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Beat By Beat Script Interpretation: Pulitzer Version — DRA4192.01

Instructor: Dina Janis
Days & Time: TU 2:10pm-5:50pm
Credits: 4

Students in this class will read a weekly selection of Pulitzer Prize winning plays and be required to analyze and explore these plays beat by beat in class discussion and weekly critical writing exercises. This is an in-depth script interpretation class in which theme, dramatic structure, arc, character development, tone, style and extensive study of the given playwrights and their influences will be explored in detail and in a way that centers the questions one would need to interrogate in order to bring these diverse and extraordinary pieces of work to life.

Advanced Scene Study: Tom Stoppard — DRA4191.01

Instructor: Dina Janis
Days & Time: TH 8:30am-12:10pm
Credits: 4

This is an advanced scene study class which will explore the canon of work by Tom Stoppard. Students will be assigned scenes and monologues from this canon, and the class as a whole will read all of the plays being worked on during the term. Rehearsal techniques, character development and sensory exploration of these plays will be a large part of the focus for the actors in the class. Written analysis of the plays being worked on will also be expected. Students interested in this class must be able to commit to a rigorous out of class rehearsal commitment.

Framing the World - Animating the World — MA4212.01

Instructor: Sue Rees
Days & Time: TH 8:30am-12:10pm
Credits: 4

The course will be for sustained work on an animation or projection design project, and should be a space for both experimentation, ambition and consistent endeavor. The first half of the semester will be concerned with conceptualizing and framing the world of the animations or projections, by research, drawings, investigation, imagining. The second half will be creating the animation or projections.

Art of Stage Design — DRA2250.01

Instructor: Michael Giannitti
Days & Time: TU 8:30am-12:10pm
Credits: 4

A set design communicates lots of information to an audience, and provides the physical world in which a performance takes place. In his book The Dramatic Imagination, the great set designer Robert Edmond Jones wrote: “…we may fairly speak of the art of stage designing as poetic, in that it seeks to give expression to the essential quality of a play rather than to its outward characteristics.” Students in this course will work through the process of designing stage sets in which poetic expression is evident and functionality is addressed.

Acting Ensemble: TBA — DRA4395.01

Instructor: Jenny Rohn
Days & Time: Tu 7:00PM-10:00PM, W 2:10PM-5:50PM
Credits: 4

The Polish theater director Jerzy Grotowski defined his theory of “poor theatre” as the theatre that values the body of the actor and its relation with the spectator. Poor Theatre used the simplest of sets, costumes,lighting and props requiring the actors to employ all of their skills to transform a space into other imaginative worlds.

Viewpoints Groundwork — DRA2124.01

Instructor: Jenny Rohn
Days & Time: TU,FR 2:10pm-4:00pm
Credits: 4

Viewpoints is a physical improvisational form used for training actors and creating movement for the stage. This class encourages students to explore the physical and vocal possibilities of time and space, with a specific focus on developing the capacity to be physically present, emotionally open, and free to follow creative impulses. Special emphasis will be placed on developing listening skills and ensemble building. Coursework will cover the nine Viewpoints and their application to character exploration and composition within the world of a play.

The Actor's Instrument — DRA2170.02, section 2

Instructor: Shawtane Bowen
Days & Time: MO,TH 10:00am-11:50am
Credits: 4

Acting is the art of bringing text to life with heart, soul, and skill—and in this course, we’ll train your voice, body, mind, and spirit to do just that!

In a fun and supportive space, we’ll dive into the building blocks of actor training, pushing our creativity to build dynamic, three-dimensional characters ready for the stage.

Through scene work, improv, readings, and engaging exercises, we’ll tap into your unique experiences to strengthen your craft and bring your performances to life. Let’s play, explore, and grow together!

Theater Games and Improvisation — DRA2123.01

Instructor: Shawtane Bowen
Days & Time: MO,TH 1:40pm-3:30pm
Credits: 4

Whose class is this anyway? Yours! Improv is for everyone—just like life, it’s all about making it up as we go.

In this course, we’ll explore the fundamentals of improvisation through high-energy theater games, pattern and rhythm exercises, and ensemble-building activities. We’ll dive into character, object, and environment work while staying grounded, truthful, and spontaneous.

The Scriptorium: Found Families — WRI2165.01

Instructor: Alex Creighton
Days & Time: MO,TH 10:00am-11:50am
Credits: 4

The Scriptorium, a “place for writing,” is a class for writers interested in improving their critical essay-writing skills. We will read to write and write to read. Much of our time will be occupied with writing and revising—essai means “trial” or “attempt”—as we work to create new habits and productive strategies for analytical writing.

The Scriptorium: What Is Culture? — WRI2168.01

Instructor: Alex Creighton
Days & Time: MO,TH 1:40pm-3:30pm
Credits: 4

The Scriptorium, a “place for writing,” is a class for writers interested in improving their critical essay-writing skills. We will read to write and write to read. Much of our time will be occupied with writing and revising—essai means “trial” or “attempt”—as we work to create new habits and productive strategies for analytical writing.

SCRIPTORIUM: MONSTERS — WRI2159.02, section 2

Instructor: Camille Guthrie
Days & Time: TU,FR 10:30am-12:20pm
Credits: 4

This Scriptorium, a “place for writing,” functions as a class for writers interested in improving their critical essay-writing skills. We will read to write and write to read. Much of our time will be occupied with discussion, writing, and revising—essai means “trial” or “attempt”—as we create new habits and strategies for our analytical writing. We will write in various essay structures with the aim of developing a well-supported thesis; in addition, we will revise collaboratively, improve our research and citation skills, and study grammar and style.

SCRIPTORIUM: MONSTERS — WRI2159.01, section 1

Instructor: Camille Guthrie
Days & Time: TU,FR 2:10pm-4:00pm
Credits: 4

This Scriptorium, a “place for writing,” functions as a class for writers interested in improving their critical essay-writing skills. We will read to write and write to read. Much of our time will be occupied with discussion, writing, and revising—essai means “trial” or “attempt”—as we create new habits and strategies for our analytical writing. We will write in various essay structures with the aim of developing a well-supported thesis; in addition, we will revise collaboratively, improve our research and citation skills, and study grammar and style.