Subject Course Number Long Course Title Description
THAR 111 Introduction to the Theatre A survey of the traditions of dramatic form and the contributing arts of the theatre presented in historical context. Students read representative playscripts and attend performances. Also offered at the London Centre.
THAR 135 Stagecraft An introduction to the technical aspects of theatre production. Laboratory experience in scenic construction and rigging, painting, lighting, sound, backstage organization, and management.
THAR 137 Costume Crafts and Technology An introduction to the technical aspects of costume creation and production for the theatre. Course includes hands-on experience in costume construction, cutting, draping, millinery, and other costume crafts.
THAR 143 Movement for the Theatre: Fundamentals of Movement Movement for the Theatre introduces students to the basic movement and gestural vocabulary of the dance discipline and promotes a fundamental understanding of how dance and movement serve as one of the contributing arts to the theatre. In each section, emphasis will be placed on basic technique, historical context, and their relationship to common theatre, musical, and opera production practices. Recommended for students who wish to participate in theatre, opera, and musical productions. Only 6 units of Movement for the Theatre (any type) can count toward the theatre arts major.
THAR 145 Movement for the Theatre: Ballet Movement for the Theatre introduces students to the basic movement and gestural vocabulary of the dance discipline and promotes a fundamental understanding of how dance and movement serve as one of the contributing arts to the theatre. In each section, emphasis will be placed on basic technique, historical context, and their relationship to common theatre, musical, and opera production practices. Recommended for students who wish to participate in theatre, opera, and musical productions. Only 6 units of Movement for the Theatre (any type) can count toward the theatre arts major.
THAR 147 Movement for the Theatre: Modern Dance Movement for the Theatre introduces students to the basic movement and gestural vocabulary of the dance discipline and promotes a fundamental understanding of how dance and movement serve as one of the contributing arts to the theatre. In each section, emphasis will be placed on basic technique, historical context, and their relationship to common theatre, musical, and opera production practices. Recommended for students who wish to participate in theatre, opera, and musical productions. Only 6 units of Movement for the Theatre (any type) can count toward the theatre arts major.
THAR 149 Movement for the Theatre: Social Dance Movement for the Theatre introduces students to the basic movement and gestural vocabulary of the dance discipline and promotes a fundamental understanding of how dance and movement serve as one of the contributing arts to the theatre. In each section, emphasis will be placed on basic technique, historical context, and their relationship to common theatre, musical, and opera production practices. Recommended for students who wish to participate in theatre, opera, and musical productions. Only 6 units of Movement for the Theatre (any type) can count toward the theatre arts major.
THAR 161 Stage Make-Up A hands-on course offering experience in the proper design and application of stage make-up for students interested in theatre or music-theatre performance.
THAR 170 Shakespeare London Students will study several plays by William Shakespeare selected from among the current offerings by the Royal Shakespeare and other companies. Discussions will address the plays themselves, production techniques, and the audiences to whom they appeal. Students are required to attend performances of the plays under study. Offered at the London Centre.
THAR 187 Acting I We present a demystified, participatory approach to the craft of acting. Using the methods of Viola Spolin, students master the fundamental concepts of Stanislavsky and explore acting tools in the traditions of Grotowski and Meisner.
THAR 190 Tutorial Studies in Theatre Arts Advanced work, arranged and carried out in consultation with an instructor.
THAR 195 Internship in Theatre Arts An opportunity for students to apply their theatre skills in business and the non-profit sector on the regional, national, and international levels. Arranged in collaboration with and supervised by a member of the department. Includes readings, discussion, report, and/or portfolio. Advance consultation and application required.
THAR 199 Independent Study in Theatre Arts Advanced work in directing, design, performance, or criticism, arranged in consultation with department.
THAR 212 Theatre Traditions I: Greeks Through the 18th Century A survey of theatre in its cultural context from its Greek origins through the 18th century. Extensive readings from the dramatic literature of each period supplement the study of the physical theatre and production practices.
THAR 224 Theatre Traditions II: Romanticism Through the Present A survey of theatre in its cultural context from Romanticism through the present day. Extensive readings from the dramatic literature of each period illustrate the ideas, aesthetic values, and staging innovations that led to the theatre of the 21st century.
THAR 226 Study of the Avant-Garde Theatre A study of theatre and drama from the end of the 19th century to the present, focusing on the development of new forms in drama.
THAR 227 Voice and Diction The spoken word is the most fundamental means of human communication. This course will introduce students to a practical approach to speech and voice dynamics in the tradition of Arthur Lessac.
THAR 229 Performance of Literature A study of the principles involved in the oral performance of different forms of literature. Class involves practical platform training and experience with interpretive analysis and presentation.
THAR 231 Introduction to Design for the Theatre A survey covering all aspects of visual design for the theatre. Emphasis on the necessary techniques of drafting, painting, and modelmaking, with attention to aesthetic and practical problems of theatre design.
THAR 247 Responding to Art, or Dancing About Architecture This course will guide students toward writing cogent and insightful reviews in the fine and performing arts, by cultivating a thoughtful, reflective, and creative attitude toward their aesthetic assumptions and expectations. Students will be exposed to the full range of London cultural offerings including theatre, opera, dance, concerts, poetry readings, art exhibitions, museum presentations, and architectural tours. The class will examine ancillary sources such as the popular press and scholarly reviews of performances and exhibits and then follow up these experiences and readings with discussions, guided responses, and directed journal writing to help students develop a personal aesthetic vocabulary. Toward the end of the course, students will be encouraged to find creative ways of expressing their responses to art including writing short plays or poems, collage art, or even dancing about architecture. The course is designed to broaden the range of fine arts majors, while enabling non-arts majors to cultivate a life-long habit of viewing and attending a variety of arts. Offered at the London Centre.
THAR 260 The Art of Film A study of the narrative and visual techniques in films selected from masterpieces of modern cinema. Readings in film history, film theory, and film aesthetics along with viewings of approximately ten movies from various periods and countries, by directors such as Eisenstein, Wells, Fellini, Kurasawa, and Truffaut.
THAR 274 Roman Comedy Close reading of two plays by Plautus and/or Terence, selected from the following: Amphitryo, Casina, Menaechmi, Rudens, Andria, Eunuch, Phormio, and Adelphoe.
THAR 276 Greek Drama A study of selected dramas such as Aeschylus’ Prometheus Bound, the Agamemnon and Antigone of Sophocles, and Euripides’ Bacchae and Medea.
THAR 279 Fringe Theatre in London This course will attempt to define Fringe Theatre (a movement started in 1968) and to categorize its main elements. The class shall attend a wide variety of plays and venues and come to an understanding of how the fringe has changed over the years. Discussions will address production techniques, the plays themselves, the audiences to whom they appeal, and to what extent the fringe is still an important theatrical force. Students are required to attend performances of the plays under study. Offered at the London Centre.
THAR 285 Theatre for Young Audiences A foundation to a growing field that ranges from theatre for a young audience to theatre with a young audience. This seminar-style course will give students who are interested in teaching theatre a strong foundation in the topic, including historical and pedgogical perspectives.
THAR 327 Playscript Analysis The playscript is a blueprint for a construction that uses the media of space, time, color, speech, and action to reflect from the stage images of what it means to be human. This course will explore both technical and creative ways to decipher the play text.
THAR 351 Film in Germany (in English) This course selects from 90 years of filmmaking in Germany. Films range from expressionism to Nazi propaganda and from escapist comedies to avant garde art. Learning to “read” German films critically also means finding out how to understand movies from Hollywood and beyond. Possible topics include “From Caligari to Hitler,” “German Literature as Film,” and “What Makes Lola Run.” Taught in English. German majors and minors may participate in a two-unit tutorial in which discussions and some course readings will be in German.
THAR 352 Introduction to Film A bridge between intermediate and advanced courses. Intensive discussion, reading, and writing practice using films from a variety of genres (documentaries and feature films, including film adaptations of stories, novels, and plays in Spanish). Emphasis on the analysis of film components and structure and, where relevant, on the interconnections between literary texts and film. Not open to native speakers of Spanish.
THAR 355 Theatre Production Laboratory Practicum in theatre production. May be taken for one or more terms; six terms required of theatre arts majors, three terms required of minors. May be taken by any student involved in theatre production. May be repeated for credit.
THAR 357 Musical Theatre Production Laboratory Practicum in musical theatre. May be taken for one or more terms; can be used in partial fulfillment of the six terms of Theatre Arts 355 required of all theatre arts majors or the three terms of Theatre Arts 355 required of all theatre arts minors. May be repeated for credit.
THAR 377 Technologies in Theatre Production Theatre designers execute their vision of the dramatic world by exploring the available technologies of the theatre. This course examines modern technological protocol for theatre production. Topics will include: safety and efficacy for lighting, sound, special effects.
THAR 390 Tutorial Studies in Theatre Arts Advanced work, arranged and carried out in consultation with an instructor.
THAR 395 Internship in Theatre Arts An opportunity for students to apply their theatre skills in business and the non-profit sector on the regional, national, and international levels. Arranged in collaboration with and supervised by a member of the department. Includes readings, discussion, report, and/or portfolio. Advance consultation and application required.
THAR 399 Independent Study in Theatre Arts Advanced work in directing, design, performance, or criticism, arranged in consultation with department.
THAR 423 History of American Dramatic Literature A study of American theatre in its cultural context from its colonial beginnings to the present. Extensive readings of the works of principal playwrights.
THAR 425 Advance of the American Musical A study of this uniquely American theatrical form as it develops in response to our culture throughout the 20th century and into the 21st. Ability to read music helpful, but not required.
THAR 432 Shakespeare An introduction to Shakespeare’s plays and their literary, historical, and theatrical context.
THAR 434 Restoration and 18th-Century Comedy A study of English comedies as reflections of changing taste and thought in the period 1660-1800. Authors include Wycherley, Etherege, Congreve, Farquhar, Steele, Fielding, Goldsmith, and Sheridan.
THAR 436 Renaissance Drama A study of eight to ten plays from the early modern period, excluding Shakespeare. Readings include Marlowe, Jonson, Middleton and Webster.
THAR 440 Modern Drama Studies in some of the major playwrights in Europe, England, and America from the time of Ibsen to the present.
THAR 477 Acting II Continued, in-depth study of the elements covered in Theatre Arts 187 with added monologue, scenic work, and an introduction to acting Shakespeare. The department expects that students who take this course have had extensive performance experience between Acting I and Acting II.
THAR 479 Styles of Acting Study of the acting of a particular period or style, based on the techniques acquired in Theatre Arts 187.
THAR 527 Play Directing Examination of and practice in fundamental directing methods and techniques. In this course we focus on the directing tradition of Alexander Dean.
THAR 541 Seminar in Technical Theatre A seminar focusing on specialized technical areas of the theatre. Content varies to fit the availability of the technical staff. May be repeated as content changes.
THAR 551 Costume Design The theory and practice of costume design for the stage, focusing on period style and presentation technique. Laboratory responsibility in the costume shop required as part of course.
THAR 553 Stage Lighting A study of basic lighting theory, design, and technique that enables students to assume responsibility, with knowledge and precision, for designing and executing lighting plots. Laboratory responsibility on lighting crews required as part of course.
THAR 555 Set Design A study of the role of the set designer in a theatrical production from the conceptual through the production phase. Emphasis on values of concept, inventive scenic solutions, and creative research as applied to a number of different dramatic styles. Laboratory responsibility in the scenic studio required as part of course.
THAR 557 Sound for the Stage An examination of the aesthetic and practical applications of sound creation and reinforcement as involved in all contemporary theatre performance. Laboratory experience on a sound crew is a required part of the course.
THAR 573 Computing in Stage Design and Production A study of the range of areas wherein computing supports the efforts of the contemporary designer, including CAD, modeling, rendering, and animation applications. The course involves hands-on laboratory work in computing.
THAR 590 Tutorial Studies in Theatre Arts Advanced work, arranged and carried out in consultation with an instructor.
THAR 595 Internship in Theatre Arts An opportunity for students to apply their theatre skills in business and the non-profit sector on the regional, national, and international levels. Arranged in collaboration with and supervised by a member of the department. Includes readings, discussion, report, and/or portfolio. Advance consultation and application required.
THAR 599 Independent Study in Theatre Arts Advanced work in directing, design, performance, or criticism, arranged in consultation with department.
THAR 611 Dramatic Theory and Criticism A study of dramatic theory and criticism from Aristotle to the present. Students, as theatre artists, research and apply concepts explored in class to playscripts.
THAR 627 Advanced Play Directing Practical application of the principles learned in Theatre Arts 527. Students explore how Dean and Carra’s Five Fundamentals of play directing are used to clearly express dramatic type and theatrical style. Extensive scene work, presentations, and final project for public performance.
THAR 679 Advanced Design Studio Further exploration of design and design techniques, including rendering and drafting, focusing on portfolio preparation, taking into consideration the specific interests and needs of each student participating.
THAR 690 Tutorial Studies in Theatre Arts Advanced work, arranged and carried out in consultation with an instructor.
THAR 695 Internship in Theatre Arts An opportunity for students to apply their theatre skills in business and the non-profit sector on the regional, national, and international levels. Arranged in collaboration with and supervised by a member of the department. Includes readings, discussion, report, and/or portfolio. Advance consultation and application required.
THAR 699 Independent Study in Theatre Arts Advanced work in directing, design, performance, or criticism, arranged in consultation with department.