Theater

Requirements

10 credits of work including:

·          Fundamentals of Dramaturgy (THEA 001  )

·          Acting I (THEA 002A  ) or Foundation Drawing (STUA 001  ) (for design emphasis students only)

·          Any course in design (THEA 003  THEA 004A  THEA 004B  THEA 004C  THEA 004D  THEA 004E  )

·          Performance Theory and Practice (THEA 015  )

·          One credit from following list: Playwriting Workshop (THEA 006  ), or Solo Performance (THEA 025  ), or Directing I (THEA 035  ), or an additional course in design (003, 004A, 004B, 004C, 004D, 004E)

·          Production Ensemble (THEA 022  ) or Special Project in Design (034)

·          Senior Company (THEA 099  )

·          Theater Seminar (100-level)

·          One additional credit in acting, design, directing, theater history, playwriting, or dramaturgy

All course majors and minors are required to fulfill a set number of hours doing technical/crew work before the end of the junior year. Students can obtain details on how to fulfill the technical/crew requirement from their major advisers, the department office, or from advising forms available outside the chair’s office. Technical/crew hours can be arranged directly with the department’s Production Manager/Technical Director or Costume Shop Supervisor.

The areas of specialization are acting, solo performance, directing, design, playwriting, dramaturgy, and theater history. Special arrangements will be made for students who seek secondary school certification. Prospective majors should consult with the chair or their department adviser about their choice.

In addition to these course requirements, the major includes a comprehensive examination in two parts: (1) an essay relating the student’s experience in Senior Company; and (2) an oral examination on the essay and related subjects by theater faculty.

Acting

The student, together with their adviser, will undertake a project that will take place over the course of two semesters. The fall semester will consist of a series of workshops and assignments designed to further develop the critical and practical skills required for performance. This preparatory work in the fall semester will be put to use in the spring through the production of a play or performed by the students and directed by the acting faculty. An external examiner will attend as many rehearsal sessions as possible to observe the student’s process. The examiner also attends one or more of the public performances. The examination proper will consist of an extended interview directly following the performance and a briefer oral during honors weekend. The subject of the first interview will be the student’s processes as he or she relates to the production. The second oral will concern the student’s assessment of the entire process as a part of his or her undergraduate education and future plans.

Design

The student will function as the designer for a production presented by the Theater Department in one area of design. The student will produce appropriate preparatory materials for this project (research, sketches, color renderings, drafting, models, digital media, light or sound plots, etc.). Because this is a collaborative project, a production time line will need to be prepared and production meetings scheduled. In addition to the development of the design, the student will collaborate with all relevant staff and craftsmen during the fabrication stage, ensuring the full-scale design is executed as designed. The local instructor will supervise these activities appropriately, on the model of a special project in theater. The external examiner will receive copies of all materials as the student creates them and will pay close attention to the way in which the project develops under continual revision. The examiner will attend one of the public performances and in advance of honors weekend will receive in digital form the student’s completed portfolio for presentation. The examination proper will consist of an extended interview directly following the performance and a briefer oral during honors weekend. The subject of the first interview will be the student’s processes as he or she relates to the production. The second oral will concern the student’s assessment of the entire process as a part of his or her undergraduate education and future plans.

The student may also prepare a portfolio project in design as an honors thesis, with all appropriate studio work but without being linked to a specific production in the department. Such a project permits the student to create a project beyond the givens of the department’s specific production environment.

Directing

The student will, under faculty supervision, read around a given playwright’s work, make a director’s preparation for the entire play, and rehearse for public presentation a locally castable portion of the chosen play. Original developmental projects may be proposed, subject to the approval of the faculty adviser for the thesis. The department will hire a professional collaborator (usually an actor) for a set number of rehearsal hours in connection with the project. The instructor will supervise these activities appropriately, on the model of a special project in theater. The external examiner will visit this project several times (depending on schedule and available funds). These visits (to rehearsal or planning session) will not include feedback from the examiner. The examiner attends rehearsal to know as much as possible about the student’s methods of making the work. The examiner also attends one or more of the public performances. The examination proper will consist of an extended interview directly following the performance and a briefer oral during honors weekend. The subject of the first interview will be the student’s processes as he or she relates to the production. The second oral will concern the student’s assessment of the entire process as a part of his or her undergraduate education and future plans.

Dramaturgy

This project will be done in one of the following ways:

1. As a production project in the form of a one-credit attachment to the Fundamentals of Dramaturgy class (THEA 001) or Production Dramaturgy Seminar (THEA 121) consisting of work with a faculty or student director. This will typically be in connection with Production Ensemble or an honors thesis in directing. The student will create a body of writing appropriate to the specific project. This will include (but is not limited to) notes on production history, given circumstances, script analysis, program and press-kit notes, study guide, and a grant proposal. The student’s work will continue in rehearsal. The external examiner will receive all materials as they are generated. The examiner also attends one or more of the public performances. The examination proper will consist of an extended interview directly following the performance and a briefer oral during honors weekend. The subject of the first interview will be the student’s processes as he or she relates to the production. The second oral will concern the student’s assessment of the entire process as a part of his or her undergraduate education and future plans.
2. The completion of a stage adaptation of a non-dramatic text or combination of texts. A complete draft of the adaptation will be completed under the supervision of a faculty member in production dramaturgy, and a staged reading of a revised version of the text will be presented in collaboration with a professional director as guest artist. This is a two-credit thesis project to be completed over two semesters in the senior year, generally parallel to the honors thesis model for playwriting. The examiner will attend at least two rehearsals and the final staged reading, in addition to reading the final text and its original source. The examination will consist of an extended oral presentation given during honors weekend.
3. Students fluent in a second language can apply to do a translation of a play into or out of English as an honors thesis attachment to Production Dramaturgy. This may be a one-credit attachment for a written draft only (done with a member of the faculty) or as a two-credit thesis with a staged reading done in collaboration with a guest director, as in the adaptation thesis above. In the case of a staged reading, the examiner will attend at least two rehearsals and the final staged reading, in addition to reading the final text together with the original source. The examination proper will consist of an extended interview directly following the performance and a briefer oral during honors weekend. The subject of the first interview will be the student’s processes as he or she relates to the production. The second oral will concern the student’s assessment of the entire process as a part of his or her undergraduate education and future plans.

Playwriting

The student will write a complete draft of a play over the course of a semester in collaboration with a faculty member or other professional production dramaturge. In a second semester, the department will hire a professional director for a set number of rehearsal hours in preparation for a staged reading, with whom the student will work through a rehearsal and revision process based on the earlier work with the production dramaturgy. The faculty adviser and/or the production dramaturgy faculty will continue to assist during the rehearsal/revision process. The external examiner will read the completed first draft and attend as many rehearsal sessions as possible and the final staged reading to observe the student’s writing and collaborative process. The examination proper will consist of an extended interview directly following the staged reading, the reading of the student’s revised draft based on the rehearsal process and performances, and a briefer oral examination during honors weekend. There is also the option of a purely written playwriting thesis preparation, without the production component.

Solo Performance

The student, with guidance from their adviser, will create and perform a solo performance. The program will hire a professional director for a set number of rehearsal hours, which the student will supplement with practice and other writing, acting, and design “homework.” The adviser will assist in this work on a regular basis. The external examiner will attend as many rehearsal sessions as possible to observe the student’s process. The examiner attends rehearsal to know as much as possible about the student’s methods of making the work. The examiner also attends one or more of the public performances. The examination proper will consist of an extended interview directly following the performance and a briefer oral during honors weekend. The subject of the first interview will be the student’s processes as he or she relates to the production. The second oral will concern the student’s assessment of the entire process as a part of his or her undergraduate education and future plans.

Department Policies for All Theater Majors and Minors

Co-curricular and extracurricular work in the Theater Department, although not specifically required, is strongly recommended for majors. Opportunities include paid and volunteer staff positions with the department, in-house projects for various classes, production work in The Eugene M. and Theresa Lang Performing Arts Center, and Drama Board productions.

While the Theater faculty recognizes the value of co-curricular and extra-curricular performance work by students, such commitments at times can create serious stress and scheduling conflicts that can negatively impact a student’s health and academic performance. The department therefore requires all majors and minors to receive written pre-approval from either their advisers or the chair before committing to any performance work outside of the department.

In the case of conflicts for students between dress rehearsals or performances in the department and other classes, the faculty will gladly make arrangements for excused absences with professors in other departments. Students should alert the department faculty about any such conflicts in the first weeks of rehearsals for any given production in the department, and never less than two weeks before the date of the conflict with dress rehearsals.

Working consistently with faculty on such time-management issues is essential for all rising theater majors and minors, and is of the highest priority for students planning to participate in the Honors Program.

With respect to the 20-course rule, courses in dramatic literature taught in the English Literature, Classics, or Modern Languages and Literatures departments may be designated as part of the major. Courses in non-dramatic literatures taught in those departments will not be considered part of the major.

Freshman Year

Fundamentals of Dramaturgy (001)

Acting I (002A), fall or spring semester*

Any course in design (003 or 004 sequence), fall or spring semester*

Production Ensemble (022), fall semester* (by audition; open to first-year students)

Sophomore Year

Fundamentals of Dramaturgy (001) (if not taken freshman year)

Performance Theory & Practice (015), fall semester* (counts for Writing Intensive Course Credit in the Humanities)

Playwriting Workshop (006), or Solo Performance (025)

Production Ensemble (022), fall semester*, or Special Project in Design (034), fall or spring semester

(If not taken in freshman year, Theater 022 or 034 recommended here for students considering study abroad in their junior year)

NB: Theater majors planning a semester abroad should plan to do so in the spring of the sophomore year or the fall of the junior year.

Junior Year

Playwriting Workshop (006), or Solo Performance (025), or Directing I (035)

Performance Theory & Practice (015), fall semester*

Production Ensemble (022), fall semester* (if not taken in previously)

Special Project in Design (034), fall or spring semester

Theater Seminar (100-level) spring semester* (counts for Writing Intensive Course Credit in the Humanities)

NB: A seminar is required for all theater majors and honors minors and should be taken in the junior year.

Completion of a sequence in acting, directing, design, playwriting, or production dramaturgy*

Completion of the technical/crew hours requirement

Senior Year

Senior Company (099), fall semester* (honors majors add at least one credit of thesis credit each semester of the senior year)

Introductory Courses

All introductory courses are open to all students without prerequisite.

• THEA 001. Fundamentals of Dramaturgy
• THEA 002A. Acting I
• THEA 002B. Special Project in Voice Performance
• THEA 002C. Special Project in Acting
• THEA 003. Fundamentals of Design for Theater and Performance
• THEA 004A. Set Design
• THEA 004B. Lighting Design
• THEA 004C. Costume Design
• THEA 004D. Integrated Media Design for Live Performance
• THEA 004E. Sound Design
• THEA 005. Opera Production Workshop
• THEA 005A. Special Project in Interdisciplinary Performance
• THEA 006. Playwriting Workshop
• THEA 008. Movement Theater Workshop

Intermediate Courses

• THEA 011. Special Topics in Theater History, Dramaturgy and Performance Theory
• THEA 011A. Carnival Culture: Dance, Music and Drama in Early Modern Europe
• THEA 012. Acting II
• THEA 012A. Intermediate Special Project in Acting
• THEA 013. Special Project in Theater Practicum
• THEA 014. Special Project in Stage Management
• THEA 014A. Special Project in Set Design
• THEA 014B. Special Project in Lighting Design
• THEA 014C. Special Project in Costume Design
• THEA 014D. Special Project in Integrated Media Design
• THEA 014E. Special Project in Sound Design
• THEA 015. Performance Theory and Practice
• THEA 016. Special Project in Playwriting
• THEA 021. Special Project in Production Dramaturgy
• THEA 022. Production Ensemble I
• THEA 023. Special Project: Intermediate Theater Practicum
• THEA 024. Special Project: Intermediate Stage Management
• THEA 025. Solo Performance
• THEA 034A. Special Project: Intermediate Set Design
• THEA 034B. Special Project: Intermediate Lighting Design
• THEA 034C. Special Project: Intermediate Costume Design
• THEA 034D. Special Project: Intermediate Integrated Media Design
• THEA 034E. Special Project: Intermediate Sound Design
• THEA 035. Directing I: Directors’ Lab
• THEA 042. Production Ensemble II
• THEA 045. Special Project: Solo Performance

Advanced Courses

• THEA 052. Production Ensemble III
• THEA 053. Special Project: Advanced Theater Practicum
• THEA 054A. Special Project: Advanced Set Design
• THEA 054B. Special Project: Advanced Lighting Design
• THEA 054C. Special Project: Advanced Costume Design
• THEA 054D. Special Project: Advanced Integrated Media Design
• THEA 054E. Special Project: Advanced Sound Design
• THEA 055. Directing II: Advanced Directing Workshop
• THEA 061. Intermediate Special Project in Production Dramaturgy
• THEA 062. Production Ensemble IV
• THEA 064. Advanced Special Project in Scenography, Sound, and Technology
• THEA 072. Advanced Special Project in Acting
• THEA 074A. Special Project: Senior Project in Set Design
• THEA 074B. Special Project: Senior Project in Lighting Design
• THEA 074C. Special Project: Senior Project in Costume Design
• THEA 074D. Special Project: Senior Project in Integrated Media Design
• THEA 074E. Special Project: Senior Project in Sound Design
• THEA 075. Advanced Special Project in Directing
• THEA 091. Advanced Special Project in Production Dramaturgy
• THEA 092. Off-Campus Projects in Theater
• THEA 093. Directed Reading
• THEA 094. Special Projects in Theater
• THEA 099. Senior Company

Seminars

• THEA 102A. Acting Capstone
• THEA 102B. Acting Capstone
• THEA 106. Theater History Seminar
• THEA 121. Dramaturgy Seminar
• THEA 180A. Honors Thesis Preparation in Acting
• THEA 180B. Honors Thesis Preparation in Directing
• THEA 180C. Honors Thesis Preparation in Playwriting
• THEA 180D. Honors Thesis Preparation in Design
• THEA 180E. Honors Thesis Preparation in Dramaturgy
• THEA 180F. Honors Thesis Preparation in Solo Performance
• THEA 180G. Honors Thesis Preparation in Performance Theory
• THEA 181A. Honors Thesis Production in Acting.
• THEA 181B. Honors Thesis Production in Directing
• THEA 181C. Honors Thesis Production in Playwriting
• THEA 181D. Honors Thesis Production in Design
• THEA 181E. Honors Thesis Production in Dramaturgy
• THEA 181F. Honors Thesis Production in Solo Performance
• THEA 181G. Honors Thesis Production in Performance Theory