Academic Work

Principles and practices of directing. Includes detailed analysis of the playscript and directing of laboratory or workshop productions.

An introduction to stage management for academic and professional theatre. This project-oriented course provides students with a survey of techniques and strategies aimed at modeling successful stage management. Students will gain hands-on experience by working in stage management in the Department’s performance spaces.

A study of the art and practice of theatrical costume design. Emphasis will be placed on the costume designer’s requirements for pre-production. Topics covered include analysis, research, basic figure proportion, color theory, sketching, swatching and rendering. Students will present design concepts through a series of renderings for selected periods and plays.

Design and practice in the art of stage, screen and print makeup. The course focuses on development of skills for the practicing theatre artist.

This course specializes in the area of scenic building and properties production for the stage. Areas covered include basic sewing for the stage and more advanced prop fabrication. From initial script analysis for props, to working with designers, directors, stage management and prop assistants, the student will explore ways to build/buy/borrow or find the props best suited to the production.

A study of the art and practice of theatrical scenic design. The focus of the course will be on the traditional approaches to scenic design and a study of the elements of composition as they apply to scenery. Students will work with different theatrical styles and settings and will present design concepts through painted renderings and/or models as well as draftings.

Preparation and execution of basic movement exercises, jazz, tap and modern dance and their application to choreography for musical theatre.

Principles and practices of directing. Includes detailed analysis of the play script and directing of laboratory or workshop productions.

An introductory study of theatre sound systems and design for theatrical performance. Using the systems in the Department’s performance spaces, students will become familiar with mixers, effects processors, amplification and microphone technology. Students will experience the design process and gain hands-on experience as assistant designers, audio engineers and programmer/operators in plays produced by the Department.

A practical activity-based and lecture course which specializes in the study of various paint finishes and techniques that are applied to stage scenery. When working on class assignments, students will have the opportunity to experiment with paint, binders, tools and techniques. The techniques covered serve as a foundation for further study and exploration in the art of scene painting.

This course explores theatre as a political, activist, problem solving, educational and aesthetic tool. Students will learn to develop interactive performances that can be used to effect social change in a wide variety of community settings.

A course exploring various critical approaches to Western written texts intended for the stage. The selection of plays will help students develop the ability to analyze and evaluate a variety of scripts in terms of form, structure, tone and style. Students will be introduced to some of the most important realistic plays of the twentieth century while also exploring texts that depart from realism.