Through reading novels and short stories in a range of styles and from a range of places, we will look at how fictional characters shape and are shaped by history. What are the tools writers use to create their characters, and how do we talk about character in historical fiction? Are we looking for a portrayal that in some way complements our understanding of a time and place, one that challenges it, or both?

This is a research course for intellectuals who are artists and artists who are intellectuals. The course has two goals: (First) To investigate life in the U.S., 1890-1910, an era whose inequities and injustices, inventions and ambitions, panics and disasters eerily resemble our own. Students will sift through collections of archival photographs and an array of primary and secondary written documents to carry out their investigations. Photographs will come from on-line, archival collections; newspapers and novels published during the era will serve as primary written sources.

The primary focus of this intermediate playwriting course is drawing inspiration from historical figures for the construction of original one-act plays. In addition to developing and deepening our craft as playwrights - clarifying dramatic action, and creating more dynamic characters - we will deconstruct the work of several contemporary theatre makers including Lin Manuel Miranda, Katori Hall, Moises Kaufman, Charise Castro Smith and Doug Wright, all of whom are writing, staging and performing original dramas that are at once comedic, musical and absurd.

In Intermediate Sculpture students will further develop concepts and processes that are applicable to work in sculpture and other three dimensional media. Fundamental principles that link materials and methods with meaning will be explored through projects in a wide range of materials including clay, wood, plaster, and steel. The human body, abstraction, installation, public art, and the relationship between sculpture and architecture are all possible areas of investigation.

Recycling, remanufacturing, refurbishing, repurposing and up-cycling are all ways to add value, reduce waste and lower the environmental impact of used objects. Through the notion of tinkering, we will explore how discarded objects can be creatively reused for utilitarian and artistic purposes. Through this process participants in the course will enhance their technological creativity and designing capacity. Using projects and experiential means (e.g.

Understanding the limits and possibilities of point of view is an essential step in becoming a writer. This reading and workshop course will introduce members to various kinds of literary point of view. Through focused writing exercises, intensive reading of contemporary U.S. and international fiction told in different modes, members will acquire a language for analyzing point of view in fiction, as well as practical experience in using varied points of view themselves.

Most people think entrepreneurship means launching a new business from scratch. But there are effective alternatives to that approach for introducing innovations in both for-profit and not-for-profit ventures. Just two examples include strategic partnerships and licensing of innovations to established organizations. This course explores different strategies for introducing innovations through for-profit and not-for-profit ventures based on developing effective, real world business models.

This introductory course examines and applies principles of acting to contemporary monologues and scenes. Techniques include invoking imagination, relaxation and focus, sense memory, physical awareness, vocal expression, improvisation and critical analysis. As well as practical applications of the principles, they will be examined in at least four substantial written assignments. Due to the highly collaborative and experiential nature of this studio course, attendance and punctuality are essential: two absences, but no late arrivals will be permitted.

Literary Journalism encompasses a variety of genres, including portrait/biography, memoir, and investigation of the social landscape. Literary journalism uses such devices as plot, character, and spoken language to tell true stories about a variety of real worlds. By combining evocation with analysis, immersion with investigation, literary journalism tries to reproduce the complex surfaces and depths of people, places, and events.

This theatre course identifies the potential sources of artistic impulse and provides tools to develop artistic practice through making theatre with music as the primary element. From discovering the multiplicity of sources of inspiration, students will develop their own creative process from scratch to a final performance. Through unlocking the various ways music can be theatrical, we attempt song writing, composition of sonic landscape, utilizing found music to create theatre, and other possibilities.