Drama Program: Course Descriptions
Undergraduate Courses
1 Comedy and Tragedy: An Introduction to Drama
This course provides an introduction to dramatic literature from its
origins in ancient Greece through to the present day. We will survey,
compare and contextualize changing dramatic genres in the works of playwrights
as diverse as Sophocles, Shakespeare, Hansberry and Hwang, always with
an eye to performance. Our readings of play texts will be supplemented
by critical and multimedia materials. No prerequisite.
4 Modern Drama
This discussion-based
course examines dramatic literature and its theatrical performance from
the explosion of "-isms" at the beginning of the twentieth century, through the
innovations heralding the beginning of the twenty-first. Modern
societies and ways of thinking have undergone radical transformations
during this period, as have dramatic and theatrical expression. We will
journey through this era of change through the close examination of
approximately twenty plays, related critical readings, films of plays,
class presentations, and lively discussions. No prerequisite.
10 Acting I: Introduction to Acting
A basic course in acting, aimed at enhancing self-confidence, oral expression,
and creativity. Acting teaches poise and presence, vocal and physical
coordination, before a group. Students who have never acted previously
(and those who have) will find it important to study (or review) the
basics of concentration, motivation and improvisation. For students
interested in theatre, this course is a necessity; but students in other
fields (such as law, business, engineering) can also benefit from studying
the basics of what it means to create a character and speak before an
audience. Limit of eighteen students per section. No prerequisite. Members of
the department.
11 Introduction to Physical Theater (DNC 11 or
DR 11)
Techniques developed for the creation of non-text based theatre. Neutral
mask, translations from other media, voice and movement, and development
of eccentric characters. This studio class also includes reading and videos
on these topics, as well as journals and short projects required. One
course.
1 Credit.
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. Prerequisite: consent based on
brief interview and audition (though which first-year
students may place out of Drama 10).
15 Makeup Design and Application
Studio-based exploration of design and implementation of makeup for stage
and film. Topics include makeup history, facial structure, color
theory, products and their uses, the creation and use of prosthetics and
wigs. Design projects focus on researching period based makeup,
creating an accurate image to work from, and implementing those ideas on
the actual human face.
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.
No prerequisite. Lab fee. Fall.
17 Theatre Technology
The tools, materials, techniques and methods of mounting a theatrical
production. Emphasis on scenery construction including basic carpentry,
painting, and rigging techniques. Required lab hours to be arranged.
No prerequisite. Lab Fee. Spring.
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.
20 Stage Engineering
Introduction to standard theatrical
techniques for the construction of scenery. Analysis of materials, fasteners, assembly
practices and the development of production drafting. No prerequisite, but basic knowledge
of AutoCAD recommended. Lab Fee.
21 Computer-Assisted Design: 3-D Modeling
A project -based examination of design principles, using 3-D studio
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
three-dimensional designs. Prerequisites: Any costume, lighting or set design, any studio arts foundation or drawing course.
22 Introduction to the Art of Multimedia
A project-based examination of design principles, using 3-D studio 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 three-dimensional
designs. Prerequisite: Drama 19 or any studio arts foundation or drawing
course.
25 Stage Management
The study and
analysis of the production of a play from the point of view of the
stage manager, from auditions through the close of the show of 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, and strong writing and communication
skills. Prerequisite: consent.
27 Public Speaking
Introductory course exploring
the fundamentals of clear, confident, and effective communication in
one-on-one and group settings. Development of tension managements skills,
good breathing habits, awareness of body language, and the ability to engage
an audience through a series of practical exercises. Specific vocal work
focuses on tone, variety of pitch, rate, volume, and articulation.
28 Voice and Speech for the Actor
This
Course is for actors and for those seeking to strengthen and expand the
full range of flexibility, variety and contrast in their vocal
expression. In preparation for easy response to the demands of
performance, students will explore the connections between movement and
sound, the duality of breath and posture, the development of tonal
energy, vowels, the dynamics of consonants and their action in texts.
Cooney.
29 Scene Painting
Study and practice of the techniques of scene painting and surface treatment
applicable to the execution of theatrical designs. No prerequisite.
Lab fee. Design faculty.
30 Acting Shakespeare
In this course we will learn basic through advanced techniques for
acting the works of the most-produced playwright in the English language,
including techniques for acting Shakespeare based in the 1623 First
Folio. Students will have the opportunity to begin or further their
work on monologues which can be used as audition pieces, and to develop
in-depth scene work with partners. In addition to working on more
standard approaches, we will look at the challenges and glories of
acting from sides (also known as "cue scripts"-- the way Shakespeare's
company worked), learn how the text enabled Shakespeare's players to
perform with only a single group rehearsal, and discover how these
"original practices" can empower actors in contemporary performance.
Either some acting experience or familiarity with the works of William
Shakespeare is recommended. Prerequisite: consent of the instructor.
33 The American Musical
The
development of a vibrant art form on stage and film with special
attention to important personalities and productions from The Black Crook to The Producers, On the Town to Urinetown, Show Boat
to Spring Awakening. 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. (May be taken at 100 level
for grad credit with consent). No prerequisite.
Fall only.
43/143 Gay & Lesbian Theater & 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 present time. Subjects
include stage transvestism, stereotypes of the effete dandy and predatory
lesbian, underground vs. commercial film representations, the concept
of camps, AIDS drama, and contemporary queer theory and performance.
Film screenings.
45 Computer Aided Design Theatre
There is no description at this time.
46 International Women Film Directors
Although female directors are still considered a minority in the
international
film industry, their contribution is significant. The films that we
will screen are not Hollywood studio films and do not cater to
predictable conventions and "happy endings". These films are diverse
and unique, yet share such themes as female oppression, gender
identification, women's roles in everyday life, and female empowerment.
We will analyze the directors "narrative and visual storytelling
processes and choices, and how their diverse background influence their
films, as well as discuss critics' reviews. many of these provocative
directors have been imprisoned, banned from their countries, are a major
influence in their country's New Wave cinema, and/or stirred an
international debate because their films.
48 African-American Theater and Film
A broad historical survey of plays and films created 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 the 100 level with prerequisite and consent.) Spring (every
other year).
49 Asian American Stage &
Screen
Acknowledging their roots in mid-twentieth-century
civil rights and ethnic studies movements, this course examines the
emergence of Asian American theatre and film as a potent creative
and political voice in the United States. Representative works by
Asian American playwrights, performance artists, and filmmakers will
be discussed in light of issues such as immigration and diaspora,
gender and sexuality, generation gap, hybridized identities,
interculturalism, and Orientalism. Personal reflection in journals
and a final creative project are included in the course. Biweekly
Tuesday evening film screenings (6:00-8:30pm) are required. No
prerequisite.
50 Intro to Film Studies
Introductory course on the fundamental methodologies for reading film.
An overview of film studies with emphasis on film as a complex art form.
Topics will include, narrative as a formal system, film genres, style
and its related techniques, critical approaches to film analysis and
film history. Weekly Hollywood and World Cinemas. No prerequisite.
DR 53/CLS 55 Greek and Roman Tragedy
Cross-listed as Classics 55)
There is no description at this time.
54/154 Greek and Roman Comedy
(Cross-listed as Classics
54)
Ancient comedy ranges from the rowdy, bawdy, political satires {Lysistrata's
sex strike for peace, Dicaeoplis' private peace, Cloudcuckooland, Socrates'
Thinkery, etc.} of Greek Old Comedy to the boy-meets-girl stories of
Greek and Roman New Comedy {as in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way
to the Forum}. We will read selected plays by Aristophanes,
Menander, Plautus, and Terence, and will consider how the genre of
comedy changes over a 300-year period. Readings of the plays will be
in English translation. No prerequisites. Some short papers, a
mid-term and final examination.
57 (GER 57) Bertolt Brecht
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.
59 German Theatre from Lessing to Bretch
There is no description at this time.
60 Shakespeare on Film
Experience the greatest film productions of Shakespeare's plays, from
the most haunting to the most entertaining; from rare early silent film
shorts to the most recent popular versions; from classic British film
versions to cross-cultural productions designed for non-Western audiences;
from filmed versions of stage productions to free adaptations of the
plays designed for cinema. Film viewings will be supplemented by lectures,
readings, and small group discussion through which we will compare different
cinematic versions of at least five Shakespearean plays, examine visual
and performance cues in the texts, and explore how the different mediums
of drama and film engage our pleasure and interest. Lab screening times
once per week. 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 sub-genres including
screwball comedy and the irreverent humor of vaudevillians like the
Marx Brothers and Mae West in the '30's, the wit of Some Like It
Hot in the '50's, the sexual and anarchic comedy of the '60's 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.
65 Sport as Performance
There is no description at this time.
68 Twentieth Century Chinese Theatre
There is no description at this time.
72 Imagining Holocaust on Stage and Screen
Exploration of plays and films dealing with the Holocaust, from
Nazi-era
propaganda to contemporary reflections on genocide. Special emphasis on
the ethics of Holocaust representation and the responsibilities of
artists (and audiences) who engage the Holocaust story. Texts include
such plays as Camp Comedy, Ghetto, Kindertransport, Good, Bent, Who Will
Carry the Word?, and Annulla, as well as critical and theoretical
readings. Triumph of the Will, Night and Fog, The Architecture of Doom,
Partisans of Vilna, The Boat is Full, my Mother's Courage, Schindler's
List, The Grey Zone, Paragraph 175, Life is Beautiful, Shoah, and The
last Jew from Lublin are among the feature films and documentaries
considered.
77 Screenwriting I
An introduction to the craft of screenwriting with an emphasis on story,
structure, character development, dialogue, visuals, genre, and the
language of film. Films and produced screenplays will be analyzed to
illustrate the aforementioned topics. Students will workshop their materials
weekly and are expected to provide insightful analysis of their classmates'
work. By the end of the course, students will be required to complete
the first act of a feature-length screenplay and an outline of Acts
II and III.
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 half-course
credits of DR 80/DR 81 can be used to satisfy the requirements for the
drama major or minor. Prerequisite: Consent.
81 Practicum in Production
Significant participation in the design, technical, or management aspects
of a production, with supervision and instruction by 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 half-course
credits of Drama 80/81 may be used to satisfy the requirements for the
drama major or minor. Work done for pay may not be considered as coursework.
Prerequisite: Consent.
93-01: Special Topics: Acting Shakespeare
In this course we will learn
basic through advanced techniques for acting the works of the
most-produced playwright in the English language, including techniques
for acting Shakespeare based in the 1623 First Folio. Students will have
the opportunity to begin or further their work on monologues which can
be used as audition pieces, and to develop in-depth scene work with
partners. In addition to working on more standard approaches, we will
look at the challenges and glories of acting from sides (also known as
"cue scripts" -- the way Shakespeare's company worked), learn how the
text enabled Shakespeare’s players to perform with only a single group
rehearsal, and discover how these "original practices" can empower
actors in contemporary performance. The instructor, Don Weingust, is the
author of the recent Routledge text, Acting from Shakespeare’s First
Folio: Theory, Text and Performance. Either some acting experience or
familiarity with the works of William Shakespeare is recommended.
Prerequisite: consent of the instructor, which may be obtained via
e-mail: don.weingust@tufts.edu.
93-02: Special Topics: Architectural Styles
and Designs
A project-based examination of design principles using Blender 3D software as a
design environment. Design projects focus on the 3D modeling of architecture and
decor objects from historical periods ranging from Early to Modern including Asian
and Middle Eastern designs and structures. Prerequisite: DR-21 - Computer Assisted
Design.
93A: Special Topics: Intercultural Theatre
An exploration of theatre that crosses, transposes, or reinforces boundaries;
of theatre that challenges, surprises, and delights. The course is a
historical and critical examination of intercultural theatre as a dramatic
and performing genre from Renaissance European multiculturalism to postmodern
Interculturalism, with emphasis on the primary axis of East versus West
and Orientalism versus Occidentalism. Topics include interculturalism
as a dramatic theme, cross-cultural adaptation, discourse of race and
gender, (post) colonial and diasporic identity, encountering and staging
of cultural others, and theories of culture and performance. Readings
include Marlowe’s The Jew of Malta, Daborne’s A Christian
Turned Turk, Heywood’s Fair Maid of the West, Shakespeare’s
Othello, The Merchant of Venice, and The Tempest,
Soyinka’s The Bacchae of Euripides, David Henry Hawang’s M
Butterfy, Ma’s Autumn in the Han Palace, Xiong’s Foreign
Graduate, Peter Brook’s Mahabharata, Stephen Sondheim’s Pacific
Overtures, Chan’s American House, Chen Kaige’s Farewell
My Concubine, and Jackie Chan’s Shanghai Knight, supplemented
by videos and theoretical engagements with Brecht, Artaud, Peter Brook,
Richard Schechner, Tadashi Suzuki, and Edward Said. No prerequisite.
93H: Special Topics: Imagining the Holocaust
An unprecedented tragedy in human history, the Holocaust has been called
humankind’s darkest encounter with radical evil. For more than fifty
years, playwrights and filmmakers have struggled to understand and communicate
its complexities, represent its horrors, and grapple with its legacy.
As survivor Elle Wiesel wrote recently, "certain productions dazzle
with their authenticity; others shock with their vulgarity." Some "resonate
with us," while others fall into "cheap sentimentality." This course
will consider the ethics of Holocaust representation, as we survey plays
and films chosen from the growing number of works about the Nazi era.
We will explore the degree to which these works display artistic as
well as moral integrity. We will analyze theoretical issues, investigate
aesthetic differences between Holocaust drama and film, and focus on
the responsibilities of artists and audiences who engage the Holocaust
story. We will read and discuss such plays as Resort 76, Throne of
Straw, The Cannibals, Who Will Carry the Word? Camp Comedy, The Model
Apartment, The Survivor and the Translator, The Portage to San Cristobal
of A.H., Bent, Ghetto, The Deputy, The Investigation, and Kindertransport.
Film screenings will include The Great Dictator, The Diary of Anne
Frank, Judgment at Nuremberg, Sophie’s Choice, Night and Fog, Cabaret,
The Producers, The Last Metro, The Garden of the Finzi-Continis, The
Shop on Main Street, Jakob the Liar, Schindler’s List, Life is Beautiful,
and Shoah. (Both lists are subject to change!) As the 21st
century unfolds, it is clear that there is a new urgency to rethink
the legacies and echoes of genocide. May be taken at 100 level with
consent. Screenings on Tuesdays, 6:45-9:00pm, room TBA.
93W: Special Topics: Voice in Action: The
Actor's Voice in Classical and Contemporary Text
This class will explore optimal use of the actor's voice on-stage as
a tool for creatively serving both contemporary plays and the demands
of heightened text. We will use classical and contemporary scene study
as a vehicle for increasing vocal, physical, and tactical range for
the actor, and develop the tools needed to focus and direct stage energy
with intention and specificity. Open to actors of all levels of experience.
94J: Special Topics: Art of Glamour
This class will explore makeup design for the stage and film. Students
will study the work of great makeup artists such as Bobbi Brown and
Kevyn Aucoin as well as create their own designs using their faces as
the canvas. We will tackle the issues of ideal beauty and again
throughout history and learn how to create and sometimes re-create
ourselves by manipulating makeup. It is highly recommended for those
wishing to pursue a path in acting, fashion and design. No prerequisite.
94M: Special Topics: Introduction to Producing
Working in the Professional Theatre. If there were a map to "success"
one would surely follow it. Unfortunately, for those who wish to pursue
a career in the arts there isn't one --not even on "MapQuest". Veteran
Broadway Producer and Tufts Alum, Mitchell Maxwell, shares his insight
and experiences into the industry that many are drawn to but know so
little about. Whether the student wants to perform, direct, design,
they should at the very least have a simple basic knowledge of how and
why things get done. In a format of "moot" producing, the students will
take their projects from option to opening. They will learn how shows
are financed, talent assembled and the cost of everything from an orchestra
call to an overtime rehearsal the load-in cost of the physical production
at a union theatre. Using the knowledge he gained on such shows as Damn
Yankees, Jeffrey, Oleanna, Marvin's Room, Summer of '42 and Dinner
With Friends, Mr. Maxwell won't attempt to draw that elusive "map"
but will try to help everyone avoid a few potholes along the journey.
94S: Special Topics: Fundamentals of Theatrical
Design in Practice
This new course is designed to "bridge the
gap" between DR 19, Principles of Theatrical Design, and the advanced
courses DR 125, Scene Design, and DR 126, Costume Design. In this course
you’ll learn the process of communicating and collaborating with a
student director in the creation of a design for a directing scene.
Students will collaborate throughout the semester with students in DR
156, Directing. During periodic joint meetings of the two classes,
design and directing, students will learn a common language to analyze
and discuss a text and to communicate design ideas. The course will
culminate in a final project, which will be a costume or set design
developed in collaboration with a member of the directing class for his
or her final directing scene. This course will emphasize text analysis,
design research, the director/designer collaborative process, concept
development, design development (idea sketches, collages, rough models,
etc.), and design presentation (finished sketches, renderings, finished
models. Designs will be realized on stage within the budget and time
limitations of the course, and final design projects will be displayed
in the Balch Arena Theatre lobby during the performances of the
directing scenes.
94-01 (P/F) Acting for Directors
Directing II students must have taken DR 155 and either DR 12 or DR 10, and for Acting for Directors they must have had DR 12 or consent. (Meets same time as DR 156).
94-02 Special Topics: Cabaret
This course intends to examine the history of cabaret performance in the western world, and to create a new cabaret evening based on historical models. In the earlier part of the semester, the class will study the history, socio-political context, personalities and repertoire, from the artists’ cabarets of 1890’s Montmartre through their imitators in Holland, Germany and Russia to Berlin political cabarets of the 1920s to the émigré and onwards. The second part of the semester will be devoted to creating a cabaret, with students writing, composing and designing the material, and eventually performing it as the final examination. The performances are projected to be two consecutive late-night shows in a space which would accommodate eating and drinking at individual tables.
ADMISSION TO THE COURSE IS BY AUDITION ONLY. (Students currently abroad may audition on their return.) Auditions for writers, satirists, songwriters, actors, comedians, singers, dancers, designers, and technicians will present sketches or portfolios and records of their previous accomplishments. The course, in its early stage, will be conducted as a seminar. There will be a few film showings. HIGH DEMAND.
94-03 Special Topics: Armed Staged Combat
An introduction to the concepts and practice of executing safe and effective violence on the stage. Students will learn how character and conflict are expressed through integrating stage combat with other acting techniques, as well as analyzing what drives characters to physical conflict and how that conflict manifests itself on stage. Students will work with prepared scenes. Prerequisite DRAMA 10 or permission of the instructor.
Undergraduate and Graduate
100 Acting III
Intensive course aimed at improving the actor’s means and procedures
in the controlled use of body and voices; analysis and interpretation
of roles; characterizations; emotional projection. Individual and ensemble
performance in exercises and scenes is the framework for learning various
types of interpretation and traditional acting styles. COURSE MAY BE
REPEATED (fine for students who have already taken DR 107 or 108). Prerequisites:
Drama 10 or 12, a studio dance course, and consent.
112 Advanced Acting Workshop
An in-depth exploration of a specific area and genre of the theatre or a
particular aspect of an actors 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. Members of
the department.
117 Evolution of Fashion
This course will
explore the ever-changing silhouette of clothing from ancient cultures
to the present. It will focus on how the style of each period of dress
is influenced by other periods and is often a response to the previous
period. Through slides, videos, museum visits, actual garments, and
texts, students will learn how to recognize the sometimes obvious and
other times subtle changes in fashion. No prerequisite.
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. Prerequisite: Drama 1 and 18 or consent.
Lab fee.
119 History of Style and Décor
This course is constructed to give designers in theater and film an historical
armature in which to begin the research for a design project. It will
explore the western histories of architecture and art with special attention
paid to interior design, décor and furnishings. It will begin with early
Egyptian décor and barrel through all the way to contemporary trends in
interior design.
125 Scene Design
Development of the skills of script analysis, rendering, and process
for the design of scenery. Prerequisites: Drama 1 and 19 or consent.
126 Costume Design
Development
of the skills of script analysis, rendering, model making, and process
for the design of scenery.
Prerequisites:
Drama 01 and 19 or consent.
129 Design Portfolio and Rendering
Advanced preparation of visual and spatial art techniques, applicable to
theatrical design and necessary to effectively communicate ideas.
Individual preparation of a portfolio of personal work. Prerequisites:
Drama 19 and junior standing, or consent.
129 Advanced Scene Painting
There is no description at this time.
132 Documentary Drama
The development of drama in Germany and the contrast between historical
and documentary drama. Authors to be studied include Goethe, Hauptmann,
Brecht, Grass, Hochhuth, Kipphardt, and Weiss. Readings in German for
German majors and in English for students from other departments.
133 The American Musical
There is no description at this time.
135 Advanced Scene Design
There is no description at this time.p>
137 Theater and Society: Prehistory to the
Renaissance
Theatre is a sensitive barometer of its time, reflecting the values
of every period and culture in which it appears. This course will examine
constructions of culture, ethnicity, nation, gender, sexuality, class,
society, religion, and family in several global performance traditions.
Inclusive of oral, textual, and corporeal theatrical practices of Africa,
Asia, and Europe, our exploration will combine selected readings, individual
and group research and creative projects, and video clips of various
performance traditions. Required of majors, open to non-majors. Prerequisite:
Drama 1 or consent. Fall only.
138 Theater and Society: The Renaissance to
Modern Drama
This course traces theatre’s development in the seventeenth, eighteenth
and nineteenth centuries from neoclassicism to romanticism and the birth
of modern realism. Our focus will be on theatre that shocks, challenges,
surprises and delights; on theatre that satirizes established institutions,
expresses new voices and attracts new audiences; on theatre that harnesses
the technology of the day to create pictures of passion and power on
the proscenium stage; on theatre that may be distant in time but still
tells us stories about ourselves. Coursework includes consideration
of approximately twenty plays and related critical readings, class discussions
and presentations, and final paper or project (design or performance).
Required of majors, open to non-major. May be taken before 137 if necessary.
Prerequisite: DR 01 or consent.
141 The American Theater
The development of the American theater and drama from the colonial
period to World War II. Members of the department
144 Asian Performance
There is no description at this time.
147 Playwriting
An introductory course
open to all interested students who want practice and instruction in
playwriting in a workshop situation. Emphasis on experimentation and
process, with weekly writing assignments and in-class exercises designed
to encourage students to write both visually and concretely. Attention
to character development and narrative structure, on such elements of
craft as revealing action, the power of the unspoken word, and disrupted
ritual.
148 African-American Theatre and Film
There is no description at this time.
155 Directing I
Introduction to all aspects of translating a play from script to stage.
Play analysis and interpretation, director's concepts, visual composition,
improvisational metaphors, and the history and theories of directing.
Lectures/demonstration, writing assignments, exercises, and scenes.
Fall Only. Prerequisite: DR 01 or DR 04 or consent.
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.
157 Bertolt Brecht
(See Drama 57 for course description.) Extra assignments
and class meetings. Prerequisites: senior or graduate standing and consent
of instructor.
172 Imagining Holocaust on Stage and Screen
Exploration of plays and films dealing with the Holocaust, from
Nazi-era
propaganda to contemporary reflections on genocide. Special emphasis on
the ethics of Holocaust representation and the responsibilities of
artists (and audiences) who engage the Holocaust story. Texts include
such plays as Camp Comedy, Ghetto, Kindertransport, Good, Bent, Who Will
Carry the Word?, and Annulla, as well as critical and theoretical
readings. Triumph of the Will, Night and Fog, The Architecture of Doom,
Partisans of Vilna, The Boat is Full, my Mother's Courage, Schindler's
List, The Grey Zone, Paragraph 175, Life is Beautiful, Shoah, and The
last Jew from Lublin are among the feature films and documentaries
considered.
175 History of U.S. Film to 1933
The development of American film from Edison to the Depression, tracing
film technique and structure and the creation of genres. The ways in
which the film reflects, distorts, and influences popular attitudes.
178 Sex, Gender, and the Performing Arts
Analysis of sexual differentiation in the performing arts. Exploring
the live theater, dance and motion pictures, examination of such elements
as androgyny, feminine and masculine topologies, heterosexuality and
homosexuality, transvestitism, and shamanism. Prerequisite: junior standing.
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.
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: DR 118, or 125, 126, and consent of 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:
DR 118, or 125, or 126, and consent of design faculty.
187 Teaching Through Drama and Improv.
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.
193,194 Special Topics
Advanced projects
for independent or group study and experiment in acting, directing,
designing, and other arts of the theater, as well as in the history of
theater and drama. Applicants for this course must give evidence of both
interest and capacity for doing specialized work in their chosen
project. Credit as arranged.
194H Advanced 3D Design
Advanced topics in Computer Assisted 3D design and animation. Focus
will be on NURBS modeling, character modeling and character animation.
Prerequisites: Drama 21 (3D Design) or consent. LAB FEE/$50.00 (no textbook).
195 Play Translation and Cultural Transmission
Graduate Seminars: Recent and Repeated
(open to qualified undergraduates with consent of instructor)
DR 220 Research Methods and Materials (1.0)
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.
DR 231 Elizabethan and Jacobean Drama
There is no description at this time.
DR 235 Moliere and the Theatre of His Time
There is no description at this time.
DR 236 Ibsen and Strindberg
There is no description at this time.
DR 238 A Theatre Iconography
This course will study the use of images as documents in theatre
history. It will cover theories of iconography, types of document (e.g.,
portraits, genre paintings, scene and costume designs), media (e.g.,
engravings, photographs) and formats. Students will be expected to
develop a hands-on ability to recognize and analyze such imagery.
Pre-requisites: standard art or theatre history.
DR 239 Critical Studies in 19th Century
British Theatre
There is no description at this time.
DR 240 History of American Popular Entertainment
Before Oprah, there was P.T. Barnum . . . This seminar will explore
the roots of American show business, the emergence of American mass
culture, the prevalence of ethnic and racial stereotypes on the American
popular stage, and the ongoing debate over the place of "art"
in American life. It will trace the rich history of American variety
entertainment and outdoor amusements, focusing on the explosion of popular
forms in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Although we will
consider popular culture in the broadest sense, our emphasis will be
on live performance in such entertainment forms as the American circus,
dime museum, minstrel shows and medicine shows, Wild West exhibition,
vaudeville, and burlesque. From stage magic to the musical revue, the
striptease to stand up comedy, the tacky to the sublime, we will look
at the ways in which American popular entertainment has reflected national
preoccupations and shaped our tastes, perceptions, and values.
DR 241 Seminar: Eugene O'Neill
There is no description at this time.
DR 244 Commedia Dell'Arte
There is no description at this time.
DR 249 History of Directing
This course explores the work of a range of nineteenth- and twentieth-century
directors who helped to shape contemporary film and theater. Beginning
with the conventions of the Victorian playhouse and moving through the
reaction against realism, the advent of expressionism, the age of the
epic, and transition into post-modernism, this course encompasses both
the history and the evolving theory of directing.
251 Pre-Revolutionary Russian Drama and Theater
This course examines the role of theatre and drama in Russian culture
and society from pagan rituals to the outbreak of the October Revolution.
It will deal with the development of Russian drama from the 18th century
through Gogol and Ostrovsky to Chekhov and Gorky. it will also explore
such phenomena as serf theatre, government monopoly and censorship,
the movement for people's theatre, and the rise of the Moscow Art Theatre.
252 Post-Revolutionary Russian Drama and Theater
This seminar will deal in detail with the experiments and innovations
that accompanied and followed the Russian Revolution of 1918, particularly
in the fields of stagecraft, directing, design and acting. It will then
examine how creativity was stunted and transformed under Stalin, and
the ways in which Russian theater revived in the postwar years and in
which it has responded to the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Special
attention will be paid to the directors Meyerhold, Tairov, Vakhtangov,
Efros and Lyubimov, and to the playwrights Bulgakov, Erdman, Mayakovsky,
Vampilov and Radzinsky. Readings will be supplemented by film showings.
254 Domestic Tragedy: Women and Violence in
Theatre
This course will focus on domestic violence in theatre, beginning with
Greek tragedy and concluding with contemporary performance art. In establishing
the parameters for our study, we will consider social, cultural and
historical factors as well as aesthetic criteria. we will explore such
issues as misogyny and the concept of masculine superiority, sexual
politics and the ideology of the 'women's sphere' and use images of
gender as seen through an era's cultural gaze. We will use feminist
theory to illuminate the historical connections between manliness and
civilization as we arrive at a definition of domestic tragedy and determine
its validity as a dramatic genre.
DR 255 Early Twentieth Century American Theatre
There is no description at this time.
DR 258 Encountering Asian Performance
This seminar explores several Asian performance traditions by examining
how they have been interpreted and utilized by Western theatre figures
such as Artaud, Brecht, Grotowski, and Brook. By critiquing the
transference of non-Western theatre forms from their "native" cultural
contexts, we will engage with postcolonial trends such as Orientalism,
cultural "piracy," tourism, fusion, cross-cultural collaboration, and
international theatre festivals. Through readings, discussion, video,
independent research, and preparation of an artistic or academic grant
proposal, seminar participants will be encouraged to develop
self-reflexive analysis of their own experience of "encountering Asian
theatre."
DR 259 Modern and Contemporary Chinese
Theatre
There is no description at this time.
261 Classical Dramatic Theory and Criticism
A
study of the major theoretical and critical statements on drama and
theatre in Europe from Plato to Hegel. Special attention will be given
to the development of genres and the examination of specific concepts
such as "catharsis," "verisimilitude" and "decorum." The relevance of
theoretical concepts to performance practice will be regularly
questioned.
DR 262 A 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. This semester focuses on the modern and postmodern
era, from 1875 to the present.
DR 263 Dramatic Theory and Criticism
There is no description at this time.
DR 263 Shakespearean Authority in Text and
Performance
There is no description at this time.
DR 265 Theatre Iconography
There is no description at this time.