Theater

This course work is intended to reinvigorate the imagination and a strong sense of play.

Focus is on student exercises designed to mirror some of the fundamental concepts of acting in the theater, such as Action and Reaction; Focus; Motivation; Creativity; Readiness; Specificity; and Communication. Through the use of solo and ensemble compositions created by the students, they will begin to explore their own identities, uniqueness, and artistic expression. The course will culminate with text analysis of several plays, focusing on how to examine a play for the actor's use. We will culminate with a final project that will combine the creation of a composition, and the text analysis of one of the plays.

This course will primarily be a movement course based on the Suzuki Method, Viewpoints, Clowning, and mask work. Students will begin to practice and cultivate their desire to play, develop stage presence, and learn to work with spontaneity. They will acquire the skills necessary to further develop into intelligent and curious actors. Students will learn how to take greater risks and make bold choices—both physically and vocally. They will utilize stagecraft in an organic way, and work as an ensemble. 

The focus of this course is on scene work. Students will be introduced to a coherent, rigorous, and systematic approach to the art of acting. They will gain tangible tools they can begin to use for developing their role. By utilizing both analytical and intuitive approaches, students will discover and apply their own understanding about how to approach the work. This provides them with an opportunity to synthesize the two different approaches, as they continue to formulate their own.

This course concentrates on audition technique, and builds upon the analysis skills developed in Theater III. The first segment is devoted entirely to the college audition process, and is broken up into two sections. One focuses on analysis and development of contemporary pieces, and the other on Shakespearean. Both are then combined, and the work on solidifying and transitioning the pieces for presentation begins. Spending a good length of time with this material enables students to deepen their personal connections to the text, and allows the words in the heightened poetry of their Shakespeare pieces to begin to sound like what they mean. The course culminates with a return to scene study, and furthering the ability to bring one’s self to truthful transformation and interaction. 

This course introduces students to the history of the Broadway Musical, fundamentals of Music Theory, and sight singing. The study of history will begin with the late 1800s operettas, and progress through present-day musicals. Representative ensemble numbers will be chosen from the repertoire studied, and students will explore the style by learning vocal parts, blocking, and choreography. Music Theory will include study of the grand staff, rhythmic notation, piano set-up, and interpreting musical symbols on the vocal score.

The primary focus of this course is on acting a song, and working as a solo actor. Students will develop vocal and acting techniques that allow them to dramatically analyze and interpret lyrics and music. They will learn an approach to song interpretation, which includes an introduction to the work using a specific methodology, and using the appropriate terms and vocabulary. Each student will work on assigned songs from the Musical Theater Repertoire. Styles will include Standards, Classic, and Contemporary material, consisting of up-tempos, ballads, and pop-rock genres.

This course builds on the skills developed in Musical Theater 2. The repertoire becomes more challenging, both in terms of acting choices and vocal demands. Students will work on several contemporary ballads, up-tempo, and pop rock pieces. The class will also have a section dedicated to preparing for the college audition process: song selection, filming pre-screens, and camera technique will be covered. Students will prepare their pieces, and then present them back-to-back in order to demonstrate versatility, and the ability to change from one style to another effectively. The class culminates with the presentation and articulation of a song, as it arises from the scene and from the life of the character. They will learn to craft smooth transitions from dialogue to song, and to create characters within the specific context of the chosen musical.

The course is designed to build upon the skills developed in Musical Theater 3, and focuses on preparing for college and university musical theater auditions. Students will continue to strengthen the skills necessary to successfully choose, analyze, interpret, and present ballad, up-tempo, and pop-rock pieces. They will examine given circumstances, characterization, personalization, and their relevance to the expressive ideas of the librettist, composer, and lyricist. Selecting, cutting, and presenting contrasting 16- and 32-bar pieces to demonstrate range, versatility and knowledge of styles is also covered. The course  then moves into choosing and working on final scene into song presentations.

This course introduces fundamental concepts, skills, and movement vocabulary specific to beginning musical theater dance. Students participate in physical conditioning to develop strong technical foundations. Class material supports the progressive development of beginning- to low-intermediate movement concepts specific to jazz, ballet, and tap, and introduces dance as a method of storytelling. Students are expected to set aside time outside of class to practice conditioning exercises, review  choreography, and keep a journal of reflections.

This course is designed to build upon the fundamental concepts, skills, and dance vocabulary established in Movement 1. Students participate in physical conditioning to improve strength, flexibility, and endurance, and practice applicable dance techniques rooted in musical theater dance. Class material supports the execution of intermediate skills and choreography phrases in ballet, tap, and jazz, and invites students to explore and practice dance as a method of storytelling. Students are expected to set aside time outside of class to practice conditioning exercises, review choreography, and keep a journal of  reflections.

This course is designed to develop performance confidence by expanding upon the artistic range, style, technical skills, and dance vocabulary established in Movement 1 and 2. Students participate in physical conditioning to improve strength, flexibility, and endurance, and practice applicable dance techniques rooted in various jazz, tap, and ballet styles. Students learn both original choreography and classic repertoire, with an emphasis on musical interpretation. Basic dance lifts and partner work are also introduced. Students are expected to set aside time outside of class to practice conditioning exercises, review choreography, and keep a journal of reflections.

This course is designed to build confidence and enhance dance performance on stage, at auditions, and rehearsals by refining the artistic range, style, technical skills, and dance vocabulary established in Movement 1–3. Students participate in physical conditioning to improve strength, flexibility, and endurance, and practice applicable dance techniques rooted in jazz, tap, and ballet. Students are invited to delve deeply into intermediate and advanced techniques and choreography phrases with a strong  emphasis on dance as a method of storytelling. Partner work and dance lifts are expanded upon from Movement 3. The course also considers cultural and historical contexts specific to musical theater dance. Students are expected to set aside time outside of class to practice conditioning exercises, review choreography, and keep a journal of reflections.

Design and Production 1 is a class for new Theater majors that gives students an introduction to theatrical production backstage, the design process, and an appreciation for technical theater. The class consists of daily discussions, hands-on demonstrations, small class exercises, and various projects. The daily discussions are derived from watching videos and research that include demonstrations of equipment and techniques, interviews with professionals in the field, and profiles of Broadway shows and designers. Group or individual projects are associated with each unit.

Design and Production 2 is a class for second year Theater sophomores that explores the process used by theater designers with a specific concentration on scenic, lighting, and costume design. The class consists of daily discussions, hands-on demonstrations, small class exercises, and various projects. The daily discussions are derived from watching videos and research that include demonstrations of equipment and techniques, interviews with professionals in the field, and profiles of Broadway shows and designers. The projects are design-oriented, with students working through the full design process on a script, and producing a model or renderings as a representation of their visual storytelling.

Students will study how a writer can push the basic forward motion of "what's going to happen next?" through the narrative. We will read a variety of contemporary plays, and students can expect to act in their peers' work, and to improvise set-ups that will improve their understanding of the performance aspects of writing for the stage. The students will complete working drafts of short plays throughout the semester.

This course examines the role of the director in today’s theater through the analysis of various directing styles and techniques. Students concentrate on play selection, concept determination and development, auditions, scene staging, and the collaborative process of working with actors and designers. Outside production work is required.

Prerequisites: Theater 3 and permission of the instructor.