Theatre Curriculum and Courses

3 Credits (Minimum) 3 Credits (Maximum) 

An introduction to the art and practice of theatre, including acting, directing, playwriting, scenic and lighting design. Course includes required attendance at theatre productions. Approved for LAS Humanities area requirement. Approved for Compass Curriculum requirement: Explore-Arts, Humanities, and Cultures.
 

4 Credits (Minimum) 4 Credits (Maximum) 

A hands-on introduction to scene construction and decoration, stage lighting and effects, basic safety, costume shop procedures, sound technology, and all the fundamentals of technical theatre. Students will attend one lecture and one lab per week. Labs may include field trips.
 

1 Credits (Minimum) 1 Credits (Maximum) 

A hands-on practicum in stagecraft. Students will be given specific responsibilities in production work.

3 Credits (Minimum) 3 Credits (Maximum) 

An introduction to stage acting, with an emphasis on theatre games designed to develop imagination and concentration. Several physical and improvisational exercises and a basic approach to character development. Approved for LAS Oral Communication requirement. Approved for Compass Curriculum requirement: Explore-Arts, Humanities, and Cultures.

3 Credits (Minimum) 3 Credits (Maximum) 

Continuation to THTR 2020, designed for those who have completed THTR 2020 or who have had previous acting experience. Increased emphasis on character development and scene work. Approved for LAS Oral Communication requirement. Prer., THTR 2020 or consent of instructor.

3 Credits (Minimum) 3 Credits (Maximum) 

Special training of the voice. Topics include breathing techniques, voice quality, projection, articulation, and basic IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet). Prerequisite for THTR 3040-Voice and Articulation II. Approved for LAS Oral Communication requirement.

3 Credits (Minimum) 3 Credits (Maximum) 

Improvisation covers the techniques involved in improvisatory theatre. Comedy games and dramatic long-form scenes are covered as well as historical and theoretical analysis of improvisation in the theatre. Approved for LAS Oral Communication requirement.

1 Credits (Minimum) 3 Credits (Maximum) 

Focuses on the developing musical skills and developing a historical context of the genre of musical theatre. Topics include vocal techniques, music theatre repertoire, audition and rehearsal techniques, role preparation, as well as acting and dancing basics. Meets with MUS 2450.

3 Credits (Minimum) 3 Credits (Maximum) 

A lecture and practicum in Children’s Theatre and educational theatre techniques. Various sources examined for dramatizing: children’s stories, fairy tales, poems, and existing scripts. Recommended for actors and soon-to-be educators. Fall only. Prer., THTR 1000.

3 Credits (Minimum) 3 Credits (Maximum) 

An introduction to dance technique. Students will focus on technique exercises, stretching, body alignment, choreography, and movement explorations. The course is a beginning dance class and the foundation for other dance classes.

3 Credits (Minimum) 3 Credits (Maximum) 

Topics will vary from year to year, and may be taught by guest instructors.

3 Credits (Minimum) 3 Credits (Maximum) 

Intensive studio work on scenes and monologues with increased attention to movement. Focus is on period styles of performance. Prer., Open only to those who have THTR 2030, or by special audition and permission of instructor prior to first day of class. May be repeated once with consent of instructor.

3 Credits (Minimum) 3 Credits (Maximum) 

A continuation of THTR 3020, or by special permission of the instructor. Students will study, research, and perform a variety of works by one or two playwrights or a specific theatrical genre. Class will culminate with a performance. Prer., THTR 2020, or consent of instructor. May be repeated once with consent of instructor.

3 Credits (Minimum) 3 Credits (Maximum) 

Continuation of THTR 2040. Intense study of Edith Skinner’s vocal technique and the IPA. Introduction of dialects and voice-over commercial work. Prer., THTR 2040 or permission of instructor.

3 Credits (Minimum) 3 Credits (Maximum) 

Introduces the advanced actor to the art of stage combat. The course culminates with a certification in at least one form of stage combat. May be repeated once with consent of instructor.

3 Credits (Minimum) 3 Credits (Maximum) 

Continuation of beginning musical theatre course (THTR 2060 or MUS 2450). Intense scene study, vocal training and coaching lead to a final showcase. Meets with MUS 3450. Prer., THTR 2060 or MUS 2450.

3 Credits (Minimum) 3 Credits (Maximum) 

An introduction to skills necessary for communicating through a camera, to include basic acting techniques. This is a studio course which will involve on-camera experiences with commercial copy, commentary, newscopy, dramatic scenes and industrial copy. Approved for LAS Oral Communication requirement.

3 Credits (Minimum) 3 Credits (Maximum) 

A professional practice course that teaches audition technique and the ins and outs of a successful career in the theatre. Prer., THTR 2020.

3 Credits (Minimum) 3 Credits (Maximum) 

Covers the development of theatre from the Greeks to the Restoration. Each semester the course is taught there will be a special focus on a specific genre or style of theatre. Approved for LAS Humanities area requirement.

3 Credits (Minimum) 3 Credits (Maximum) 

Covers the development of theatre from the 19th century to the present. Each semester that the course is taught there will be a special focus on a specific genre or style of theatre. Approved for LAS Humanities area requirement.

3 Credits (Minimum) 3 Credits (Maximum) 

An advanced survey of dramatic comedy from ancient times to the present with particular emphasis on continuity of routines, comic acting, and variety of comic forms.

3 Credits (Minimum) 3 Credits (Maximum) 

An exploration and examination of women’s history of, participation in, and contributions to the performing arts as actresses, playwrights, directors, theorists. Combining theory and practice, each semester the students will prepare a staged reading of a female-authored text. Approved for LAS Cultural Diversity requirement.

1 Credits (Minimum) 3 Credits (Maximum) 

Students will receive practical experience as an actor on a student production. Prer., Enrollment by audition and/or permission of instructor only.

1 Credits (Minimum) 3 Credits (Maximum) 

Students will receive practical experience as a technician on a student production. Prer., Enrollment by audition and/or permission of instructor only.
 

1 Credits (Minimum) 3 Credits (Maximum) 

Students will receive practical experience in directing/stage management on a student production. Prer., Enrollment by audition and/or permission of instructor only.
 

1 Credits (Minimum) 6 Credits (Maximum) 

Special production-related projects in conjunction with the Theatreworks Summer Shakespeare Festival. Enrollment by permission of instructor only. Prer., THTR 1000.

3 Credits (Minimum) 3 Credits (Maximum) 

A practical course that examines the responsibilities of a stage manager from preproduction through rehearsal and performances. Prer., THTR 2000.

3 Credits (Minimum) 3 Credits (Maximum) 

Introduction to design, construction, and history of costuming for theatre and film.

3 Credits (Minimum) 3 Credits (Maximum) 

Emphasizes the fundamentals of theatre make-up design and application techniques. Techniques include basic corrective, character, old age, and fantasy application.

3 Credits (Minimum) 3 Credits (Maximum) 

An in-depth course that investigates the details that go into set creation from props to furniture to upholstery and carpentry. Prer., THTR 2000.

3 Credits (Minimum) 3 Credits (Maximum) 

An introduction to lighting design including color theory, script analysis, light plotting, and electrics. Prer., THTR 2000.

3 Credits (Minimum) 3 Credits (Maximum) 

This course is designed to teach and immerse the student in scenic design in the theatre. Topics include script analysis, scenic preparation, sketching, and drafting. The student will learn by practical example, field, study, and hands-on activity.

3 Credits (Minimum) 3 Credits (Maximum) 

Advanced course covering various technical topics of theatre production. Topics may include set design and construction, scenic artistry, costuming, make-up, sound, stage lighting, props, etc. Prer., THTR 2000.

1 Credits (Minimum) 3 Credits (Maximum) 

Students in this course will be involved in interdisciplinary studies clustered around a Theatreworks major production. Topics considered may include visual arts, music, history, literature, science, technology and philosophy relevant to the world of the designated play.

3 Credits (Minimum) 3 Credits (Maximum) 

Focus is on various forms of dance. Each semester the course will use technique, research, and performance to highlight a specific dance genre. Prer., THTR 2700 or DNCE 2700. Meets with DNCE 3700.

3 Credits (Minimum) 3 Credits (Maximum) 

Varying topics relating to theory, practice, and text of world theater. May be repeated for credit if topic is different.

3 Credits (Minimum) 3 Credits (Maximum) 

An in-depth look at theatre of the 19h century from the French Revolution to the Grand-Guignol. Emphasis on melodrama and related examples from visual art and music. Meets with VAPA 3960.

3 Credits (Minimum) 3 Credits (Maximum) 

An in-depth look at the art of the Scandinavian countries with a specific focus on Henrik Ibsen, August Strindberg, Edvard Munch, and Ingmar Bergman. Meets with VAPA 3970.

3 Credits (Minimum) 3 Credits (Maximum) 

An in-depth look at the history, practice, and manifestoes of the major artists of the historical Avant-Garde, from 1880-1950. Meets with VAPA 3980.

1 Credits (Minimum) 3 Credits (Maximum) 

Designed theatrical experiences involving specific application of relevant concepts and skills in supervised professional situations. Pass/Fail only. Prer., Permission of Program Director.

3 Credits (Minimum) 3 Credits (Maximum) 

An introduction to directing for the stage. Exploration of various staging techniques and the essential technical areas (lights, sound and design) as well as intense script analysis. Prer., THTR 1000 and/or THTR 2030.

3 Credits (Minimum) 3 Credits (Maximum) 

A seminar and practicum in directing for the stage. Students will apply learned techniques from THTR 4060 by directing one-act plays, which will be performed in the Spring Student Theatre Festival. Prer., THTR 4060.

3 Credits (Minimum) 3 Credits (Maximum) 

Varying topics related to the history of dramatic literature. May focus on a particular playwright, genre, or period. May be repeated for credit if topic is different.

1 Credits (Minimum) 3 Credits (Maximum) 

A culminating experience reserved for advanced students in directing. Students selected for the class are given a slot in the Osborne Studio Theatre to produce a full-length production. Prer., THTR 4060, THTR 4070, or consent of instructor.

3 Credits (Minimum) 3 Credits (Maximum) 

This course engages students in the theatre experience from conception to completion in scholarship and performance. All students will be involved in a semester-long project, a dramatic production typically lasting 30-50 minutes. Students will be asked to bring their experience and expertise to this unique collaboration. Approved for Compass Curriculum requirement: Summit. Prer., Senior standing.

1 Credits (Minimum) 6 Credits (Maximum) 

Independent study in theatre history, production or performance by permission of department chair.