ART OF THEATRE DESIGN

The course is designed to explore the nature of design, in theatre and the visual arts. Students study the elements of set, costume, lighting and sound design while looking at the work of some of the most influential designers, past and present. Especially designed for those with a limited background in theatre, it involves discussions about assigned plays and projects, as appropriate to the topic. It is open to all students but particularly recommended for first-year students and sophomores. Enrollment limited to 16.

SCREENWRITING I

The means and methods of the writer for television and the cinema. Analysis of the structure and dialogue of a few selected films. Prerequisite: 261 or 262 or permission of the instructor. Enrollment limited to 12. Writing sample required.

MODERN EUROPEAN DRAMA II

Pioneering and influential contemporary theatre in Europe from the 1930s to the present. The playwrights to be studied may include later Brecht, Camus, Sartre, Anouilh, Gombrowicz, Carr, Kirkwood, Beckett, Ionesco, Genet, Pinter, Duras, Handke, Fo, Havel, Schimmelpfennig, Page, Mrozek, Loher and Churchill. Special attention to issues of gender, class, warfare and other personal/political foci. Attendance may be required at selected performances.

DIRECTING II

Advanced aspects of directing for the stage. Structural analysis of dramatic texts, with emphasis on articulating a unique vision for a text. Work on problems of visual composition, rehearsal techniques and development, in collaboration with actors and designers, of the inner score of action and its physical expression the stage. Prerequisites: Directing I. In addition, Acting II (THE 242) and a 200-level design class are strongly recommended. Permission of the instructor required.

DIRECTING I

This course focuses upon interpretative approaches to dramatic texts and how they may be realized and animated through characterization, composition, movement, rhythm and style. Prerequisites: Acting I or FLS 280. Permission of instructor required. Enrollment limited to 12.

WRITING FOR THEATRE I

The means and methods of the playwright and the writer for television and the cinema. Analysis of the structure and dialogue of a few selected plays. Weekly and biweekly exercises in writing for various media. Goal for beginning playwrights: to draft a one-act play by the end of the semester. Plays by students are considered for staging. L and P with writing sample required, best submitted weeks prior to registration.

THEATRE PRODUCTION

Same description as THE 200. There is one general meeting in the Green Room, Theatre Building. Attendance is mandatory; attendance at weekly production meetings for some assignments may be required. Graded S/U only.

THEATRE PRODUCTION

This is a laboratory course which gives one credit for participation in a Theatre Department production. Most positions are designed for people with no previous experience. Offerings within the course cover all areas of theatre production, on stage and off, including positions as stage crew, light and sound board operators, dressers, stage managers, design assistants, box office assistants, props charges, electricians, or actors. May be taken four times for credit, with a maximum of two credits per semester.
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