Theatre and Drama
Faculty
Introduction
Major in Theatre and Drama
Double Major Program
Minor in Theatre and Drama
Secondary Teacher Certification
Departmental Honors Program
Course Descriptions
Related Courses
Faculty
Chairperson
Professor Ronald H. Wainscott
Professors
Roger Herzel, Howard Jensen, Dale McFadden, George Pinney, Dennis J. Reardon, Robert Shakespeare, Frank Silberstein (Emeritus)
Associate Professors
Robert Bovard, Bruce Burgun, Murray McGibbon, Wesley Peters, Rakesh Solomon
Assistant Professor
Linda Pisano
Lecturer
Charles Railsback
Academic Advising
Charles Railsback, Theatre Building T230, (812) 855-4342
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Introduction
The Department of Theatre and Drama (THTR) believes that theatrical productions and classroom study are of equal and complementary value. Courses in acting, directing, playwriting, dramatic literature, theatre history, design, and technology are all vital and interrelated aspects of the theatre and drama program.
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Major in Theatre and Drama
Requirements
Students must complete 31 credit hours in theatre and drama, including the following introductory courses. Students are advised to take the courses in a building progression (i.e., T100 should be taken early in the progression of study). See the academic advisor for clarification.
- T100 Introduction to Theatre
T120 Acting I
T225 Stagecraft I
T230 Stage Costuming I
T335 Stage Lighting
T340 Directing I
T370-T371 History of Western Theatre and Drama I-II.
- 6 additional credit hours in one of the following four areas of concentration:
- Theatre history and dramatic literature: T460, T461, T462, T468.
- Acting and directing: T115, T220, T300, T315, T320, T325, T410, T420, T423, T442, T443, T445.
- Design and technology: T130, T326, T425, T426, T430, T433, T434, T435, T438.
- Playwriting and screenwriting: T453, T454, T458.
- 15 of the 31 credit hours must be taken in 300- and 400-level courses.
The academic advisor will assign to the appropriate area of concentration any credits earned in theatre and drama courses T390, T399, T483, T490, and T499.
Students must also complete the degree requirements of the College of Arts and Sciences.
Transfer Students
Transfer students must complete a minimum of 12 credit hours in theatre and drama in residence on the Bloomington campus. At least 6 credit hours must be taken in the student's area of concentration.
- Students who have taken an acting course at another school and wish to take any course of the acting curriculum beyond T120 must audition for the acting faculty prior to the beginning of classes in the fall semester. See an academic advisor for date and time.
- All courses transferred from another institution or campus must be evaluated through the Theatre and Drama Advising Office before they may be applied toward the theatre and drama major or minor. Transfer students must submit bulletin descriptions and course syllabi for potential transfer credits during the first semester of study.
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Double Major Program
The requirements for a double major in the Department of Theatre and Drama are the same as for a single major.
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Minor in Theatre and Drama
Requirements
Students must complete a minimum of 18 credit hours in theatre and drama including:
- T100 or T210.
- A minimum of one course in each of these three areas:
Acting and directing: T120.
Design and technology: T225, T230, T326, or T335.
Theatre history and dramatic literature: T370, T371, T460, T461, T462, or T468.
- Two additional courses in one of the four areas of concentration. Students are advised to take the courses in the minor in a building progression (i.e., T100 or T120 should be taken early in the progression of study).
Students are advised to plan their minor program of study in consultation with both their major and minor advisors.
The following is a list of courses recommended for theatre and drama minors:
- Acting: T220, T320
- Directing: T340
- Movement: T300, T410
- Oral interpretation: T115, T315
- Playwriting: T453, T454, T458
- Stagecraft: T225, T425, T435
- Scene design: T326, T426
- Costuming: T230, T430
- Lighting: T335, T438
- Dramatic literature: T460, T461, T462, T468
- Theatre history: T370, T371
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Secondary Teacher Certification
Students seeking certification as teachers may combine their professional training in the Department of Theatre and Drama with the professional education requirements (secondary education) of the School of Education. Students should consult the bulletin of the School of Education for requirements of this combined program. It is recommended that students pursuing teaching certification get at least a minor in an additional teaching area. For clarification, see advisors in both schools.
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Departmental Honors Program
Outstanding students with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.3 are eligible for admission to the honors program in theatre and drama at the end of their sophomore year. Minimum requirements for the honors degree are:
- Cumulative GPA of 3.3.
- 31 credit hours, to include 9 credit hours of honors course work in theatre and drama at the 300-400 level, 6 of which must be in T399-T499.
- A senior project of a creative or research nature, which may be counted as part of the T499 requirements.
Application for admission and the student's program of courses must be approved by the department's honors committee.
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Course Descriptions
T100 Introduction to Theatre (4 cr.) A & H Overview of theories, methodology, and skills. Emphasis on theatre as a composite art. Relationship of various components: play, playwright, actor, director, designer, audience, critic, and physical theatre.
T115 Oral Interpretation I (3 cr.) A & H Introduction to theories, methodology, and skills; oral and visual presentation of literature for audiences.
T120 Acting I: Fundamentals of Acting (3 cr.) Introduction to theories, methodology, and skills: movement, voice, observation, concentration, imagination. Emphasis on improvisational exercises and basic scene study. Lecture and laboratory.
T130 Stage Makeup (1 cr.) Techniques and styles of makeup in theatre. Lecture and laboratory. Theatre majors have registration priority.
T210 Appreciation of Theatre (3 cr.) A & H Introduction to the art and history of theatre through a study of major dramatic genres, theatrical elements and techniques, and current productions. No credit given for theatre and drama major concentration.
T220 Acting II: Scene Study (3 cr.) P: T120; recommendation of instructor or audition. Continuation of work begun in T120. Textual analysis and techniques of communicating with body and voice. Study and performance of characters in scenes from modern realistic dramas. Lecture and laboratory.
T225 Stagecraft I (3 cr.) Introduction to theories, methodology, and skills: analysis of practical and aesthetic functions of stage scenery, fundamentals of scenic construction and rigging, mechanical drawing for stagecraft. Lecture and laboratory.
T229 Stage Management I (3 cr.) P: T100 and T225. Explore the role and function of the stage manager in theatrical production. Provide the basic skills to begin work in the field of stage management. Emphasis on organization, documentation, and dissemination of information.
T230 Stage Costuming I (3 cr.) Introduction to theories, methodology, and skills: materials, construction techniques, pattern drafting, wardrobe work, and decorative processes. Lecture and laboratory.
T300 Musical Theatre Workshop (3 cr.) Focuses on synthesizing acting, singing, and dancing into one performance technique. Amount of emphasis placed on each one will vary according to specific needs of the students enrolled. Admission by audition only. May be repeated for a total of 9 credit hours.
T315 Oral Interpretation II (3 cr.) R: T115. Study of the oral and visual presentation of literature, with emphasis on analysis of intellectual and emotional values.
T320 Acting III: Shakespeare (3 cr.) P: T220; recommendation of T220 instructor or audition. Character analysis and use of language on stage. Study and performance of characters in scenes from Shakespeare. Lecture and laboratory.
T323 Costume and Character in London Theatre (3 cr.) P: Approval of the department. Overseas theatre studies in London. Experience theatrical character development through costume design. Survey social influences on costume and dress worn by characters through history including contemporary trends and dress. Field trips to such locations as Bath and Stratford.
T325 Voice and Speech (3 cr.) P: T120. R: sophomore standing. Anatomy and functions of vocal mechanism; introduction to phonetics; improvement of student's voice and diction through exercises and practical work in area of student's special interest. Theatre majors have registration priority. I Sem., II Sem.
T326 Scene Design I (3 cr.) Introduction to process of scene design, scene designer's responsibilities, scene problem solving, and exploration of visual materials and forms.
T335 Stage Lighting (3 cr.) P: T225. Introduction to the process of determining and implementing a lighting design. Analytical skills, concept development, design methods, lighting technology, and practical applications are covered. Lecture and laboratory.
T340 Directing I (3 cr.) P: T120. R: T225, T230, T335, or consent of instructor. Introduction to theories, methodology, and skills: play analysis, working with actors, basic elements of stage composition.
T370-T371 History of Western Theatre and Drama I-II (3-3 cr.) T370, A & H, CSA T371, A & H, CSB Development of theatre and drama in Western world from beginnings to present. Study of theatre arts and culture institutions; focus on historical context for plays and performances; emphasis on research methods in theatre history. I: Beginnings to ca. 1700; II: ca. 1700 to present.
T390 Creative Work in Summer Theatre (1-3 cr.) P: Consent of chairperson. Work in summer theatre productions. May be repeated for up to 6 credits.
T399 Reading, Research, Performance for Honors (12 cr. max.) P: Approval of departmental honors advisor.
T410 Movement for the Theatre (3 cr.) P: T120. Introduction to theories, methodologies, and skills involved in developing a flexible, relaxed, controlled body for the theatre. Emphasis on relaxing body tensions, alignment, eye training, tumbling, and stage combat.
T420 Acting IV: Realism (3 cr.) P: T320; recommendation of T320 instructor or audition. Emphasis on ensemble acting and textual analysis. Study and performance of characters in scenes from Chekhov, Strindberg, Ibsen, and modern American realism. Lecture and laboratory.
T423 Acting V: Period Comedy (3 cr.) P: T420; recommendation of T420 instructor or audition. Techniques of performing period plays with emphasis on comedy of manners. Study and performance of characters in scenes from such playwrights as Moliere, Congreve, Sheridan, Wilde, and Coward. Lecture and laboratory. II Sem.
T425 Stagecraft II (3 cr.) P: T225 or consent of instructor. Using theatrical drafting as a vehicle, special materials, techniques, and problems of construction are explored. Elements of basic rigging and rigging safety are also covered.
T426 Scene Design II (3 cr.) P: T326 or consent of instructor. Work in line, color, and composition using historical conventions as the basis for contemporary scenic statements. Emphasis on period style and presentational forms.
T428 Production and Events Management (3 cr.) P: T229 or consent of instructor. Discussion of the skills necessary to produce and manage theatrical productions and the application of those skills to large events.
T430 Stage Costuming II (3 cr.) P: T230 or consent of instructor. Pattern drafting, fabric selection, special construction problems. Management of costume shops and care of wardrobes.
T433 Costume Design (3 cr.) P: T230 or consent of instructor. Design and selection of costumes, with an emphasis on the relationship of costume to character and production.
T434 Historic Costume for the Stage (3 cr.) P: T230 or consent of instructor. A survey of period fashion and manners from ancient Egypt to the twentieth century; emphasis on applicability to the stage.
T435 Electronics for Theatre Technicians (3 cr.) P: T335 or consent of instructor. Introduction to electronics; lighting control and other theatre-related electrical systems and devices.
T438 Lighting Design (3 cr.) P: T335 or consent of instructor. Stage lighting design concept development and implementation. Advanced lighting techniques and approaches.
T442 Directing II: Script Analysis (3 cr.) P: T340 or consent of instructor. Problems and functions of director from selection of script through performance. Emphasis on script analysis. Lecture and practical projects. II Sem.
T443 Directing III: Style (3 cr.) P: T340. Directing scripts from various periods and in different styles. Lecture and practical projects. II Sem.
T445 Voice and Dialects (3 cr.) P: T325. Vocal work that focuses on combining imagery and imagination with the development of vocal technique through exercises in breathing, producing sound and resonance; the mastery of four of the most common dialects used in the American theatre.
T453 Playwriting I (3 cr.) P: Consent of instructor. Introduction to principles of dramatic structure. Conferences and peer evaluations. Focus is on the creation and revision of a one-act play.
T454 Playwriting II (3 cr.) P: Consent of instructor. Consideration of dramaturgical antecedents and certain practical and theoretical problems. Creation of a full-length play.
T458 Screenwriting (3 cr.) Structural analyses of cinematic models, culminating in the creation of an original full-length narrative screenplay.
T460-T461-T462 Development of Dramatic Art I-II-III (3-3-3 cr.) T460, A & H, CSA
T461-T462, A & H, CSB Dramatic art in the Western world from beginnings to the present. Study of dramatic genres, plays in productions, and theatrical approaches to plays of the past. I: Classical to Early Renaissance Drama; II: Late Renaissance to Modern Drama; III: Modern and Contemporary Drama.
T468 Non-Western Theatre and Drama (3 cr.) A & H, CSA Dramatic literature and theatre in one or more of the following areas: China, Japan, Korea, India, or southeast Asia.
T483 Topics in Theatre and Drama (1-3 cr.) Studies in special topics not ordinarily covered in other departmental courses. May be repeated once for credit if topic differs.
T490 Independent Study in Theatre and Drama (1-6 cr.) P: 12 credit hours in theatre and drama, departmental grade point average of 3.0 or above, consent of instructor. Readings, performances, experiments, and reports in area of student's special interest. May be repeated for a maximum of 6 credits.
T499 Reading, Research, Performance for Honors (12 cr. max.) P: Approval of departmental honors advisor.
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Related Courses
In addition to the 31 credit hours of required courses that must be taken in the Department of Theatre and Drama, a student may include one or more of the following related courses as part of the major:
African-American and African Diaspora Studies
A384 Blacks in American Drama and Theatre, 1945-present (3 cr.) A & H, CSA
A385 Seminar in Black Theatre (3 cr.) A & H, CSA
Comparative Literature
C311 Drama (3 cr.) A & H
Education
M478 Methods of Teaching High School Speech (3 cr.)
English
L203 Introduction to Drama (3 cr.) A & H
L220 Introduction to Shakespeare (3 cr.) A & H
L308 Elizabethan Drama and Its Background (3 cr.) A & H
L313 Early Plays of Shakespeare (3 cr.) A & H
L314 Late Plays of Shakespeare (3 cr.) A & H
L363 American Drama (3 cr.) A & H
L365 Modern Drama: Continental (3 cr.) A & H
L366 Modern Drama: English, Irish, American, and Post-Colonial (3 cr.) A & H
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