t h e a t r e
THE 1001 College: An Introduction 1 QH
Intended for freshmen in the College of Arts and Sciences. Seeks to introduce freshmen to the liberal arts in general, as well as to familiarize them with their major; help them develop the academic skills necessary to succeed (e.g. analytical ability and critical thinking); provide grounding in the culture and values of the University community; and help them develop interpersonal skills--in short, to familiarize students with all skills needed to become a successful university student.THE 1100 Introduction to Theatre Arts 4 QH
Focuses on theatre in performance by examining the work of theatre artists (actors, designers, directors, and playwrights). Introduces students to the dynamics of performance and to the reading of play texts, and provides a brief overview of the development of Western theatre. (Core Category II)THE 1106 Theatre History 1--Beginnings to Renaissance 4 QH
Explores the history of the theatre and its development in the West, focusing on Greece, Rome, Medieval Europe, Golden Age Spain, and Elizabethan and Stuart England. (Can be taken independently of THE 1107.)THE 1107 Theatre History 2--Renaissance to Naturalism 4 QH
Focuses on the development of theatre in the Italian Renaissance; the spread of Italianate forms throughout Europe during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries; the rise of Romanticism in Germany and its spread; and the rise of realism and naturalism in France, Scandinavia, and throughout Europe. (Can be taken independently of THE 1106.)THE 1111 American Musical Theatre 4 QH
Traces the development of the American musical from The Black Crook to the present. Considers the role of musical theatre as both entertainment and serious art form through an examination of script, score, dance, and design. Includes works by composers and lyricists such as Rodgers and Hammerstein, Lerner and Loewe, Cole Porter, Bock and Harnick, Leonard Bernstein, and Stephen Sondheim.THE 1112 Dramatic Theory and Criticism 4 QH
Examines the major theoretical statements about Western theatre from Greece to present day. Devotes a significant portion of the course to twentieth-century critical strategies. (Core Category V)THE 1114 Theatre and Society 4 QH
Overviews several great practitioners of theatre. In particular, stresses how society influenced the thought and craft of playwrights, actors, directors, designers, and theorists. Pays careful attention to how the play's ideas are translated into performance. Uses video, discussion, and live performance, when possible, as integral elements in the course. (Core Category III)THE 1116 The American Theatre 4 QH
Traces the historical development of theatre in America, as well as its role as a social institution, economic enterprise, and art form.THE 1118 Black Theatre in America 4 QH
Surveys the history of black theatre artists in America from the time of Ira Aldridge to the present day. Also examines the works of black playwrights from the Harlem Renaissance to the present, with an emphasis on the period beginning with Baraka's Dutchman.THE 1121 Contemporary Theatre 4 QH
Examines the current state of commercial, regional, and other noncommercial theatre in the United States, using readings, lectures, reports, and weekly visits to theatre productions in the area. Explores through lectures the background of these types of theatre in twentieth-century American and European theatre.THE 1127 The Comic Theatre 4 QH
Surveys theatrical comedy from the ancient Greeks to the present. Examines the comic playwright, the comic director, and the comedic actor. Discusses theories and techniques of laughter, as well as the psychological and sociological benefits derived from laughter. Includes reading playscripts by Aristophanes, Moli¸re, Shakespeare, Shaw, and Simon, as well as viewing and listening to tapes of Chaplin, the Marx Brothers, and others. Examines comedy devices through lectures, films, records, and attending live performances.THE 1140 Playwriting 1 4 QH
Offers students the opportunity to develop a series of dramatic dialogues that culminate in the writing of a one-act play. Uses a workshop format.THE 1149 Script Analysis for the Stage 4 QH
Aids the theatre practitioner in developing the skills necessary for analyzing scripts in preparation for production. Focuses on dramatic theory and structure and theatrical techniques that enables an actor, director, designer, or playwright to uncover the problems of translating theory into practice. Prereq. Theatre major or minor.THE 1150 Introduction to Acting 4 QH
Focuses on fundamental techniques of stage use, the actor and the stage environment, and improvisations for strengthening imagination and increasing freedom of expression.THE 1155 Voice for the Theatre 4 QH
Focuses on vocal exercises that enable the actor to better connect with the voice through freeing the physical and emotional self. Emphasizes centering, physicalization, breath support, articulation, resonance, projection, and relaxation. Includes selected monologues and/or scenes for classroom analysis.THE 1160 Movement 1 4 QH
Emphasizes using the body as an expressive instrument for realism. Develops concentration, control, and stamina through exercise, relaxation, improvisation, manipulation of energy flow, rhythms, and imagination. Prereq. Theatre major or permission of instructor.THE 1180 Concepts of Direction 4 QH
Focuses on purposes and techniques of theatrical direction related to script analysis, production style, pictorial composition, rhythmic evolution, and empathic responses. Prereq. THE 1150 and THE 1212.THE 1206 Technical Theatre 1 4 QH
The initial technical theatre course required of all majors, covering the basic skills necessary in scene construction and stage lighting.THE 1207 Technical Theatre 2 4 QH
Covers the basic steps in stage management, stage makeup, and costume construction. Required of all majors.THE 1208 Technical Theatre 3 4 QH
Covers the basic skills needed for scenery, lighting, and costume design. Required for production concentration. Prereq. THE 1206 and THE 1207.THE 1209 Theatrical Drafting 4 QH
Exposes the student to the basic graphics language needed to translate a designer's ideas into technical drawings used for construction through work on supervised classroom projects. Prereq. THE 1200.THE 1210 Scenic Design for the Stage 4 QH
Introduces the theory and practice of theatrical design and the role of the designer in the production process. Through project work, examines the use of the graphics tools--line, form, balance, color, rhythm, et cetera--in the development of the design idea. Emphasizes understanding and utilizing spatial relationships, visually expressing conceptual themes, and understanding the various uses, problems, and practical considerations of proscenium, thrust, and arena staging. Prereq. Permission of instructor.THE 1212 Introduction to Theatrical Design 4 QH
Introduces the visual effects of modern theatrical production and the creative processes by which these come into being, through a basic survey of the three major design disciplines, their supporting technology, and their working interrelationship. Addresses the questions of how artistic concepts are developed and related, how they are communicated to other artists and an audience, and how one develops the critical processes necessary to evaluate these concepts.THE 1213 Scene Design 2: Principles 4 QH
Focuses on the development and expression of conceptual statements from specific dramatic texts through a series of exercises involving script analysis and introductory work in rendering and model construction. Examines texts selected from works of distinct historical and stylistic periods. Studies the heritage of twentieth-century theatrical design through the work of artists such as Appia, Craig, Jones, Urban, and Oenslager. Emphasizes the development of such stylistic treatments as realism, expressionism, symbolism, and constructivist and environmental design. Prereq. THE 1210.THE 1225 Scene Painting 4 QH
Traces the history of scene painting and ornament from classical to contemporary times. Focuses on studio organization, color, color theory, equipment, tools, materials, and costs involved with painting stage scenery. Incorporates projects and exercises in the use of different media, matching colors, painting of textures, light and shade, and the use of stencils and physical textures. Includes lab sessions involving painting stage scenery for University productions. Prereq. THE 1200 or permission of instructor.THE 1226 Lighting Design for the Stage 4 QH
Examines basic principles and practices of stage lighting, including the qualities and functions of light, lighting instruments and controls, basic electricity, color in light, and analysis of the script in terms of light requirements. Expects students to develop light plots and schedules for various kinds of stage productions. Includes lab work on lighting crews for University productions. Prereq. THE 1209 or departmental permission.THE 1261 Costuming 1 4 QH
Presents the beginning designer with the opportunity to investigate costume design theory and to foster perceptual development. Through lectures and projects, gives students the opportunity to explore both the abstract and historical aspects of costume design as well as textual analysis and its conceptual implications. (Does not require prior art or design education.)THE 1265 Pattern Drafting and Costume Construction 4 QH
Develops the skills and techniques necessary for the patterning, cutting, and construction of costumes for the stage. Covers flat pattern drafting, draping, and finishing techniques.THE 1280 Stage Makeup 4 QH
Focuses on the principles of, the reasons for, and the materials used in makeup for the theatre, television, and films. Includes the practical application of types and styles of makeup--straight, old-age, character, and corrective. Prereq. Permission of instructor.THE 1284 Theatre Management 4 QH
Focuses on problems of financing, promoting, and programming for profit and nonprofit professional theatre.THE 1300 Acting 2 4 QH
Focuses on developing the actor's sense of truth and emotional freedom. Emphasizes creating, developing, and sustaining character and developing ensemble. Includes monologues and scenes performed for classroom analysis. Prereq. THE 1150 and permission of department chair.THE 1301 Acting 3 4 QH
Focuses on further development of the actor's tools, script and character scoring, and exercises for physical and psychological freedom. Includes in-class scenes from works in progress. Prereq. THE 1300 and permission of instructor.THE 1302 Acting 4 4 QH
Deals with scene work from a spectrum of theatrical genres. Focuses on developing a technique for approaching a role through research, character, and language. Prereq. THE 1301 and permission of instructor.THE 1316 Acting for the Camera (Television) 4 QH
Presents the fundamentals of camera acting, adjusting the actor's physical responses to the mechanical eye of the camera and the delicate ear of the microphone. Involves studio work before the television camera to explore the genres of dramatic, commercial, and industrial acting. Prereq. THE 1150.THE 1325 Musical Theatre Technique 4 QH
Applies acting technique to the performance of musical material. Explores song through text and character progression, develops a process for approaching a song, and synthesizes movement, gesture, and emotion with melody, rhythm, and lyrics. Involves student performances of solo, small ensemble, and large ensemble material. Does not involve singing technique. Prereq. THE 1150, THE 1300, and permission of instructor.THE 1370 Rehearsal and Performance 4 QH
Requires students to research, prepare, and perform either a substantial acting role, a design assistantship, a crew head, a dramaturgy, or a stage-management position under the direction and guidance of faculty. Students are expected to keep a rehearsal log and will synthesize and evaluate the experience in a final paper. This course may be repeated for credit up to three times for theatre majors. Fulfills the College of Arts and Sciences experiential education requirement for theatre majors. Prereq. Permission of instructor.THE 1400 Costuming 2 4 QH
Offers advanced study in textual interpretation and its application to costume design. Emphasizes conceptual and stylistic development through assigned projects in the various genres of the performing arts. Prereq. THE 1261 or permission of instructor.THE 1410 Technical Production 4 QH
Allows the opportunity to acquire and explore the requisite skills for developing working drawings and budgetary analyses for theatrical productions. Focuses on several projects and includes the opportunity to coordinate one substantial production. Requires that the specialized study be executed in close supervision with the instructor. Prereq. All courses in production/design concentration and permission of instructor.THE 1420 Advanced Drafting and Construction 4 QH
Offers specialized study in technical production techniques. Covers drafting procedures necessary for the conversion of designer's drawings into detailed rear elevation and construction layouts, as well as the development of section, isometric, and oblique views. Through a series of practical and project exercises, analyzes the various factors governing the construction and rigging of two- and three-dimensional scenery, linear-motion, rotary-motion, and elevating systems. Emphasizes theatrical problem-solving with regard to safety, dependability, and economy. Lab fee. Prereq. THE 1209.THE 1430 Lighting Design 2 4 QH
Offers an intensive study of lighting design theory and practice. Expects students to design numerous lighting plots, sections, instrument schedules, and design concepts for various types of productions and spaces. Investigates and discusses current professional techniques and practices. Prereq. THE 1226.THE 1510 Twentieth-Century Theatre 4 QH
Studies the history of the postnaturalistic theatre in Europe and the United States. Explores the work and influence of such figures as Craig, Appia, Meyerhold, Brecht, Artaud, Grotowski, Beck and Molina, Schechner, and Chaiken.THE 1511 Theatre Through the Lens of Modernism 4 QH
Covers seminal playwrights of the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries whose works have had a major impact on both modern drama and theatrical methods of production. (Core Category V)THE 1800, THE 1801, THE 1802, THE 1803 Theatre Practicum 1, 2, 3, 4 1 QH each
Offers lab practice in technical production; can be repeated for credit (maximum four credits). Prereq. Departmental permission.THE 1804, THE 1805, THE 1806, THE 1807 Practicum in Production 5, 6, 7, 8 1 QH each
Offers lab practice in rehearsal and performance for production; can be repeated for credit (maximum of four credits). Prereq. Departmental permission.THE 1810, THE 1811, THE 1812, THE 1813 Junior/Senior Honors Project 4 QH each
For details, contact the honors office.THE 1820, THE 1821, THE 1822, THE 1823 Directed Study 4 QH each
THE 1840, THE 1841, THE 1842, THE 1843, THE 1844, THE 1845, THE 1846, THE 1847, THE 1848, THE 1849 Special Topics in Theatre Performance 4 QH each
Offers opportunity for in-depth examination of a subject of particular significance to the field.THE 1860, THE 1861, THE 1862, THE 1863, THE 1864, THE 1865, THE 1866, THE 1867 Special Topics in Theatrical Design 4 QH each
Offers opportunity for in-depth examination of a subject of particular significance to the field.THE 1888, THE 1889 Experiential Education Directed Study 4 QH
Draws upon the student's approved experiential activity and integrates it with study in the academic major. Restricted to those students who are using it to fulfill their experiential education requirement.THE 1890, THE 1891, THE 1892, THE 1893 4 QH each
Special Topics in Theatre History/Dramatic Criticism Offers opportunity for in-depth examination of a subject of particular significance to the field.THE 1899 Advanced Television Production 4 QH
Offers students the opportunity for in-depth examination of a subject of particular significance to theatre/television production.
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