Introduction to Playwriting: The Theatrical Voice

Professor: Daaimah Mubashshir  

Course Number: THTR 107 A

CRN Number: 10430

Class cap: 12

Credits: 4

Schedule/Location:

Mon       6:00 PM - 9:00 PM Fisher Performing Arts Center CONFERENCE

Distributional Area:

PA  Practicing Arts   

An introductory course that focuses on discovering the writer's voice. Through writing exercises based on dreams, visual images, poetry, social issues, found text, and music, each writer is encouraged to find his or her unique language, style, and vision.  A group project will explore the nature of collaborative works.  Students learn elements of playwriting through writing a short-form play, reading assignments, and class discussions. All students are welcome, with a preference to Theater majors.  (No writing sample required.)

Introduction to Playwriting: The Theatrical Voice

Professor: Beto O'Byrne  

Course Number: THTR 107 B

CRN Number: 10431

Class cap: 12

Credits: 4

Schedule/Location:

Mon       1:30 PM - 4:30 PM Fisher Performing Arts Center CONFERENCE

Distributional Area:

PA  Practicing Arts   

An introductory course that focuses on discovering the writer's voice. Through writing exercises based on dreams, visual images, poetry, social issues, found text, and music, each writer is encouraged to find his or her unique language, style, and vision.  A group project will explore the nature of collaborative works.  Students learn elements of playwriting through writing a short-form play, reading assignments, and class discussions. All students are welcome, with a preference to Theater majors.  (No writing sample required.)

Introduction to Acting: The Actor and the Moment

Professor: Jack Ferver  

Course Number: THTR 110 A

CRN Number: 10432

Class cap: 16

Credits: 4

Schedule/Location:

Mon  Wed     10:10 AM - 11:30 AM Fisher Performing Arts Center STUDIO NO.

Distributional Area:

PA  Practicing Arts   

In this class we examine how an actor brings truth to the smallest unit of performance. The richness of the moment is created by the imaginative, physical, psychological, intellectual and emotional qualities that the actor brings to it. We explore ways to gain access to richly layered authenticity through games, improvisations, individual creations and exercises in given circumstance.  Students are given tools to transcend accepted logic, embrace risk-taking, and live fully in the present.

Introduction to Acting: The Actor and the Moment

Professor: Jubilith Moore  

Course Number: THTR 110 B

CRN Number: 10433

Class cap: 16

Credits: 4

Schedule/Location:

 Tue  Thurs    11:50 AM - 1:10 PM Fisher Performing Arts Center STUDIO NO.

Distributional Area:

PA  Practicing Arts   

In this class we examine how an actor brings truth to the smallest unit of performance. The richness of the moment is created by the imaginative, physical, psychological, intellectual and emotional qualities that the actor brings to it. We explore ways to gain access to richly layered authenticity through games, improvisations, individual creations and exercises in given circumstance.  Students are given tools to transcend accepted logic, embrace risk-taking, and live fully in the present.

Introduction to Acting: The Actor and the Moment

Professor: Bhavesh Patel  

Course Number: THTR 110 C

CRN Number: 10434

Class cap: 16

Credits: 4

Schedule/Location:

  Wed  Fri   10:10 AM - 11:30 AM Fisher Performing Arts Center RESNICK

Distributional Area:

PA  Practicing Arts   

In this class we examine how an actor brings truth to the smallest unit of performance. The richness of the moment is created by the imaginative, physical, psychological, intellectual and emotional qualities that the actor brings to it. We explore ways to gain access to richly layered authenticity through games, improvisations, individual creations and exercises in given circumstance.  Students are given tools to transcend accepted logic, embrace risk-taking, and live fully in the present.

Intermediate Acting: Scene Study

Professor: Jonathan Rosenberg  

Course Number: THTR 209

CRN Number: 10435

Class cap: 16

Credits: 4

Schedule/Location:

 Tue  Thurs    11:50 AM - 1:10 PM Fisher Performing Arts Center RESNICK

Distributional Area:

PA  Practicing Arts   

Scene Study is the second in the sequence of acting classes in the Theater and Performance Program. In this class the concepts that have been explored in the introductory class -given circumstances, presence in the moment, the theatrical imagination and inhabiting personal truth- are used as a foundation to explore acting in scripts and with characters drawn from the work of contemporary American playwrights. Students will learn, and put into practice, such essential structural tools as script analysis, the use of objectives and actions, physical actions, the construction of character, and the collaborative rehearsal process. Students will rehearse and perform two substantial scenes during the course of the semester. In addition, students will research, rehearse, and perform a character study, the ‘Ancestor Project’, which will explore in depth an actor’s transformation into a character. The prerequisite for the class is the successful completion of Introduction to Acting: The Actor and the Moment.

Voice and Text

Professor: Lindsey J. Liberatore  

Course Number: THTR 243

CRN Number: 10436

Class cap: 15

Credits: 4

Schedule/Location:

    Fri   10:10 AM - 12:30 PM Fisher Performing Arts Center STUDIO NO.

Distributional Area:

PA  Practicing Arts   

This course introduces actors and performers to the fundamentals of voice work and text analysis. Students first develop their vocal apparatus by applying a range of techniques (including Fitzmaurice Voicework, Linklater, and yoga) to access greater vocal range and expressivity. This work will include physical warm-ups and preparatory exercises that can be used in rehearsals and in private practice. Next, students will be taught to approach contemporary and classical text by seeking out dynamic phasing, operative words, and arc, creating a profound connection between body, breath, voice, and language. While the course is primarily intended for Theater & Performance students, it may be of interest to others who wish to develop their public speaking skills.

Physical Theater

Professor: Tania El Khoury  

Course Number: THTR 255

CRN Number: 10437

Class cap: 15

Credits: 2

Schedule/Location:

 Tue      1:30 PM - 2:50 PM Fisher Performing Arts Center RESNICK

Distributional Area:

PA  Practicing Arts   

This is a practical course designed to expose performers and performance makers to physical expression and movement devising. The students will build spatial and somatic awareness, develop their stage presence and movement skills, while also creating body-based performance work. The course utilizes individual and collective warm-up exercises, various methods of physical training for actors such as Jacques Lecoq’s technique, as well as improvisation, contact work, movement writing, and embodiment exercises. Students will be assessed on in-class participation throughout the semester, along with frequent practical assignments.

Advanced Acting: Rehearsal Technique

Professor: Bhavesh Patel  

Course Number: THTR 307 A

CRN Number: 10438

Class cap: 12

Credits: 4

Schedule/Location:

  Wed  Fri   11:50 AM - 1:10 PM Fisher Performing Arts Center RESNICK

Distributional Area:

PA  Practicing Arts   

In this studio acting course students will explore rehearsal techniques tailored to specific acting opportunities. What are the real world expectations and demands in crafting an audition piece? How does preparing an audition monologue differ from rehearsing a scene for audition purposes? What is the difference between preparing a general audition vs auditioning for a specific role or show? How does the style of a play dictate the choices made in approaching rehearsal?  Students will also learn on-camera acting techniques, how to self-tape, and prepare material from a wide variety of theatrical texts. Individual rehearsal with the instructor will lead to taping and performance in scheduled showings. The class will culminate in a final showing of a Night of Monologues. Prerequisites: Introductory and Intermediate Acting. Priority given to Juniors and Graduating Seniors.

Introduction to Contemporary Performance

Professor: Ashley Tata  

Course Number: THTR 145

CRN Number: 10439

Class cap: 25

Credits: 4

Schedule/Location:

Mon  Wed     4:40 PM - 6:00 PM Fisher Performing Arts Center STUDIO NO.

Distributional Area:

AA  Analysis of Art   

This course introduces a sequence of key concepts and ideas in contemporary performance, and should ideally be taken at the start of a student’s journey through the Theater & Performance curriculum. No prior Theater & Performance courses are required, and non-majors are welcome. We will analyze modes of contemporary performance through viewings, readings, written responses, and practical exercises. We will ask questions about ephemerality,  time and space, risk, and audience by looking at the work of pathbreaking artists from across disciplines such as Tania El Khoury, Sylvan Oswald, Aleshea Harris, Faye Driscoll, and Yoko Ono. The course will include at least one field trip off-campus to see and respond to live performance.

Acts of Resistance y Familia: The Plays of the Chicano Theater

Professor: Beto O'Byrne  

Course Number: THTR 343

CRN Number: 10441

Class cap: 12

Credits: 4

Schedule/Location:

Mon       10:10 AM - 12:30 PM Fisher Performing Arts Center RESNICK

Distributional Area:

PA  Practicing Arts  D+J Difference and Justice

Cross-list: Latin American/Iberian Studies

Since its realization in the 1960s, Chicanos (Mexican Americans “with a non-anglo image of themselves”) have utilized the techniques of theatre to spread a politicized and activated presentation of themselves and their communities as a larger, racialized community living in the complex, landscape of the United States. From political sketch comedies performed in the grape fields of California to the bright lights of Broadway, this community continues to make and create unique work that challenges and inspires artists and audiences across the globe. Led by Chicano Theater practitioner, scholar, and organizer Beto O’Byrne, this course will look at a selection of plays created by Chicano Theatremakers for their communities about our complex realities. Through works by artists such as El Teatro Camepsino, Luis Alfaro, Cherrie Moraga, Marisela Treviño Orta, and more, we will explore the diverse goals of the larger community of Chicanos from both the historical and emerging Chicano/a/x/é canon. Students will also work with their classmates to explore the performance techniques and skills that brought this community's reality to life and utilize their creative talents to examine their expressions of ethnic identity and the world around them. Language/cultural note: This class will be taught in English, though some scripts will have elements of Spanish, Nauhtl, Caló, and other languages present in the Chicano reality. Proficiency in any of them other than English is not required, but an interest in these languages and the culture and enthusiasm from which they arrive, will be invaluable.

Theater Making

Professor: Jonathan Rosenberg  

Course Number: THTR 244

CRN Number: 10442

Class cap: 15

Credits: 4

Schedule/Location:

 Tue  Thurs    10:10 AM - 11:30 AM Fisher Performing Arts Center RESNICK

Distributional Area:

PA  Practicing Arts   

This course follows “Introduction to Contemporary Performance” as the second class in a sequence exploring the intellectual and creative methods of making theater. During the course of the semester all students will take turns working collaboratively as performers, directors, writers, dramaturgs and designers. The work created in this class will be presented at the end of the semester and will serve as the moderation project for students intending to major in Theater and Performance.

Gender Theater

Professor: Jack Ferver  

Course Number: THTR 261

CRN Number: 10443

Class cap: 12

Credits: 4

Schedule/Location:

  Wed     3:00 PM - 6:00 PM Fisher Performing Arts Center RESNICK

Distributional Area:

PA  Practicing Arts  D+J Difference and Justice

Crosslists: Gender and Sexuality Studies

 How can we use the tools of theater to interrogate the way we perform gender – our own and other people’s? In this creative practice course, students will explore and challenge normative notions of gender to play with and destabilize prescriptive cultural roles. The semester begins with an overview of the impact of gender coding and “type-casting”; where and how theater, television, and film have accepted or refused the categorical branding of identity. Through improvisation and performance exercises, students will examine overt and covert societal rules surrounding the gender binary, and discover how the tools of drag, neo-camp, and hyperbole can enhance and/or subvert the performance of gender. Using their research from the semester, students will create longer final performances.

Writing Terrible Plays

Professor: Chiori Miyagawa  

Course Number: THTR 266

CRN Number: 10440

Class cap: 12

Credits: 4

Schedule/Location:

   Thurs    1:30 PM - 4:30 PM Fisher Performing Arts Center STUDIO NO.

Distributional Area:

PA  Practicing Arts   

This is a playwriting workshop.  In this class, we will explore commonly held notions about what makes a bad play and try to dispute them by writing short plays using these very concepts. Do characters need to show motivations for every notable action?  Is it always bad to have a minor character appear just once without a specific reason?  If a gun is introduced in a play, do you have to use it?  We will endeavor to discover if it’s possible to write a good play doing what we’re generally taught not to do.  The entire course will be spent examining common beliefs about bad storytelling and writing our way through this muddy terrain where everyone is a critic.  We will write 3-5 short pieces and decide on the topic for the final project together in class. Prerequisite: All are welcome, but if you have not taken Introduction to Playwriting, you should send a brief email of interest to Prof. Miyagawa at miyagawa@bard.edu before the registration date.

Advanced Acting: Deconstructing/Re-Constructing Shakespeare, a performance laboratory

Professor: Bhavesh Patel  

Course Number: THTR 307 B

CRN Number: 10444

Class cap: 15

Credits: 4

Schedule/Location:

   Thurs    1:30 PM - 4:30 PM Fisher Performing Arts Center RESNICK

Distributional Area:

PA  Practicing Arts   

Students will explore the concept of ensemble, rehearsal and story-telling in order to work together to mount a studio production of one of Shakespeare’s plays. The cohort will begin by exploring the text as actors, directors and dramaturgs in order to “unearth” an hour long cutting of the script. The second half of the course will be an accelerated rehearsal focusing on “telling the story” clearly and dynamically through the lens of our modern world. Utilizing the craft and skills explored in Introduction to Acting and Intermediate Acting, students will be challenged to make compelling, informed choices and further understand how these actions and behaviors help tell the story of the role, scene, and script they are working on. Prerequisites: Introduction to Acting: The Actor and the Moment and any of the Intermediate Acting classes or by permission of the instructor.

The Relationship: a Playwright/Director workshop

Professor: Daaimah Mubashshir and Ashley Tata

Course Number: THTR 379

CRN Number: 10445

Class cap: 20

Credits: 4

Schedule/Location:

Mon       1:30 PM - 4:30 PM Fisher Performing Arts Center RESNICK

Distributional Area:

PA  Practicing Arts   

What is the Playwright/Director relationship? How does it work? Executing a theatrical idea can be a vulnerable and exhausting terrain to navigate. How do artists maneuver through the difficulties of “birthing” a piece of text into a shared vision? The course will serve is an advanced workshop for students to explore building new plays within the context of a Playwright/Director relationship. Students will be introduced to Playwright/Director teams such as (but not limited to) Chuck Mee/Anne Bogart, Jocelyn Bioh/Whitney White, Kate Benson/Lee Sunday Evans and more. These conversations with veterans of theater along with close study of texts (TBD) on process from both playwrights and directors will shape a foundation for a. practice of collaboration. Professors Tata and Mubashshir will lead students through the process of creating three small pieces of theater over the duration of the semester. For each of the three works students will be required to write extensively about their process, connecting their experiences( difficulties and triumphs) to texts on process and/or material brought in by visiting artists. Students will complete this class with a sharper proficiency in discussing their process with future collaborators and industry professionals. The pre-requisite is one 200 level course in Theater & Performance, Written Arts, Studio Arts or permission from the Professors.

Senior Project Colloquium

Professor: Lindsey J. Liberatore  

Course Number: THTR 406

CRN Number: 10446

Class cap: 20

Credits: 0

Schedule/Location:

    Fri   1:30 PM - 3:50 PM Fisher Performing Arts Center RESNICK

Distributional Area:

None   

Senior Project Colloquium is an integral component of the eight credits Theater & Performance students earn for Senior Project. This yearlong course creates a dynamic space to allow for an array of dramaturgical feedback from classmates, advisors, faculty in (and potentially out of) Theater and Performance; as well as maintaining dialogues with Fisher Center and Old Gym staff as Seniors move towards the production of their Senior Project. In a bi-weekly seminar format, Seniors will present their work in progress, inclusive of their research; discuss their projects with their class for moderated feedback; liaison work with advisors, faculty, and production staff; discuss their research papers; and hold post mortems on completed work with their cohorts.      

Greek Tragedy in the 21st Century

Professor: Lauren Curtis  

Course Number: CLAS 119

CRN Number: 10107

Class cap: 22

Credits: 4

Schedule/Location:

 Tue  Thurs    11:50 AM - 1:10 PM Olin 204

Distributional Area:

FL  Foreign Languages and Lit   

Crosslists: Human Rights; Theater and Performance

Musical Theater Performance Workshop

Professor: David Sytkowski  

Course Number: MUS WKSPM

CRN Number: 10575

Class cap: 25

Credits: 4

Schedule/Location:

   Thurs    5:30 PM - 8:30 PM Fisher Performing Arts Center RESNICK

Distributional Area:

PA  Practicing Arts   

Crosslists: Theater and Performance

Reading Jalal Toufic In The Studio

Course Number: PHOT 318

CRN Number: 10480

Class cap: 12

Credits: 4

Professor:

Walid Raad

Schedule/Location:

 Tue      6:15 PM - 9:15 PM Woods 128

Distributional Area:

PA  Practicing Arts   

Crosslists:

Film and Electronic Arts; Studio Art; Theater and Performance; Written Arts