Program in Theater

Academic Unit

Faculty

Director
Jane Cox
Executive Committee
Michael W. Cadden, Lewis Center for the Arts

Jeffrey K. Eugenides, Lewis Center for the Arts, Creative Writing

Su Friedrich, Lewis Center for the Arts, Visual Arts

Judith Hamera, Lewis Center for the Arts, Dance

Brian E. Herrera, Lewis Center for the Arts

Jhumpa Lahiri, Lewis Center for the Arts, Creative Writing

Deana Lawson, Lewis Center for the Arts, Visual Arts

Yiyun Li, Lewis Center for the Arts, Creative Writing

Susan Marshall, Lewis Center for the Arts, Dance

Paul B. Muldoon, Lewis Center for the Arts, Creative Writing

Kirstin Valdez Quade, Lewis Center for the Arts, Creative Writing

James Richardson, Lewis Center for the Arts, Creative Writing

Joseph S. Scanlan, Lewis Center for the Arts, Visual Arts

Tracy K. Smith, Lewis Center for the Arts, Creative Writing

Susan Wheeler, Lewis Center for the Arts, Creative Writing

Jeffrey Whetstone, Lewis Center for the Arts, Visual Arts

Stacy E. Wolf, Lewis Center for the Arts
Professor
Jill S. Dolan, also English, Lewis Center for the Arts

Stacy E. Wolf, also Lewis Center for the Arts
Associate Professor
Brian E. Herrera, also Lewis Center for the Arts
Senior Lecturer
Michael W. Cadden, also Lewis Center for the Arts

Jane Cox, also Lewis Center for the Arts
Lecturer
Elena Araoz

David Bengali

Robert N. Sandberg
Visiting Lecturer with Rank of Professor
John M. Doyle

Program Information

The Program in Theater, part of the Lewis Center for the Arts, offers students the opportunity to work with artists, critics and scholars in the the rehearsal room, the theater and the classroom. Students can familiarize themselves with theatrical collaboration and with all the practical skills of theater making; and gain an understanding of the role theater has played and continues to play in many cultures throughout history. The program offers courses in playwriting, acting, directing, design, dramaturgy, performance history, and criticism. The program offers a full season of theatrical productions and explorations, chosen by the students and produced, in collaboration with professional artists and technicians, in order to support our students growth as artists. Visiting guest artists offer workshops, participate in play readings and explorations, and collaborate on student productions.

Program courses are open and welcoming to all undergraduates interested in exploring theater at any level. The program also offers the kinds of courses and co-curricular activities that will allow a student, upon graduation, to move into graduate conservatories to pursue advanced training.

Students looking for an opportunity to incorporate their theatrical studies into their concentrations might want to consider the Theater and Performance Studies track in the Department of English or Area D in the Department of Comparative Literature, but certificate students come from the full range of concentrations the University has to offer.

Admission to the Program

Students wishing to receive a certificate register online, typically during the sophomore or beginning of the junior year, although it is possible to register as a theater certificate student at any time prior to the senior year. There is no application process – all students are accepted into the program in theater.

Program of Study

Requirements for the Certificate in Theater:

1) Coursework:

A total of five courses in the Program in Theater. At least three must be studio courses chosen from offerings in acting, directing, playwriting, design, and dramaturgy. Participation in THR 451 for credit can count towards the theater certificate once. Students who wish to propose a production for our student driven theater season are also expected to participate in a sixth class, THR 402, a collaborative methods seminar focused around the process of creating our theater season, during their junior year.

At least one course in dramatic literature, performance history, performance studies, or criticism. Up to two courses in this area may be used toward the five-course requirement.

2) Senior Independent work:

This work might take the form of a studio project, such as the direction of a production, the performance or extended exploration of a large role, the writing of a play, 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 thesis season, independently, or in conjunction with another campus-producing organization. Students who wish to propose a realized project as part of the theater program season, using theater program equipment, space and/or staff, are expected to participate in our collaborative methods seminar, THR 402, during the junior year.

It is possible to complete senior independent work through the theater season without proposing a realized project or taking THR 402 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. The other is by proposing an academic theatrical exploration, independent performance studies project or any other project (such as writing a play that you do not expect to be performed) that does not require the use of theater program staff, space, or equipment.

Students may elect to do an independent performance studies project approved by and under the supervision of Program in Theater faculty.

If the student's department permits, the student might choose to complete one part of the departmental independent work (senior thesis) on a topic approved by the Program in Theater faculty dealing with some facet of theater in relation to that department's subject matter. This independent work could take the form of a textual, cultural, or theoretical study; or it may be a combination of research and practical work supervised by the program faculty and the student's department.

3) Technical and production support work:

A certain number of hours of technical work on theater productions staged by the program. All technical hours must have been assigned to the student by the thesis proposal deadline date in the junior year, usually late February or early March. At least half of these hours must be completed prior to this deadline; and all technical hours must be completed by the end of junior year.

Students interested in directing for the theater program are encouraged to stage manage a production in their freshman, sophomore, or junior year as preparation for directing. Stage managing a production for the theater program fulfills the technical work requirement for the program.

4) 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 short meeting of all certificate students. In addition, the theater program will require occasional certificate student attendance at workshops aimed at supporting our ability to create art in a collaborative manner. 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.

5) Theater program reading list:

Students in the theater program are expected to familiarize themselves with the theater program reading list, and to read at least twenty of the plays and books from this list prior to graduation.

Certificate of Proficiency

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

Student driven theater season:

The Theater and Music Theater program season of theatrical productions and explorations is primarily comprised of projects chosen by junior certificate students who have fulfilled the necessary requirements in terms of coursework and tech hours. Certificate and non-certificate students may participate in these projects as extracurricular activities; certain projects led by faculty may be pursued as coursework. These productions and theatrical explorations may be used to fulfill the requirement for senior independent work in the certificate program. With permission of the student's department of concentration, such projects may also satisfy one of the requirements for independent work in the department, in which case it must consist of or be accompanied by written work, such as a scholarly or critical evaluation.

The mission of the theater season is to support our students' exploration and development as theater artists. We expect our students to take intellectual and creative risks, and we respect the right of the student and the artist to experiment and to fail. We believe that an atmosphere of generosity and inclusion best supports creative growth. The theater program welcomes all students on campus to participate in our student driven theater season. No experience is necessary, and students do not need to be earning a certificate to participate in our productions.

Course Information. Courses are open to students pursuing work in any department, whether or not the student plans to earn the certificate. Introductory courses in the program, whether at the 100, 200 or 300 level, usually have no prerequisites and fulfill the distribution requirement in Literature and the Arts (LA). Other 300 or 400 level courses require applications and/or interviews. 200 level courses have Pass/D/Fail option; selected 200 300 and 400 level courses are Pass/D/Fail only; all other courses in the program are letter graded.

Related Courses. Various departments offer courses in dramatic literature, many in English and some in foreign languages. A list of such courses may be found on the program website. Additional topics are taught in seminars whose titles change yearly. For current descriptions, see listings under the appropriate departments.

Courses

THR 101 Introduction to Theater Making Fall 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. 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. Y. Kim, E. Araoz, G. deGannes

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. N. Davis

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

THR 210A Storytelling with Technology for Performance (also

STC 210A

) Fall LA 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. D. Bengali, S. De La Cruz

THR 210B Storytelling with Technology for Performance (also

STC 210B

) Fall QR 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 will 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 D. Bengali, S. De La Cruz

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. Staff

THR 214 The Art of Speaking Spring LA As a working laboratory with daily practice, we study the art of confidence and charisma, the anatomy of vocal production, how breath and articulation express action and emotion, how language and punctuation are a roadmap to communication, dispelling fears, and the strengths of vocal idiosyncrasies. This class provides necessary training for all artists: actors who must embody characters, movers who use text, writers and creators who speak about their work. With explorations in dialects, using microphones and filling large venues, we work toward performances which are clear, grounded, healthy, emotionally free and which draw attention. E. Araoz

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

THR 216 Uncertainty (See DAN 216)

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. E. Araoz

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

THR 225 Sound Art (See VIS 225)

THR 228 Introduction to Irish Studies (See ENG 228)

THR 237 Comedy (See COM 237)

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

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. J. Dolan, S. Wolf

THR 301 Intermediate Studies in Acting - Scene Study Fall LA A continuation and extension of 201. Prerequisite: 201. M. Nelson

THR 303 Ethnographic Playwriting (also

AMS 330

SOC 350

) Fall LA This course delves into a collaborative, ethnographic approach to making theater. We will read, watch and discuss the work of subculture theorists, theater-makers and other artists and thinkers, all of whom use staged conversations as the basis for characters, scenes and entire works. We will hash out ethics and responsibilities for those of us who engage communities outside our own.What does it mean to take responsibility for someone else's words, write them down, and give them back? What is it like to put the words of a stranger in your mouth? Finally, we will make theatrical material using this approach for an end of semester showing. Staff

THR 304 Christopher Durang: My Life in Art Fall LA This course will focus on the lifetime achievement of one of the nation's greatest playwrights, Christopher Durang, who will be participating in the class as the inaugural Roger S. Berlind '52 Playwright-in-Residence. We'll focus on Durang's writing and rehearsal process, the writers who have meant most to him, the joys and pains of theatrical collaboration, and the perils of writing comedy with a satiric edge. M. Cadden, C. Durang

THR 305 Playwriting II: Intermediate Playwriting Spring LA A continuation of work begun in Introductory Playwriting, focusing on the writing of a major play. Prerequisite: 205. Staff

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. Staff

THR 314 Creating Collaborative Theater (also

VIS 314

) Spring LA How are directors and actors the co-authors of a live performance, and how can anyone contribute text to a work that seeks its own unified vision? How can design play as integral a role as text? This class is open to people who are seasoned performers, writers, directors, composers, filmmakers and designers, as well as those who appreciate a good risk and are willing to take one now. Over the semester, we will work together to make something new, look at examples from theater and other disciplines of real collaborations and partnerships, and present in-progress what we have at the end of the semester. A. Landsman

THR 315 In the Room Where It Happens: New Play Collaboration Techniques Spring LA This workshop, open to playwrights, actors, directors, dramaturgs, designers, stage managers, or enthusiastic observers, aims to provide practical and theoretical techniques for collaboration on the development of new plays. Students will develop a toolbox of methods rooted in mutual respect and shared goals, as we focus on creating positive, fruitful working relationships via readings and hands-on exercises. The culmination of the course will be an evening of ten-minute plays written and developed by the class. S. Agins

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. A. Yavich

THR 318 Lighting Design (also

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. J. Cox

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

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

THR 326 Criticism Workshop (also

ENG 314

) 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. Staff

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

THR 330 Special Topics in Performance Practice (also

ENG 336

MTD 330

MUS 328

) Fall 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. Staff

THR 331 Special Topics in Performance History and Theory (also

COM 311

) Spring 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. Staff

THR 338 Comedies of Error (also

ENG 301

) Spring LA This course examines one of the most popular of all theatrical genres -- the comedy of mistaken identity. We'll begin with Plautus, who provided the template for the mayhem to follow - a heritage of long-lost children (and their parents), twins (of the same or opposite sexes), disguise, crossdressing, and love and/or sex at first sight. Central to our project will be the question of how and why writers use these and other conventions to explore and explode the mysteries of identity and why the theater is the best venue for their explorations and explosions. M. Cadden

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

THR 343 Some Contemporary Shakespearean Afterlives (also

ENG 304

HUM 343

) Fall LA 2016 marks the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death. In conjunction with an exhibition at the University Art Museum, this course will largely focus on Shakespeare's "afterlives" since WWII. Although his reputation rests on his work, Shakespeare was invented in the 18th century as something beyond a "mere" playwright. We'll take a brief look at the start of this phenomenon with the 1623 Folio and David Garrick's Stratford Jubilee in 1769, then study some recent manifestations in theater, film, fiction, dance, television, comic books, actor autobiographies, and Shakespearean institutions and festivals from many nations and cultures. M. Cadden

THR 346 Contemporary Opera and MusicTheater (See MUS 325)

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

THR 348 Bernard Shaw: Theater, Sex and Celebrity (also

ENG 448

) Spring LA In 2016, Bob Dylan became the second person to win both an Oscar and a Nobel Prize. The first was Bernard Shaw, arguably the first private individual in history to create a global personal brand: GBS was instantly recognizable from Shanghai to New York. He did this while using plays, speeches and polemics to attack orthodox ideas about sex, money and power and show gender and social class as performances. In this course, we follow Shaw's career as the creator of Pygmalion, Man and Superman, Major Barbara and St Joan, see and review My Fair Lady on Broadway and explore his use of celebrity to unsettle and challenge his audiences. F. O'Toole

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

THR 350 Playing Dead: Corpses in Theater and Cinema (also

ENG 449

) 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. F. O'Toole

THR 351 Participatory Theater (also

MTD 351

) Fall LA At this moment, theater has an opportunity to redefine how stories can be told and how audiences might be invited into the telling. Young audiences have been weaned on choice-based, participatory and socially networked artwork and entertainment. Through scholarship, creative work, and play testing, this course will explore the emerging fields of participatory theater, interactive performance, social gaming, and system-based story telling. We will study the basics of game design, the fundamentals of physical and social gaming, ritual, and the history of interactivity as a theatrical device. Staff

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 364 Modern Drama I (See ENG 364)

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

THR 369 Gender, Sexuality, and Media (See VIS 369)

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 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. B. Herrera

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

THR 400 Theatrical Design Studio (also

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. J. Cox, S. Fellows

THR 401 Advanced Studies in Acting: Scene Study and Style Spring LA Questions of historical style, poetic stage language, and various methods of contemporary nonrealistic acting. Prerequisite: 301 or 311. 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. J. Doyle

THR 404 Advanced Seminar in American Studies (See AMS 404)

THR 411 Directing Workshop Fall 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. E. Araoz

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. E. Araoz

THR 443 Topics in Drama (See ENG 409)

THR 451 Theater Rehearsal and Performance (also

MTD 451

) 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. Staff

THR 494 Princeton Atelier (See ATL 494)

THR 495 Princeton Atelier (See ATL 495)

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