Archived Courses
Spring 2013
*All DRA courses except for DRA 105, Principles of Effective Speaking and DRA 200 Theatre Practicum fulfill the Humanities distribution requirement
DRA 105 Principles of Effective Speaking
TTH 2:30-3:45 Rubin
The course is intended to enhance student abilities in the development and delivery of various kinds of public presentations, and to foster skill in the analysis of speeches from the standpoint of the critical listener. This course does not count toward distribution or toward the Drama major.
DRA 211 10-13 (Acting I)
DRA 211-11 Acting I MWF 10:30-11:20 Sommerfeld
DRA 211-10 Acting I MWF 11:30-12:20 Sommerfeld
DRA 211-12 Acting I TTH 11:30-12:45 Daigle
DRA 211-13 Acting I MWF 12:30-12:20 Foster
Analysis and application of basic acting techniques with a concentration on scene study and character analysis.
DRA 221-10 Directing I
TH 1:30-4PM Daigle
Study of the basic principles and practices of directing, including interpretation, structural analysis, and investigation of basic staging techniques.
DRA 241-10 Scenic Design
TTH 10:00-11:15 Rubin
The translation of the play script into visual expression. Concentration on the interpretations, the means of expression, and the techniques of the scenic designer. Laboratory hours will be required.
DRA 311-10/11 Acting II
DRA 311-10 TTH 10:00-11:15 Daigle
DRA 311-11 TTH 1:00-2:15 Daigle
Development of acting technique with a concentration on physicalization of the role, including movement and voice production. Prerequisite: Drama 211.
DRA 331-10 Lighting Design
M 1:30-5:00 SchulmanThis class is designed to teach the student the how, what and why of theater from a Lighting Designer’s perspective., from how a theater works from the script analysis process through to production. Other questions involve what the various components of a theater are and how those pieces interact with each other to make a whole, why we do theater and how our craft helps an audience understand a message of a given production.
DRA 394-10 SpTp: The Screenplay
TTH 11:30-12:45 Price
This course will introduce participants to the basic architecture of the film play. Instruction will concentrate on the synopsis, the treatment and sequencing. Through this exploration participants will acquire a basic understanding of conventional and experimental designs of screenwriting. Students will explore cinematic techniques that provide a vocabulary for creating tightly crafted film stories. Cross-listed with English.
DRA 394-11 SpTp: King Lear Text and Performance
TTH 1:00-2:15 Rubin, Moncrief, MaloneyThis course will focus exclusively on the study of Shakespeare’s masterpiece tragedy King Lear, as both a text for reading and a script for performance in preparation for a production of the play (April 4, 5, 6, 7). It will explore the interpretation of the text, including historical and cultural contexts, formal elements (structure, imagery, characterization, themes, etc.), editing issues, and critical responses to the play. It will also explore interpretation of the play for performance, including performance history and practical production issues (dramaturgical research, directing and acting choices, scene and costume design). The course will end with consideration of King Lear in a modern context—why does it matter now? Cross listed with English.
*DRA 394-12 SpTp: Plays 2001-2012
MWF 12:30-1:20 VolanskyArguably, the events of September 11, 2001 changed the world. Musicians such as Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young and Paul McCartney wrote songs and albums that addressed their loss, while novelists Don DeLillo and Jonathan Safron Foer explored the aftermath in their books. How did theater artists around the globe respond? Were there plays that dealt with the issue specifically? Has 9/11 seeped back into the background? Over the course of the semester, we will investigate plays from around the world (with particular emphasis on plays from the US and UK) written between 2001 and 2012. Special focus will be placed on the theatrical and social context out of which these works emerged.
*DRA 451-10 Playwriting II
W 1:30-4 Maloney
Advanced workshop in writing for the stage. Prerequisite: Drama 351.Cross-listed with English
*DRA 494-10 Junior Seminar
TTH 10:00-11:15 Maloney
Fall 2012
*All DRA courses except for DRA 105, Principles of Effective Speaking and DRA 200 Theatre Practicum fulfill the Humanities distribution requirement
DRA 105 Principles of Effective Speaking
MWF 10:30-11:20 Rubin
The course is intended to enhance student abilities in the development and delivery of various kinds of public presentations, and to foster skill in the analysis of speeches from the standpoint of the critical listener. This course does not count toward distribution or toward the Drama major.
DRA 211 10-13 (Acting I)
DRA 211-10 Acting I MWF 12:30-1:20 Daigle
DRA 211-11 Acting I MWF 10:30-11:20 Sommerfeld
DRA 211-12 Acting I MWF 11:30-12:20 Sommerfeld
DRA 211-13 Acting I TTH 11:30-12:45 Foster
Analysis and application of basic acting techniques with a concentration on scene study and character analysis.
DRA 221-10 Directing I
TH 1:30-4PM Daigle
Study of the basic principles and practices of directing, including interpretation, structural analysis, and investigation of basic staging techniques.
DRA 231-10 Theatre Technology
TTH 10:00-11:15AM Stahl
Investigation of methods and materials used in the theatrical production process. Laboratory hours will be required. This course is designed primarily for those who plan to participate in future theatrical productions.
DRA 294-10 Intro to Arts Leadership
TTH 11:30-12:45 Patton
This course focuses on the nature of arts organizations, especially those that are nonprofit. Topics covered include organizational culture and structure, planning, governance, programming, fundraising and marketing, an introduction to financial management and budgeting, economic impact, and other major issues from the field.
DRA 306-10 American Musical Theatre
MW 2:30-3:45 Rubin
The study of musical theater in America from the turn of the century to the present with emphasis on the form itself and its history. The course will explore the structure of the musical and the dramatic functions of score, lyrics, and libretto as well as the political, societal, musical, and theatrical reasons for changes in the form.
DRA 308-10 After Angels: American Theatre Since 1992
MWF 12:30-1:20 Volansky
This course will study the plays and significant theatrical movements which have occurred since 1992 and the production of Tony Kushner’s landmark play Angels in America. Students will read new works (both published and non-published) by established and emerging American playwrights, with a special focus being placed on the theatrical and social context out of which these works emerged.
DRA 311-10 Acting II
MWF 1:30-2:20 Daigle
Development of acting technique with a concentration on physicalization of the role, including movement and voice production. Prerequisite: Drama 211.
*DRA 351-10 Playwriting I
W 1:30-4 Maloney
Analysis and practical application of techniques and styles employed in writing for the stage. Cross-listed with English
DRA 394-10 The Screenplay
TTH 11:30-12:45 Price
This course will introduce participants to the basic architecture of the film play. Instruction will concentrate on the synopsis, the treatment and sequencing. Through this exploration participants will acquire a basic understanding of conventional and experimental designs of screenwriting. Students will explore cinematic techniques that provide a vocabulary for creating tightly crafted film stories. Cross-listed with English.
DRA 411-10 Acting III
TTH 10:00-11:15AM Maloney
Advanced study of acting techniques with a concentration on analysis, interpretation, and rehearsal methods. Prerequisite: Drama 311.
*DRA 458-10 Dramaturgy
MWF 2:30-3:45 Volansky
Analysis and discussion of the theoretical and practical aspects of dramaturgy, with particular emphasis placed on script analysis and historical research. This course is not recommended for first-year students.
DRA 494-10 Tennessee Williams: On Stage and Screen
T 2:30-5 Maloney
The course will examine eight plays and their film adaptations, focusing on the extraordinary scope and complexity of Williams� stage dramaturgy and on the efforts to capture that on film. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, A Streetcar Named Desire, The Rose Tattoo, The Night of the Iguana, Sweet Bird of Youth, The Glass Menagerie, Suddenly Last Summer, Orpheus Descending (The Fugitive Kind in its film version) are the plays and films of our study. In addition we will read and discuss biographical and critical materials to provide context and provocation for our discussion.
