Areas of Study: The Theater and Performance Program offers courses in Context, Technique, and Creative Practice and Research, and students are required to take classes in all three areas of study. Context courses include the history of theater and performance, contemporary practice, theories of theater and performance, dramatic literature, world theater. Technique courses include skills-based classes in playwriting, directing, acting, voice, movement, dramatic structure, performance, and composition. Creative Practice and Research comprises productions, performance laboratories, master classes and specialized workshops. All courses carry 4 credits except where otherwise indicated.

Moderation Requirements: The following 5 courses are required for students wishing to moderate into the Theater and Performance Program:

1. THTR 145 Introduction to Theater and Performance: Revolutions in Time and Space

2. THTR 110 Introduction to Acting: The Actor and the Moment

3. THTR 107 Introduction to Playwriting: the Theatrical Voice

4. THTR 244 Introduction to Theater Making (spring semester)

5. THTR 146 Introduction to Theater History

In addition, students participate in the creation and performance of a group-devised Moderation project.

91849

THTR 107 A Intro to Playwriting

Chiori Miyagawa

. . W . .

1:30 pm -4:30 pm

FISHER STUDIO NORTH

PART

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 one-act play, reading assignments, and class discussions. All students welcome, preference to Theater majors. (No writing sample required.) Class size: 12

91850

THTR 107 B Intro to Playwriting

Jorge Cortinas

. . . Th .

10:10 am -1:10 pm

FISHER STUDIO NORTH

PART

See above. Class size: 12

91851

THTR 110 A INTRO TO ACTING: The Actor & the Moment

Lynn Hawley

M . . . . . . W . .

10:10 am- 11:30 am 10:10 am- 11:30 am

STUDIO NORTH RESNICK

PART

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. Class size: 16

91852

THTR 110 B INTRO TO ACTING: The Actor & the Moment

Jeff Binder

. T . Th .

11:50 am -1:10 pm

RESNICK

PART

See above. Class size: 16

91853

THTR 110 C INTRO TO ACTING: The Actor & the Moment

Jean Wagner

. T . Th .

1:30 pm -2:50 pm

RESNICK

PART

See above. Class size: 16

91836

THTR 145 A Intro to Theater & Performance: Revolutions in Time & Space

Gideon Lester

. . W . F

1:30 pm -2:50 pm

RESNICK

AART

This course introduces a sequence of key concepts and ideas in world theater, and should ideally be taken at the start of a student’s journey through the Theater and Performance curriculum. We will base our discussions on primary and secondary texts and modes of performance from 2,500 years of world theater, starting with Aristotle and the Greek tragic playwrights and approaching the cutting edge of contemporary performance practice. We will ask questions about interpretation, ephemerality, and reenactment, investigate how great artists from across the centuries have controlled our experience of theatrical time and space, and examine such topics as the representation of reality on stage, the relationship between performance and audience, and the constantly evolving interplay of theater and democracy. Class size: 25

91856

THTR 145 B Intro to Theater & Performance: Revolutions in Time & Space

Miriam Felton-Dansky

. T . Th .

3:10 pm -4:30 pm

RESNICK

AART

See above. Class size: 25

91857

THTR 146 Intro to Theater History

Miriam Felton-Dansky

M . W . .

11:50 am -1:10 pm

FISH CONF

AART

Where should a study of theater begin, and how did pre-modern models of theater change, as successive societies revised, rejected, and appropriated the forms that had gone before? This course will investigate selected periods in world theater, beginning with the massive communal festivals of ancient Greece and culminating in the philosophical upheavals of the Enlightenment. Paying close attention to connections between drama, stagecraft, and modes of spectatorship, we will ask how the theater has shored up political power; how the stage has served as a scale model for the known world; and what has been at stake in changing notions of classicism. Through analytical essays, class presentations, and a final performance project, we will cultivate a critical vocabulary for discussing theaters of the past—and discover their often-surprising legacies in modern and contemporary performance.

Class size: 16

Upper Level Requirements: After Moderation, students are required to take 2 courses in each of the 3 areas of study – Context, Technique, Creative Practice and Research – for a total of 6 courses. In addition, students complete a Senior Project; a group-devised production or performance together with a written assignment, which carries the equivalent workload and credit of 2 courses.

Technique:

91848

THTR 101 Acting for Non-Majors

Naomi Thornton

. . . Th .

3:45 pm -5:45 pm

FISHER STUDIO NORTH

PART

2 credits Scene preparation and beginning scene technique. Emphasis on relaxation, breathing, and concentration. Teaching the actor to make choices and implement them using sense memory and to integrate this work with the text. Group and individual exercises and improvisations. Continuous work on the acting instrument stressing freedom, spontaneity, and individual attention. Materials: poems, monologues, stories, and scenes. Reading of American plays, 1930 to present. Class size: 12

91835

THTR 213 Writing Plays using Nonfiction Sources

Chiori Miyagawa

. . . Th .

1:30 pm -4:30 pm

FISH CONF

PART

Cross-listed: Written Arts This is a writing workshop that explores ways to dramatize nonfictional sources. The course encourages students to find inspiration in facts and theatricalize them rather than adapting already fictional materials such as novels and period plays. We will look at parts of books by journalist Susan Faludi, psychologist Thomas Joiner, and astronomer Neil deGrasse Tyson, and write several short plays using the books as resources.  Additional articles from different fields may be added. Students will choose their own nonfiction inspiration to write the final one-act play. Prerequisite: 1 creative writing workshop class. This course fulfills a Creative Practice requirement in Theater & Performance Class size: 12

91984

THTR 243 VOICE AND TEXT

Lindsey Liberatore

. T . . .

4:40 pm – 7:00 pm

FISHER PAC RESNICK

PART

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 range and variety of vocal character and to rid the body of tension and free the authentic voice. We will learn safe warm ups and preparatory exercises that can be used in rehearsals and in private practice. Students will be taught to approach 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 which to develop their public speaking skills. This course fulfills a Technique requirement in the Theater & Performance Program. Class size: 15

91859

THTR 255 Physical Theater

Jack Ferver

. T . . .

10:10 am -1:10 pm

FISHER STUDIO NORTH

PART

Cross-listed: Dance This course gives performers tools to find the truthful physical expression of their characters, and to build strength and mobility as they create powerful and nuanced performances. Our work will consist of several parts: first we will slough off habitual behavior and postural “holds” through a comprehensive warm-up using aspects of Graham, Alexander, and Release Technique; once the body has been strengthened, we will use impulse-based improvisation exercises to build kinetic awareness and hone intuitive prowess; finally we will explore scene work to find a character through movement and to remain present and fully invested at each moment of a performance. Students will be assessed on in-class exercises and participation throughout the semester, as well as frequent technical and practical assignments. Pre-requisite: Introduction to Acting. Class size: 16

91855

THTR 308 Advanced Scene Study

Naomi Thornton

. . . Th .

1:30 pm -3:30 pm

FISHER STUDIO NORTH

PART

3 credits Scene Technique with work on specific rehearsal tasks and practice of their application. Continued work on the acting instrument, understanding the actor as artist and deepening the physical, emotional, intellectual connection and availability of each actor. Advanced individual exercises, scenes, and monologues from all dramatic literature. Intended for Upper College students, others by permission. Prerequisite: Introduction to Acting. Class size: 12

Context:

91617

LIT 2234 The Ancient Comic Theater

Lauren Curtis

M . W . .

3:10 pm -4:30 pm

OLINLC 115

ELIT

See Literature section for description.

91834

THTR 239 Modern Drama

Miriam Felton-Dansky

. T . Th .

11:50 am -1:10 pm

OLIN 201

ELIT

Cross-listed: Literature In 1835, German playwright Georg Büchner set out to dramatize the French Revolution—and the play that resulted was so controversial that it was heavily censored in Büchner’s lifetime and premiered long after his death. Between the early nineteenth century and the mid-twentieth century, political revolutions and social upheavals challenged deep-seated assumptions about history, society, and the private life. Modern playwrights, in turn, began to alter the molecular makeup of drama, unraveling traditional modes of understanding narrative, illusion, and character, and writing plays that could respond to—and create—a modern world. This course will survey modern European and American drama, examining questions of realism and symbolism; the writing and staging of revolution and social history; subjectivity, illusion, and anti-theatricality. Playwrights under discussion will include Büchner, Ibsen, Strindberg, Chekhov, Stein, Wilder, Williams, Genet, Brecht, and Beckett. Students will write a midterm and a final essay, and make an in-class presentation linking works of modern drama to developments in the visual arts, film, or social and political life. This course fulfills a Context requirement in Theater & Performance. Class size: 16

91579

LIT 2481 Theater and Politics: THE POWER OF IMAGINATION

Thomas Wild

. T . Th .

4:40 pm -6:00 pm

OLIN 201

ELIT

See Literature section for description.

91858

THTR 343 Latino Theater and Performance

Jorge Cortinas

. . W . .

1:30 pm -4:30 pm

FISH CONF

PART/DIFF

Cross-listed: Art History, Human Rights, LAIS The United States is a multilingual, globalized country that creative citizens will need to be prepared to both address and describe. One way to prepare for this challenge is to familiarize ourselves with the specific aesthetic strategies Latino theater and performance artists have found most useful when wrestling with issues such as immigration, territoriality, exile, human rights and hybridity. Some of the most effective aesthetic strategies include mestizaje, transculturation, choteo, stereotype, satire and disidentification. Some of the artists the course will review include Ana Mendietta, José Rivera, Nao Bustamante, Cherríe Moraga, Guillermo Gomez Peña, and María Irene Fornés. Class will culminate with a student driven, creative project that seeks a productive relationship between form and content. Class size: 15

Creative Practice & Research

91854

THTR 241 Performance Composition: Movement and Text

Jack Ferver

M . . . .

10:10 am -1:10 pm

RESNICK

PART

Cross-listed: Dance A Creative Practice course in which students develop original movement- and text-based performances, using a series of exercises to locate and deepen self-expression. The semester begins with stretch and placement techniques and core work to develop a neutral and ready body, followed by a sequence of impulse-based improvisation techniques enabling students to find authentic movement and push past their physical limitations. These improvisations will lead into original phrase work, training students to develop their own unique choreographic and performance styles. The second half of the semester is focused on writing composition.  Students will complete timed writing exercises in class, designed to free the creative voice, and will then be given individual guidance and dramaturgical assignments, leading to the development and performance of an original text and movement score.

Class size: 16

91957

THTR / WRIT 310 EGOCIRCUS

Anne Carson

. . W . .

1:30 am – 3:50 pm

RKC 200

PART

See Written Arts section for description.

91860

THTR 328 Visual Performance

John Kelly

M . . . .

1:30 pm -4:30 pm

RESNICK

PART

Cross-listed: Studio Art This studio course in performance art is primarily intended for advanced students in Theater & Performance and Studio Arts, though is open to all. Working collaboratively or individually, students will develop performance material based on specific iconographic characters, such as artists, historical figures, movie stars, fairy tales, or myths. By identifying, isolating, amplifying, and re-configuring their essential characteristics, we will aim to give these icons unanticipated performance life through a unified combination of visuals, text, movement, video and sound. This process will begin with a research phase, with group viewing and discussion of performance documentation, imagery, and writing by performers, artists, creators, and filmmakers who have found inspiration articulating character from specific sources, including the Wooster Group, Charles Ludlam, James Franco, Isaac Julien, Kazuo Ohno, and Eleanor Antin, followed by group discussions of this material. Students will then participate in weekly exercises that will explore how the primary tools of the performer’s body, with its visual, kinetic, vocal, and dynamic possibilities, augmented by the addition of production tools such as props, lighting music and soundtrack, and projection design can create character through a focused idea. As the development phase continues students will keep weekly journals and give work-in-progress presentations, and the class will culminate in a final performance in a black box, gallery space, or site-specific locations. Class size: 16

91837

THTR 346 Object Theater

Geoffrey Sobelle

M . . . .

4:40 pm -7:20 pm

RESNICK

PART

This class will explore the use of objects in theater.  Part technique and part composition, the class will research the poetry of “things.”  In this class, we give center stage to the world of stuff that most often surrounds us unnoticed. Students will learn a form called “table-top theater,” where, through object manipulation, ordinary items transform to create new theatrical spaces.  We will work with theatrical moments of dramatic texts (Chekhov, Shakespeare, Beckett) exploring how objects reveal hidden elements of a given character. Students will learn technical skills in object manipulation on their feet and in their body.  They will work with structured improvisation in class. Presentations of applied principles will be prepared outside of class to be performed/critiqued. This course fulfills a Creative Practice requirement in Theater & Performance. Class size: 15

91897

THTR 347 Adapting Shakespeare

Neil Gaiman

M/T/TH/F   7:00-10:00pm

Weeks of: 11/17/14 - 11/21/14 12/1/14 - 12/5/14 12/8/14 - 12/12/14

.

PART

Cross-listed: Experimental Humanities, Written Arts In this intensive writing and performance workshop we will explore the history and practice of adapting Shakespeare's plays into a variety of genres and styles. We will ask why some new versions have become iconic in their own right, and what makes for a particularly successful adaptation, addressing the constraints, norms, and cultural connotations of each medium. Using A Midsummer Night’s Dream as our primary source text we will unpack Shakespeare’s dramatic strategies (such as juxtaposition, comic tropes and conventions, extremity, fantasy) and examine existing adaptations (films, poetry, graphic novels, plays, musicals, television.) We will also create our own contemporary responses the play in a variety of genres, which we will both write and perform. Admission by application. Application deadline: May 1, 2014. Applications are welcome from upper-level students with substantial backgrounds in writing, theater, dance, music, and studio arts. (The course will meet for 4 3-hour evening sessions each week during the weeks of November 17, December 1 and December 8 2014. 12 sessions in total.) Class size: 15