Human Communication and Theatre Department

Course focuses on specific responsibilities assigned by faculty and staff regarding University Theatre Productions. Included are performance, assistant directing, dramaturgy, choreography, and a weekly course meeting. May be repeated for three credit hours. Students working in University Theatre Productions who are neither theatre majors nor minors are encouraged to enroll in THTR 1100 but are not required to do so.

Course focuses on specific responsibilities assigned by faculty and staff regarding University Theatre Productions. Included are performance, construction, running and operating crews, assistant stage management, and a weekly course meeting. May be repeated for four credit hours. Students working in University Theatre Productions who are neither drama majors nor minors are encouraged to enroll in THTR 1101 but are not required to do so.

Dance for theater is for students of various levels of expertise in dance, ranging from beginner to advanced, to acquire and polish their skills and convey character through dance. The topic varies based on production needs within the department, but all courses will be primarily skill-based and performance oriented, with short choreography and dance appreciation segments. Topics may include: jazz, tap, modern, ballet, choreography, and other pertinent dance forms. Course is repeatable for up to six credit hours.

Trinity First Year students who complete the IB HL Exam in Theatre with a score of 5 can be granted Theatre 1303.

A hands-on approach to the fundamentals of theatre including literature, acting, directing, and design. Intended as a survey, this course will provide an overview of theatre's numerous components, from the page to the stage, so that the beginning student may better understand the theatrical world.

Examines the performative and other critical approaches to the study of literature. Investigates and explores critical methods for analyzing texts and their application to the oral study and performance of a variety of literary genres. (Same as HCOM 1323.)

Introduction to traditional stagecraft, including backstage organization, scenery construction, theatrical lighting, sound design, scene painting and drafting. May be taken instead of THTR 1330 as core credit towards the major.

An introductory course that explores the fundamentals of costume construction, patterning and draping, textiles, and related crafts such as millinery and fabric painting and dyeing. May be taken instead of THTR 1320 as core credit toward the major.

Artists create! Do they see themselves as entrepreneurs? How do they create value for customer/client? How do they deliver that value to a customer/client? How they capture the worth of that value? Specifically designed for performers, writers, composers, musicians, conductors, designers, painters, photographers, sculptors, theatre directors, artistic directors, actors, poets and other creatives, this class offers a framework, tools, and a community of peers and mentors to develop an entrepreneurial mindset. The students will start from the craft they know, learn the craft they need to create value. Students will examine the breadth of professional opportunities available in the Creative Economy and in the individual's field of arts practice, and explore strategies for pursuing them. (Also listed as ENTR 1342).

This course teaches students to increase spontaneity and intuition. Students will practice generating scenes and creating hypothetical worlds without scripts or pre-planning. Using exercises drawn from theatre as well as from music, visual art, storytelling, writing, extemporaneous speaking, and dance, students will learn to develop the spontaneous aspects of creativity and to collaborate effectively with peers.

This class will provide the beginning acting student with basic acting techniques and vocabulary through exercises, monologues, and scene work. (Not available for P/F option.) Students may not receive credit for both THTR 1350.

Introductory course that studies the theory and practice of makeup design and application for the stage, including the creation of special effects.

Studies of the source materials, stage and film adaptations, and integration of musical and dramatic elements that led to the development of the Broadway musical as an American tradition. (Also listed as MUSC-2301).

This course is an experiential introduction to the art of design. Students explore 2-D and 3-D compositional problems and practice integrating visual elements with aesthetic principles to communicate creative solutions. Students may not receive credit for both ART 1410 and THTR 2310.

Experiential Design is a discussion and projects based course which studies the various interactive, immersive and experience based attractions that utilize theatre design as a basis. This includes theme parks, public art, museum exhibits, escape rooms, tradeshows and corporate events, and retail. Students will develop analytical and interpretive skills for devising environments that portray storylines to guests, customers, and audiences, while stressing research skills. We will also explore different methods of design presentation as a means to communicate one's visual interpretation of design ideas through sketching, collage making, Sketchup models and Photoshop. Basics tutorials for computer software will be given in class. Each student will be expected to develop basic creative communication and collaboration, research, sketching, collaging and presenting skills. Classes will be a combination of lectures, discussions, in class Studio work, and critiques. Through class presentations and discussions of their work, as well as evaluating choices made by the professional designers, students will develop skills for critical evaluation of their own work and that of others. Completion of THTR 2310 is recommended but not required. (Offered every Spring.)

Introduction to Scene Design is a discussion and project-based course which studies the skills, techniques, communication and collaboration, thought process, and presentation that goes into designing scenery for the stage at an introductory level. The course will examine the work of prominent scenic designers and their relevant works as well as looking at other types of careers that a scenic design background can nurture. Students will be challenged to conceptualize, develop, and curate the "world of the play" through their own thoughtful analysis and interpretation of the script. Research, rendering, drafting, model building, storyboarding, and presentation skills will be explored through the various projects. (Offered every other year.)

An introductory course that explores the use of light as an artistic medium in theatrical productions. This overview course acquaints the students with the equipment, design elements, and conceptual processes employed in lighting design.

This course introduces students to the study of color theory, various scenic painting methods, faux finish techniques, and painting styles practiced in the theatre, film, and museum industries and beyond.

A survey of dramatic literature in the western canon from Ancient Greeks to the contemporary era. Students will read and discuss a significant number and range of plays in their theatrical, social, and cultural contexts.

This course will introduce students to multiple theatrical models and methods used to understand dramatic structure and to analyze specific plays. This course seeks answer to the question: How can we discover the ways in which plays work? (Also listed as GRST 2332.)

This course encourages students to synthesize a theoretical and experimental approach to the creative process as studied through the visual arts, music, creative writing, and theatre. Students enter into the creative process as a means to develop creative self-expression, aesthetic sensibility, and an understanding of the arts. The nature and drive of artistic endeavor is explored through studies of the lives of significant thinkers and artists, examinations of art works, guests lectures, and projects. Students will engage in activities and projects that will enable them to access and develop their own creative thinking skills in concert with traditional, analytic modes. (Also listed as ART 2314, GNED 2340, ENGL 2340, and MUSC 2340.)

This course will focus on scene work from a variety of periods and playwrights, and in class exercises to further develop the acting student's ability. (Also listed as GRST 2352) Prerequisites: THTR 1350, and at least Sophomore standing or permission of instructor.

Students will develop a foundation for voice work that focuses on freeing the instrument from tension as well as improving overall diction, articulation, tone, quality, and volume. By developing breath awareness and enhancing the responsiveness of the vocal resonating chambers, students will develop and strengthen their articulation, identify and address personal speech issues, and cultivate a free and expressive voice to address any audience. (Offered every year). (Also listed as HCOM 2313.)

Drawing together movement, dance, text, mask, song, fiction, and design, students will develop a creative vocabulary that will lay the foundation of a physical approach to theatre. By recalling the traditional popular theatre forms of commedia dell' arte and clowning, as well as mask performance and puppetry, the students will explore the creation of a performance which breaks the boundaries of individual disciplines.

Supervised off-campus experience in theatre production and/or management appropriate to the student's specialty. Credit varies with responsibilities, but maximum is three credit hours.

Independent work under faculty supervision. The nature of the project will be agreed upon by the student and participating faculty member prior to registration. Credit may vary from 1 to 3 hours depending on the scope of the project. Maximum credit three hours. Prerequisites: 15 hours in Theatre, documentation of ability to undertake study, consent of instructor.

Supervised off-campus experience in theatre production and/or management appropriate to the student's specialty. Credit varies with responsibilities, but maximum is three credit hours.

Students design costumes, lights, or scenery which is actualized in a university mainstage production Admission to course by consent of Theatre Faculty and Staff.

Provides the students with the opportunity to stage manage a university theatre production. Admission to course by consent of the Theatre Faculty and Staff.

Independent work under faculty supervision. The nature of the project will be agreed upon by the student and participating faculty member prior to registration. Credit may vary from 1 to 3 hours depending on the scope of the project. Maximum credit three hours. Prerequisites: 15 hours in Theatre, documentation of ability to undertake study, consent of instructor.

Supervised off-campus experience in theatre production and/or management appropriate to the student's specialty. Credit varies with responsibilities, but maximum is three credit hours.

An examination of current graphic techniques used to communicate designer concepts for the theatre and related fields, which include perspective drawing for the stage, costume drawing, scenic and costume rendering, and an understanding of selected computer-assisted design softwares.

A study of the evolution of western dress from the Greeks to the present, focusing on how, within each era, the social, political, and cultural environment shaped the fashions of rich and poor. In the course of the semester, students will learn how sex, politics, and self-expression have influenced dress throughout the ages.

Costume design for theatrical productions. This course acquaints the student with the artistic techniques and principles used to create costume designs. Students will analyze play scripts in terms of their dramatic components and visual environment and use this information to create appropriate theatrical costume designs. Emphasis is placed on the visual interpretation of literary works using character study, period research, and script analysis. Prerequisite: ART 1410 or THTR 2310 or consent of instructor.

Rooted in the discipline of theatre, this course explores the art of conceptualization, visualization, and creativity. Problem solving activities include the use of metaphor to communicate literature for live performance, the creation of sculptural installations for plays and poetry, and the management of scenic design projects. The course examines the various means necessary to communicate a design to a producer, director, or client (sketching, drafting, painter elevations, and model making). Prerequisite: THTR 2313 Intro to Scene Design or THTR 2310 Principles of Design

Course will explore the increasing use of computer technology in the theatrical production. The course will acquaint the student with computer aided drafting, computer control of theatrical lighting, computer control and manipulation of sound for the theatre, and computer control of mechanized scenery. The course will also explore the potential integration of these systems. Prerequisite: THTR 1320 or consent of instructor

Dramaturgy combines advanced play analysis with writing, production research, collaboration with directors, and the presentation of written and visual materials to enhance a theatre company's and audience's understanding and appreciation of a dramatic text. Prerequisite: THTR 2332

This course explores the development of Western Theatre, covering Greek, Roman, medieval, Renaissance, and Enlightenment theatre and drama. Using historical and critical writings, dramatic texts, photography, and video resources, the course analyzes theatrical movements in their historical, aesthetic, and social context. (Offered every Spring.)

This course explores influential developments in theatre of the past two centuries, including romanticism, melodrama, realism, futurism, dada, expressionism, epic theatre, Broadway and West End musicals, American family drama, regional repertory theatres, international theatre festivals and late twentieth century experimental performance art. Using historical and critical writings, dramatic texts, photography and video resources, the course analyzes theatrical movements in their historical, aesthetic, and social contexts. (Also listed as GRST 3332.) (Offered every Spring).

This course explores the ways modern theatre has served as a laboratory for interrogating psychology and politics or imagining possible worlds. Class meetings focus on important plays and manifestos, particularly those of the European avant-garde from the late nineteenth century to the middle of the twentieth. The class aims to deepen students' understanding of the stakes of experimental theatre, its relationship to modernism in literature and visual art, and the ways theatre can be understood theoretically. In addition to essays and discussions, students will give presentations that synthesize critical and creative thought. (Offered every other year.) Prerequisite: sophomore standing or consent of instructor

Study of trends in dramatic literature from World War II through the present as manifested in the United States, Great Britain, Europe, and representative Third World Countries.

This course will teach and develop the skills necessary for directing. These include: reading a script, casting, rehearsing, and staging. Class time will be divided between lecture/discussion and presentation of student prepared scenes.

A study of the art of stage management, from the organizational paperwork to the running of a theatrical production. This course examines the necessary project management skills to communicate effectively with producers, directors, actors, designers, and technical staff. This class will identify and discuss the various responsibilities of theatrical stage managers and effective stage management techniques. Students will understand the working relationships with other theater professionals and unions, and learn proper stage management procedures for Trinity University Theater and other theater organizations.

Principles of Art Management is an introductory course designed to acquaint students with essential behind-the-scenes and administrative responsibilities necessary for theater, opera, and museum management. The course is recommended for Business, Theater, Art and Music majors who are interested in understanding professional opportunities beyond performance. The course will also introduce to Business and other majors new venues and opportunities where their talents and interests may be applied.

Verse Drama offers the advanced student scene work in plays from Classical antiquity, Elizabethan drama, Seventeenth Century drama, and other verse dramas from various periods and styles. Exercises explore scansion, rhyme, and period movement. Prerequisites: THTR 1350 or THTR 1352 and THTR 2352

Non-realistic Drama offers experience in acting scenes from non-realistic texts from nineteenth and twentieth-century European and American drama. Course includes exercises in voice, movement, and performance theory/art. Prerequisites: THTR 1350 and THTR 2352

Students learn to use International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) as an effective tool for identifying individual sounds of speech. This knowledge improves articulation, contributes to the development of good Standard American Speech, and provides the actor with an ability to play a range of performance roles. The course employs the use of visual and audio technology as well as phonetics to analyze, create, and perform stage dialects.

Theater for Social Change investigates the critical issues and creative process that chart the field of community-based theater. The critical investigation is framed by the following questions: What happens when theater gets into the community? How might we define "community"? Can theater stimulate political and social change? What is the role of the artist in relationship to the community? How can performance serve raise consciousness? The collaborative creative process will primarily draw upon August Boal's work and will consist of learning exercises taken from the Image Theater, Invisible Theater, and Forum Theater. This is a participatory and hands-on course.

This course will explore the role of the actor on the musical theatre stage. Using musical theatre librettos and scores, students will apply acting, singing, and movement techniques to bring three-dimensional characters to life on the stage through solos, small group numbers, and large ensemble pieces. In addition, the course will examine the musical theatre audition, including a focus on choosing material, creating a repertoire book, the unique aspects of the musical theatre audition, and the business of musical theatre. Students will leave the class with an expanded repertoire and a deeper understanding of how to use dialogue, lyrics, and music to create a fully realized character on the musical theatre stage. (Offered every other year.)

This course investigates and practices systematic methods for developing dramatic ideas and turning them into dramatic literature through readings, discussions, and exercises. Each student will, at the end of the semester, have written a one-act play.

This course explores the historical evolution and interpretation of classical and contemporary tragedy with a special emphasis on creativity as an interpretative tool. This course will feature performance, adaptation, and design as an integral part of the analysis and discussion of the dramatic texts. Texts and authors to be covered include Euripides, Sophocles, Seneca, Shakespeare, Anouilh, and O'Neill. (Also listed as CLASS 3377.) (Offered every other year.)

Independent work under faculty supervision. The nature of the project will be agreed upon by the student and participating faculty member prior to registration. Credit may vary from 1 to 3 hours depending on the scope of the project. Maximum credit three hours. Prerequisites: 15 hours in Theatre, documentation of ability to undertake study, consent of instructor.

Supervised off-campus experience in theatre production and/or management appropriate to the student's specialty. Credit varies with responsibilities, but maximum is three credit hours.

Independent study in selected areas in preparation for Honors Thesis. Prerequisite: Admission to Honors Program.

Through the analysis of forms of artistic expression and contemporary questions about human rights violations, this course will assess the impact performance has on the understanding of human rights violations, on the reconciliation of societal conflicts and on the restitution of human dignity to victims of repression. This course typically includes a study abroad component. (Also listed as PLSI 3440.) Prerequisite: Consent of Instructor

This course is designed as an interdepartmental crossroads for fostering the creative process of developing designed and built spaces. With the integration of theatrical scenic design, architectural studies, sculpture, and engineering as its core foundation, the lab will immerse students in the hands-on process of conceptualizing, prototyping, and constructing interactive experiential spaces for virtually any field. The course aims to interweave the arts with engineering science and technology to reimagine how human spaces are utilized in the 21st century.

Functioning as a peer mentor in introductory theatre courses students will examine the philosophy, methods, and challenges of teaching theatre arts under the direction of the theatre instructor for the course. Credit varies from 1 to 3 semester hours, depending on responsibilities and/or scope of the project. Course may be repeated for a maximum of 6 credit hours. Prerequisite: 15 hours of Theatre or consent of instructor.

Independent work under faculty supervision. The nature of the project will be agreed upon by the student and participating faculty member prior to registration. Credit may vary from 1 to 3 hours depending on the scope of the project. Maximum credit three hours. Prerequisite: 15 hours in Theatre, documentation of ability to undertake study, consent of instructor.

An in-depth study of select design topics. May be repeated once when subject varies. Maximum credit is six semester-credit hours.

An in-depth study of select performance topics. May be repeated when subject varies. Maximum credit is six credit hours.

Supervised off-campus experience in theatre production and/or management appropriate to the student's specialty. Credit varies with responsibilities, but maximum is three credit hours. Prerequisite: 12 semester credits of Theatre coursework and consent of instructor

Students design costumes, lights, or scenery which is actualized in a university mainstage production. Admission to course by consent of the Theatre Faculty and Staff.

Provides the students with the opportunity to stage manage a university theatre production. Admission to course by consent of the Theatre Faculty and Staff.

Functioning as a peer mentor in introductory theatre courses students will examine the philosophy, methods, and challenges of teaching theatre arts under the direction of the theatre instructor for the course. Credit varies from 1 to 3 semester hours, depending on responsibilities and/or scope of the project. Course may be repeated for a maximum of 6 credit hours. Prerequisite: 15 hours of Theatre or consent of instructor.

Independent work under faculty supervision. The nature of the project will be agreed upon by the student and participating faculty member prior to registration. Credit may vary from 1 to 3 hours depending on the scope of the project. Maximum credit three hours. Prerequisite: 15 hours in Theatre, documentation of ability to undertake study, consent of instructor.

An in-depth study of select design topics. May be repeated once when subject varies. Maximum credit is six semester-credit hours.

An in-depth study of select performance topics. May be repeated when subject varies. Maximum credit is six credit hours.

Supervised off-campus experience in theatre production and/or management appropriate to the student's specialty. Credit varies with responsibilities, but maximum is three credit hours. Prerequisite: 12 semester credits of Theatre coursework and consent of instructor

Builds on the fundamentals studied in Directing I to explore further the process of directing for the theatre, from image to context to created word. Special attention will be paid to working with essential elements of the stage, and developing resources into a created space of interaction. Image, time, space, text, character, relationship, rhythm, sound, will all be addressed as means of creating theatrical environment. The course is taught through practical work and developed presentation of short dramatic pieces. Prerequisite: THTR 3340 or consent of instructor.

Functioning as a peer mentor in introductory theatre courses students will examine the philosophy, methods, and challenges of teaching theatre arts under the direction of the theatre instructor for the course. Credit varies from 1 to 3 semester hours, depending on responsibilities and/or scope of the project. Course may be repeated for a maximum of 6 credit hours. Prerequisite: 15 hours of Theatre or consent of instructor.

Independent work under faculty supervision. The nature of the project will be agreed upon by the student and participating faculty member prior to registration. Credit may vary from 1 to 3 hours depending on the scope of the project. Maximum credit three hours. Prerequisite: 15 hours in Theatre, documentation of ability to undertake study, consent of instructor.

An in-depth study of select design topics. May be repeated once when subject varies. Maximum credit is six semester-credit hours.

An in-depth study of select performance topics. May be repeated when subject varies. Maximum credit is six credit hours.

Theatre majors with senior standing will create a portfolio of Theatre coursework and production experiences, research career opportunities for the potential application of this portfolio, and present this synthesis to the Theatre faculty, staff, and students. Applicable guidelines are available from Theatre advisors. Prerequisite: Senior status

An in-depth study of selected plays, dramatists, and/or movements. May be repeated when subject varies. Prerequisite: Junior or Senior standing or consent of instructor

Supervised off-campus experience in theatre production and/or management appropriate to the student's specialty. Credit varies with responsibilities, but maximum is three credit hours. Prerequisite: 12 semester credits of Theatre coursework and consent of instructor

Individual research and scholarly investigation under faculty supervision leading to the preparation of an Honors Thesis. To be taken only by senior Honors students in both semesters of their senior year.

Individual research and scholarly investigation under faculty supervision leading to the preparation of an Honors Thesis. To be taken only by senior Honors students in both semesters of their senior year.