History and Traditions of Western Theatre I: An examination of the evolution of Western theater and dramatic literature from classical Greece through the 18th century. The course surveys stage practices, dramaturgical and production techniques, theater architecture, and major critical theories while investigating the intersection between the theater and its surrounding sociological, political, philosophical and cultural contexts and the continued relevance of many classic western dramas to contemporary society.
History and Traditions of Western Theatre II: An examination of the evolution of Western theatre and dramatic literature from the 19th century to today. Continues the survey of stage practices, dramaturgical and production techniques, theatre architecture, and major critical theories begun in the previous course, with the additional emphasis on basic research methodologies and writing practices in pursuit of a piece of original scholarship. (Satisfies a University Writing Intensive requirement.)
Global Theatre: A seminar-style examination of theater history and performance traditions from around the globe (e.g. Latin America, South America, Africa, Asia, and the South Pacific). Particular emphasis is placed on contemporary plays, post-colonial and postmodern critical theory, and the influence of contemporary theatrical movements and figures upon contemporary performance.
Introduction to Theatre: Experiential introduction to the arts and crafts—costume, lighting, scenery, playwriting, acting —that collaborate to create a work of theater.
Topics: Dramatic Ireland: A hybrid history/literature/performance course that includes accent work and scene analysis, both elements of an examination of Ireland’s complex, contentious history as revealed in the island’s theatre and dramatic literature.
Speech: Exploring Voice in Vocation: A course focused on developing compassionate listening and speech communication skills while exploring a calling within a discipline.
Theatre History and Dramatic Literature I: An in-depth survey of the forms, practices, and texts of the theatre from the Greek Golden Age through Shakespeare to the Jacobean period, including early Asian forms from India, China, and Japan.
Theatre History and Dramatic Literature II: An in-depth survey of the evolution of Western theatre from the Restoration to late-19th century Realism.
Theatre History and Dramatic Literature III: An in-depth survey of the forms, practices, and texts of the theatre from 20th century responses to realism to the present day, including an exploration of African theatres.
Theatre Survey: Introduces the varieties of theatrical art, past and present, contributions of the various theatrical artists to the total production, and the place of theatre art in today’s society. Designed for non-majors.
Script Analysis: An exploration of dramatic forms and the means of analyzing them, with a focus on meeting the demands of production, intended for incoming majors.
Modern Irish Drama: Charting the development and exportation of Ireland’s cultural and political identity in plays from the Gaelic Revival of the late Nineteenth Century through the “Celtic Tiger” of the 1990s.
Renaissance English Drama: A survey of Elizabethan and Jacobean drama examining Shakespeare and his contemporaries (Marlowe, Beaumont, Fletcher, Jonson, Carey, etc.) in the theatrical, political, and social context of the English Renaissance.
Development of Theatre III: 20th Century International Drama: An examination of significant plays from Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, and Europe in light of historical and political realities and contemporary cultural theory.
Performance of Literature: Students learn to perceive literary form and content and to translate that perception into classroom performances of selected modern plays and stories. Performances, both solo and ensemble, embody literary texts diverse in terms of gender and ethnicity.
Acting 1: Emphasizes principles of acting, focusing on exercises in relaxation, talking and listening, actions and objectives, and basic concepts of process work.
Acting for Non-majors: Teaches the basic principles of acting for those with no previous acting experience, focusing on relaxation, concentration, improvisation, use of imagination, actions, objectives, initial monologue and scene work, and basic terms and concepts of process work for the actor.
Advanced Acting: Continuation of the techniques introduced in Acting for Non-majors and Acting 1. Emphasis is placed on monologues and scene study of contemporary plays. Basic techniques in developing a character are explored.
Development of Theatre IV: American Theatre and Drama: Explores issues and texts in American theatre and drama in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Development of Theatre I: Forms of Classical Theatre: Examines the interaction of dramatic literature and performance in classical forms of European and Asian theatre, including Greek, Roman, Indian, Japanese, Medieval, and Renaissance European.
Introduction to Theatre: Broad overview of the art and craft of theatre, its cultural significance and its means of production intended for undergraduate non-majors.