Department of Performing Arts
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Focuses on learning to "see" and "hear" the form and music of the art of dance across world cultures. Students focus on specific dance ethnographies to understand cultural difference through a study of dance and human movement and to explore contemporary anthropological concerns about representation, globalization, history, and identity. Throughout their study, students focus on various theoretical models in anthropology for studying dance/performance. Fulfills the Aesthetic Perspective and the General Education Global Diversity requirements.Instructor: Kathy HassingerGuides students in the discovery, development, and exploration of their own movement and imagery. The stimuli for dances include personal experiences, abstract ideas, relationships, emotions, and a variety of real or imagined materials. Prerequisite: permission of the dance area head.Instructor: Marlena YannettiExplores the fundamentals of ballet technique for beginning students. Through the traditional class sequence, students become familiar with ballet terms and technique. The class begins at the barre and progresses to center combinations, which emphasize the development of musicality, flexibility, strength, and control. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: permission of the dance area head.Instructor: Shawn MahoneyPresents the fundamentals of the concert dance form exemplified in the styles of Graham, Limon, and Cunningham for beginning students. It focuses on the development of technique, including floor work, center, and traveling components. Students explore a wide range of axial and spatial movement while developing flexibility, placement, control, and a concept of dance as a performing art. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: permission of the dance area head.Instructor: Nicole PierceExplores the technique, style, and rhythmic structure of tap dancing. Students work toward expanding the movement vocabulary. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: permission of the dance area head.An introduction to the American dance form of jazz, including blues and musical theatre dance. Utilizing East Indian and African-Cuban rhythms, this technique is based on exercises and movement developed by choreographer Jack Cole. Classes focus on the development of strength, flexibility, isolation, and control through a series of stretches, strengthening exercises, and center floor combinations. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: permission of the dance area head.Instructors: Jennifer Farrell, Alison NeillStudents at the intermediate level are encouraged to explore the technical and artistic aspects of classical ballet. Each class begins with a series of exercises at the barre and continues into center floor combinations, which may include pirouettes, beats, and jumps. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: permission of the dance area head.Instructor: Marlena YannettiStudents at the intermediate level concentrate on exploring more sophisticated levels of technique, style, and rhythmic structure of tap dancing. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: permission of the Dance faculty.Instructor: Kristen QuartaroneTraining in American jazz dance integrates a number of jazz styles, including Jack Cole, Fosse, and African-Cuban, which are performed today in the musical theatre and in concert. Students work to develop control, strength, and speed, with an emphasis on movement isolation and a clear jazz style. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: permission of the dance area head.Instructor: Marlena YannettiOffers students the opportunity to work with a choreographer in the creation and staging of a concert dance, musical theatre, or dance theatre piece. Led by faculty or guest artists, students work in a broad range of choreographic styles. In addition to developing the performance and physical skills necessary for the work, students are expected to engage in research and/or study materials necessary to the performance. The course culminates in a public performance of the work. May be repeated twice for credit. Prerequisite: permission of the dance area head.Advanced dance students concentrate on further developing strength, flexibility, and control in a wide range of movement vocabulary drawn from the Graham, Limon, and Cunningham styles. Students explore dance phrasing, movement qualities, and develop a strong and focused dance style. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: permission of the dance area head.Intended for students with little or no experience in music who want to develop their listening skills and musical understanding. Emphasis is on a non-theoretical study of the elements and compositional principles of music, and careful listening to selected works of master composers in the context of a brief survey of classical music in its historical and social context. Fulfills the Aesthetic Perspective of the General Education requirements.Instructor: Fredericka KingA study of the evolution of jazz, a continuously evolving form synthesizing many different music styles. Attention is given to its African American origins, historical identifications, antisocial tendencies, political aspects, and subjective effects that have effected cultural change. Emphasis is placed on listening to the works of Armstrong, Ellington, Davis, Gillespie, Parker, Monk, Coltrane, and Mingus. Fulfills the Aesthetic Perspective and the General Education U.S. Diversity requirements.Instructors: Eric Hofbauer, Karen RuymannA survey of European music from Greek beginnings through the Middle Ages, Renaissance, Classical, Baroque, and Romantic periods up to and including contemporary musical forms. Fulfills the Aesthetic Perspective of the General Education requirements.A survey of American music from the first American settlers to the present including the development of such forms as folk, regional, religious, ethnic, jazz, musical theater, and various popular styles. Fulfills the Aesthetic Perspective of the General Education requirements.Instructor: Fredericka KingInvestigates music-making within a variety of cultures, including societies from Africa, the Caribbean, India, the Far East, and Native Americans. Musical experience is examined from both the sonic and social perspectives, including musical form, instruments, and style, as well as music's role as a vehicle for defining and representing social values. Fulfills the Aesthetic Perspective and the General Education Global Diversity requirements.Instructor: Mehmet SanlikolAn introduction to the analysis of music, especially as it appears in musical theatre. Topics include song structure, dance forms, and identification of the features in various genres and historical styles. Required for BFA Musical Theatre majors.A continuation of Music Analysis I, this course focuses on the music and lyrics of songs and shows in the musical theatre repertoire. The focus moves from basic terminology to a more detailed connection between analysis and performance. Other topics include the structure of entire shows, detailed analysis of duets and other ensemble pieces, and an increased focus on recent musical theatre repertoire. Required for BFA Musical Theatre majors.Instructor: Scott WheelerIntroduces the musical and aesthetic conventions of opera. Emphasis is placed on listening to representative works and on a historical survey of opera from its birth to the present. Fulfills the Aesthetic Perspective of the General Education requirements.Introduces Western art music of the 20th century to non-music majors. Students chronologically explore diverse styles and genres of music as composed by a panorama of vibrant musical personalities in the 20th century. Students' goal will be to demystify some of the construction techniques and resulting sounds that have currently expanded our definition of "e-music." Included in their discovery will be discussions on the interplay of music, literature, and the visual arts as reactive and motivating forces on current 21st-century aesthetics. Students close the course by investigating current trends in art music. Fulfills the Aesthetic Perspective of the General Education requirements.Explores several noteworthy musical premieres in modern European history beginning with the shocking debut of opera in 17th-century Italy to the shocking popular music premieres of the 21st-century United States. Students examine the preparation, actual performance of the work, and the often-revolutionary impact on the broader cultural milieu, as these new works help us to broaden and redefine our concept of beauty. Frequently composed by controversial figures in their day, our methodology will include a recurrent assessment quantifying the effect of the "persona" on the outcome of the premiere. Fulfills the Aesthetic Perspective of the General Education requirements.Advanced work in vocal technique and development of a repertoire, consisting of ten weekly 60-minute lessons with a private instructor. Required for BFA Musical Theatre majors. No more than 8 credits of Applied Music: Voice may be counted toward credits required for graduation.For students for whom the study of piano is relevant to their professional goals. Students have a weekly 60-minute individual lesson. No more than 8 credits of Applied Music: Piano may be counted toward credits required for graduation.Instructor: Scott NicholasIntroduces students to the various means of expression available to the art of the stage. In addition to an exploration of the techniques of the written script, students are introduced to the visual forms of artistic communication, their history, and the conventions of all theatrical forms. (Performing Arts students only)Students with senior standing may define project work in acting, directing, design technology, stage and production management, arts and business management, musical theatre, theatre education, dance or dramaturgy. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor and department chair.Introduces the acting process to the non-performance major. Group and individual exercise work develops a relaxed instrument able to respond freely, in the body and the voice, to emotional and external stimuli. The course moves from fundamental explorations through improvisation to work on scripted material.Instructors: Joseph Antoun, Richard GilmanBuilding on the work of TH 121, this course proceeds to careful study of acting craft through the vocabulary of intentions, actions, obstacles, subtext, and objectives.Instructor: Joseph AntounAn intensive exploration of movement and improvisation. A variety of improvisatory approaches are employed to tap into individual creativity and to discover the power of group creation. Physical demands increase as the body is emphasized as the instrument of communication. The work includes exploration of space, energy, dynamics, rhythm, and sensory response. Actors learn to channel their physical and emotional energy into dramatic action. Prerequisite: by audition only.Bases the actor's work in the experience of voice and language. The goal is a free voice in a free body and the ability to express thought and emotion with openness and truth. The course guides students through awareness of and release from habitual tensions and into body alignment, breathing, resonators, sound and movement, group interaction, and the exploration of individual and group creativity. Students use both scripted and improvised material as they discover the two to three octaves of the speaking voice and its connection with thoughts and words. Prerequisite: by audition only.Instructors: Melissa Baroni, Paul D'AgostinoIntroduces performance majors to improvisation, developing listening skills, spontaneous playing, and the art of presence. Required for all students enrolled in the Actor Training Program. Prerequisite: by audition only.Continues the study of improvisation begun in Improvisation I, developing skills from Johnstone, Spolin, and others. Required for all students enrolled in the Actor Training Program. Prerequisite: by audition only.Structured to develop fundamental skills in observation, drawing, painting, and modeling, with an emphasis on the application of these skills to the theatrical design process. Students are expected to provide appropriate materials as needed. This is the first course required of students in the Design/Technology concentration.Instructor: Timothy JozwickOffers experience in standard technical craft practices for the theatre. Students study fundamental techniques in selected technical/craft areas including, but not limited to, scenic construction and handling, scene painting, sculpture for the stage, costume and properties construction, make-up prosthetics, masks, electrics, and lighting. Students are expected to provide appropriate materials as needed. Students may complete different Stagecraft units to a total of 8 credits. The Performing Arts core curriculum requires completion of two laboratory units, or 4 credits.Offers experience in standard technical craft practices for the theatre. Students study fundamental techniques in selected technical/craft areas including, but not limited to, scenic construction and handling, scene painting, sculpture for the stage, costume and properties construction, make-up prosthetics, masks, electrics, and lighting. Students are expected to provide appropriate materials as needed. Students may complete different Stagecraft units to a total of 8 credits. The Performing Arts core curriculum requires completion of two laboratory units, or 4 credits.Instructor: Nicole CerraOffers experience in standard technical craft practices for the theatre. Students study fundamental techniques in selected technical/craft areas including, but not limited to, scenic construction and handling, scene painting, sculpture for the stage, costume and properties construction, make-up prosthetics, masks, electrics, and lighting. Students are expected to provide appropriate materials as needed. Students may complete different Stagecraft units to a total of 8 credits. The Performing Arts core curriculum requires completion of two laboratory units, or 4 credits.Instructor: Ronald De MarcoOffers experience in standard technical craft practices for the theatre. Students study fundamental techniques in selected technical/craft areas including, but not limited to, scenic construction and handling, scene painting, sculpture for the stage, costume and properties construction, make-up prosthetics, masks, electrics, and lighting. Students are expected to provide appropriate materials as needed. Students may complete different Stagecraft units to a total of 8 credits. The Performing Arts core curriculum requires completion of two laboratory units, or 4 credits.Instructor: Richelle Devereaux MurrayOffers experience in standard technical craft practices for the theatre. Students study fundamental techniques in selected technical/craft areas including, but not limited to, scenic construction and handling, scene painting, sculpture for the stage, costume and properties construction, make-up prosthetics, masks, electrics, and lighting. Students are expected to provide appropriate materials as needed. Students may complete different Stagecraft units to a total of 8 credits. The Performing Arts core curriculum requires completion of two laboratory units, or 4 credits.Instructor: Sarah SpollettOffers experience in standard technical craft practices for the theatre. Students study fundamental techniques in selected technical/craft areas including, but not limited to, scenic construction and handling, scene painting, sculpture for the stage, costume and properties construction, make-up prosthetics, masks, electrics, and lighting. Students are expected to provide appropriate materials as needed. Students may complete different Stagecraft units to a total of 8 credits. The Performing Arts core curriculum requires completion of two laboratory units, or 4 credits.Instructor: Bobbie-Jean Powell-KellyOffers experience in standard technical craft practices for the theatre. Students study fundamental techniques in selected technical/craft areas including, but not limited to, scenic construction and handling, scene painting, sculpture for the stage, costume and properties construction, make-up prosthetics, masks, electrics, and lighting. Students are expected to provide appropriate materials as needed. Students may complete different Stagecraft units to a total of 8 credits. The Performing Arts core curriculum requires completion of two laboratory units, or 4 credits.Instructor: Mary Ellen AdamsOffers experience in standard technical craft practices for the theatre. Students study fundamental techniques in selected technical/craft areas including, but not limited to, scenic construction and handling, scene painting, sculpture for the stage, costume and properties construction, make-up prosthetics, masks, electrics, and lighting. Students are expected to provide appropriate materials as needed. Students may complete different Stagecraft units to a total of 8 credits. The Performing Arts core curriculum requires completion of two laboratory units, or 4 credits.Instructor: Brynna BloomfieldExplores the development of styles of Western architecture, furniture, and clothing as a demonstration of the human need to express the social, cultural, and psychological ideals of the period in which it occurs. From the Greeks to the 17th century, the period is presented within its historical-sociological context. The period visual elements are examined according to shape, style, construction, function, and evolution of appearance.Looks at theatre and performance as an essential component and expression of culture. Surveys material in select time periods and global settings to demonstrate how the various elements of theatre work to reflect and shape culture on issues such as nationality, ethnicity, race, religion, gender, sexuality, class, and age. In order to do so, this course examines the roles and practices of directors, designers, dramaturges, and playwrights throughout the world from the classical to the postmodern period, and of varying theatrical styles. Readings include plays and historical material, as well as dramatic theory and criticism. Students attend lectures, participate in group work, view theatrical performances and videos, and talk to professionals in the field. Fulfills the Aesthetic Perspective of the General Education requirements.Instructor: June GuertinExplores the artistic languages of theatre and film. Dramatic material written for the stage is read and analyzed and the process of adaptation of that material is explored. Texts include the works of such playwrights as Shakespeare, Strindberg, Williams, and Albee. Film texts include the work of directors such as Lumet, Cukor, Solberg, and Nichols. Fulfills the Aesthetic Perspective of the General Education requirements.Examines American clothes and fashion in the 20th century, with a primary focus on the visual elements of everyday dress. Six distinct periods are studied according to the silhouette and decorative details of each. Further, each fashion period is studied within the context of its indirect influences (social, cultural, historical, technological, economical). Particular focus is given to concepts of masculinity and feminity, and gender ambiguity; challenges to gendered clothes (such as trousers on women, long hair on men); and anti-fashion (zoot suits, beatniks, hippies, punk, goth). Fulfills the Aesthetic Perspective of the General Education requirements.Instructor: Mary HarkinsSurveys theatre and drama from the Greeks through the Restoration, with a focus on the major periods of Western theatre and dramatic literature: the Greeks, Roman theatre and drama, Medieval theatre, Elizabethan drama, Italian Commedia Dell'arte, Spanish Golden Age, French Neo-Classicism, and Restoration. In addition, students survey Eastern classical theatre and drama with a particular emphasis on the Sanskrit theatre, the Chinese drama and the Peking Opera, and the classical theatre of Japan, including Kabuki, No, and the puppet theatre. There are selected readings of plays in their historical context with particular attention paid to theatrical styles of plays and production.Surveys theatre and drama from the late 17th century to the present. The major periods of world theatre and drama, Romanticism, Modernism, and Post-Modernism are studied with particular emphasis on 20th-century theatre and drama throughout the world, including Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Attention is given to the work of both women and men. Theatrical conventions, innovations, and techniques developed in the Western and non-Western theatres are explored.Intensive scene study builds on TH 123 and TH 124 (movement, improvisation, and voice) to ensure a personal commitment in the way students approach and experience scene work and acting technique (Meisner, Michael Chekhov, etc.) from the canon of various plays. Emphasizes the text, context, subtext, and the given circumstances of each play studied. Actors' scene breakdown, intentions, actions, obstacles, objectives, and moment-to-moment work are some of the tools used to bring scenes from these plays to life.Students combine and deepen the creative work accomplished in TH 123 and TH 124. Along with imagination, intelligence, and emotional availability, they form the actor's instrument and are put into service of a playwright's scripted material. This amalgam is the basis of work on a scripted ensemble play, which is performed at the end of the semester. Ensemble techniques that explore the theatre's collaborative nature are used.Through weekly projects, students learn graphic techniques in drafting for theatrical production. The focus is on conventional symbolization, development of ground plans, sections, elevations, orthographics, isometrics, and construction drawings. Students are expected to provide appropriate materials as needed.Instructor: Janie HowlandBasic principles of stage lighting design are introduced, including the mechanics and optics of lighting instruments, electrical theory and practices, control systems, basic design concepts, and color theory. Controllable qualities of light are investigated and demonstrated through students' participation on a lighting crew for a department production. Design techniques are developed through a complete lighting design project. Students are expected to provide appropriate materials as needed.Introduces the basic principles of theatrical sound design and the practices and skills required to develop a production's sound design and supportive technical documentation. Students are introduced to script analysis, system layout, effects development, source researching, and organization. The combined hands-on presentations and class assignments allow students to develop a working knowledge of the sound designer's responsibilities and skills. Students are expected to provide appropriate materials as needed.Instructor: Benjamin EmersonIntroduces basic costume patterning and construction methods. Students not only study draping, drafting, and flat-patterning, but also learn terminology, equipment usage, and the skills necessary to the entire costuming process. Students are expected to provide appropriate materials as needed.Instructor: Laurie BramhallIntroduces the fundamental principles of design. Students learn how proficiency in a core set of design skills can lead to effective performance in a variety of theatrical and commercial production situations. Students are expected to provide appropriate materials as needed.Presents a comprehensive study of the art of traditional make-up for the stage. Through the use of cosmetics and prosthetics, students learn to execute corrective, character, and age make-up. Students are expected to provide appropriate materials as needed. Co-requisite: TH 347.Instructor: Mary Ellen AdamsStudents develop an understanding of the basic principles of costume design, character analysis, and costume design presentation. Lectures and class discussions prepare students to confront specific problems in design projects. Students are expected to provide appropriate materials as needed.Introduces the theatrical design process and personnel within the regional theatre model. Emphasis is placed on the interconnection between the various design areas and their function in the process of making theatre. Students explore script analysis from the designer's point of view, review various production styles and venues, and experience current production design approaches. This course exposes students to some of the basic skills and processes employed by theatrical designers. Students are expected to supply appropriate materials as needed and attend selected theatrical productions.Examines the basis of public education and the teaching process from a theoretical and methodological viewpoint. Multiple perspectives are employed to investigate these issues, including, but not limited to, the philosophical, historical, sociological, psychological, economic, and political. Required course for initial licensure as a Teacher of Theatre.Instructor: Bethany NelsonExplores the theory and practice of arts management, with particular focus on theatre management. Extensive readings in arts management provide a foundation for further work in the field.Instructor: Julie HennrikusThe fundamentals of stage management explored through readings, discussion, written exercises, and appropriate hands-on experience.The development of American musical theater from the early minstrel shows to the works of Stephen Sondheim is studied with a critical examination of representative musicals. Slides and recordings of Broadway productions will supplement the lectures.Instructor: Leonidas NickoleAfrican-American drama and theater in Africa and America are studied from their origins in African ritual and in early 19th-century America to the present. Lectures and discussions focus on traditional and modern drama and theater, as well as significant periods of dramatic activity such as the Harlem Renaissance, the Federal Theatre Project, and the Black Arts Movement, and on representative works by major contemporary African and African-American dramatists. Fulfills the General Education U.S. Diversity requirement.Covers various topics in the aesthetics of contemporary theatre with particular focus on the history, theory, and criticism of selected contemporary performers and directors, such as Robert Wilson, Richard Foreman, Anne Bogart, Tadeusz Kantor, Jerzy Grotowski, Peter Brook, Julie Taymor, and Tadashi Suzuki, and groups such as Open Theatre, Living Theatre, and Mabou Mines. May be repeated for credit if topics differ. Prerequisite: junior standing. Fulfills the Aesthetic Perspective of the General Education requirements.Intensive discovery of acting technique that builds on the first two years of voice and movement/improvisation work to ensure a personal commitment in the way a student studies and experiences scene work through the vocabulary of intentions, actions, obstacles, subtext, and objectives. This studio course integrates experiences in voice, movement, and acting work through team teaching. Significant personal and group preparation is required outside of class time. At least four additional hours per week are protected in the schedule of all students to facilitate this important work. May be repeated once for credit. Prerequisite: BFA Acting majors only who have successfully completed a faculty review, audition, and TH 222. Co-requisite: TH 326.Instructor: Benny Sato AmbushContinuation of the intensive studio training work of TH 325 students in the BFA program in Acting. This studio course integrates experiences in voice, movement, and acting work through team teaching. Significant personal and group preparation is required outside of class time. At least four additional hours per week are protected in the schedule of all students to facilitate this important work. May be repeated once for credit. Prerequisite: BFA Acting majors only who have successfully completed a faculty review, audition, and TH 222. Co-requisite: TH 325.Instructor: Kathleen DonohueIntensive technique work in acting and musical theatre repertoire. Significant personal and group preparation is required outside of class. Semester includes specific instruction in "clean singing." Prerequisite: BFA Musical Theatre majors only who have successfully completed a faculty review, audition, and TH 222. Co-requisite: TH 329 or TH 429.Continuation of the intensive studio training work of TH 327 for students in the BFA program in Musical Theatre. Scenes from musical theatre and plays as well as advanced musical solo work are considered. Significant personal and group preparation is required outside of class. Semester includes specific work in dialects. Prerequisite: TH 327. Co-requisite: TH 329 or TH 429.Instructor: Scott LaFeberStudents are assigned to class by skill level as determined by musical theatre and dance faculty. Students explore various styles of musical theatre dance and hone their audition and performance skills. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: BFA Musical Theatre majors only who have successfully completed a faculty review, audition, and TH 222. Co-requisite: TH 327, TH 328, TH 427, or TH 428.Instructor: Margaret GorrillStudents learn to use the technology of computer assisted drafting (CAD) to communicate common graphical information required in theatre design and technology. This includes the creation of ground plans, elevations, section views, orthographic views, technical details, and light plots. Students produce both electronic files and printed documents that conform to accepted theatre graphics standards. The techniques of 3D modeling and rendering are also introduced.Instructor: Keith CorneliusPresents approaches to lighting design and poses specific design problems for students to solve. Attention is also given to color, composition, cueing, and production through presentations and discussions in class. Students participate in department productions as assistant designers and electricians. Students are expected to provide appropriate materials as needed.Builds on the experience of fundamental level coursework. Students develop methods for solving the practical and aesthetic problems that a professional designer, working in theatre and allied fields, will encounter. Students are expected to provide appropriate materials as needed.Instructor: Timothy JozwickStudents will practice with a variety of scene shop paint media and surfaces while they learn how to depict both natural and architectural forms. Both large-scale backdrop painting and more detailed faux finish techniques will be studied. Students are expected to supply appropriate materials as needed.2 credits This basic course in the art of film and television make-up effects includes the use of refined cosmetics and prosthetic techniques to execute character, age, and casting molds to create appliances for extreme stylistic character make-up on a studio partner. Students are expected to provide appropriate materials as needed.Corequisite: TH247.Instructor: Mary Ellen AdamsExplores advanced design principles and processes in all areas of costume design. Students experience the complete process of designing costumes for a given project, including (a) creating and presenting the design concept; (b) developing appropriate paperwork for counting, building, and running costumes; and (c) budgeting specs and rendering final sketches. Students produce a portfolio of work and learn to communicate professionally with other members of the theatrical production team. Students are expected to provide appropriate materials as needed.Instructor: Rafael JaenVarious topics provide design students with the opportunity to develop specific skills in the presentation of design concepts including, but not limited to, the areas of costume design, scenic design, lighting design, museum exhibition and installation, and/or design for film and television. Work focuses on design research, conceptualization, and methods of artistic presentation appropriate to the specific design area. Students may study model building, advanced rendering technique, drawing, computer graphics, collage, mixed media, and/or portfolio presentation. Students are expected to provide appropriate materials as needed.A detailed exploration of the theory and practice of arts management using current case studies from within the field. Exploration will include extensive readings, guest speakers, research, group discussions and writing exercises.Explores professional production management in theatre, ranging from commercial and nonprofit regional theatre models to touring and special events management.Addresses the students' needs for comprehensive intermediate instruction, primarily focusing on the position of the assistant stage manager and how he or she functions not only within the stage management team but also as a collaborator/facilitator on plays and musicals.Instructor: Debra AcquavellaMajor principles of play directing are studied. Through comprehensive script analysis, students become familiar with the structure of a play as a basis on which the various elements of theatre can be organized to achieve dramatic unity. Laboratory application of directing practices introduces students to the techniques employed by a director to communicate with actors and audience, including principles of composition, movement, stage business, and rhythm.Instructors: Courtney O'Connor, Steven YakutisWorking from the reading and analysis of contemporary plays, from discussions of contemporary theatrical techniques, and from exercises through which the student writer gains access to personal material, the major focus of the semester is the writing and revision of several drafts of at least 1 one-act play suitable for production on stage. Pieces, scenes, and whole plays are read in class and active participation in the workshop process is a required component of the course.Instructor: Andrew ClarkeProvides theoretical and critical background to the profession of dramaturgy. Explores the history of dramaturgy as well as different professional venues and the variety of tasks that dramaturges perform within a particular venue. Introduces students to the areas of dramatic criticism (theatre critics and scholars, translators, script analysts, and editors), literary office dramaturgy (new script analysis, season planning, literary management of the theatre, etc.), and production dramaturgy (working with the director, audience outreach, new play development, etc.).Various offerings in dramatic literature, theatre history, and/or criticism including, but not limited to, modern American drama, contemporary European and American drama, contemporary women playwrights, gay and lesbian drama, Shakespeare and the Greeks, the history of acting, the history of the physical theatre, and performance studies. All courses are reading, research, and writing intensive. May be repeated for credit if topics differ.Instructor: Magda RomanskaIntroduces students to the art and skill of play analysis, with an eye toward production and cultural significance. Students learn building blocks of dramatic structure and analyze how structure contributes to the understanding of a play. They study plays, critical essays, and performances spanning 25 centuries of Western theatrical practice. Part of the class time is devoted to mapping the structures of the plays and analyzing how these structures may be used to create textually supported interpretations both on stage and in writing. Students explore the material through lecture, discussion, videos, and group activities.Intensive scene study and acting technique exploring specific issues of style, genre, or other defined topics. Topics offered may include, but are not limited to, Shakespeare, the Greeks, Stage Combat, Comedy, Auditions and Monologues, scene work from modern drama, Asian approaches to theatre and performance, Self-Scripting, Solo Performance, Advanced Voice/Dialects, Acting for the Camera, and Musical Theatre Performance. May be repeated for credit if topics differ.Prepares acting students for work on camera. Coursework includes: improvisation, monologues, and scene work. A portion of the course is devoted to the business of acting with special attention to film and television auditioning. Technical skills for film and television performance and an introduction to the elements of film production and emerging media are a component of the course. Part of the semester is devoted to working with a Visual and Media Arts undergraduate directing class.Instructor: Kenneth CheesemanContinuation of the intensive studio training work of TH 325 and TH 326 for students in the BFA program in Acting. Scene study problems move toward issues of style, including a range of aesthetic and acting style issues. This studio course integrates experiences in voice, movement, stage combat (including unarmed and Elizabethan rapier), and acting work through team teaching. Significant personal and group preparation is required outside of class time. At least four additional hours per week are protected in the schedule of all students to facilitate this important work. Co-requisite: TH 426.Instructor: Sarah HicklerContinuation of the intensive studio training work of TH 425 for students in the BFA program in Acting. Beyond continued scene work, significant attention is paid to audition technique and to a thorough orientation to the profession and the business of acting. This studio course integrates experiences in voice, movement, and acting work through team teaching. Significant personal and group preparation is required outside of class time. At least four additional hours per week are protected in the schedule of all students to facilitate this important work. Co-requisite: TH 425.Instructor: Craig MathersAn intensive investigation of pop-rock styles, both in pure pop repertoire and contemporary musical theatre repertoire, in solo work and scenes. The semester culminates in individual cabaret performances, created by the students themselves, in a public performance. Co-requisite: TH 329 or TH 429.Senior-level BFA Musical Theatre majors continue the exploration of musical theatre genres and styles as they propose, rehearse, produce, and perform their own final projects in collaboration with their classmates. These projects are full concert-style performances of complete works from the musical theatre canon. In addition, one class per week is devoted to preparations for the Senior Showcase, which is performed for students, families, and industry professionals during commencement weekend. Co-requisite: TH 329 or TH 429.Instructor: Stephen TerrellStudents are assigned to class by skill level, as determined by musical theatre and dance faculty. Students explore various styles of musical theatre dance and hone their audition and performance skills. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: BFA Musical Theatre majors only who have successfully completed a faculty review, audition, and TH 222. Co-requisite: TH 327, TH 328, TH 427, or TH 428.Instructor: Stephanie HerouxVarious workshops are structured to introduce students to a broad range of technical experience. The subject matter for these workshops may include: 1. Properties design and construction 2. Audio design for performing arts 3. Advanced electrics 4. Design and construction for film and television Students are expected to provide appropriate materials as needed.Introduces the organization of the scene shop, tool maintenance and usage, construction techniques, technical drawing development, computer applications, rigging, and time and material budgeting. Students complete class projects and work on Emerson Stage productions. Students are expected to provide appropriate materials as needed. May be repeated for credit.This advanced course encompasses esthetic, technical, and practical instruction in the development of the art and craft of lighting design as it applies to museums, exhibits, event design, and other non-traditional venues. Students learn the skills necessary to move a lighting design from client meetings to completion with a special focus on how that design will be represented in the many venues required in event planning. Additionally, students learn to analyze client needs and translate ideas into visual images to be presented at the event.Topics in Makeup. See individual section offerings for details. Offered in Summer only.Encourages students to view drawing as an organizing tool for thought, personal image exploration, and as an art of visual storytelling. Students create work exploring materials suited to their ideas, using a variety of media and papers. Lectures and visual presentations introduce students to artists in the worlds of fine arts, theatre, and film for whom drawing is an integral part of their creative process: William Kentridge, Robert Wilson, Eric Drooker, Raymond Pettibon, and a number of classic and contemporary artists whose drawing communicates information, narrates a story, creates a scenario, or conjures a world or system of belief.Examines the philosophy behind the teaching of theatre and the use of drama as an educational tool in classroom, workshop, and production settings. Students learn to assess the learning needs of their students, develop appropriate educational goals, and design and implement teaching strategies. There are 40 hours of pre-practicum work, including observations of area theatre and drama classes from grades pre-K through 12. Course is open to any Performing Arts major and others with permission of instructor. It is required for Theatre Education majors seeking initial licensure as a Teacher of Theatre.Students delve more deeply into the philosophy and practice of teaching through drama and theatre. Forty hours of pre-practicum work with students from grades pre-K through 12 is required. Course is required for Theatre Education majors seeking initial licensure as a Teacher of Theatre.Instructor: Bethany NelsonStudents concurrently enrolled in TH 465, Student Teaching Practicum, also attend this weekly seminar to explore issues, resources, questions, problems, and solutions to the teaching/learning challenges they are facing in their practicum experience. Topics pertinent to beginning teachers, including classroom management strategies and curriculum and lesson plan development are explored. Students reflect on their teaching experiences and critically examine their current and future roles as classroom instructors. Students will understand the need for a community of teachers and gain a sense of confidence about their teaching skills. Co-requisite: TH465.Instructor: Robert ColbyAn 8- to 14-week practicum providing supervised student teaching activities at either the elementary, middle, or high school level. Students practice teaching in a school system, which permits them to interact with students and teachers in their area of concentration. Working closely with the on-site supervising practitioner, students develop instructional units and must be engaged in 300 hours of teaching. The practicum is open only to students who have completed their education program sequence. Co-requisite: TH463.Instructors: Robert Colby, Angela ZomerExamines such topics as theatre-in-education, puppetry, playwriting with and for youth, theatre education outreach, and the teaching of dance and movement. Subject matter varies each semester.Instructor: Bethany NelsonIn this advanced course of study, students develop the required practical skills necessary for the design and execution of a theatrical production design. Students further develop the ability to analyze a script, song, or score and translate the ideas therein into visual images. They learn to move a design from concept to completion under the actual "in theatre" conditions, while still maintaining a safe, constructive learning environment. They put into actual practice the equipment, methods, procedures, and skills necessary to implement a successful design. Students are expected to provide appropriate materials as needed.Students gain practical experience in arts management under faculty supervision. Includes reading and writing assignments, as appropriate, for the serious arts management student.Provides students with the additional tools, techniques, and information to build the bridge from practicing stage management in an educational environment to the professional theatre or MFA program through in-depth study of the Actor's Equity Rules, creation of complex repertory rehearsal schedules of multiple productions, and hands-on training exercises of calling musical show cues with lighting, automation, and fly to music with cue lights.Various topics related to the business of theatre for future working professionals are explored. Different sections approach issues relevant to specific career paths, i.e., acting, design, stage management, etc., such as: the finding of appropriate audition material, and audition and casting process in theatre, film, and television; the requirements for admission to professional trade unions, AEA, and exploration of service organizations; issues of titles, licenses, and/or permits; preparing a professional resume and/or portfolio, job strategies using online sources for entry-level work; entrepreneurial opportunities and interaction with allied businesses and fundraising for nonprofit companies; and other topics as appropriate to individual sections.Instructor: Carolyn PickmanExtending the experiences of Directing I, this course emphasizes the application and unification of stage directing techniques and theories leading to a concept for production. Through selected scenes and projects for class presentation, students continue the exploration of materials and methods of communicating the dramatic content of a script to an audience.Instructor: Joseph AntounIncludes, but is not limited to, the study of dramaturgical elements in the work of contemporary and classic playwrights, as well as continued study of story development, structure, and the use of dialogue. Students present a variety of work in class, their own and the work of others, looking at plays from the perspective of the actor, director, designer and, most importantly, the audience. By the end of the semester, students complete the first draft of a newly conceived full-length play or the third draft of the one-act play begun in Playwriting I.Instructor: Andrew ClarkeExamines and explores various topics in theatre studies, including, but not limited to, the areas of theatre history, criticism, theory, aesthetics, performance studies, and dramatic literature. May be repeated for credit if topics differ.Students create a workshop production focused on a collective approach to theatrical collaboration. Research and in-depth study of the chosen source material accompany practical application and approaches to working in an ensemble, leading to a public showing of the group's work.Instructor: Christina MarinThe art of puppetry and the basic methods of construction, operation, manipulation, and performance of puppets are examined. Emphasis is on the use of puppets as an educational tool. Projects include creating examples of each of the four major types of puppets: shadow, hand, rod, and marionette -- using a range of construction techniques and materials appropriate to an educational setting. The course culminates in the construction of puppets for in-class presentations. Students are expected to provide appropriate materials as needed.Instructor: Mary Ellen AdamsIntroduces the scope, purposes, and history of theatre experiences for children and adolescents. Topics include play reading and analysis, the examination of formal and participatory theatre, and theatre-in-education techniques.Introduces a variety of schemes and stimuli to use in writing scripts for child or youth audiences or to use in helping young people write their own plays. Attention is given to freeing and stretching the imagination, issues of structure, and methods of play development, culminating in readings of new work. Class work includes writing, improvising, reading aloud, critiquing, and discussing work for and with youth.Students design grant proposals with a focus on community-based projects, learning grant writing, skill building, and developing relationships with local arts funders and community artists successful at grant writing and community-based collaborations. Skills include research, budget preparation, developing "boilerplate" data, and writing for specific constituencies and potential audiences.Instructor: Gail BurtonExplores the conceptual and structural material pertinent to the musical play form with emphasis on developing skills in the staging of the materials through the coordination of music, lyrics, and dialogue. Each student is required to stage scenes from musicals for class demonstration. Selected students are assigned to stage mini-musicals for public presentation.Provides students with the ability to experience exercises designed to generate ideas, develop playwriting technique, and explore the theatrical realization of text.Selected periods and topics in dramatic literature are discussed; subject matter varies each semester.Introduces students to 20th-century dramatic theory from both academic and performance-based perspectives. Focuses on the fundamental issues raised by contemporary criticism, such as Modernism, Post-Modernism, Materialism, Psychoanalysis, Deconstruction, Feminism, Queer Theory, and Post-Colonial theory; and the ways in which contemporary theory challenges notions of race, gender, and sexuality. Analyzes the notions of identity and post-identity and how they subsequently developed. Looks at how theory can illuminate our understanding of dramatic texts (characters, concepts, and milieus), how it influenced the 20th-century drama, and how it developed in response to and in the context of drama. Although students begin with the early 20th-century texts, the primary focus is on the post-WWII period (1950s and after).Examination and exploration of various topics in theater studies, including but not limited to the areas of theater history, criticism, theory, aesthetics, performance studies, and dramatic literature. May be repeated for credit if topic differs.Involves intensive explorations of specific topics.This introductory course has the dual objectives of developing students' abilities as actors and as coaches and teachers of acting in either classroom or rehearsal settings. Skills in improvisation and in working with scripted material will be honed, and attention will be given to movement and voice as a part of the acting process. The course also explores how and when to use these techniques, particularly with adolescent actors.Instructor: Nancy FinnExamines the relationships between theatre and culture, where culture is understood as a process of knowing the other, of looking and listening, of creating and maintaining connection in a community. An examination of theoretical texts in economics, history, sociology, cultural studies, politics, and performance provides a foundation for exploring and experiencing various techniques of making theatre in community.This is an acting course. In it, students generate and develop personal stories and discover the most theatrical way to tell them. By developing personal material, students learn how to make choices from content and characterization to style and presentation. Through improvisations, students learn to do what actors do best, act. This process is spontaneous and in the moment, and discoveries are made not in the head but on one's feet.