Theatre

This introductory course gives students a basic understanding of theatrical productions and theatre vocabulary through an investigation of how a play moves from the page to the stage. By touching on the various sub-disciplines of theatre (including playwriting, design, performance, and more), this course explores the role of theatre and art in the world.
Students may not receive credit for EN 1221 & TH 1221.

This course introduces students to a variety of technical theatre disciplines, including scenery, lighting, sound, props, and costumes. Students will explore each technical element through a combination of lectures, demonstrations, and workshops, and will demonstrate their learning through group projects and other hands-on activities. 
Students may not receive credit for TH 2500 and either EN 2222 or TH 2222.

This course captures student participation in club theatrical productions. \ Course requirements and syllabus are available from the instructor. Students may not enroll themselves in this course; anyone participating in a credit eligible club production will be invited to request credit; those who do will be enrolled by the instructor. This course may be repeated for credit on different productions. Only 2/3 units of credited production work (TH 1800 and TH 2800) may be counted toward the Humanities & Arts Requirement. 

This course is designed to give students fundamental tools and techniques for acting in the theatre. These include concentration, relaxation, imagination, observation, communication, sensory awareness, and basic script analysis. Drawing on the “Stanislavski Method,” and using character analysis and scene study, it will include exploration of objectives, tactics, obstacles, action, conflict, subtext, and characterization. It will do this through in-class exercises, as well as monologue and scene work from a variety of plays. Beyond acting skills, the student will learn valuable skills in public speaking and in conveying clear, complex ideas.

Students may not receive credit for TH 2100 and TH 1100.

This course will explore the principles and practices of theatrical design including script analysis, research, concept development, and collaboration. Students will learn to engage in theatrical storytelling through a variety of design disciplines (scenery, costumes, lighting, sound), and will develop a basic understanding of how these elements fit together. Students may not receive credit for TH 2400 and TH 111X.

This course captures student participation in departmental theatrical productions. Depending on the size of their role, students may earn 1/3 unit, 1/6 unit, or no credit. Course requirements & syllabus are available from the instructor. Students may not enroll themselves in this course; anyone wishing to participate in a departmental production should contact the Theater faculty during the previous semester. This course may be repeated for credit on different productions. Only 2/3 units of credited production work (TH 1800 & TH 2800) may be counted toward the Humanities & Arts Requirement.

In this course, students will learn to examine plays as works of literature and blueprints for performance. Through reading, discussion, and analysis, students will explore how playwrights engage social issues, respond to cultural trends, and provide entertainment through the medium of drama. Each offering will focus on works of dramatic literature within a specific period, genre, theme, or culture, such as: Modernism, Restoration, Musicals, Melodrama, Science Plays, LGBTQ+ Stories, Latinx Writers, or South African Drama. Students may repeat this course for credit with different topics.

This course examines a selection of Shakespeare’s plays, specifically addressing issues of performance. We will approach the plays through close reading; in relationship to the historical, cultural, and theatrical context in which they were written and originally produced; through viewing and analysis (film and live performance); and as they have been and can be interpreted for performance. We will explore the relationship between text and performance in a practical way with performance exercises and staging scenes from the plays. We will also consider how production elements (design elements including setting and costumes, casting, direction and performance choices, etc.) create and convey meaning and shape audience response. 
Students may not receive credit for EN 3225 and TH 3220
This course will be offered in 2022-23, and in alternating years thereafter.

Playwright. Wright – a maker. She creates a world on the stage through action, dialogue, and character. In this course, students will learn to write for the theatre – to make plays – through study, discussion, and practice. Working from foundational ideas of the well-made play, it will draw upon various analytic theories of theater to examine the structure of plays. Through exercises and studio-type critique, students will create and develop their own plays.
This course will be offered in 2021-22, and in alternating years thereafter.

Students may not receive credit for TH 3240 and TH 2219.

This course will use the multidisciplinary approach of theatre studies to examine specific theatrical traditions, movements, or approaches. Through reading/viewing, discussion, and practical exercises, students will explore the interactions of various theatrical sub-disciplines (such as directing, design, playwriting, acting, etc.) as well as the relationship of performance to adjacent fields such as sociology, geography, history, and politics. Each offering will focus on a specific type of performance, such as: Documentary Theatre, Audience-Driven/Interactive Performance, Theatre for Social Change, Religious & Ritual Performance, Puppetry, or Physical Theatre. 

Students may repeat this course for credit with different topics.

This course examines the principles and practice of theatrical lighting design. Students will develop skills in all parts of the design process, from play analysis and visual research to system design and cueing. Through class discussion, hands-on activities, and creative design projects, students will develop their abilities to recognize, develop, communicate, and execute lighting design ideas. Though primarily focused on live performance (theatre, dance, opera, music, etc.), this course will also teach ideas and skills applicable to other mediums (architecture, film/TV, animation, etc.). Students may not receive credit for TH 3400 and TH340X.

This course will immerse students in the scenic fabrication process for a department theatre production. As members of the show’s crew, students will plan, build, paint, install, and eventually remove all scenic elements, in collaboration with the show’s technical staff and design team. Additionally, students may learn about the design process and other related activities. Students will demonstrate their learning by participating in the build process and other assigned projects. Students may not receive credit for TH 3510 and TH 320X.

To complete the Theatre Minor, students must engage in a faculty-supervised, research-driven investigation of a specific topic within theatre. This experience is typically paired with a significant role on a departmental production. Course requirements & syllabus are available from the instructor. Students may not enroll themselves in this course; anyone wishing to complete a minor capstone should contact the Theatre faculty during the previous semester.