Acting BFA

An ensemble of singers, dancers, and actors that rehearses and performs a fully-realized musical theatre production. Prerequisite: Instructor’s permission, by audition. 1 SH.

An ensemble led by a student director that rehearses and performs a full-length production in the spring semester. Prerequisite: department permission, by audition. 1 SH. CC: Team Intensive.

A large ensemble of performers that rehearses and performs a full-realized, challenging piece of dramatic literature in the spring semester. Prerequisite: instructor’s permission, by audition. 1 SH. CC: Team Intensive.

A small ensemble of highly select performers who rehearse and perform a fully-realized, challenging piece of dramatic literature in the fall semester. Prerequisites: instructor’s permission, by audition. 1 SH.

This ensemble course will challenge students with demanding roles in a bare-bones acting environment to bring out their best talent in a no-frills, cutting edge performance experience. Prerequisites: instructor’s permission, by audition. 1 SH.

Students explore production process, management and leadership skills preparing scenery, properties, special effects, sound and costumes for university theatre productions. The course offers hands-on training, exploring practical applications of artistic and structural design, project management, team development, construction techniques, and resource coordination. Expectations are eight hours of lab each week with possible evening rehearsal and performance assignments. 4 SH. CC: Team Intensive.

Students explore the production process for executing theatrical designs for university theatre productions. This course focuses on scenic painting techniques and the installation and operation of theatre lighting equipment. Hands-on training. Expectations are up to eight hours of lab each week with possible evening rehearsal and performance assignments. 4 SH. CC: Team Intensive.

Students explore the production process for executing costume designs for university theatre productions. The model of a professional costume shop and its personnel is used in order to provide hands-on training in costume construction, costume shop operations, team building and organization, analyzing, and problem-solving. The course focuses on the practice of basic skills in costume production, repair, and maintenance all within a collaborative atmosphere. 4 SH.

This course explores a broad spectrum of skills in the creative process of acting. These skills (including expansion of vocal and physical abilities, emotional and sensory awareness, improvisational skills, etc.) will be focused toward introducing the prospective actor to the six basic steps in Stanislavski’s “System of Acting.” Prerequisite: Theatre major, theatre minor, or department’s permission. 4 SH.

This course is an overview and examination of the basic principles and elements of design and how they are related to and used in scenic, costume, and lighting design for theatre. Topics will include the design process, research methods, and practical considerations for executing designs. 4 SH

An introduction to world dramatic literature through study of the development of drama and its various forms with a focus on dramatic movements and theatrical innovations, as well as the cultural aesthetic, literary, and political contexts of individual works. 4 SH. CC: Literary Expression, Diversity Intensive.

Through the reading and analysis of various genres of play texts written by a diverse collection of playwrights, this course analyzes theatre’s unique ability to engage with both the agenda and the trauma of violence. Students in this course will learn to consider violence as a tool of oppression that reinforces power structures and as an expression of trauma by those un-empowered by the same societal power structures. Same as WGST-241. 4 SH. CC: Diversity Intensive, Ethics Intensive.

Portfolio projects in costume design beginning with script analysis and research and culminating with finished renderings and realized design components for the student’s portfolio. 4 SH.

THEA-245 Scenic and Lighting Design. This course will explore scenic and lighting design and the responsibilities of the scenic and lighting designer in the production process. Students will be introduced to the art and practice of advanced design through practical projects in script analysis, literary research, technical drawing, rendering and modeling. Prerequisite: THEA-160 Theatrical Design Fundamentals. 4 SH.

An in-depth exploration of the basic principles of acting and the creative process introduced in Acting I. These skills (including expansion of improvisational skills, action and text analysis, character analysis and transformation, communion, etc.) will be focused toward advanced work in scene and monologue study, specifically dealing with early and contemporary realism. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing and THEA-151. 4 SH.

Historical survey from the fifth century B.C.E. to the mid-19th century and the rise of realism, studying the theatre and drama of Europe and its colonies, including (but not limited to) Canada, the United States and Mexico. Integrates the study of the history of the theatre through representative plays and their production. Students view live performances, tapes and films to gain an on-stage perspective. Field trips involved with some costs; waiver possible. CC: Artistic Expression. 4 SH.

Survey of the indigenous and postcolonial theatre and drama of Asia, Africa, the Middle East and the Americas, among others. Integrates the study of the history of the theatre through representative plays and their production. Students view live performances, tapes and films to gain an on-stage perspective. Field trips involved with some costs; waiver possible. 4 SH. CC: Artistic Expression, Diversity.

This course surveys the history of African American theatre as a reflection of the African American culture and experience. The course will examine the history of African American theatre and the African American practitioner’s role in theatre from slavery to modern times. Through the study of African American dramatic literature the course examines various dramatic genres (comedy, tragedy and melodrama), historic and contemporary themes and developments in African American theatre especially the body of plays that shaped the popular image of Black life in America and in many cases perpetuated negative stereotypes of African-Americans. 4 SH. CC: Diversity. Historical Perspectives.

An exploration of dramatic literature with a concentration in play analysis. The analysis will focus on the structure of dramatic art and how it can be applied by the theatre artist. Prerequisite: THEA-151. 4 SH. CC: Writing Intensive.

Inspired by the original choreopoem by Ntozake Shange, this course introduces the choreopoem form, investigating the concept of the living text as it applies to collaboration across multiple disciplines. Using literary analysis, creative writing and theatre, students research the choreopoem form, write one as a class and publicly perform it, reflecting on the tension of intention versus impact in performance spaces. Same as WRIT-260 and AFRC-260. Sophomore or higher standing required. 4 SH. CC: Interdisciplinary, Diversity Intensive, Team Intensive.

Survey of stage management and theatre administration, exploring the relationship between the artistry of theatre as a fine arts discipline and the execution of management principles in theatre operations. Topics to be studied include stage management, theatre organization, professional unions, production management, publicity/marketing, and box office and house management. Prerequisites: Instructor’s permission and junior standing. 4 SH. CC: Interdisciplinary.

Porfolio projects in make-up design, beginning with script analysis and research and culminating with realized and conceptual projects. Projects in make-up design will expose students to the techniques of traditional, prosthetic, and wig applications. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or instructor’s permission. 4 SH.

Advanced training in acting with an emphasis on effective vocal/rhetorical techniques and on the use of poetic rhythm and imagery in creating a role psychologically as well as physically. Definition of style/language analysis, Greek period style, the comic impulse/Commedia Dell’arte, Renaissance/Elizabethan period style, 17th-century French farce, and Restoration/Georgian “Comedy of Manners.” Prerequisites: Sophomore standing and THEA-151. 4 SH.

Study of the basic processes of play directing, script selection, blocking, rehearsal procedure, casting, directorial function, and the history of directing. Direction of in-class scenes and presentations of a single all-class scene program at the end of the term for the public. Prerequisites: THEA-151 and either THEA-252 or THEA-258, or instructor’s permission. 4 SH.

Issues and topics in theatre. Emphasizes research and analysis. Prerequisite: instructor’s permission. 4 SH.

Students will engage in a focused examination of the major literary and theoretical movements found in drama, spanning the late 19th century to the present. Prerequisites: Senior standing. 4 SH. CC: Diversity Intensive, Writing Intensive.

Applied projects in theatre design, technical production, or theatre management, completed in conjunction with Department of Theatre productions. The student and the supervising professor will determine and tailor projects to ensure both mastery of the student’s project (or assignment) and a general understanding of the complexities of theatre. All projects require departmental approval, are critically assessed by the supervising faculty member as well as the student, and must be completed to the satisfaction of the theatre faculty. Four semesters of Production Lab are required for graduation with the Production and Design emphasis of the B. A. in theatre (may be waived at the discretion of the department). 1 SH.

In-depth exploration of selected topics in theatre with faculty guidance allows students to focus on topics outside normal sequence of course offerings. Prerequisite: department-designated faculty director’s permission. May be repeated. 1-4 SH.

Independent study for candidates accepted into the departmental honors program. Candidates work under faculty direction, develop and submit a written or production thesis, and defend their thesis orally. 4 SH.

Supervised work in fields related to professional and/or not-for-profit theatre. Prerequisite: Junior or senior standing and internship coordinator’s permission. Variable credit.

The Capstone Portfolio course is a faculty-guided independent study overview of student achievement in academic work including aspects of theatre operations, design and technology, performance, dramaturgy, and research and writing. A student and a supervising faculty member will tailor portfolios to reflect a student’s individual achievements within the theatre curriculum and production work. This course is a reflective and forward-looking experience with content derived from the student’s academic experiences both in the classroom and in practice-based learning. By participating in this course students will enhance their artifacts of academic and production achievement to create and present a comprehensive portfolio of their work and career trajectory. 2 SH. Capstone.