Program in Theater

Faculty

Director

  • Jane F. Cox
  • Brian E. Herrera (acting) (fall)

Executive Committee

  • Elena Araoz, Theater, LCA
  • Michael W. Cadden, Lewis Center for the Arts
  • Tina M. Campt, Art and Archaeology
  • Jane F. Cox, Lewis Center for the Arts
  • Martha Friedman, Lewis Center for the Arts
  • Su Friedrich, Lewis Center for the Arts
  • Aleksandar Hemon, Lewis Center for the Arts
  • Brian E. Herrera, Lewis Center for the Arts
  • Rebecca J. Lazier, Lewis Center for the Arts
  • Yiyun Li, Lewis Center for the Arts
  • Pamela E. Lins, Visual Arts, LCA
  • Susan S. Marshall, Lewis Center for the Arts
  • Moon Molson, Lewis Center for the Arts
  • Paul B. Muldoon, Lewis Center for the Arts
  • Kirstin Valdez Quade, Lewis Center for the Arts
  • Joe Scanlan, Lewis Center for the Arts
  • Susan Wheeler, Lewis Center for the Arts
  • Jeffrey Whetstone, Lewis Center for the Arts
  • Rhaisa Williams, Lewis Center for the Arts
  • Stacy E. Wolf, Lewis Center for the Arts

Associated Faculty

  • Maysoon Zayid, Lewis Center for the Arts

Sits with Committee

  • Tess L James
  • Chesney D. Snow

Professor

  • Stacy E. Wolf

Associate Professor

  • Brian E. Herrera

Professor of the Practice

  • Jane F. Cox

University Lecturer

  • Michael W. Cadden

Senior Lecturer

  • Elena Araoz

Lecturer

  • Shariffa Ali
  • David Bengali
  • Yuval Boim
  • Nathan A. Davis
  • Georgina Escobar
  • Sarita Fellows
  • Vivia Font
  • Tess L James
  • Robert B. Kaplowitz
  • Aaron Landsman
  • LaJuné McMillian
  • Lawrence Moten
  • Chesney D. Snow

Visiting Lecturer with Rank of Professor

  • John M. Doyle

Visiting Lecturer

  • Sylvia Khoury-Yacoub
For a full list of faculty members and fellows please visit the department or program website.

Program Information

The Program in Theater, part of the Lewis Center for the Arts, welcomes all students. 

We hope to investigate questions about ourselves, others, and the events and systems that affect us all, through the imaginative and collaborative medium of theater. We center the making of theater through scholarly and embodied exploration and study with world-class scholars and artists. We encourage students to explore theater from a liberal arts perspective—as a key component of world cultures, and as a genre that shapes and is shaped by history, economics, politics, and technology.

The program offers courses in many forms of writing, performance, directing, design, dramaturgy, performance history, theory, and criticism. Visiting guest artists offer workshops and co-curricular classes, participate in theatrical explorations, and join students in conversation. In conjunction with music theater, we offer a season of theatrical productions and explorations for all students to participate in, produced in collaboration with professional artists and craftspeople. Our season operates on the principle that rigorous artistic practice is a form of research, innovation, discovery, and intervention.

Most program courses are open and welcoming to all undergraduates interested in exploring theater at any level. The program also offers courses and co-curricular activities that will allow a student to move into graduate education to pursue advanced training. Certificate students come from the full range of concentrations the University has to offer.

Admission to the Program

The theater program is open to all students who are committed to theater practice and/or scholarship. Students may begin taking courses toward a certificate and fulfilling student show support requirements during their first year at Princeton. There is no application to become a certificate student—all students are accepted into the Program in Theater, and register for the certificate online. Students wishing to propose a realized theatrical project for the theater and music theater season are strongly encouraged to take the junior methods seminar during their junior year.

Program of Study

Requirements for the Certificate in Theater

 Coursework

A total of five courses in the Program in Theater or cross-listed with the Program in Theater. For students in the class of 2025 and beyond, one of these courses must be THR 101, Introduction to Theater Making. Participation in THR 451 for credit can count toward the theater certificate only once. Students who wish to propose a realized theatrical project for our student-driven theater season are strongly encouraged to participate in THR 402, a collaborative methods seminar focused around the process of making theater during their junior year. Various other departments offer courses in dramatic literature and history that are cross-listed with the Program in Theater. A list of such courses may be found on the theater program website. Please direct questions about courses to Joe Fonseca or Jane Cox. (Note: Certain applicable courses taken to satisfy requirements for the Music Theater certificate can also be used to satisfy requirements for the Theater certificate.)

Senior Independent Work

This work might take the form of a studio project, such as the writing of original theatrical work, the direction of a production, the performance or extended exploration of a large role, the design or dramaturgy of a production, or any other theatrical undertaking in the creation or production of theater, under the supervision of our faculty and professional staff, either in our senior year season, independently, or in conjunction with another campus-producing organization. Projects in the theater and music theater program season should fulfill the requirements of creative research—bringing new ideas and contexts to theater-making and taking intellectual and creative risks. 

Students who wish to propose a realized project as part of the theater program season, using theater program equipment, space, and/or staff, are strongly encouraged to participate in our collaborative methods seminar, THR 402, during their junior year, and are expected to participate in a research process that begins in the fall of junior year. Please reach out to Jane Cox, Stacy Wolf, or Elena Araoz for more information about proposing a realized project for our season. Not all student proposals can be accepted into the season.

Students who elect not to propose a realized project to the Theater Program’s season can complete senior independent work in two ways. One is by writing, acting, designing, directing, stage managing, or participating in a project in the theater and music theater season that has been chosen by other students or by the program. The other is by proposing an academic theatrical exploration, independent performance studies project, or any other project (such as writing original work that you do not expect to be performed) that does not require the use of theater program staff, space, or equipment.

If a student is working toward completing certificates in both theater and music theater, they should focus their senior year independent work on one theatrical project in which they take a significant leadership role, and fulfill the needs of the other certificate in a different way. Students taking both certificates may only propose one project for our season. Many students are able to combine their thesis for their major with senior year independent work in theater.

Student Show Support Requirement

All students hoping to get a theater and/or music theater certificate must complete the Student Show Support Requirement (formerly known as tech credits) by supporting two program shows in a non-performance capacity. Students who would like to propose a realized theatrical project for their senior year independent work must have completed at least one of their student show support requirements prior to the proposal deadline, usually early March of junior year, and have a plan to complete all of the requirements prior to the end of their junior year. Through supporting two theater program projects, you will get to know our students, our staff, our venues, and our practices, and become a more well-rounded and educated member of our community.  For more information about the Student Show Support Requirement, please reach out to Production Stage Manager Carmelita Becnel.

(Note: Students also earning the certificate in Music Theater only need to fulfill one set of Student Show Support requirements.)

Community Meetings and Events

Given that collaboration is at the heart of theater making, a successful theatrical education has to be rooted in an engaged community. At the start of each academic year, students will be required to attend a meeting of all theater and music theater certificate students. In addition, the theater program will require very occasional certificate student attendance at workshops aimed at supporting our ability to create art in a collaborative manner and at informational meetings.  Each year, the theater program hosts, produces, or presents a variety of theatrical events and symposia; certificate students are expected to participate in or attend at least one significant theatrical event in each of their junior and senior years. The theater program also provides a wide array of workshops, events, and trips to the theater for our certificate students.

Certificate of Proficiency

Students who fulfill the above requirements of the program receive a certificate of proficiency in theater upon graduation.

Additional Information

Theater and Music Theater Season

The Lewis Center for the Arts operates on the principle that rigorous artistic practice is a form of research, innovation, discovery, and intervention. The Program in Theater and Music Theater’s season exists to support our students’ artistic practice. We hope to investigate questions about ourselves, others, and the events and systems that affect us all, through the embodied, imaginative, and collaborative medium of theater. We strive to interrogate accepted wisdom and explore the underknown in order to better understand our shared humanity, to engage each other in dialog, and to expand knowledge in the theater field. We aim for our theatrical research to be in service of a more caring, just, and sustainable world.

 

Courses

THR 101 Introduction to Theater Making (also
MTD 101
) Fall/Spring LA

Introduction to Theatre Making is a working laboratory, which gives students hands-on experience with theatre's fundamental building blocks - writing, design, acting, directing, and producing. Throughout the semester, students read, watch and discuss five different plays and ensemble theater works. We will analyze how these plays are constructed and investigate their social and political implications. In-class artistic responses provide hands-on exploration as students work in groups to create and rehearse six different performances inspired by our course texts. Instructed by: E. Araoz, A. Landsman

THR 201 Beginning Studies in Acting Fall/Spring LA

Designed to guide students in developing roles and exploring texts and characters. Work will begin with exercises and proceed to consideration of scenes, short sections of plays, and specific roles. Instructed by: P. Kim, N. deGannes, V. Font

THR 205 Introductory Playwriting Fall LA

A workshop on the fundamentals of writing plays. Emphasis will be on solving problems of structure, plot development, and character through various writing exercises and theater improvisations. Ongoing work of students and instructor is read and discussed. Instructed by: N. Davis

THR 208 Body and Language (See DAN 208)

THR 209 Introduction to Movement and Dance (See DAN 209)

THR 210 Storytelling with Technology for Performance (also
STC 210
) Fall LAQR

Telling stories through performance is human nature, but how can we use technology to enhance, frame, or reveal new perspectives on stories told? Students will learn about tools and techniques from design professionals, and will engage directly and collaboratively with technology to design experiences focused around live performance. Areas covered may include projections and multimedia, lighting, interactivity, and programming for creative applications. This class hopes to bring together students with arts and STEM backgrounds, and does not require prior experience. Instructed by: D. Bengali, A. Lauer

THR 210 Power, Structure, and the Human Body (See DAN 210)

THR 211 French Theater Workshop (See FRE 211)

THR 212 Learning Shakespeare by Doing (See COM 212)

THR 213 Introduction to Set and Costume Design (also
MTD 213
/
VIS 210
) Spring LA

This course introduces students to set and costume design for performance, exploring theater as a visual medium. Students will develop their ability to think about the physical environment (including clothing) as key components of story-telling and our understanding of human experience. Students will expand their vocabulary for discussing the visual world and work on their collaborative skills. We'll spend half the semester focusing on costuming and half focusing of the scenic environment, both in a practical, on your feet studio class taught by professional theater practitioners. Absolutely no experience required. Instructed by: S. Fellows, R. Hauck

THR 215 Being and Doing: Dance for Every Body (See DAN 214)

THR 217 Staging Sex in the City of London: From Country Wives to Fleabags (See ENG 319)

THR 218 Acting and Directing Workshop - Acting Fall LA

This course develops basic acting technique which focuses on the pursuit of objectives, given circumstances, conflict, public solitude and living truthfully under imagined circumstances. Practical skills are established through scenes performed for classroom analysis. This is a working laboratory where we will approach an acting method of identifying conflicts, defining objectives and pursuing actions. Our goal is to leave the semester with confidence in our acting technique, stronger stage presence, firmer groundedness, and a means whereby to continue working and improving. Instructed by: E. Araoz

THR 221 Performing in the Ancient World (See CLA 221)

THR 222 Stillness (See DAN 221)

THR 223 Reimagining the American Theatrical Canon (also
AMS 346
/
GSS 444
) Spring CDLA

This course offers an intensive survey of ongoing efforts to revisit and revise the American theatrical canon and repertoire. Students will examine the economic, institutional and cultural forces shaping the landscape of new play production in the United States as they also read a broad selection of plays from the contemporary American theater. Working in partnership with McCarter Theatre's "Bard at the Gate" initiative, students will develop dramaturgical and other resources in response to this uniquely curated virtual platform for noteworthy but overlooked plays by BIPOC, female, LGBTQIA+, and disabled artists. Instructed by: B. Herrera

THR 224 The Writers' Room (also
CWR 225
) Spring LA

The Writers' Room will replicate the fast-paced environment of a Hollywood writers room. Students will be assigned to a writing team and will pen two complete scripts with their fellow writers. They will also be required to submit an original work for their final project that they have written solo. It can be a play, a short film, or a series pilot. Instructed by: M. Zayid

THR 225 Sound Art (See VIS 225)

THR 227 Contemporary French Theater (See FRE 228)

THR 228 Introduction to Irish Studies (See ENG 228)

THR 230 Introduction to Masked Performance Spring LA

This course is an exploration of physical performance techniques that place the embodied actor at the center of the process of theatrical creation. In a progressive set of exercises, students investigate movement dynamics, and unlock creative pathways within their bodies, minds and imaginations. Preparatory techniques lay the foundation for improvisations which make use of theatrical masks as tools for deepening play. Through playfulness, students embark on a journey toward the core of their own bodies, in relationship to the movements of the life. Instructed by: Y. Boim

THR 231 Message in a Bottle Fall LA

Messaging is an art and most people are bad at it. Maysoon is here to teach you how to effectively amplify your message using social media, written word, and public appearances as well as how to do damage control. Students will participate in panels, mock interviews, and will design their own podcast. They will develop a 7 minute talk on their message that will be performed in front of a live Princeton audience. Instructed by: M. Zayid

THR 232 Shakespearean Hip Hop (See MTD 232)

THR 233 Brujería is (not) Witchcraft: Religiosity, Power, and Performance in LatAm and Caribbean Imagination (See LAS 228)

THR 237 Comedy (See COM 237)

THR 242 Greek Tragedy from Ancient Athens to Ferguson (See CLA 242)

THR 275 Sex, Politics, and Religion on the Comic Stage (See ENG 284)

THR 300 Acting, Being, Doing, and Making: Introduction to Performance Studies (also
COM 359
/
ENG 373
/
ANT 359
) Not offered this year LA

The place of performance--for example, Greek tragedy, Noh drama, modern dance, opera, performance art, crossdressing--within the social, political, cultural, and religious structures it has served. Perspectives from theater and dance history, classical and contemporary theory, and ancient and modern practice. Prerequisite: fulfillment of writing requirement. Two 90-minute seminars. Instructed by: J. Dolan, S. Wolf

THR 301 Acting - Scene Study Spring LA

The preparation, rehearsal and presentation of scenes from classic and contemporary plays, from Chekhov and Ibsen to Tony Kusher and Lynn Nottage. We will use the techniques and principles found in Uta Hagen's book, Respect for Acting. Skills: understanding and activating the event of the scene; mining behavior; authentic engagement with scene partners; transformation of self. Discover the level of action and commitment needed to fulfill the life of the play. Instructed by: M. Nelson

THR 302 Ghosts, Vampires and Zombies in Irish Theater and Literature (also
ENG 222
) Spring LA

From the spirits and banshees of oral legends to Bram Stoker's Dracula, from the classic works of Yeats, Synge and Beckett to Garth Ennis's Preacher comics and Anne Rice's Vampire novels, Irish culture has been haunted by the Otherworld. Why has the Irish Gothic had such a long ghostly afterlife on page and stage? Can we learn something about modernist works like those of Yeats and Beckett by seeing them through the perspective of popular fictions of the supernatural? Instructed by: F. O'Toole

THR 304 Classical Mythology on the Modern U.S. Stage (See CLA 305)

THR 305 Playwriting II: Intermediate Playwriting (also
CWR 309
) Spring LA

A continuation of work begun in Introductory Playwriting, focusing on the writing of a major play. Prerequisite: 205. Instructed by: M. Cruz

THR 308 Metatheater, Then and Now (also
AMS 307
/
ENG 260
) Fall LA

In 1963, Lionel Abel invented the term "metatheater" to discuss self-referential, anti-illusionist devices -- introduced, as he thought, by some Renaissance playwrights -- which had become ubiquitous in the theater of his day. "Very meta!" was soon used to describe almost every play ever written. But some plays are more "meta" than others and the methods and motives of their authors vary considerably. This seminar will spend six weeks focused on Greek, Renaissance, and Modern examples of the genre before turning to contemporary American playwrights who have found new and often jaw-dropping uses for metatheatrics. Instructed by: M. Cadden

THR 310 Shakespeare: Toward Hamlet. (See ENG 320)

THR 311 Intermediate Studies in Acting: Creating Character and Text Not offered this year LA

Creation of an original theater piece in collaboration with a guest artist, leading to a public performance. Will include improvisations, exercises, study of dramatic texts, and scene study. Special attention will be given to the creation of character, both in dramatic texts and in improvisation. Prerequisite: 201. Instructed by: Staff

THR 313 Storytellers - Building Community Through Art (also
AAS 312
/
AMS 387
/
GSS 453
) Spring CDLA

In this Princeton Challenge course, students will participate in building a relationship between a historically significant Black theater company, Crossroads Theater in New Brunswick, and the university community. Co-taught by Sydne Mahone, Director of play development at Crossroads 1985-1997, students will research the theater through its people and its art, while making the role of women in Black art-making more visible. Students will learn oral history techniques, interview significant theater makers, and develop their own creative responses. Our collective work will culminate in creating roadmaps for continuing community relationship. Instructed by: J. Cox

THR 317 Costume Design (also
VIS 372
) Not offered this year LA

An exploration of the various aspects of costume design. Emphasis will depend to some degree on instructor's area of interest and/or student interest. Studio projects will be designed to coincide with other theater and dance courses and currently scheduled productions. Critical discussion will explore the relationship between dramatic texts and design ideas. Two three-hour seminars or studio sessions. Instructed by: A. Yavich

THR 318 Lighting Design (also
MTD 318
/
VIS 318
) Spring LA

An introduction to the art and craft of lighting design for live performance and an exploration of light as a medium for expression. Students will develop an ability to observe lighting in the world and on the stage; to learn to make lighting choices based on text, space, research, and their own responses; to practice being creative, responsive and communicative under pressure and in company; to prepare well to create under pressure using the designer's visual toolbox; and to play well with others-working creatively and communicating with directors, writers, performers, fellow designers, the crew and others. Instructed by: J. Cox, T. James

THR 321 Special Topics in Contemporary Practice (See DAN 304)

THR 322 Sondheim's Musicals and the Making of America (See AMS 317)

THR 323 The Arts of Urban Transition (See DAN 310)

THR 326 Criticism Workshop Not offered this year LA

A workshop devoted to the development of the student's critical sensibility. Through extensive in-class analysis of their own reviews of professional theater and dance productions and through the study of past and present models, students will learn what makes a good critic of the performing arts. One three-hour seminar. Instructed by: Staff

THR 327 Princeton Dance Festival Expanded (See DAN 324)

THR 328 Dance in Education: Dance/Theater Pedagogy (See DAN 316)

THR 330 Special Topics in Performance Practice (also
MTD 330
/
MUS 328
) Not offered this year LA

A special topics course designed to build upon and/or enhance existing program courses, taking into consideration the strengths and interests of program concentrators and the availability of appropriate instructors. Topics, prerequisites, and formats will vary from year to year. Instructed by: Staff

THR 331 Special Topics in Performance History and Theory (also
COM 311
) Not offered this year LA

Designed to provide students with an opportunity to study theater and/or dance from a historical or theoretical perspective. Topics, prerequisites, and formats will vary from year to year. Instructed by: Staff

THR 333 Latinx Musicals on Stage and Screen (See MTD 333)

THR 335 Actor-Musicianship (See MTD 335)

THR 341 Acting and Directing in Musical Theater (See MTD 341)

THR 345 Introduction to Musical Theater Writing (See MTD 322)

THR 346 Contemporary Opera and MusicTheater (See MUS 325)

THR 347 Gender Crossings in American Musical Theater (See GSS 337)

THR 348 American Musical Theatre: History and Practice (See MTD 348)

THR 349 How to Think With Performance: Dance and Performance Studies Theory (See DAN 349)

THR 350 Playing Dead: Corpses in Theater and Cinema Spring LA

What happens when there is a dead body on stage? Why do corpses star in so many movies? Reverence for the dead is one of the markers of humanity, bound up with the development of societies and cultures. But we also play with dead bodies, spinning stories around them that can be austere or grotesque, tragic or farcical, haunting or hilarious. Dramas and films use dead bodies to explore fear, sex, greed, guilt, innocence and grief. In this course, we contemplate corpses from Antigone to Alfred Hitchcock and from Shakespeare's tragedies to Stand By Me and Weekend at Bernie's and bring the dead to life. Instructed by: F. O'Toole

THR 351 Black Dramatists in the English-Speaking World (See ENG 354)

THR 353 21st Century Latinx Drama (also
AMS 353
/
GSS 417
/
LAO 353
) Spring SA

This course offers a practice-based overview of theater-making in the twenty-first century through an intensive study of contemporary Latinx dramatists, companies, and movements in the United States. Through weekly readings, discussions and independent research/writing exercises, the seminar will investigate the cultural, artistic, social and political interventions of twenty-first century US Latinx drama. Instructed by: B. Herrera

THR 354 Performance as Art (See VIS 354)

THR 355 Illegal Gatherings Act - South African Protest Theatre (also
AAS 399
) Fall HALA

The South African Anti-Apartheid movement saw mass resistance against the government's racial segregationist policies. Students will learn about the conditions that gave rise to Apartheid and the Anti-Apartheid movement, taking a look at the instrumental role that the performing arts and protest theatre played in dismantling the unjust system. Participants will develop performance work of their own based in South African protest theatre, encouraging a rejection of excess and on seeing obstacles as opportunities. Students will craft original protest theatre works that address sociopolitical concerns of their choosing. Instructed by: S. Ali

THR 356 The Human Comedy of Anton Chekhov Off and On Stage (In English Translation) (See SLA 357)

THR 358 Queer Boyhoods (See GSS 316)

THR 362 Excavate/Illuminate: Creating Theater from the Raw Material of History (See HUM 321)

THR 364 Modern Drama I (See ENG 364)

THR 367 Introduction to Radical Access: Disability Justice in the Arts (See DAN 306)

THR 368 Jewish Identity and Performance in the US (See ENG 410)

THR 372 Contemporary Drama (See ENG 372)

THR 373 Gender, Sexuality, and Contemporary U.S. Theatre and Performance (See GSS 363)

THR 376 Curious Aesthetics: Twentieth-Century American Musical Theatre (See ENG 376)

THR 380 World Drama (See ENG 380)

THR 382 International Theatre: Plays and Politics (See ENG 382)

THR 384 Hope and History: The Poems and Plays of Seamus Heaney (See ENG 314)

THR 385 Theater and Society Now (also
AMS 385
/
GSS 385
/
LAO 385
) Fall SA

As an art form, theater operates in the shared space and time of the present moment while also manifesting imagined worlds untethered by the limits of "real" life. In this course, we undertake a critical, creative and historical survey of the ways contemporary theater-making in the United States - as both industry and creative practice - does (and does not) engage the most urgent concerns of contemporary American society. Instructed by: B. Herrera

THR 389 Producing Theater: French Festivals Today (See FRE 389)

THR 390 Race in French Theater (See FRE 390)

THR 391 Films about the Theater (also
COM 391
/
VIS 391
) Fall LA

Some of the best movies ever made focus on the how and why of theatermaking. This course will focus on five classics of Global Cinema that deploy filmic means to explore how theaters around the world have wrestled with artistic, existential, moral, cultural, and professional issues equally central to any serious consideration of moviemaking. These films prompt questions about the nature of each medium, their interrelationship, and our apparent need for both. Along the way, they also offer compelling snapshots of theater and film history. Instructed by: M. Cadden

THR 392 In Living Color: Performing the Black '90s (also
AAS 347
/
AMS 350
/
GSS 392
) Fall SA

From Cross Colours to boom boxes, the 1990s was loud and colorful. But alongside the fun, black people in the U.S. dealt with heightened criminalization and poverty codified through the War on Drugs, welfare reform, HIV/AIDS, and police brutality. We will study the various cultural productions of black performers and consumers as they navigated the social and political landscapes of the 1990s. We will examine works growing out of music, televisual media, fashion, and public policy, using theories from performance and cultural studies to understand the specificities of blackness, gender, class, and sexuality. Instructed by: R. Williams

THR 400 Theatrical Design Studio (also
MTD 400
/
VIS 400
) Fall LA

This course is designed to endow students with the conceptual and practical skills to design productions in the theater program, or to direct a production with design elements, and to support students in making technical decisions, as well as in collaborating with the rest of the creative team and the technical staff. The course will combine an exploration of visual storytelling and creative collaboration with a grounding in the practical and communicative skills necessary to create the physical world of a production. This course is also appropriate for directors and writers interested in working with design on a departmental production. Instructed by: J. Cox, S. Fellows, L. Moten

THR 401 Advanced Studies in Acting: Scene Study and Style Not offered this year LA

Questions of historical style, poetic stage language, and various methods of contemporary nonrealistic acting. Prerequisite: Previous acting class. Instructed by: Staff

THR 402 Theater Making Studio (also
MTD 402
) Spring LA

This junior seminar explores theories and practices in contemporary theater making in preparation for senior independent work. The seminar aims to create a collaborative cohort of committed theater students. The class will examine questions such as: what are the differences between process and product, what is collaboration, where does the audience fit in to the creative journey. The course will incorporate practical exercises, seminar discussions and visits to rehearsals and performances at Classic Stage Company in New York City. Instructed by: S. Ali, J. Cox

THR 405 Creative Intellect (also
MTD 405
) Spring LA

Creative Intellect is a collaborative workshop course designed to bridge the critical and creative dimensions of performance research. Students will lead the development of performance research projects, compose a written report documenting the development of these projects, and devise and produce a public event that engages observers in the principles and methods guiding the work. This course cultivates a rigorous ethic of practice wherein the theater-maker participates fully and creatively in documenting their own performance work and in commenting critically on that work. Instructed by: B. Herrera, E. Araoz, V. di Mura

THR 408 Seminar in Italian Literature and Culture (See ITA 401)

THR 410 Topics in Drama (See ENG 409)

THR 411 Directing Workshop Not offered this year LA

Special directing assignments will be made for each student, whose work will be analyzed by the instructor and other members of the workshop. Students will be aided in their preparations by the instructor; they will also study the spectrum of responsibilities and forms of research involved in directing plays of different styles. Prerequisite: Introductory acting, writing or design class. Instructed by: E. Araoz

THR 416 Decentering/Recentering the Western Canon in the Contemporary American Theater (also
AMS 416
/
COM 453
/
ENG 456
) Spring CDLA

Why do some BIPOC dramatists (from the US and Canada) choose to adapt/revise/re-envision/deconstruct/rewrite/appropriate canonical texts from the Western theatrical tradition. While their choices might be accused of recentering and reinforcing "white" narratives that often marginalize and/or exoticize racial and ethnic others, we might also see this risky venture as a useful strategy to write oneself into a tradition that is itself constantly being revised and revaluated and to claim that tradition as one's own. What are the artistic, cultural, and economic "rewards" for deploying this method of playmaking? What are risks? Instructed by: M. Cadden

THR 417 Musical Theater Writing II (See MTD 417)

THR 418 Acting and Directing Workshop - Directing Fall LA

Directing assignments will be created for each student, who will work with the actors in the class and whose work will be analyzed by the instructor and other members of the workshop. Students will be aided in their preparations by the instructor; they will also study script analysis and formulation of a director's point of view, staging and visual storytelling, the musicality of language, collaboration and rehearsal techniques, productive methods of critique, and the spectrum of responsibilities and forms of research involved in directing plays of different styles. Instructed by: E. Araoz

THR 419 Directing for Theater and Music Theater (also
MTD 419
) Spring LA

This course is designed to encourage the development of directors for theater and musical theater, covering techniques and practices from both areas. The course will look at the practices of a small list of key figures in world theatre and how their work has influenced how directors approach the rehearsal room today. The course will incorporate a strong practical element, giving student directors the opportunity to explore and hone their own practices, developing useful and appropriate style and language as they move forward in their work as young directors. Instructed by: J. Doyle

THR 420 Designing Narratives (also
ARC 420
/
VIS 420
) Spring LA

Co-taught by design collective dots, the course aims to explore the world of visual storytelling, with an emphasis on collaboration as an essential part of the process of designing 3-dimensional space for narratives. The course will present narrative design processes as adaptable to many media including theater, film, installation and architecture and hopes to empower students with the ability to recognize their role as the designer of their own stories. Through individual research and a group project, we aim to encourage students to develop unique points of view within the context of a design that is worth more than the sum of its parts. Instructed by: Staff

THR 448 Early Modern Amsterdam: Tolerant Eminence and the Arts (See ENG 448)

THR 451 Theater Rehearsal and Performance (also
MTD 451
) Fall/Spring LA

This course provides students with a rigorous and challenging experience of creating theater under near-professional circumstances, working with a professional director. It involves an extensive rehearsal period and a concentrated tech week, often requiring more time and focus than a typical student-produced production might. For the first time, students cast in the show, or those who take on major production roles (such as Stage Manager, Designer, Script Supervisor or Assistant Director), will receive course credit. Instructed by: Staff

THR 494 Princeton Atelier (See ATL 494)

THR 495 Princeton Atelier (See ATL 495)

THR 499 Princeton Atelier (See ATL 499)