Download Drama 1305 Introduction to Theatre Arts

Introduction to Theatre Arts
University of Texas Permian Basin
Visual and Performing Arts General Education Core
Introduction to Theatre Arts
Introduction to Theatre Arts is a General Education class that satisfies the core
requirement at UT-Permian Basin for three hours of study in the visual or performing arts;
it’s also a requirement for anyone minoring in Drama or in Fine Arts. There are no
prerequisites for the course, but there is one very important requirement: you should be
able to clear enough time in your schedule to attend theatrical performances and involve
yourself in a performance during the semester; these performances are the basis of the
class. You and your classmates will be investigating how a theatrical production is put
together, how the artists of the theatre collaborate on a production, what the disciplines of
scriptwriting, acting, directing, design and technology involve . . . and at the end of the
semester you’ll demonstrate what you’ve learned by staging a production of a one-act play.
If the prospect of attending and being involved in these plays sounds exciting and
challenging, welcome to Drama 1305; if it doesn’t, you may want to think about selecting
another course to fulfill this requirement.
The Texts for this course are Theatre, Its Art and Craft, by Stephen Archer (Rowan and
Littlefield, 6th Edition, 2009) and The Director’s Eye, by John Ahart, (Merriwether Publishers,
2001). You’ll also be reading plays; one of them will be a script for production at Founders’
Theatre at UTPB; you’ll use others as a basis for creative exercises in script writing, design,
acting and directing.
The Purpose of this class is to introduce you to the elements that comprise a theatrical
production: script, acting, directing, and design and to give you hands-on experience in working
with those elements. You will learn to function as a team as you work to mount a performance.
Though this is a course based primarily on your creative theatrical activities and the skill with
which you learn to master them, it is secondarily intended to help you develop the ability to make
aesthetic judgments through examining the results of those activities when they culminate in
performance. In addition, the class will
 stimulate your capacity to reflect on individual, political and social aspects of life as you
consider and write about the conflicts presented in the plays you see and read
 help you develop personal values for ethical behavior as you see how dramatic characters
in the plays you see and read have had their own values challenged, changed or preserved
 help you integrate your understanding of literature, visual arts and music through
examining how these disciplines contribute to theatre performances
In addition, this course will provide you with opportunities to practice basic intellectual
competencies. These are
 reading (of textbook, dramatic scripts and reviews)




writing (about your responses to scripts and performances and your critical estimation of
them)
speaking (as you discuss your responses to texts and performances)
listening (as you hear and interpret dramatic dialogue during performances)
critical thinking (as you analytically and creatively apply qualitative and quantitative
skills in completing projects for the class)
The Assignments are divided into two parts.
The first part—which will account for 50%
of your grade—involves investigating and practicing the elements of theatre.
Part A
 You’ll write a short script of your own that demonstrates your understanding of
Aristotle’s elements of drama: plot, character, idea, diction, music and spectacle.
 You’ll design and build a model of a theatrical set that demonstrates your knowledge of
theatre architecture and production style.
 You’ll score, memorize and deliver a scene (if you wish to work with a partner) or a
monologue (if you wish to work independently), demonstrating your understanding of the
relationship between language and character.
 You’ll conceptualize and block a one-act play which demonstrates your understanding of
some of the responsibilities of a theatre director.
 You’ll attend a performance of a local or regional play and write a 750-1000 word essay
which reviews the production by identifying an analyzing the causes of its artistic success
or shortcomings.
The second part of the work for this course—again, worth 50% of your final grade.
Part B
Students will study, imaginatively engage and produce a play written by an American minority
playwright or a non-US playwright.
During the semester,
 You will research minority and non-US plays and playwrights in theatre journals and
magazines.
 You’ll assemble biographical and cultural information about a playwright whose work
you’d like to perform.
 You’ll contextualize the play the group decides to perform as a social document.
 You’ll undertake a practical assignment in producing the play: dramaturgy,
design/technology, acting, directing, and publicity.
You’ll perform the play you’ve selected at the end of the semester at Founders’ Theatre; each of
you will write a post-mortem report on your activities in support of the production, what you did
brilliantly, what you could have done better, what we all did or could have done to produce a
memorable even for an audience.
Rules and Regulations for the course are pretty simple.
 First, academic honesty is required of all students: your work must be your own in order
to be acceptable in this class; plagiarized work will receive a failing grade and will not be
eligible for make-up or rewriting, and any incident of plagiarism will be reported to the
Dean of Students. Please consult the University guidelines in the Student Handbook.
 Second, attendance in this class is not optional but required. If you miss a rehearsal,
others aren’t able to work. Please consider this class a semester-long rehearsal
 Third, assignments can, with advance arrangements, be late; please give me a week’s
notice, and keep up with the rest of the class while you make up your work
 Fourth, UTPB complies with all requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. If
you need accommodations for this class or any assignments in it, please notify me during
the first week of the semester to make arrangements.
My Office Hours
this semester will be held immediately after class; at other times I can
be available by appointment, and you can catch me in the theatre much of the time. You can
contact me by email or the phone listed above.
A Note on Seeing the Plays
It’s useful to see plays together, since your classmates will often see a show from a perspective
very different than yours and can enrich your experience by sharing that perspective. In addition,
we’ll try to have talkbacks and chances after the performances to meet some of the artists whose
work you’ve seen.
Calendar
Week One: Script Writing
Plot and conflict; character and diction; rising action and climax; intention
Week Two: Set and Design
Stage architecture; presentational and representational style; handling whiteboard; scale
Week Three: Building and Dressing
Flats and platforms; set dressing; furniture and props; color and lights
Week Four: Costume
Period style; found, constructed and stock costume; patterns; sewing
SCRIPT CHOICE
Week Five: Actors
Actor’s instrument; actor training; auditioning AUDITIONS FOR PLAY
Week Five: Scene/Monologue
Memorization; support; scoring the script ATTEND PERFORMANCE
Week Six: Reviewing performances
Criticism and review; observation; thesis; argument from evidence; evaluation
ATTEND PERFORMANCE
Week Seven: Directing
Concept and dramaturgy; blocking; types of rehearsals; pace and picturization
CASTING AND CREW ASSIGNMENTS
Week Eight: Artistic Meeting
Rehearsal schedule; build schedule; read through ATTEND PERFORMANCE
Week Nine: Unit Rehearsal
Characterization, blocking, warming-up; focus; rehearsal props and furniture
Week Ten: Unit Rehearsal
Voice, body and imagination: exercises and applications
Week Eleven: Scene work
Discovery in performance; stop and fix
Week Twelve: Scene work
Support, delivery, technique
Week Thirteen: Run-through
Rhythm; rising action; climax
Week Fourteen: Tech and Dress Rehearsals
Perfecting the performance; set, lights sound; publicity
Week Fifteen: Performance
Open and run; strike
Final Week: Post-mortem
Discussion and submission of essay