THEA: Theater
In this course, students will learn about the history of theater in the United States from the colonial days to the present. They will engage in learning about important plays, playwrights, producers, actors, directors, theaters and significant events such as theater riots. This theatrical history will be contextualized with the social, political, and economic history of the United States during this time. NOTE: Students can take this course at the introductory or advanced level, but not both.
Attributes: Arts Gen Ed, *The Arts Gen Ed, Liberal
This course engages students in a wide range of 20th and 21st century plays written by US playwrights. Explore how these plays relate to US culture, society and politics as you consider how race, gender, sexuality and class are reflected in them. Some questions you will consider include: What makes a play 'American?' When does US drama tend to suggest new ways to construct society and when does it reflect familiar customs? Additionally, students will consider dramatic structure and how different playwrights use dramatic structure to achieve various goals. NOTE: Students can take this course at the introductory or advanced level, but not both.
Attributes: Humanities Gen Ed, Arts Gen Ed, *The Arts Gen Ed, Liberal
Students have the opportunity to develop individualized studies with their mentor in Theatre (THEA). Please contact your mentor/advisor for more details.
Students have the opportunity to develop individualized studies with their mentor in Theatre (THEA). Please contact your mentor/advisor for more details.
How did Broadway come to be the quintessential home of professional theater in the United States? When did the regional theater movement begin and why? Who becomes a star performer? This course is designed to teach you about the multi-vocal plays, musicals, and theater professionals who have contributed to the history of U.S. theater from the colonial period to today. We will investigate the role of diversity, equity, and inclusion in U.S. theater history while we also situate that history in the social, political, and economic history of the United States.
Attributes: Arts Gen Ed, *The Arts Gen Ed, Liberal
Students will survey classical Greek drama by studying several key works by playwrights from this era. We attempt to identify what social, political, economic, and/or personal message each play portrays to audiences and then determine how the various characters, situations, and incidents help to dramatize this position. Aristotle's Poetics will ground our work in theory along with other theories about Greek drama. We will also consider the use of dramatic devices in these plays and investigate concepts such as tragedy, comedy, family curse, tragic flaw, recognition, reversal and a "final gesture of heroism."
Attributes: *The Arts Gen Ed, Liberal
Do you want to know more about musicals? Students in this course will learn about the history of musicals in the US from the 1890s to the present. We will examine how musicals both react to and influence changes in the social, political, and cultural history of the US. To do this, we will look at the contributions of major directors, choreographers, writers, performers, and other professionals in US musical theatre history. Students will also learn how to analyze the parts of a musical such as the book (story), songs, and choreography.
Attributes: Arts Gen Ed, *The Arts Gen Ed, Liberal
This course engages students in a wide range of 20th and 21st century plays written by US playwrights. Explore how these plays relate to US culture, society and politics as you consider how race, gender, sexuality and class are reflected in them. Some questions you will consider include: What makes a play 'American?' When does US drama tend to suggest new ways to construct society and when does it reflect familiar customs? Additionally, students will consider dramatic structure and how different playwrights use dramatic structure to achieve various goals. NOTE: Students can take this course at the introductory or advanced level, but not both.
Attributes: Humanities Gen Ed, Arts Gen Ed, *The Arts Gen Ed, Liberal
This course analyzes the theatrical aspects of the Tony Award winning musical, Hamilton. Students will explore the evolution of this musical and will delve into a creative critique of the musical’s story, music, choreography, staging, design elements, casting and more. We will also study the creator of Hamilton, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and will situate his work within theater history. We will consider questions such as: Why is this musical so popular? What makes this musical stand out from other musicals? And, as so many people ask, why are tickets to this musical so expensive? Note: Students in this course are *required* to secure access to the video version of the original NYC production through Disney+ or similar platforms.
Attributes: Arts Gen Ed, *The Arts Gen Ed, Liberal
Students have the opportunity to develop individualized studies with their mentor in Theatre (THEA). Please contact your mentor/advisor for more details.
Shakespeare's plays are excellent pieces of literature but they were originally performed live by actors. Today, more people see Shakespeare's work through film than any other medium. This study examines seminal film productions of various Shakespeare plays including Henry V, Romeo and Juliet, Much Ado About Nothing, Hamlet, Richard III, Othello, and As You Like It. Students will read these plays and then watch assigned films to analyze how these films bring the worlds created by Shakespeare to life for contemporary film audiences. Literary criticism and film criticism will help us along on our journey as students consider how scholars and critics have also reacted to these important cinematic works.
Attributes: *The Arts Gen Ed, Liberal
Students have the opportunity to develop individualized studies with their mentor in Theatre (THEA). Please contact your mentor/advisor for more details.