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Theatre/Dance General Information:
Robert J. Larson, Milo J. Dintaman (department head), Jane Hawley, Shannon Bierly, Commonweal Theatre Company Artists-in-Residence The theatre/dance department offers all students an opportunity to explore, through theory and practice, two distinct but related art forms. Students are encouraged to develop their individual creative strengths while exploring the process, theory, history, aesthetics, and literature of dance and theatre.
The department acknowledges the interrelationship of the two art forms while recognizing the uniqueness of each. Theatre performance and production, dance performance, choreography and production, theatre education, dance education, and theatre or dance management are all possible directions for the major.
Required for a major: The following courses are required of every major: 110 (4 times), 120, 122, 125, 130, 134, 222, 322; one from 354, 364, 366; 485, and 490; plus 10 credit hours chosen from the departmental offerings.
All theatre/dance majors are required to complete an approved internship or senior project and are expected to be substantially involved in the cocurricular program at least twice each academic year.
Required for a minor in theatre/dance: The following courses are required of every minor: 110 (twice); 120, 122, 125, 130, 134, and 222, plus 6-8 credit hours chosen from the departmental offerings.
Writing requirement: Majors must complete two of 338, 356, 366, 367, 368, or 485.
Theatre/Dance Management Program: The program in theatre/dance management is described in this catalog under Special Programs.
Required for a teaching major in speech and theatre: Communication/linguistics 130, 132, 133 (or 354). 236, 353; theatre/dance 110 (twice), 120, 122, 125, 134, 222, 364. See education department for secondary education minor requirements.
Required for a second teaching area in speech and theatre: Twenty-four hours, including communication/linguistics 132, 133 (or 354), 353; theatre/dance 110 (twice), 120, 122, 125, 222, 364.
Commonweal Theatre Company (CTC) Semester-in-Residence (14-16 credits): The CTC Semester-in-Residence offers junior- and senior-level students the opportunity to participate in various aspects of nonprofit theatre on a professional level. The program consists of an internship (6 credits), two courses (3-4 credits each), and a Performance Seminar (2 credits). Internship areas include performance, arts management, directing, design, and technical theatre. Students must submit an application to CTC and the department. Applications are available from the departmental office.
Courses:
110: Production Practicum: Theatre/Dance 0 hours
An intensive experiential research ensemble devoted to crafting, creating, developing, performing and producing a faculty directed theatre and/or dance event. Students in this course will be involved in research and theoretical discussion supporting active involvement in a collaborative process of performance, design and production management, such as (director/designer assistant; set construction; lighting, sound, costume, properties, make-up/hair, and stage management). Theatre/Dance Majors must complete 4 Production Practicums, while Minors must complete 2. Course may be repeated an unlimited number of times. Enrollment by audition or consent of instructor.
120: Viewing Performance 4 hours
How does an audience member participate in the viewing process? How does an audience member make choices in viewing cultivating one's imagination and broadening the ability to identify with artists' choices? By viewing contemporary Dance and Theatre performances through film, video and live representation, Viewing Performance examines lenses of perception the eye and role of the audience. This course also examines how the elements of performance and environment are proportioned to create meaning and sensation. We will consider how socio-political and economic perspectives affect artists' choices. Guest performers, critics and practitioners will complement and expand the syllabus. This course is intended for non-Theatre/Dance majors. No prerequisites.
121: Art of Illusion 4 hours
“Nothing is so beautiful as a bare stage; yet its loneliness and its openness is often too strong a statement and it must be enclosed.”--Peter Brook This course is designed to introduce students to the illusionary arts that are employed in creating theatre. Theatre is a collaborative art form with a variety of artists functioning together to create a single work. This course will explore the connection between the designer and the artist/craftsperson. Through field trips, readings and experiential lab work students will develop, design, create and practice the art of illusion found in the world of the theatre. Field trips to theatre productions, art and theatrical museums will be a part of this course. No prerequisites.
122: Stagecraft Practicum 1 hour
This course introduces students to the crafts of stage technology, applying them to the fields of theatre and dance. Students in this course will be assigned work in areas of scenery, properties, costuming, makeup, lighting and sound. Does not fulfill the Fine Arts General Education requirement. Offered on a credit/no credit basis. No prerequisites. May be repeated.
123: 10-Minute Plays 4 hours
Students will learn the craft of playwriting and play production through the creation of and producing of 10-minute plays. The class will encompass writing, casting, directing, designing and performing the work of the class. No experience in any performing area is assumed. No prerequisites.
125: Acting I: Text in Performance 4 hours
An introduction to performance concepts and skills utilizing text as a beginning point for the performance experience. The course will include analysis and performance of diverse texts through solo and group work, incorporating elements of movement, spoken text and music. Letters, novels, poems, plays, biographies, journals and newspapers are examples of potential performance texts. No experience in any performing area is assumed. No prerequisites.
126: Movement Fundamentals I: Practices of Alignment and Function 4 hours
An introductory movement course exploring vital integrative connections between somatic practice and performance preparation. Somatic skills including dynamic alignment and functional anatomy provide the groundwork for embodied movement exploration. The study and practice of dynamic alignment and embodied anatomy unfold new relationships between physical function and expression. No prerequisites.
130: Contact Improvisation 4 hours
An introduction to the fundamentals of Contact Improvisation, a dance form that explores elements of physical contact among participants. Emphasis will be placed on finding mindful and physical ways to be “ready” to dance: cultivating a quiet core amidst the wilderness of physical disorientation; finding the contact point, weight sharing, pathways into the floor and air; and focusing attention on the details of sensation. Students will engage in practices for building skills of trust, receptivity and responsiveness, as well as tolerance for waiting in the unknown. No prerequisites.
131: Theatre Improvisation 4 hours
Improvisational work in the theatre takes many forms ranging from theatre games to comedy sports to rehearsal exploration. The class will examine and experience the fundamentals of improvisational training. Readings from improvisational theorists and practitioners like Viola Spolin and Keith Johnstone will supplement the in-class investigation and participation in improvisational technique. No prerequisites.
134: Design I: Visual Principles 4 hours
A study of the relationship between the performer, the elements of art and the principles of design. Through a wide variety of hands-on exercises, students will explore how design can enhance the performer’s ability to express thoughts, emotions and ideas. Areas of study will include the designer’s vocabulary and means of expression; the connection between design, the performer and the audience; and methods of articulating visually to various audiences. Course fee: $75.00 for trips to area theatre performances. No prerequisites.
139, 239, 339, 439: Special Topics Credit arr.
185: First-year Seminar 4 hours
A variety of topical seminars for first-year students. Course only offered in January term. Prerequisite: First-year students only.
242: Lighting History and Design 4 hours
A study of the history of lighting for the performing arts and an introduction to and practice in theatrical stage lighting. Coursework will cover the function of light in design; lighting equipment and terminology; communication graphics through practical laboratory explorations. Application of principles for performance events and contemporary lighting problems will be studied through extensive hands-on applications. No prerequisites.
243: Costume History and Design 4 hours
A survey of costume history and design with an emphasis on how historical clothing design influences costume design for the performing arts. Coursework will introduce students to the basic principles of the art and technique of costume design, and execution of a range of techniques and processes. Application of principles in renderings for specific theatrical, musical theatre and dance works through extensive hands-on applications. No prerequisites.
245: Acting II: Body, Voice and Vulnerability 4 hours
This course explores fundamental skills and concepts related to acting in the theatre. The focus includes developing the capacity to be open, vulnerable and responsive in a group setting (ensemble); establishing a strong connection with a partner (talking and listening); understanding the pursuit of an objective and the use of tactics; and beginning work in the analysis and personalization of dramatic text. Basic vocal and physical exploration is an important part of the course. Prerequisite: 125 or consent of instructor.
246: Movement Fundamentals II: Practices of Range and Efficiency 4 hours
An intermediate movement course building technical practice from basic somatic skills. This technique course supports awareness of individual movement patterns and sequences allowing for the development of new movement possibilities. This increased range and efficiency opens the door to new levels of creative expression in communication and performance. This course may be repeated twice. Prerequisite: 126 or consent of instructor.
322: Production Studio 1 hour
This course is an experiential collaborative component for the theatre/dance major. Set within a faculty directed project or production, the student participates in research, dialogue and the underpinnings of producing work. No prerequisites.
338: Contemporary Plays 4 hours
This course builds on the concepts introduced in Acting II, investigating more fully some of the specific acting challenges present in any performance situation. A more intensive study of the text and character is accomplished through increased scene work. Vocal and physical explorations continue as central elements in the course. Prerequisite: 245, or consent of instructor.
354 Design II: Scenography 4 hours
An exploratory study of performance design: scenery, costuming, sound and/or lighting. Coursework will develop a student’s individual approach to design and practical problem-solving for live performance with an emphasis on the function of design and aesthetics for the performing arts. Students enrolled will have bi-weekly portfolio meetings for an exchange of ideas in the field of design for live performance. Lab hours arranged. Prerequisites: 120, 122, 125, 130, or consent of instructor.
355 Acting III: Vocabulary and Sensibility 4 hours
This course builds on the concepts introduced in Acting II, investigating more fully some of the specific acting challenges present in any performance situation. A more intensive study of the text and character is accomplished through increased scene work. Vocal and physical explorations continue as central elements in the course. Prerequisite: 245, or consent of instructor.
356: Movement Fundamentals III: Practices of Vocabulary and Intention 4 hours
An advanced movement course crystallizing performance skills through the development of individual movement versatility and invention. Technique practice builds from somatic skills and contemporary dance vocabulary through both technical phrasing and improvisational scoring. This depth of integrative practice prepares the mover to refine movement vocabulary and clarify movement intention. Writing course. May be repeated twice. Prerequisite: 246, or consent of instructor.
364: Directing 4 hours
A study of the theories and practices related to directing for the theatre. Coursework will include emphasis on communication principles and script analysis as well as laboratory experiences in directing. Consideration of compositional methods in other art forms—dance, music, visual art, literature—will inform the development of skills for creating theatrical events. Prerequisites: 120 or 121 and 125 or 130, or consent of instructor.
366: Dance Composition 4 hours
An introduction to the basic tools of dance-making, this course explores the development and crafting of movement, time, space and design elements. Consideration of compositional methods in other art forms—theatre, music, visual art, literature—will inform the development of skills for creating dance/movement events. Students will prepare solo and group movement studies for informal performance and observe, discuss, and critique each other’s work as they learn how to see dance as well as make it. Prerequisites: 120 or 121 and 126 or 130, or consent of instructor.
367: Theatre History I 4 hours
A study of major developments in the theatre—playwriting, acting, staging, architecture—from their roots through the 1850s, with reading of numerous representative plays. A study of theatre around the world from primitive rituals to classical Greek and Roman, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, and African theatre and native performance. The plays, period developments, and movements studies will provide foundation for discussion of how modern readers and audiences can have a meaningful encounter with these ancient works. No prerequisites.
368: Theatre History II 4 hours
A study of the development of the modern theatre, its drama, and its stagecrafts, from 1850 through the present, with reading of numerous representative plays. Two-thirds of the plays studied will be by playwrights from around the globe and the remaining third will be plays by American and British playwrights. No prerequisites.
369: Dance History 4 hours
This course takes an ethnographic approach to Euro-Western, Asian and African dance forms. Conventions and figures in ballet and modern/contemporary dance are emphasized. Contextualized analysis of the art forms of dance making and doing enliven students' understanding of social, political and historical happenings. This course studies a breadth of representative artists, artworks and practices ranging from the 17th century through the present. Depth is accomplished through students' culminating research projects. No prerequisites.
380: Internship 1-6 hours
Supervised on- or off-campus work experience related to professional demands and expectations of persons and organizations involved in theatre and/or dance. Prerequisite: 12 hours in theatre/dance.
389: Directed Research 1-4 hours
395: Independent Study 1-4 hours
490: Theatre/Dance Senior Seminar 2 hours
An intensive, collaborative study of selected theories, performance artist(s), writer(s), selected period, or movement. The seminar will intersect the disciplines of theatre and dance. The course format rests upon student-led discussion and development of an artist's manifesto, both of which will be used to focus and develop the Senior Project Proposal. Prerequisites: Senior standing or consent of instructor.
491: Theatre/Dance Senior Project 2 hours
Students will complete an individualized or collaborative Senior Project. Theatre/Dance Senior Projects will include a written artist's statement, process documentation, post-project reflection/critique, and will be presented publicly. Students will orally defend their project before the department following the public presentation. Double majors may petition the Theatre/Dance department to accept another department’s senior project in lieu of the Theatre/Dance Senior Project requirement. Acceptable substitutes should reflect the department’s mission and goals for student learning. Prerequisites: 490, Senior standing.
493: Senior Honors Project 4 hours
A year-long independent research project. Applications are completed on the “Honors Program” form available at the registrar’s office, requiring the signatures of a faculty supervisor, the department head, the honors program director and the registrar. Interdisciplinary projects require the signatures of two faculty supervisors. The project must be completed by the due date for senior projects. A review committee consisting of the faculty supervisor, another faculty member from the major department, and a faculty member from outside the major department evaluate the completed project. All projects must be presented publicly. Only projects awarded an “A- or A” qualify for “department honors” designation. The honors project fulfills the all-college senior project requirement.
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