This course will serve as an immersive introduction to the world of theater through ensemble-building activities, improvisation, as well as character and script analysis. Students will learn the importance of listening, reading social cues, working together, and using given circumstances to inform a performance. They will be given the opportunity to analyze and work on monologues, scenes, and eventually full-length plays. Students will also begin to learn the invaluable skill of reflecting on their own performances, as well as others, in a positive and constructive way.
This course is designed to give students an appreciation for theater arts, and a well-rounded knowledge of what goes into a performance. In this class, students will learn about the history of theater - how theater has influenced history, and vice-versa. We will explore the elements of performance through movement, vocal technique, and motivated actions to create believable, multi-dimensional characters. Students will analyze the works of great playwrights as well as write and perform their own. We will also introduce the technical aspects of theater, which will be flushed out in the course that will follow: Play Production.
This course introduces the student to musical theater through song analysis and acting the song, class exercises for the body and the voice, as well as an initial look at both classic and contemporary musical theatre style, structure and content with an overall emphasis on performance. Additional focus will be placed on vocal health and mental wellness for performing artists and studying industry professionals, theaters, and theater companies to develop a working knowledge of the business today. Finally, the class will participate in a culminating showcase performance at the end of the semester.
This course will focus more on the practical applications of putting on a show. In this class, students will work towards creating their own works of theater. They will use existing material and also have the opportunity to create original works. Students will be challenged to work in teams, cultivating an producing pieces that show understanding of theatrical process and performance. The focus of this course, however, will be all the nuts and bolts of actually putting on a theatrical performance. This includes all the "behind the scenes" components such as stage management, producing, promoting, marketing, etc. We will also delve deeper into the technical aspects of theater, including lighting, sound, make-up, costumes and scenic design.
Students will explore five different styles of acting from periods before the 17th century. They will study the different techniques used, styles of theatre that were presented, and the history of the time studied. The students will rehearse and present scenes in the various styles.