Courses

THEA 110. Acting for Non-Theatre Majors (formerly THEA 210) Credit 3(3-0)
This course will include an examination and analysis of the actor’s craft through improvisation, sensitivity exercises, sense of emotional memory, and other exercises. These are used in order to free the student’s mind and body for the work of creating the playwright’s world. (F;S)

THEA 111. Acting I (formerly THEA 211) Credit 3(2-2)
This course will emphasize acting as organic interrelationship of self and environment. Students will learn to release individuality through improvisational exercises in relaxation and physical freedom, along with observation research, justification of action, objectives, talking and listening, inner focus through senses, all focusing on the Stanislavski Method; and on Dialogue and Text. Culminating projects under faculty supervision will be given. Theatre majors only. (F)

THEA 112. Acting II (formerly THEA 212) Credit 3(2-2)
This course is a continuation of Acting I with concentration on working on a role; breakdown of text into actions, objectives, beats; sensory work and its application to script. Students will learn developing and sustaining characters and action in increasingly complex texts. Rehearsals and performance of scenes and one-act plays with faculty and student directors will be emphasized. Prerequisite: THEA 111 or consent of the instructor. (S)

THEA 114. Theatre Movement I (formerly THEA 214) Credit 2(1-2)
This course is an introduction to the development of an expressive body. Emphasis will be placed on entering energy flow; harmonious alignment; Yoga exercises; Alexander technique; using modern dance and ballet to achieve a flexible, free, strong, and restfully alert body. Students will develop imaginative resources and sense of form through structures of improvisation in space. Theatre majors only. (F)

THEA 115. Theatre Movement II (formerly THEA 215) Credit 2(1-2)
The focus of this course will be on movement and breathing to increase range in body and voice, along with some dance techniques and styles. Concepts in weight, space, time, and flow; improvisations; and movement using imagination and forms found in music and dance composition will be emphasized. Prerequisite: THEA 114 or the consent of the instructor. (S)

THEA 131. Elements of Play Production (formerly THEA 231) Credit 3(2-2)
Study and application of the basic principles of all phases of theatre production and design as they relate to practical experiences in acting, directing, lighting, scenery design, and construction will be emphasized. Laboratory hours and audience attendance are required. (F)

THEA 141. Stagecraft (formerly THEA 241) Credit 3(2-2)
This course will consist of the study of basic principles of physical theatre, evolution of modern stages, building scenery and properties, lighting, makeup, and front-of-house practices. Working on crews and lab hours are required. (S)

THEA 201. Theatre Production Lab (formerly THEA 401) Credit 1(0-2)
Students will work in various capacities for productions, including scenery, sound, special effects, property, lighting, costume, publicity, house, and/or makeup. Must be repeated for a maximum of three (3) credit hours. (F;S)

THEA 203. Acting III (formerly THEA 415) Credit 3(3-0)
Students will gain experience in the application of the Stanislavski techniques to define and fulfill the actor’s work in terms of form and content as required by the play and its performance. Examination of the special demands of auditioning and cold readings; development of portfolios and actor’s prompt script books are required. Course fee required. Prerequisite: THEA 212. (F)

THEA 204. Acting IV (formerly THEA 416) Credit 3(3-0)
Students will learn creating and sustaining character and action in texts since 1900. Emphasis will be on organic interrelation of acting, speech, and movement in scene study. Actor explores deeply the demands made by form and content of each script. Prerequisite: THEA 415. (S)

THEA 217. Stage Voice I (formerly THEA 317) Credit 3(1-4)
This course is an introduction to the mechanics of voice for the stage. Special attention will be given in good stage diction, articulation, voice projection, and speaking effectively with non-regional dialect. The student will be introduced to the International Phonetics Association language. (F)

THEA 218. Stage Voice II (formerly THEA 318) Credit 3(1-4)
Stage Voice II is a continuation of Stage Voice I (THEA 217). Students will improve their stage diction, articulation, and voice projection, while strengthening their comprehensive knowledge of the vocal mechanism. Further exploration and usage of the International Phonetics Association language and its application the use of dialects will be examined in the course. Prerequisite: THEA 217 or the consent of the instructor. (S)

THEA 232. Advanced Play Production (formerly THEA 431) Credit 3(3-1)
Students will study specific theoretical and practical work in the methods of play production, along with detailed script analysis. Work on crew required. Prerequisite: THEA 131. (S)

THEA 257. Makeup for the Performing Arts (formerly THEA 456) Credit 2(0-4)
The student will receive intensive study in the fundamental principles and practices of makeup for stage and media. This course provides drawing and face-painting skills, as well as, practices in the uses of cosmetics, wigs, and hairpieces. The student will work with departmental productions. (S)

THEA 260. Introduction to Drama and Theatre (formerly THEA 360) Credit 3(3-0)
This is an introduction to the study of drama and theatre, including playwriting, directing, acting, design, and technical theatre. No experience in dramatic production is required. There will be lecture discussions, performances, demonstrations, films, tapes and guest appearances. (F;S)

THEA 290. Stage Management (formerly THEA 584) Credit 3(2-2)
This is the study of the functions and responsibilities of stage managing, including the development of prompt scripts, union (or company) rules, handling of auditions and rehearsals, and the calling of the productions. (S)

THEA 311. Acting Styles (formerly THEA 511) Credit 3(3-0)
The student will have a review of historic theatrical styles, including Greek, Shakespeare, Restoration, comedy of manners, and modern. Class projects will focus on work in two styles, one classical, the other contemporary. Movement, voice, and speech, integrated directly with acting concerns in studio instruction and coaching, will be emphasized. Final acting project is required. Prerequisite: THEA 204. (F)

THEA 312. Acting Projects (formerly THEA 512) Credit 3(3-0)
The student will prepare and perform an individual role of some length and complexity. Individual problems of actors will be emphasized, along with detailed critiques of roles. Prerequisite: THEA 311. (S)

THEA 321. Directing I (formerly THEA 422) Credit 3(3-0)
This course is a practical beginning study of theories, practices, and techniques of play direction. Attention is given to the principles of analysis and research of casting and rehearsing. Exercises, lectures, and demonstrations will be used. Final project will be a scene or one-act play. (F)

THEA 322. Directing II (formerly THEA 521) Credit 3(3-0)
The student will study the development of an approach to conceiving a theatre production, including the definition of people, situations, ideas, and action-flow inherent in a script. Also studied will be the identification of form and structure from a director’s point of view, along with the fundamental considerations in physical staging. The final directing project is a full-length play. Prerequisites: THEA 321 and 290. (S)

THEA 341. Stage Lighting (formerly THEATRE 445) Credit 3(3-1)
This is a beginning course in stage lighting that emphasizes the practical aspects of electricity, optics, color, psychology of light, position, control, distribution, and timing. Working on crews is required. (S)

THEA 342. Sound Design for the Theatre (formerly THEA 542) Credit 3(2-2)
This course is an in-depth study of uses of mixing boards, amplifiers, microphones, and recording devices for the Performing Arts. Prerequisite: THEA 241 or consent of the instructor. (S)

THEA 343. Scene Design (formerly THEA 543) Credit 3(3-0)
The student will study the fundamentals of set design theory; basic mechanical and conceptual solutions for a variety of theatre spaces; and the development of presentational and research skills. (S)

THEA 345. Drafting for the Theatre Credit 3(2-2)
Students will receive intensive instruction in the techniques of theatrical drafting, in areas of scenery, lighting, and sound. Prerequisite: THEA 141 or the consent of the instructor. (F)

THEA 346. Computer-Aided Design for Theatre Credit 3(2-2)
This course will offer students techniques of computer-aided design and drafting. Attention will be given to scenic, lighting, and costume designs. Prerequisite: THEA 345 or the consent of the instructor. (S)

THEA 352. Costume Design (formerly THEA 552) Credit 3(2-2)
This course will introduce students to the fundamentals of watercolor, chalk, ink, and charcoal mediums; also studied will be costume design and an extensive range of visual, written, and verbal techniques that comprise play analysis and the design-team collaboration. Prerequisite: THEA 550.(F)

THEA 362. History of Costume and Décor (formerly THEA 550) Credit 3(3-0)
This course will examine the styles of costuming, architecture, furnishing, and ornamentation. Students will be exposed to highlights from ancient Egyptian to the present, with emphases on research and development. Prerequisite: THEA 141 or consent of the instructor. (F)

THEA 367. African American Drama I (formerly THEA 467) Credit 3(3-0)
This course will study the history and criticism of African American drama and theatre from William A. Brown in 1821 to Lorraine Hansberry. The schools, periods, classes, subclasses, and types of drama will be analyzed. (F)

THEA 368. African American Drama II (formerly THEA 468) Credit 3(3-0)
This is a continuation of African American Drama I. Course will study the history and criticism of African American drama and theatre from Lorraine Hansberry to the present. The schools, periods, classes, subclasses, and types of drama will be analyzed. (S)

THEA 375. Playwriting (formerly THEA 466) Credit 3(3-0)
This course studies the process of creating a play, including plot development, structure, characterization, and dialogue. Students will write a one-act play, which will receive a stage reading at the end of the course. (S)

THEA 390. Theatre Management (formerly THEA 584) Credit 3(3-0)
This is a study of theatre organizing and producing. This course will emphasize the analysis of the principles and methods of finances, box office, promotion, and house management. (F)

THEA 398. Theatre Internship (formerly THEA 571) Credit 3(0-6)
This course is designed to provide the student with a collaborative field experience in the profession. These experiences might or might not be salaried positions in a professional theatre or arts administration company. The student must be a participating performer, manager, or designer/technician. May be repeated for credit.

THEA 413. Acting for the Camera (formerly THEA 513) Credit 3(1-4)
This course will provide practical experience in camera techniques for actors, utilizing commercial, film, and television scripts. Students will work directly with agents and casting directors, allowing them the necessary exposure to marketing the actor for work in the film industry. Prerequisite: THEA 204.(S)

THEA 452. Advanced Costume Design (formerly THEA 553) Credit 3(2-2)
This course is for advanced costume-design students. It emphasizes multi-character and highly complex methods and technologies. There will be continual development of script analyses, styles, research techniques, and rendering skills. Prerequisite: THEA 532. (S)

THEA 464. History of the Theatre I Credit 3(3-0)
This course examines the interrelatedness of theatre’s technical, dramatic, and theoretical aspects in the development of the art form from its origins in the dance and ritual of preliterate cultures to the neoclassic France. (F)

THEA 465. History of the Theatre II Credit 3(3-0)
This course is a continuation of Theatre History I. Studies will be the development of technical, dramatic, and theoretical aspects of modern theatre from German Romanticism to the present. Periodic examinations and papers are required. Additionally, each student will research the intellectual, cultural and social background of a particular play or performance style and will apply that research in a performance project. (S)

THEA 469. Modern American Drama Credit 3(3-0)
This is the study of the major currents in dramatic writing since 1900 in the U.S. as they reflect changes in society, audience, and literary form.

THEA 471. Creative Dramatics (formerly THEA 561) Credit 3(3-0)
Students will have an introduction to creative drama through improvisational theatre techniques. Emphasis will be on movement, voice, ensemble, and teaching strategies. Students will learn to use these activities in schools and community centers and with elderly and special-needs populations.

THEA 472. Children’s Theatre (formerly THEA 562) Credit 3(3-0)
Various techniques used in producing children’s theatre with adult actors in school and community settings will be studied. Experience in design, lighting, costuming, acting, and promotion will be gained. Class work and participation in a Children’s Theatre Production are required.

THEA 490. Independent Study (formerly THEA 572) Credit 3(3-0)
This course provides opportunities for the individual student to study in a specific area of theatrical production. Establishment of an independent study requires approval of the student’s advisor and the study-supervisor prior to registration. May be repeated for credit. (F;S;SS)

THEA 496. Theatre Projects (formerly THEA 563) Credit 3(3-0)
This course is for advanced individuals interested in specialized, concentrated research or production project. Project will be selected by students in collaboration with the instructor. Comprehensive exam is to be taken. Thesis is to be written or project presented. (F)