>>>>> last updated: Tuesday, April 24, 2007


 
 
 



Go Back to the Previous Page

Undergraduate Courses Offered in Theater Arts
THEA 203 - Applied Theater (1 semester hour)
Participation in university theater productions.
THEA 205 - Summer Theater Workshop (3 semester hours)
Directed theater experience for five weeks each summer, available to high school and college students. The workshop culminates in at least one production; dates and plays are announced in the spring.
THEA 222 - Stagecraft (3 semester hours)
Practical experience and instruction in fundamental technical theater production, including standard practice, terms, methodology and materials with an historical overview and concentration on basic modern practice. An understanding of basic scenery, lighting and make-up design is accompanied by instruction in safe methods. This is a participation course.
THEA 223 - Advanced Stagecraft (3 semester hours)
Advanced experience in scenic construction, lighting design and control, and personnel supervision. Includes an introduction to costuming and theater management practices. Major production project required.

THEA 225 - Beginning Stage Make-up (3 semester hours)
An introduction to facial structure, color theory, basic make-up techniques, character make-up, fantasy make-up, and application techniques. Intensive practical application.
THEA 235 - Theater Survey (3 semester hours)
Encourages an appreciation and basic understanding of the world of live theatrical performance. The course focuses on the artistry and mechanics of producing the modern stage play. The knowledge, skills and talents necessary to succeed in the theater arts are studied. Attendance at live theater performances may by required.
THEA 330 - Acting I (3 semester hours)
Integrated approach to acting, linking understanding with experimental knowledge of the fundamentals of acting. Speech, movement, expression, etc. are explored with significant emphasis on improvisation.
THEA 331 - Acting II (3 semester hours)
A continuation of the lessons learned in Acting I with emphasis placed on script analysis and the special problems involved with acting in a period or classical play. Students will also be exposed to the special problems of character acting with age, accents, and so on. Prerequisite: THEA 330.

THEA 332 - Stage Combat (1 - 3 semester hours)
A laboratory course emphasizing the physical performance skills of stage combat, to include sword work, quarterstaff, and unarmed combat. Nationally recognized standards for safety are emphasized. Prerequisite: THEA 330.

THEA 380 - Theater History I (3 semester hours)
A study of drama from its Greek origins to the Interregnum.
THEA 381 - Theater History II (3 semester hours)
A study of drama from the English Restoration until the end of the 19th century.
THEA 390 - Theater Management (3 semester hours)
Organizational structures and management principles for educational, professional, community and church-related theater programs with an emphasis on non-for-profit organizations. Prerequisite: Upper-level standing or consent of instructor.

THEA 400 - Special Topics in Theater (1 - 3 semester hours)
Specialized study in selected areas of theater arts. Course content will vary, reflecting current developments in the theater and student interest and need.
THEA 430 - Modern Drama (3 semester hours)
A study of the development of drama from Henrik Ibsen to contemporary playwrights such as Sam Sheppard and David Mamet. Every major movement and trend of the last century will be explored, including realism, absurdism and the social drama. Focus will be on reading and evaluation of the plays and playwrights.
THEA 434 - Directing I (3 semester hours)
Basic principles of directing a theatrical production including script analysis, blocking, auditioning, rehearsing and working with actors. Require experience in at least one theatrical production. Prerequisite: THEA 203 or instructor approval.
THEA 435 - Directing II (3 semester hours)
Students will receive hands-on training in directing their own productions. In addition to directing several scenes in class, students will cast and direct their own one-act play at the end of the semester. Prerequisite: THEA 434.

THEA 440 - Acting III: Period Styles (3 semester hours)
An advanced laboratory course exploring styles of acting for traditional and non-traditional dramatic literature. Topics studied may include styles of classical and neoclassical tragedy, 17th century comedy of manners, 18th Italian comedy, 19th century traditional farce, and non-realistic forms of the 20th century (the absurd, the epic theater, mask, and theater of physical metaphor.) Prerequisites: THEA 330, 331.

THEA 441 - Acting IV: Acting Shakespeare (3 semester hours)
Student actors will explore the challenges of acting Shakespeare by studying text, character, and play structure. Utilizing exercises for developing breath, relaxation, vocal energy, and creative acting choices, a series of Shakespearean scenes and monologues will be performed. This course will build on skills learned in previous coursework. Prerequisite(s): THEA 330, 331.

THEA 442 - Acting for the Camera (3 semester hours)
An advanced course in acting designed to acquaint the student with changes in technique that are necessary for performance before the film or television camera with an emphasis on small scene performance. Students are afforded extensive scene work in front of the camera. Prerequisites: THEA 330, 331.

THEA 450 - The Theater and Christianity (3 semester hours)
An exploration of biblical perspectives concerning creativity and the arts with a special emphasis on theater and the performing arts. Prerequisite: Upper-level standing or consent of instructor.


The following courses are pending approval. We hope they will be included in next year's course catalog. These subjects are presently taught under the special topics rubric (THEA 400).
THEA 325 - Advanced Stage Make-up (3 semester hours)
Building upon the foundation established in the prerequisite course in stage make-up, this course introduces students to advanced make-up techniques, fantasy make-up, mask, prosthetic techniques, and casting molds. Emphasis is placed upon the appropriateness of designing and executing practical projects for characters from dramatic literature. Prerequisite: THEA 225.
THEA 326 - Stage Property Design (3 semester hours)
An introduction to the craft of designing properties for the stage emphasizing materials used, structural integrity for props with moving parts, and design appropriate to the script that the prop is to serve. Emphasis is place on the design of practical props for actual productions. Prerequisites: THEA 222, 223.

THEA 410 - Scenography (3 semester hours)
An introduction to the art of Scenography emphasizing the ways in which theater artists communicate visually (semiotics) and the way audiences “read” information in a theatrical design. Emphasis is place upon sketching, perspective rendering, and scale drawing. Prerequisites: THEA 222, 223.
.