings and production in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Seattle, Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Austin, Miami, and Washington, D.C. She is a member of the Dramatists Guild and the International Centre for Women Playwrights, and served as the Regional Director of playwriting for the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival. In this position, she was instrumental in bringing the work of student playwrights to regional and national conference audiences as well as awarding honors and scholarships.
Dr. Smith is also active in SMU’s Study Abroad program. She has taught and led programs in London and Oxford since 2003 and is a past member of SMU’s Education Abroad Council. She has been an active mentor in SMU’s Engaged Learning program, working with over 25 students on projects centered in Dallas, New York, Seoul, Paris, Madrid, Berlin, Moscow and London. She received Engaged Learning’s Excellence in Mentoring Award for her contributions.
PROGRAM FEES
| Fees | Cost |
|---|---|
| Tuition Fee | $4,623 |
| Program Fee | $2,143 |
| Total Cost | $7,200 |
Inclusions: Program cost includes tuition; lodging; daily breakfast; some group meals; all intra-program transportation; entrances for all scheduled program visits; orientation; and insurance (health, liability, and repatriation).
NOTE: Students should expect to purchase any required course materials, which are not included in program costs.
Did you know? Students who enroll in a January Term Seminar and the spring semester at one of IAU’s campuses consecutively are eligible to receive a $2,000 grant credited to their spring semester invoice. In order to be eligible to receive the grant, students must participate in the Early Start Program during the week between the end of the January Term Seminar and the start of the spring semester. The Early Start Program allows students to move in with their hosts a week before the semester begins, receive language instruction, and participate in local cultural activities! Visit IAU’s Scholarship page for additional details.