THEATRE ARTS COURSES

THE 101. INTRODUCTION TO THEATRE 4 sh
Students explore the nature of theatre, how it is created and how it functions in society. Primary study covers the diversity of the art form, basic terminology and the event/audience relationship. Performance reaction papers, creative projects and lab hours are required. Offered fall and spring. (THE 101 is cross-listed with FNA 101.)

THE 110. THEATRE WORKSHOP 2-4 sh
Students work with a professor to earn credit for hands-on experiences in theatrical production. Maximum four semester hours credit. Offered fall, winter and spring.

THE 115. B.A. ACTING I 4 sh
This course is specifically designed to meet the needs of the A.B. Theatre Studies and Theatrical Design and Production majors. Students will explore topics related to acting and establish a foundation of acting skills through work on scenes and monologues from realistic plays. Students will also develop critical and other observational skills by writing reaction papers on plays they attend. Prerequisite: A.B. Theatre Studies or Theatrical Design and Production major or permission of instructor. Offered spring.

THE 120. ACTING I 4 sh
Students are introduced to and practice the Meisner technique, starting with basic repetition, continuing through and including the final improvisation. The semester ends with scene work incorporating the moment to moment listening skills acquired from the Meisner exercises. Prerequisite: BFA Theatre Arts/Music Theatre majors or permission of instructor. Offered fall.

THE 125. ACTING FOR NONMAJORS 4 sh
This course is designed to meet the interests of the nonmajor. With this course's dual focus, students gain experience in acting and examine topics such as the art of acting, leading to a more informed audience respondent. Performance reaction papers are required. Offered fall and spring.

THE 210. TECHNICAL PRODUCTION IN THEATRE 4 sh
Students learn the basics of theatrical production in scenery and lighting, including fundamental drafting skills. An intensive hands-on lab is required. Offered fall.

THE 215. B.A. ACTING II 4 sh
This course is specifically designed to meet the needs of the A.B. Theatre Studies majors. Students will increase their skills and understanding of the work of the actor through continued work on scenes and monologues from plays with a wide variety of styles. Students will further develop their critical and observational skills by writing reactions papers on plays they attend. Prerequisite: THE 115. Offered fall.

THE 220. ACTING II 4 sh
Students prepare scenework exercises to continue developing acting skills with focus on realistic drama approached through a Stanislavski-based methodology. Performance reaction papers are required. Prerequisite: THE 120. Offered fall.

THE 221. ACTING III 4 sh
This is an advanced course in performance skill for BFA Musical Theatre and BFA Theatre Arts students only. Students are introduced to advanced Meisner exercises that teach the art of the impediment and cause and effect listening and responding through the physical instrument, text specificity using standard nursery rhymes and the building of character through point of view exercises utilizing Master's Spoon River Anthology. The semester ends with scene work designed to incorporate the various skills taught in exercise. Prerequisite: THE 220. Offered spring.

THE 222. FUNDAMENTALS OF MAKE-UP DESIGN AND APPLICATION 2 sh
Students learn the basic art of two-and three-dimensional stage make-up design and application, including corrective, age, fantasy and prosthetics. Students must purchase a make-up kit. Offered fall and spring.

THE 223. THEATRE ENSEMBLE 1 sh
Students earn credit for performing in department productions. This course is repeatable. Prerequisite: admission by audition only. Offered fall and spring.

THE 225. VOCAL PRODUCTION I 1 sh
This course is designed to meet the needs of the beginning BFA acting student. Students will be introduced to various breathing and movement techniques, which will allow them as young artists to understand the use of the body and voice as an instrument. To begin to understand how to have "control" of the instrument and to physically relax when speaking and moving with the high emotional content that comprises all Theatre Art. They will begin to develop "actor warm-ups": that they will then continue to use and refine throughout their careers. They will be introduced to the techniques of graphically representing tongue muscularity utilizing first broad then narrow International Phonetic Alphabet transcription (for theatrical purpose). They will be introduced to Transatlantic Speech as a reference dialect. Prerequisite: BFA Acting major or permission of instructor only. Offered spring.

THE 226. VOCAL PRODUCTION II 1 sh
This course is designed to meet the needs of the advanced beginner BFA Acting student. Students will continue to build on the skills learned in THE 125 Vocal Production I — a continued journey into the experience of owning and controlling the artistic instrument including breathing, movement, International Phonetic Alphabet transcription and Transatlantic speech. Prerequisite: THE 225, BFA Acting majors or permission of instructor only. Offered fall.

THE 301. THEATRE HISTORY AND LITERATURE I 4 sh
Students explore the origins of the art form and its development through the 17th century, emphasizing understanding the historical context of the text and its performance conditions and methods by studying representative plays of each period. A major research assignment is required. Offered fall.

THE 302. THEATRE HISTORY AND LITERATURE II 4 sh
Students further explore the evolution of the art form from the 17th century to the present with emphasis on understanding the historical context of the text and its performance conditions and methods by studying representative plays of each period. A major research assignment is required. Offered spring.

THE 310. ADVANCED PROJECTS IN THEATRE 2-4 sh
Advanced, experienced theatre students earn credit for assuming major responsibilities in department productions. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisites: permission of instructor, availability of projects. Offered fall, winter and spring.

THE 320. ACTING IV: SPECIAL TOPICS 2-4 sh
In this course for advanced performers, each semester examines a different topic such as audition techniques, stage dialects, acting for the camera and period style. Performance reaction papers are required. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisites: THE 220, 221 or permission of instructor; majors only. Offered fall and spring.

THE 321. ACTING FOR THE CAMERA 4 sh
This course will provide an introductory examination and exploration of the technique of acting for the camera. Students will learn to apply their previous acting training to the specific demands of this medium. Prerequisite: THE 221 or permission of instructor. Offered fall.

THE 322. STAGE COMBAT 4 sh
This course is designed to develop the actor’s ability to perform, in both a safe and theatrically effective manner, plays that represent physical violence. It will develop a level of proficiency in unarmed combat and explore techniques for working with weapons. Emphasis will be placed on melding the technical/athletic aspect of stage combat with effective use of the actor’s craft. Prerequisite: THE 221 or permission of instructor. Offered alternate spring semesters.

THE 323. DIALECTS 2-4 sh
Students will learn to employ the technical process of transforming an author’s text to a given accent or dialect using the International Phonetic Alphabet and Transatlantic Speech, as well as the physicality of the life and character of the speech. Prerequisite: THE 221 or permission of instructor. Offered spring.

THE 325. VOCAL PRODUCTION III 1 sh
This course is designed to meet the needs of the intermediate BFA Acting student. Students will continue to learn to apply vocal exercises and warm-ups by designing their own versions, based on the information provided in THE 225 and 226. Students will learn how to use their phonetic tools to analyze both classical and contemporary dialog and verse to better understand why a playwright has chosen specific sounds and words, and how as performers they might bring these sounds to organic life. They will learn how to use sounds as tools for organic acting. They will be introduced to scansion technique for verse speaking, phonetic length and technical analysis of both poetic and contemporary writing. Prerequisites: THE 225, 226, BFA Acting majors or permission of instructor only. Offered spring.

THE 326. VOCAL PRODUCTION IV 1 sh
This course is designed to meet the needs of the upper-level BFA Acting major. Students will continue to develop and experiment with various techniques, develop, clarify and warm-up the voice and speech mechanism and will engage in an in-depth study of accents and dialects. Students will learn how to develop "recipes" to provide for accurate and consistent acoustically appropriate dialects and accents using the International Phonetic Alphabet transcription and Transatlantic speech as their reference dialect. Students will become proficient with at least two or three dialects and be exposed to several more. Prerequisites: THE 225, 226, 325, BFA Acting majors or permission of instructor only. Offered fall.

THE 330. PLAYWRITING 4 sh
Students learn the skills, working methods and processes of theatrical playwriting by studying playscripts, known playwrights and strenuous writing assignments. Study culminates in a completed one-act script.

THE 331. PLAYSCRIPT ANALYSIS 4 sh
Students learn various methods of analyzing playscripts as a basis for interpretation for all theatre artists. Prerequisites: THE 101, 115; 120 or 125; or permission of instructor. Offered fall.

THE 332. PLAY DIRECTION 4 sh
Working methods of the stage director, from analysis through rehearsal, are the focus of this study, which culminates in a scene project by each student. Discussion emphasizes decision making and communicating with actors. Production reaction papers are required. Prerequisite: THE 330. Offered spring.

THE 341. LIGHTING DESIGN AND STAGE ELECTRICS 4 sh
This course will provide an exploration into the process and principles of stage electrics and theatrical lighting design. Topics will include equipment, procedures, drafting skills and the interpretation of theatrical literature in the development of artistic concepts as related to the creation and execution of lighting designs. Prerequisite: THE 210 or permission of instructor. Offered alternate fall semesters.

THE 363-64. WINTERSTOCK THEATRE 4 sh
Students earn credit for participation in departmental productions during winter term. Prerequisite: by audition only. Offered winter.

THE 440. SPECIAL TOPICS IN THEATRE PRODUCTION AND DESIGN 2-4 sh
Students conduct an in-depth examination of a different topic each semester, such as scenic design, lighting design, costume design, production stage management and technical direction. Production reaction papers are required. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisites: THE 210.

THE 495. SENIOR SEMINAR 4 sh
This capstone experience for senior Theatre Arts majors concentrates on two areas: a practical project demonstrating proficiency in the field and preparation for graduate study or work in the profession. Prerequisite: senior majors only. This course is two semesters in length. Students must take both semesters. Offered fall and spring.