(For dance information, see Dance.)
Associate Professor Barbara W. Grossman, Chair; Theatre history, dramatic literature,
directing
Professor Laurence Senelick, Fletcher Professor of Oratory; Director
of graduate studies in drama; Dramatic literature
and theory, theatre and film history
Associate Professor Downing Cless, Directing, sociology of
the theatre, dramatic literature
Associate Professor Alice E. Trexler, Director of dance studies
Assistant Professor Claire Conceison, Dramatic literature, theatre
history
Assistant Professor Don Weingust, Dramatic literature, theatre history,
acting
Lecturer Virginia B. Johnson, Head of design/technology
Lecturer Daniel McCusker, Dance
Lecturer Ted Simpson, Design
Lecturer Jesse Smith, Technical design and production
Lecturer Judy Staicer, Design
Lecturer Sheriden Thomas, Acting
Part-time faculty:
Senior Lecturer Neal Hirsig, Multimedia
Lecturer Thomas Connolly, Theatre history, dramatic
literature and criticism
Lecturer Lynn Frederiksen, Dance
Lecturer Gretchen Hayden, Dance
Lecturer Susan Kouguell, Screenwriting
The Department of Drama and Dance provides a strong liberal arts approach to the creative, historical, and aesthetic dimensions of performance. The curriculum fosters critical thinking and imaginative challenges, whether through experiences with literature and history or participation in performance.
The department offers a variety of courses, complemented by an active season of productions. Students have the opportunity to apply the artistic and analytical skills they develop in class to the demands of live performance. Courses and productions are open to all Tufts students, regardless of major. Whether in the classroom, the dance lab, or the theatre, every course in the department fulfills the arts distribution requirement.
Performance Activities
Each year the department produces a full and varied season of performances in the Balch
Arena Theater, a flexible theatre-in-the-round. The season consists of three faculty-directed
productions, as well as a number of student-directed shows. Several student
groups are active throughout the year in the Arena and other spaces on campus.
These include Pen, Paint, and Pretzels (3 Ps), the student theatre group--which is
Tufts' oldest student organization and has been active for more than ninety
years--and Torn Ticket II, which is dedicated to musical theatre. There are
other performance opportunities with Cheap Sox (improvisational comedy), HYPE!
(mime), Traveling
Treasure Trunk (children's theatre), Sarabande Dance Ensemble, and Tufts Dance
Collective.
The production program allows students to explore all areas of theatre and dance outside the classroom. They are involved in every aspect of production, from backstage work as stage managers and crew members, to directing and/or choreographing shows, designing, performing, even producing. They experience the joys and challenges of live performance, as well as the satisfaction of working as part of a creative ensemble on a project for a significant period of time.
Undergraduate Concentration Requirements
Major in Drama
The major in drama provides a balanced mix of study and practice, understanding and
process, thinking and doing. It demands much of and gives much to students in the
development of creativity, adaptability, and analytical thinking.
With its emphasis on effective communication and imaginative flexibility, a drama major is one of the best preparations for a variety of careers, as
well as for graduate professional training and work in a theatre arts specialization.
Drama majors often complete double majors in combination with many other departments and
programs.
The drama major consists of eleven course credits and related requirements, including:
1) Five course credits in history, literature, and/or theory of drama, four of which
are required: Drama 1 (Comedy and Tragedy), 4 (Modern Drama), 137 (Theatre
and Society I: Prehistory through the Renaissance), 138 (Theatre and Society II:
The Early Modern Period). The fifth is an elective from an approved
list.
2) Drama 17 (Introduction to Theatre Technology). This course is a prerequisite
for Drama 18 (Stage Lighting Design).
3) Drama 19 (Introduction to Theatre Design). This course is a prerequisite for
upper-level courses in costume and scene design. The combination of Drama 17 and
19 provides a solid foundation for students who want to pursue more advanced
study in these areas.
4) Two course credits in acting/directing/movement or studio dance/voice
(excluding Drama 80).
5) Two electives in the student's specific area of interest, at least one of
which must be an upper-level course. A maximum of two one-half course credits of
Drama 80 and/or 81 may be used to fulfill the requirements for the major.
6) A noncredit run crew on a faculty-directed major production
(assistant stage manager, light board operator, sound board operator, costume
crew, deck crew, house management).
7) A noncredit prep crew on a faculty-directed major production
consisting of thirty hours of production-related preparatory work in a given
semester.
8) Each drama major is expected to gain
experience in the creative aspects of drama and/or dance through involvement in the
production program of the university. Graduating magna cum laude or summa cum
laude with a drama major is contingent not only on scholastic achievement, but on
significant participation in productions.
Students considering a drama major will find it advantageous to complete Drama 1, the crew requirement, and an introductory-level course in either studio dance/acting or design/technology by the end of the sophomore year. This will allow greater flexibility in scheduling course work and more opportunities for advanced-level production responsibilities later on.
It is strongly recommended that students who plan to pursue professional training or
graduate school take more than the minimum eleven course credits, especially in an area of
specialization.
Undergraduate Minor Programs
Minor in Drama or Dance
The minor consists of a minimum of five course credits taken in the department (or 4.5
if dance), in a plan approved by the designated minor adviser. Two courses must be taken
in literature/history (selected from Drama 1, 4, 137, 138; Dance 70, 195), or one course of
literature/history and one credit of dance theory (Dance 117 with a prerequisite of Dance
51 or consent), or selected special topics courses. Only one studio dance repeat
can be applied to the minor.
Interdisciplinary Minor in Film Studies
This interdisciplinary minor is offered through the Communications and Media Studies Program.
For more information, see Communications and Media Studies.
Interdisciplinary Minor in Multimedia Arts
This is an interdisciplinary minor of the Departments of Art and Art History, Drama and
Dance, Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Music. For
more information, see Multimedia Arts.
Graduate Program
For admission to graduate work in drama, a prospective student must present a completed
undergraduate record of high scholastic proficiency with a firm grounding in drama and
theatre arts. Other desirable foundation subjects include cultural studies, art history,
music, philosophy, psychology, sociology, history, and literature.
The program of study leading to the doctor of philosophy or master of arts degree in drama embraces particular areas of dramatic literature, dramatic theory and criticism, and theatre history and research. It is expected that applicants for admission will already have attained a level of proficiency in the creative and/or performance aspects of theatre.
Courses of study for the satisfaction of the residence requirement do not include theatrical practice or stage performance. Dramaturgy for a faculty-directed play is available for credit one time.
Depending on the individual student's educational background, intellectual capabilities, and professional aims, certain courses in other disciplines--anthropology, art history, Chinese, classics, English, French, German, history, Italian, Japanese, music, philosophy, Russian, sociology, and Spanish--may be taken for credit toward advanced degrees in drama, upon consent of the graduate adviser of the Department of Drama and Dance.
Master of Arts
In general, the student is expected to offer for admission the equivalent of a Tufts
bachelor of arts degree with a major in drama. A student whose undergraduate preparation
is not equivalent may be admitted provisionally and may be required to complete more than
the minimum eight courses or make up deficiencies at no degree credit.
REQUIREMENTS AND RESIDENCE
A minimum of eight courses of graduate-level work in residence is required for the degree.
Additionally, the student must satisfy the following requirements to qualify for the
master of arts degree in drama:
1) The student must demonstrate a reading knowledge of a foreign language by passing an
examination or an approved course no later than the end of the first year. A student whose
undergraduate record indicates successful performance in a language course at the advanced
level may be exempt.
2) Understanding of the basic principles and practices of design and technical
theatre is
to be demonstrated in the student's prior experience or by satisfactory completion of
Drama 17 or 19, taken without credit during the first year of residence.
3) The student must demonstrate an understanding of the principal theories and methods
of acting. This requirement may be fulfilled either by satisfactory completion of Drama
10, taken without credit during the first semester of residence, or by presentation of
evidence of study and experience in acting.
4) Unless a student's undergraduate record indicates completion of two courses or their
equivalent in history of the theatre, Drama 137 and 138 must be taken for credit.
5) The student must take a minimum of four courses in graduate seminars selected from
the following: Drama 220, 235, 236, 237, 238, 261, or 262. Also, certain related courses
in other departments may be credited toward the master of arts degree in drama (not more
than one in a semester), with prior consent of the adviser.
6) The student must demonstrate an ability to deal with the concepts and problems of a
particular area of scholarly specialization at a level of distinction. The student must
satisfy this requirement by completing a scholarly thesis (one semester of Drama 295 or
296).
POLICY ON INCOMPLETE GRADES
Any graduate student with more than one incomplete grade at the end of a term's study will
receive warning that his or her status in the program is in jeopardy. Any student on
financial aid or assistantship who has more than one incomplete grade at the end of a
term's study will have his or her appointment withdrawn.
All incomplete grades must be completed no later than six weeks after the end of the semester or summer session in which the incomplete was awarded, or the student will be required to withdraw from the program.
The above stipulations may be waived only by petition of the student, duly supported, and the voting consent of the graduate faculty.
Doctor of Philosophy
For admission to the program the applicant is generally expected to offer the equivalent
of a Tufts master of arts degree in drama and to give evidence of experience in theatrical
production in the resume. A student whose prior preparation is not equivalent may be
admitted provisionally and required to take additional courses achieving a grade not less
than B- to make up deficiencies at no degree credit.
REQUIREMENTS AND RESIDENCE
Course work extending approximately three academic years beyond the B.A. degree, normally
18 courses (including two courses for dissertation research), is required. Part-time study
or less than full-time residence in the Ph.D. program is discouraged. Eight seminars
within the department are required of all Ph.D. students, including two seminars in
dramatic or performance theory and Drama 220: Introduction to Research Methods and
Materials (to be taken on entering). With prior consent of the adviser, certain advanced
courses outside the department may be credited toward the Ph.D. degree (not more than
one course in a semester).
Students with a master's degree may be credited toward the doctorate with up to six courses in their previous graduate study that satisfy course requirements for the Tufts doctorate in drama. However, acceptance into candidacy for the doctoral degree ordinarily depends on the quality of work done in the student's first year of residence at Tufts. Transfer of courses is not automatic, and each case is judged on its individual merit by the graduate faculty. A student may apply for transfer of courses earned through graduate work in other schools only after the satisfactory completion of at least one semester of residence at Tufts.
POLICY ON INCOMPLETE GRADES
Doctoral candidates should note the restrictions on incomplete grades stated in the
section on the master's degree.
FOREIGN LANGUAGE
A student must demonstrate a reading knowledge of two foreign languages. Because a
significant amount of material in this program can be read only in primary sources, the
student is expected to satisfy the language requirements by passing an examination or
accepted course in one language no later than the end of the first year of residence, and
the other language prior to taking the comprehensive examinations. A student whose
undergraduate record indicates successful performance in a language course at the advanced
level may be exempt.
COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATIONS
After the last semester of courses, the student will complete comprehensive examinations
to establish his or her candidacy for the doctoral degree. These examinations will be both
written and oral.
DISSERTATION
The candidate for the doctoral degree must prove competence in independent research by
preparing and completing a dissertation on a subject chosen and planned with the approval
of the department's graduate faculty and written under the supervision of an adviser.
Ordinarily the student will complete the dissertation while in residence, although for
special reasons he or she may be permitted to finish it elsewhere within the time limit
established by the graduate school.
COURSES AVAILABLE IN THE DOCTORAL DEGREE PROGRAM
Although not all of these courses are offered every year, the student may expect to find
them available during the period of residence. A doctoral candidate is expected, as part
of the course load, to enroll in two seminars each semester (200-level courses).
Drama 133 The American Musical
Drama 137 Theatre and Society: Prehistory to the Renaissance
Drama 138 Theatre and Society: Early Modern Period
Drama 141 The American Theatre
Drama 143 Gay and Lesbian Theatre and Film
Drama 144 Asian Performance
Drama 148 African-American Theatre and Film
Drama 149 Asian-American Theatre and Film
Drama 157 Bertolt Brecht
Drama 160 Shakespeare on Film
Drama 220 Introduction to Research Methods and Materials
Drama 235, 236 Studies and Research in Dramatic Literature (two courses, may be
repeated)
Drama 237, 238 Studies and Research in Theatre History (two courses, may be
repeated)
Drama 261, 262 Dramatic Theory and Criticism (two courses)
Drama 291, 292 Graduate Seminar
Drama 293, 294 Special Topics
Drama 297, 298 Graduate Research
Undergraduate Courses
1 Comedy and Tragedy: An Introduction to Drama. An exploration of the relation of comedy to farce, the nature of the comic, and the dynamics of laughter; a study of the relation of tragedy to melodrama, the dynamics of suspense, horror, pity, and self-pity; and an examination of the structure, conventions, social taboos, and character types characteristic of these genres. No prerequisite. Fall. Cless, Weingust
4 Modern Drama. Drama as a mirror of modern society and psyche. The principal movements from the beginning of the century to the present day through examination of approximately twenty plays and related historical readings. Films of plays, class presentations, and discussions. No prerequisite. Cless, Weingust
6 Production Run Crew. Required of all drama majors. Prerequisites: drama major and consent. No credit; pass-fail grading. Members of the department
10 Acting I: Introduction to Acting. A basic course in acting aimed at enhancing self-confidence, oral expression, and creativity. Emphasis on concentration, motivation, and improvisation, and what it means to create a character and speak before an audience. Limit of twenty students per section. No prerequisite. Members of the department
11 Introduction to Physical Theatre. (Cross-listed as Dance 11.) Collaborations and creative projects in sound and movement, translations from other media, mask, and development of eccentric characters. Work placed in theatrical context through readings, viewings, and writing to create expanded views of performance for novice and experienced performers. Trexler
12 Acting II. Techniques and theories of acting for students with substantial prior acting experience in productions and/or classes. The role of the actor in relation to the play as a whole. Work on stage speech, movement, projection, characterization, and interpretation through various types of scenes. Prerequisite: consent based on brief interview and audition (by this process first-year students may place out of Drama 10). Thomas
16 Costume Technology. An exploration of materials, equipment, and methods of costume construction. Topics include period pattern research and development, construction techniques, fabric treatments, mask making, and costume prop design. Lab fee. No prerequisite. Johnson
17 Theatre Technology. The tools, materials, and techniques of mounting a theatrical production. Emphasis on scenic construction including basic carpentry, painting, and rigging techniques. Required lab hours to be arranged. No prerequisite. Design faculty
18 Lighting Design I. The study of the aesthetics, processes, and tools of lighting design for the stage. Script analysis, research, color theory, equipment, design principles for arena and proscenium stages, design documentation, using a combination of hands-on exercises, paper projects, and computer visualization. No prerequisite. Staicer
19 Principles of Theatrical Design. Project-oriented course that introduces an understanding of the relationship between text and visual representation. Exploration of the various mediums and methods of artistic presentation used by scene and costume designers. Lab fee. No prerequisite. Johnson
21 3-D Computer-Assisted Design. A project-based examination of design principles, using 3-D software as a design environment. Design projects focus on the presentational elements of architectural, theatrical, and commercial design. Topics include modeling, texturing, lighting, and animation of 3-D designs. Prerequisite: Drama 19 or any studio arts foundation or drawing course. Hirsig
22 Introduction to the Art of Multimedia. A studio-based exploration of the design, organization, and production of multimedia projects. Topics include text, graphic art, color, animation, digitized sound and video, interactive and performance design. Software resources include Photoshop, Painter, and Director. No prerequisite. Hirsig
25 Stage Management. The study and analysis of the production of a play from the point of view of the stage manager, from preparations for audition through the close of the show. Individual preparation of a complete stage manager's prompt script for one play with emphasis on critical and analytical thinking, problem solving, strong written and oral communication skills. Prerequisite: consent. Staicer
29 Scene Painting. Study and practice of the techniques of scene painting and surface treatment applicable to the execution of theatrical designs. Lab fee. No prerequisites. Design faculty
33 The American Musical. The development of a vibrant art form on stage and on screen with special attention to important personalities and productions from The Black Crook to The Producers, Robin Hood to Rent, On the Town to Urinetown. The musical as a reflection of American popular culture: the expression of fantasy and nostalgia, sentimentalism and chauvinism, racism and sexism, social protest and enduring optimism. The tension between the art of creating musicals and the business of musical theatre, between artistic achievement and commercial success. No prerequisite. (May be taken at 100 level with prerequisite and consent; see below.) Grossman
48 African-American Theatre and Film. A broad historical survey of plays and films by African Americans. Comparison of cinematic and theatrical representations. Relation of African-American aesthetics to broader American, European, and Pan-African forms. Historical evaluation and comparison of images created by African Americans and those established in the mainstream milieu. No prerequisite. (May be taken at 100 level with prerequisite and consent; see below.)
49 Asian-American Theatre and Film. Survey of the field of Asian-American film and live performance and its significance in a multicultural society of "new" identities. Films and plays by Asian Americans will be connected to the history and patterns of Asian immigration to the United States and seen in the light of Orientalism, race, gender, and other issues of representation politics. Videos outside the class and special screening sessions for rare films. No prerequisite. (May be taken at 100 level with prerequisite and consent; see below.) Conceison
50 Introduction to Film Studies. (Cross-listed as International Letters and Visual Studies 50.) Introduction to fundamental methodologies for reading film. Overview of film studies with emphasis on film as a complex art form. Narrative as a formal system, film genres, style and its related techniques, critical approaches to film analysis, film history. Weekly screening of relevant films selected from both Hollywood and world cinemas. No prerequisite.
55 Introduction to Greek Drama I. (Cross-listed as Classics 55.) Readings of selected plays by Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, and Aristophanes. Particular emphasis on the importance of strong female characters; relationship between gender, society, and drama; comic representation in Aristophanes. Members of the Department of Classics
56 Introduction to Greek Drama II: Theatre and Anti-Theatre. (Cross-listed as Classics 56.) Survey of satyr plays, Euripides, Aristophanes, and Menander. Literature of the late fifth and fourth centuries, which laid the groundwork for later European and American drama. The changing role of women and the family in drama and society as a way to understand the evolution of this literary genre. Members of the Department of Classics
57 Bertolt Brecht. (Cross-listed as German 57.) The dramas, poems, and short stories of one of the most controversial and influential German playwrights of the twentieth century. Attention to history and theory of German theatre. Emphasis on his representation of women and the role of women in his theatre collective. Readings in German for German majors and in English for other students. (May be taken at 100 level with consent; see below.) Brown
60 Shakespeare on Film. Viewings and analysis of great film productions of at least five Shakespearean plays, from rare early silent films to recent popular versions and from filmed versions of classic British stage productions to cross-cultural productions designed for non-Western audiences. Lectures and discussions will compare at least two to three different cinematic versions of a play, examine visual and performance cues in the texts, and explore the different mediums of drama and film. No prerequisite. (May be taken at 100 level with prerequisite and consent; see below.) Weingust
61 Film in India. A survey of Indian cinema, evaluating its importance as the world's largest film industry. The sociopolitical functions of popular media in a developing country with a population of one billion, where film has played the role of mediator, instigator, educator, and is a unifying factor for the nation. Indian cinema in various categories, such as mythological/devotional films, political films, art cinema, romances, Indian "westerns," gangster movies, propaganda war movies, musicals, and others. Videos outside the class and special screening sessions for rare films. No prerequisite.
62 Hollywood Comedy. An overview of the development of American comic films, starting with the laugh factory of Max Sennett and early cinematic clowns such as Chaplin and Keaton. Viewings and discussions of subgenres including screwball comedy and the irreverent humor of vaudevillians like the Marx Brothers and Mae West in the '30s, the wit of Some Like It Hot in the '50s, the sexual and anarchic comedy of the '60s onward. Themes include speed and violence as comic subjects, comedy as a gauge of American anxieties at any time, and the sublimation of sexual tension through playing with gender roles. No prerequisite. Senelick
64 Women and Film. A survey of films that foreground the complex yet changing role of women in society and question the image of women in popular culture. Topics include the image of the professional woman in popular films; the relation of women to theatricality and to spectacle; the relation of gender and film genres; emerging possibilities for identification in mainstream films by and about women; looking relations (voyeurism and exhibitionism) in film and the theatre arts. Two-hour viewing lab. No prerequisite.
65 Third-World Film: Race and Its Discontents. Survey of contemporary films created by artists of color in Asia, Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, the United States, and Great Britain. Evaluation of representation as a means of cultural expression and identity formation. Exploration of cross-cultural and transnational convergence and divergence. Focus on new non-European models of representation and exchanges between filmmakers of color. All works in English. No prerequisite.
77 Screenwriting I. Background and techniques needed for writing a feature-film script. Topics include learning screenplay formatting, how to write description, how to conceive dialogue, and how to make scenes. Students will study the treatment form, write a treatment for a full-length screenplay, and write the first act of that script. No prerequisite. Fall. Kouguell
80 Practicum in Acting. Rehearsal and performance of a role in a major departmental production, under the direction and instruction of a faculty member. Auditions are open to the Tufts community. Course registration occurs after casting, and all cast members are required to register (with the exception of designated small roles). May be repeated for credit, but only two one-half course credits of Drama 80, 81 can be used to satisfy the requirements for the drama major or minor. Prerequisite: consent. One-half course credit. Members of the department
81 Practicum in Production. Significant participation in the design, technical,
or management aspects of production, with the supervision and instruction of the
appropriate faculty member. Specific projects, assignments, and other work will be geared
to the requirements of the particular production. All students with substantial
responsibilities on a major production must register for this course. May be repeated for
credit, but only two one-half course credits of Drama 80 and 81 may be used to satisfy the
requirements for the drama major or minor. Prerequisite: consent. One-half course credit. Members
of the department
Courses for Undergraduate and Graduate Students
100 Acting III. An advanced course aimed at improving the actor's skills and capability in the use of body and voice, analysis and interpretation of roles, characterization, and emotional projection. An intensive study of acting styles, both by way of period and of technique. Individual and ensemble acting in exercises and scenes requiring various types of interpretation and styles. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisites: Drama 12 and consent. Thomas
112 Advanced Acting Workshop. In-depth exploration of a specific area and genre of theatre or a particular aspect of an actor's work. Recent workshops have been on comedy, on characterization, on Asian techniques applied to Euro-American plays, and on stage combat. One-half or one course credit. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: consent. Thomas, Weingust
118 Lighting Design II. Continuation of Lighting Design I. Further exploration of lighting technology and design aesthetics for more complex productions such as multi-set shows, musicals, and dance. Use of computer programs for planning and communicating design ideas. Lab fee. Prerequisite: Drama 18 or consent. Staicer
125 Scene Design. Development of the skills of script analysis, rendering and model making, and process for the design of scenery. Prerequisites: Drama 1, and 19 or consent. Simpson
126 Costume Design. Development of the skills of script analysis, rendering, and process for the design of costumes. Prerequisites: Drama 1 and 19, or consent. Johnson
133 The American Musical. (See Drama 33 for course description.) Extra assignments and class meetings. Prerequisites: senior or graduate standing and consent.
137 Theatre and Society: Prehistory to the Renaissance. Theatre from its probable origins in religious ritual to its development in classical Greece and Rome, medieval Europe and Asia, and the popular theatre of the Renaissance. Theatre as a sensitive barometer of its time, reflecting the values of every period in which it appears. Ways in which nationalism, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, religion, class, and other social constructs shape playwriting, performance, and presentation. Required of majors, open to nonmajors. May be taken after Drama 138. Prerequisite: Drama 1 or consent. Fall.
138 Theatre and Society: Early Modern Period. Theatre's development in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries from neoclassicism to romanticism and the birth of modern realism. Exploration of theatre that shocks, challenges, surprises and delights; theatre that satirizes established institutions, expresses new voices and attracts new audiences; theatre that harnesses the technology of the day to create pictures of passion and power on the proscenium stage; theatre that may be distant in time but still tells us stories about ourselves. Required of majors, open to nonmajors. May be taken before Drama 137. Prerequisite: Drama 1 or consent. Spring. Grossman
141 The American Theatre. The development of the American theatre and drama from the colonial period to World War II. Members of the department
143 Gay and Lesbian Theatre and Film. Stage and media treatment of homosexuality throughout history, beginning with the classical Greek and Elizabethan stage, dealing with the Chinese and Japanese traditional drama, and proceeding to the present time. Subjects include stage transvestism, stereotypes of the effete dandy and predatory lesbian, underground vs. commercial film representations, the concept of camp, AIDS drama, and contemporary queer theory and performance. One extra session per week devoted to film screening. Senelick
144 Asian Performance--Surveying the 'Other.' Introduction to theatrical performance traditions of Asia, mainly China, India, Japan, Indonesia, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. The major theories and representative plays from the traditions. The history and politics of Asian influence/presence in Western theatre in the light of Orientalism, race, gender, and other issues of representation. Some contemporary expressions of Asian performance. No prerequisite. Conceison
147 Playwriting. The principles and practice of modern dramatic composition. Group analysis of dramaturgical elements as seen in contemporary one-act plays, supplemented by examination of the forms, models, and scope of the longer play. Prerequisite: consent. Members of the department
148 African-American Theatre and Film. (See Drama 48 for course description.) Extra assignments and class meetings. Prerequisites: senior or graduate standing and consent.
149 Asian-American Theatre and Film. (See Drama 49 for course description.) Extra assignments and class meetings. Prerequisites: senior or graduate standing and consent.
155 Directing I. Introduction to all aspects of translating a play from script to stage. Play analysis and interpretation, director's concept, visual composition, improvisational metaphors, and the history and theories of directing. Lectures/demonstrations, writing assignments, exercises, and scenes. Prerequisites: Drama 1 or 4, or consent. Fall. Cless
156 Directing II. The techniques and art of play direction, with emphasis on methods of actor coaching and rehearsal procedures. Rehearsal and presentation of several scenes of varying dramatic styles in association with some reading and writing assignments about specific problems in directing. Final project is the public performance of a one-act play. Prerequisites: Drama 10 or 12, and 155. Spring. Cless, Senelick
157 Bertolt Brecht. (See Drama 57 for course description.) Extra assignments and class meetings. Prerequisites: senior or graduate standing and consent.
160 Shakespeare on Film. (See Drama 60 for course description.) Extra assignments and conferences. Prerequisites: senior or graduate standing and consent.
178 Screenwriting II. The second semester of a course providing students with the techniques and advice they need for the completion of a feature-length screenplay. Prerequisite: Drama 77 and consent. Spring. Kouguell
183, 184 Practicum in Design. Practical application of scenic, lighting, or costume design to a faculty-directed major production. A student develops a design through an extensive tutorial process culminating in construction and use in a Balch Arena Theater production. Prerequisites: Drama 118, or 125, or 126, and consent of design faculty. One-half or one course credit. Design faculty
185, 186 Practicum in Directing. Direction of a mentored production (normally a full-length play) in the Balch Arena Theater. A student completes directorial research and creates production ideas and strategies through an extensive tutorial process with a member of the acting/directing faculty. Prerequisites: Drama 156, a design course, and consent. One-half or one course credit. Cless, members of the department
187 Teaching through Drama and Improvisation. (Cross-listed as Child Development 143 and Education 187.) Review of the theory and practice of using drama in education. Aspects of dramatic expression, including dramatic play, improvisation, and story dramatization, as tools for extending the educational experiences of children and adolescents. Particularly suited for those interested in teaching preschool, elementary, middle, or secondary school. Camara, Jorgensen
193, 194 Special Topics. Advanced projects for independent or group study in
acting, directing, designing, and other arts of the theatre, as well as in the history of
theatre and drama. Applicants for this course must give evidence of both interest
in and
capacity for doing specialized work in their chosen project. Credit as arranged. Members
of the department
Graduate Courses
Open to qualified undergraduates with consent of instructor
220 Introduction to Research Methods and Materials. A survey of major published reference sources forming the foundation of theatre history and an introduction to the use of primary documents in theatre research. Both access technique and scholarly application are demonstrated by use of libraries such as the Harvard Theater Collection. Fall.
235, 236 Studies and Research in Dramatic Literature. Seminar studies of various periods, types, or authors of dramatic literature designed to suggest topics for advanced research. As different subject matter is studied each time, the course may be repeated. Topics in recent years have included Shakespeare, Molière, Ibsen and Strindberg, modern Russian drama, and women and violence in theatre. Graduate faculty
237, 238 Studies and Research in Theatre History. Seminar studies of various periods and figures of theatre history designed to suggest topics for advanced research. As different subject matter is studied each time, the course may be repeated. Topics in recent years have included the Russian theatre, commedia dell'arte, the history of Shakespearean production, the history of popular entertainment, post-colonial performance, and the history of directing. Graduate faculty
261, 262 Dramatic Theory and Criticism. From a basis of classical dramatic theory and of general theatre history and aesthetics, this course examines the major writings in dramatic criticism and the development of various types of theories of dramatic art and performance. Two courses. Senelick
291, 292 Graduate Seminar. Presentation of individual reports on basic topics to a seminar group for discussion and criticism. Credit as arranged. Members of the department
293, 294 Special Topics. Guided individual study of an approved topic. Credit as arranged. Prerequisite: consent. Members of the department
295, 296 Thesis. Guided research on a topic that has been approved as a suitable subject for a master's thesis. Members of the department
297, 298 Graduate Research. Guided research on a topic suitable for a doctoral dissertation. Credit as arranged. Members of the department
401PT Master's Continuation, Part-time.
402FT Master's Continuation, Full-time.
501PT Doctoral Continuation, Part-time.
502FT Doctoral Continuation, Full-time.