Minor
Theatre
Theatre Minor
The Theatre minor provides students the opportunity to explore the art of theatre, both in practice and in theory. Students will learn the skills necessary for successful stage production, as well as become aware of the role theatre can play in a broad liberal arts education. A grade of C or higher is required in all courses for the successful completion of the minor.
Degrees and Certificates
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Theatre,
Courses
TH 333: Introduction to Theatre and Drama
Credits 3Introduction to the theatre as an art form: the major types of drama and theatrical presentation in historical perspective, with emphasis on the relationship between various production methods and the play, the audience, and the conventions of the theatre. Includes study of plays from different periods, classical to modern, and related production-workshop exercises.
May be used as an English elective.
TH 334: Script Analysis
Credits 3Introduction to the critical practice of reading and understanding plays for production and for one’s own writing of plays. This course will teach students how to analyze a play script through the study of a variety of plays. Students will learn to spot clues in a script to assist them in acting, designing, directing and writing.
TH 335: Children's Theatre
Credits 3Students enrolled in this course will learn and apply theatre games and improvisations for pre-school through adolescence audiences. Formal playmaking for children and principles of organization, direction, and production of plays for young audiences will be covered. Storytelling will culminate with the Children’s Theatre experience.
TH 336: Drama in Performance
Credits 3Concentrated study of one aspect of theatrical performance (directing, acting, etc.); topic varies from year to year. Includes analysis of illustrative plays, and culminates in live production.
TH 337: Technical Theatre
Credits 3Aspects of technical stagecraft — scenery, lighting, etc. — and their effects on the overall experience of a play. Coursework includes involvement in the creation of scenery for a full-scale production.
TH 338: Creative Drama
Credits 3Creative drama techniques as means of stimulating thinking and encouraging self-motivation. Improvisation, movement, sound, language, scene creation, & other elements of creative drama for children and adults.
TH 340: History of the American Musical
Credits 3This course will explore the history of American musical theatre from its origins in the 18th century to the present. Students will examine all aspects of the development of the musical, including art, song, plot and character, lyric and song use, while relating the musical’s development to the parallel political events of the time.
TH 343: Playwriting/Screenwriting
Credits 3This course will analyze established and published play scripts and screenplays while offering students the terms, formatting, and direction necessary to write their own one-act plays or screenplays. Emphasis is placed on critical writing and reading techniques along with character analysis and setting.
TH 453: Theatre Management: Principles of Performing Arts Management
Credits 3Study of professional performing arts management problems and techniques as well as the administration of professional organizations. It is assumed that students possess a background in the performing arts but are comparatively untutored in business administration. Emphasis on the practical and contemporary aspects of the field.