Theater, Dance, and Film and Visual Culture Minors
2024 - 2025 Catalog
We have the following degrees:
Dance minor
A minor in dance requires completion of at least 8 courses in dance as follows. In meeting the requirements of this discipline-based minor, a student may not use more than nine credits that are also used to meet the requirements of
another major or minor.
- Three credits from DANC 110
- DANC 111
- One course chosen from DANC 220, 240
- Four courses chosen from DANC 120, 202, 215, 225, 230, 233, 250, 292, 390, 402, 422
- One course chosen from DANC 190, 220, 240, 330, 340, 390, 403, 423; THTR 131, 209, 251, 253, 336, 338
- Three credits from:
- DANC 110 - University Dance
Credits 1 Participation in a university dance production for a minimum of 40 hours of rehearsal and performance. May be repeated for up to eight degree credits.
- Required course:
- DANC 111 - University Dance Production
Credits 1 Prerequisite instructor consent Participation in any production aspect of a university dance production for a minimum of 36 hours. A journal recording the production process is required. May be repeated for up to four degree credits.
- Once course chosen from:
- DANC 220 - Dance Composition
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 A studio course exploring the craft and art of creating dance performances in a variety of styles and contexts. Images, text, music, improvisation and the elements of time, space and energy are examined as sources for dance material leading to individual andgroup choreography.
- DANC 240 - Revolutionary Dancers
FDR HA Credits 3 This course is a study of the manifestations of American modern dance from the beginning of the 20th century to the present. Students explore the relationship between dance and developments in U.S. culture and study the innovators of the art form and their techniques, writings, and art works through readings, video and lectures.
- Four courses chosen from:
- DANC 120 - Fundamentals of Contemporary Modern Dance Practice
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 This course is an introduction to individual and ensemble artistic expression in contemporary modern dance within the context of modern dance history. Attention is given to educating the body to move with specificity and to develop rhythm, spatial, and effort awareness. No dance experience required.
- DANC 202 - Dance Europe
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 4 Contemporary modern dance is an art form that explores questions about the body, identity, and globalization. Choreographers experiment with their craft by examining the way in which we relate to the world around us. The globalization of dance leads to cultural interchange and critical thinking about our place in a larger society and includes an exchange of styles and ideas and a cultural reflection on how and why dance is made. Globalism creates a rich artistic atmosphere and contributes to a wide variety of styles. Students travel to the four centers of contemporary modern dance in Europe: Paris, London, Amsterdam, Brussels. We explore contemporary aesthetics of particular regions, how culture influences movement choices, and the new ways in which European audiences are adapting to new forms of expression.
- DANC 215 - World Dance Technique
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 2 This dance class reflects the world dance form that is the specialty of the dance artist-in-residence. The basic dance techniques of that specific form are taught and movement is tied to the historical narrative of the country.
- DANC 225 - Contemporary Modern Dance Practice
Credits 2 This studio course is devoted to refining effort/shape values and phrasing in contemporary modern dance technique. Students investigate combinations, deconstruct movement phrases, and practice listening to the body by connecting movement phrases with kinesthetic experiences.
- DANC 230 - Musical-Theater Dance Technique
Credits 2 A studio exploration of choreography in musical theater from the 1940s to the present. Composition, theme, and form are discussed in concert with practical work in restaging historically significant musical dance choreographies. Of particular interest are the choreographers' styles and the many dance techniques prevalent in musical theater. May be repeated for up to six degree credits.
- DANC 233 - Movement for Actors
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 This course exams an array of methods that provide a vocabulary for thinking about, acting upon, and talking about movement and gesture and the physical integration of voice, breath, speech, and movement. We explore Alexander Technique and create an awareness of physical habits of 'misuse' and transform them by focusing on breathing and vocal work. Students examine viewpoints as a method for vocabulary to discuss work and as a tool for creating it. Laban Movement Analysis looks at these same concepts as a language for interpreting and documenting human movement. Class meetings include lecture, studio work, and individual projects.
- DANC 250 - Aerial Dance Techniques
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite instructor consent This course examines a unique array of techniques from across the aerial arts and a diversity of experimental approaches to movement in the air. The history of the form as well as lineage of style and current techniques are expressed through lecture, studio work, required readings and videos, masterclasses, performances, and written responses. Course fee required. May be repeated for up to nine degree credits.
- DANC 292 - Ballet Technique
Credits 2 This studio course is devoted to the practice of classical ballet technique and to the exploration of classical and contemporary ballet in performance. This course may be repeated for degree credit for up to six degree credits.
- DANC 390 - Special Topics
Credits 3-4 Selected studies in dance with a focus on history, choreography, technique or performance. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different.
- DANC 402 - Directed Individual Study
Credits 2 Prerequisite Instructor consent Students enrich their academic experience by undertaking a performance project. Students must demonstrate ability to work with little supervision and must develop a written proposal defining the issue to be addressed, an outline of the proposed methodology, and a statement of the intended outcome with a schedule for completion. The project must include written, historical, and practical components, and permission must be secured in advance of registration. May be repeated for up to 12 credits.
- DANC 422 - Directed Independent Research
Credits 2 Prerequisite Instructor consent Students will enrich their academic experience by pursuing advanced study in a specialized area of dance. Permission to undertake directed individual research is a privilege granted to students who have demonstrated their ability to work with little supervision. The student wishing to undertake the class must develop a three- to five-page written proposal that includes the problem or issue to be addressed, an outline of the proposed methodology to be used in executing the research, and a statement of the intended outcome with a schedule for completing it. Student must secure approval for the research by the faculty advisor of the project. May be repeated for credit.
- Once course chosen from:
- DANC 190 - Special Topics in Dance
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 An introductory studio course that include selected studies in dance with a focus on history, choreography, performance or production. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different.
- DANC 220 - Dance Composition
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 A studio course exploring the craft and art of creating dance performances in a variety of styles and contexts. Images, text, music, improvisation and the elements of time, space and energy are examined as sources for dance material leading to individual andgroup choreography.
- DANC 240 - Revolutionary Dancers
FDR HA Credits 3 This course is a study of the manifestations of American modern dance from the beginning of the 20th century to the present. Students explore the relationship between dance and developments in U.S. culture and study the innovators of the art form and their techniques, writings, and art works through readings, video and lectures.
- DANC 330 - Experiential Anatomy
FDR HA Credits 3 Prerequisite Instructor consent A study of human motion as it relates to the locomotor and physical activities of the dancer. The course covers the planes of the body; vocabulary of the skeleton; and specific muscles, their actions, and how they relate to the dancer's body. Injury prevention through alignment and proper movement is considered, as well as the reversal of body alienation. Attention is given to the application of course information to technique class and performance.
- DANC 340 - Contemporary Dance Observation and Analysis
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite instructor consent The observation and analysis of live and recorded contemporary dance focusing on the work of emerging and established choreographers. Exploration of methods for describing the moving body in space. Emphasis is placed on the written and verbal critique of contemporary dance in performance.
- DANC 390 - Special Topics
Credits 3-4 Selected studies in dance with a focus on history, choreography, technique or performance. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different.
- DANC 403 - Directed Individual Study
Credits 3 Prerequisite instructor consent Students enrich their academic experience by undertaking a performance project. Students must demonstrate ability to work with little supervision and must develop a written proposal defining the issue to be addressed, an outline of the proposed methodology, and a statement of the intended outcome with a schedule for completion. The project may include written, historical, and practical components. May be repeated for up to 12 credits if the topics are different.
- THTR 131 - Introduction to Entertainment Technology
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 Corequisite THTR 132 - Laboratory for Intro to Entertainment Technology Have you ever been wowed by a show's lights, costumes, set, or video? This course takes you 'behind the curtain' to understand the backstage technology used to create productions in Theater, Dance, and Film. Through hands-on exercises students will be introduced to the tools, materials, and techniques for creating the scenery, costumes, props, painting, lighting, sound, and video for productions. Students participate as run crew 40-50 hours for one of the department productions during the term as well as complete the co-requisite lab course THTR 132. No prior theater experience is required.
- THTR 209 - Production and Stage Management
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 Production and stage management are essential leadership roles for all performance organizations. Students will begin to develop a personal management style necessary to manage and run theater, dance, and film productions. Students will explore methods and skills required to manage productions through hand-on exercises. The course offers students greater understanding of the artistic and organizational best practices for running creative performance organizations, while focusing on the collaborative communication essential to an inventive and safe environment.
- THTR 251 - Exploration of Performance Design
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 Have you ever loved the costumes in a movie? Or the scenery in a musical? This course breaks down the fundamentals and aesthetics of design in performance. This project based course gives students the chance to create their own designs with an emphasis on how design tells a story. Students will develop their own systematic approach and aesthetic through peer critique. No prior theater or drawing experience is required. Lab fee.
- THTR 253 - Digital Production
FDR HA Credits 3 Digital technologies and multimedia interaction are increasingly utilized to produce, enhance, and innovate theatrical production. Students examine and experiment with various digital technologies as they relate to theater and dance performance. Students create digital audio, video, design rendering, and animation projects for theatrical performances.
- THTR 336 - Lighting Design
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 A study of the practice of stage lighting, focusing on styles of production, historical methods and artistic theory. Culminates in a light design for a public theatrical production.
- THTR 338 - Costume Design
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 A study of stage costuming with emphasis on design and construction. The course includes lecture and lab sessions.
- DANC 423 - Directed Independent Research
Credits 3 Prerequisite instructor consent Students will enrich their academic experience by pursuing advanced study in a specialized area of dance. Permission to undertake directed individual research is a privilege granted to students who have demonstrated their ability to work with little supervision. The student wishing to undertake the class must develop a three- to five-page written proposal that includes the problem or issue to be addressed, an outline of the proposed methodology to be used in executing the research, and a statement of the intended outcome with a schedule for completing it. Student must secure approval for the research by the faculty advisor of the project. May be repeated for credit.
Three credits from:
Film and Visual Culture minor
A minor in film and visual culture requires completion of 18 credits from six courses. In meeting the requirements of this interdisciplinary minor, a student must use at least nine (9) credits not also used to meet the requirements of any other major(s) or minor.
1. Introductory course: ENGL 233 or FILM 233
2. Capstone course: FILM 413 or other departmental directed study (e.g., 403) approved in advance by the department head of Theater, Dance,and Film Studies
3. Four additional courses from the following, with at least one in each of the three categories.
a. Film Courses: EALL 215; ENGL 244, 264 (WGSS 264); FILM 236, 241 (ENGL 241), 285, 321 (ENGL 321); FREN 274; JOUR 212; POL 292; SOAN 225 and, when appropriate, ARTH 295; ENGL 292, 293, 295, 413; FILM 195, 196, 403, 423; LIT 295; ITAL 295; ROML 296; SPAN 290, 295; WGSS 264 (ENGL 264)
b. Visual Culture and Analysis Courses: ARTH 200, 244, 255, 258, 261, 262, 263, 264, 266, 267, 274, 356, 364; ARTS 223; DANC 220, 240, 340; CHEM 156; FREN 331; HIST 105; JOUR 319, 241, 270; PHIL 264; POL 290; REL 153; and when appropriate, FILM 403, 423
c. Production Courses: ARTS 111, 112, 120, 131, 217, 218, 219, 220, 221, 223, 224; DANC 120; FILM 222 (THTR 222), 237S, 238, 252/253, 255, 273 (SOAN 273); THTR 121, 141, 222 (FILM 222), 235, 241, 242, 251, 253, 297, 336, 337, 338, 361; and, when appropriate, FILM 195,403
- Introductory course:
- ENGL 233 - Introduction to Film
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite completion of FDR:FW requirement Same as ENGL 233. An introductory study of film taught in English and with a topical focus on texts from a variety of global film-making traditions. At its origins, film displayed boundary-crossing international ambitions, and this course attends to that important fact, but the course's individual variations emphasize one national film tradition (e.g., American, French, Indian, British, Italian, Chinese, etc.) and, within it, may focus on major representative texts or upon a subgenre or thematic approach. In all cases, the course introduces students to fundamental issues in the history, theory, and basic terminology of film.
or
- FILM 233 - Introduction to Film
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite completion of FDR:FW requirement Same as ENGL 233. An introductory study of film taught in English and with a topical focus on texts from a variety of global film-making traditions. At its origins, film displayed boundary-crossing international ambitions, and this course attends to that important fact, but the course's individual variations emphasize one national film tradition (e.g., American, French, Indian, British, Italian, Chinese, etc.) and, within it, may focus on major representative texts or upon a subgenre or thematic approach. In all cases, the course introduces students to fundamental issues in the history, theory, and basic terminology of film.
- Capstone course:
- FILM 413 - Research and Writing Film Capstone
Credits 3 Prerequisite instructor consent Prerequisite: FILM 233 and 9 credits contributing to the Film Studies minor. A collaborative group research, writing, and/or production project for junior or senior minors, conducted in supervising faculty members' areas of expertise, with directed independent study culminating in a substantial final project. Possible topics include global and national film, focused treatments of auteur-directors or genres, film and psychology, film and technological change, film and painting, original film production.
or other departmental directed study (e.g., 403) approved in advance by the department head of Theater, Dance,and Film Studies
- Four additional course from the following, with at least one in each of the three categories.
- Film Courses:
- EALL 215 - East Asian Cinema
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 4 This course provides an introduction to and overview of contemporary East Asian cinema, including the Chinese-language cinemas of the People's Republic of China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, and those of Japan and Korea. It focuses on the flourishing cinema of East Asia since the 1980s and provides a solid foundation in the successes and dominant tendencies of contemporary East Asian cinema and culture. Among the aims of the course are examining ways in which the contemporary East Asian cinemas and cultures are in dialogue with one another and looking at specific conditions and cultural forces at work in each unique case. The course also explores how the cinemas of East Asia reflect the changing cultural, economic, historical, political and social conditions of each country and how these cinemas and cultures are part of a larger redefinition of the idea of a national culture. Screenings and readings consist of exemplary works from each East Asian culture, organized around specific motifs, such as history, memory, identity, communication, love, and death.
- ENGL 244 - Health, Care, and Compassion on Stage and Screen
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite completion of FDR:FW requirement This course will analyze the dramatic portrayal of health and illness in drama, film, and television. We will think about the depiction of the body-mind on stage and screen, across various time periods. Can the core emotions of pity and fear, which Aristotle argues are vital to the work of drama, help us develop greater empathy for those who are suffering from illness? Can dramatic depictions of both wellness and illness catalyze us to think about how to better care for ourselves and others? Using the WHO's definition of health as a "state of complete physical, mental, and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity," we will think not only about how works of art dramatize these concepts, but also what they mean in our own lives and in the lives of those in our community. Students will have their choice of an experiential learning component, either through a community-based learning volunteer placement or through researching and designing a wellness or self-care initiative for peers.
- ENGL 264 - The Body Electric: Queer Theory, Film, and Text
(WGSS 264)
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite completion of FDR:FW requirement Queerness is inextricable from visual and textual representation as production and as reception. This
course is an introduction to the nexus of queer theory, film, and text. We will analyze and interpret select films, as well as literary works that serve as inspirations behind cinematic adaptations, through methodologies grounded in LGBTQI2+ studies. We will also situate films, texts, and theories in history and queer the visual and textual archives. Our itinerary is organized around a set of critical keywords: closet, innocence, friendship, villain, tragedian, nature, body, horror, identity, history, camp, filth, nurture, Orient, fetish, desire, wound, death, love, sex, family, meet cute, and futurity. - FILM 236 - Science Fiction & Fantasy: From Page to Screen and Beyond
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 4 Film, almost from origins, has been fascinated by the evocation of fantasy worlds and by the effort to imagine and represent future worlds filled with technological marvels.(Film is, of course, a medium obsessed by its own technological improvements from sound and color to 30 and virtual reality.) From such major directors as Lang and Kubrick to Lucas and Spielberg, science fiction has attracted some of the finest and most innovative directors. In this course, we study major examples of this phenomenon along with the technological history and philosophical speculations contributing to it.
- FILM 241 - Cinema Arthuriana
(ENGL 241)
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite completion of FDR:FW requirement This course is a survey of Arthurian films and an introduction to film studies. We will read select premodern and modern texts and examine a variety of films across the twentieth• and the twenty-first centuries. The course begins with Arthur the messianic hero, then proceeds to the romance of the Holy Grail, the tribulations of Gawain, and finally the American repurposing of matters of Arthur. H film is an escapist medium, it is first and foremost a mirror to society that reflects its cultural fantasies and structural imaginaries. We will consider forms of medievalism and forces of ideology and periodization that these films embody and project, as well as reception theories and on our own historical contingencies.
- JOUR 338 - The Documentary
Credits 3 Prerequisite at least sophomore class standing A critical study of the documentary in film and television, with analysis of prominent directors and genres.
- POL 292 - Topics in Politics and Film
FDR SS2 Social Science - Group 2 Distribution Credits 4 This course examines how film and television present political issues and themes.
- SOAN 225 - Peoples of Central Europe Through Literature and Film
FDR SS4 Social Science - Group 4 Distribution Credits 4 This course provides basic information about the citizens of Central European nations of Poland, the Czech Republic, and Hungary. Beliefs, attitudes, and value systems of the people of Central Europe are examined against the backdrop of major historical events of the 20th century. Core textbook readings are supplemented by feature films, video materials, novels, short stories, plays, and poetry. Class discussions focus on interpreting these works of art in the context of comparative historical-sociological analysis of the Polish, Czech, and Hungarian cultures and societies.
and, when appropriate,
- ARTH 295 - Special Topics in Art History
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3-4 Selected topics in art history with written and oral reports. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different.
- ENGL 292 - Topics in British Literature
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite completion of FDR:FW requirement British literature, supported by attention to historical and cultural contexts. Versions of this course may survey several periods or concentrate on a group of works from a short span of time or focus on a cultural phenomenon. Students develop their analytical writing skills through both short papers and a final multisource research paper.
- ENGL 293 - Topics in American Literature
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3-4 Prerequisite completion of FDR:FW requirement Studies in American literature, supported by attention to historical contexts. Versions of this course may survey several periods or concentrate on a group of works from a short span of time. Students develop their analytical writing skills in a series of short papers.
- ENGL 295 - Spring-Term Seminar in Literary Studies
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3-4 Prerequisite completion of FDR:FW requirement Students in this course study a group of works related by theme, by culture, by topic, by genre, or by the critical approach taken to the texts. Involves field trips, film screenings, service learning, and/or other special projects, as appropriate, in addition to 8-10 hours per week of class meetings. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different.
- ENGL 413 - Senior Research and Writing
Credits 3 Prerequisite instructor consent A collaborative group research and writing project for senior majors, conducted in supervising faculty members' areas of expertise, with directed independent study culminating in a substantial final project. Possible topics include ecocriticism, literature and psychology, material conditions of authorship, and documentary poetics.
- FILM 195 - Topics in Film Studies
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3-4 Prerequisite completion of FDR:FW requirement Selected topic in film studies, focused on one or more of film history, theory, production, or screenwriting.
- FILM 196 - Topics in Film and Literature
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3-4 Prerequisite completion of FDR:FW requirement Selected topics in film and literature.
- FILM 403 - Directed Individual Study
Credits 3 Prerequisite instructor consent Students enrich their academic experience by undertaking a performance project. Students must demonstrate ability to work with little supervision and must develop a written proposal defining the issue to be addressed, an outline of the proposed methodology, and a statement of the intended outcome with a schedule for completion. The project must include written, historical, and practical components, and permission must be secured in advance of registration. May be repeated for up to 12 credits.
- FILM 423 - Directed Individual Research
Credits 3 Prerequisite Instructor consent Students enrich their academic experience by pursuing advanced study in a specialized area of film and visual culture. Permission to undertake directed individual research is a priveleage granted to those students who have demonstrated their ability to work with little supervision. The student wishing to undertake this class must develop a three- to five-page written proposal that includes the problem or issue to be addressed, an outline of the proposed methodology to be used in executing the research, and a statement of the intended outcome with a schedule for completion. Student must be secure approval for the research by the faculty adviser of the project. May be repeated for up to 12 credits.
- ITAL 295 - Topics in Italian Culture
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite ITAL 163 A second-year topics course focusing on issues and texts related to Italian literature and culture. All discussion, writing, and exercises are in Italian. May be repeated for degree credit with permission and if the topics are different.
- LIT 295 - Special Topics in Literature in Translation
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3-4 Prerequisite completion of FDR:FW requirement A selected topic focusing on a particular author, genre, motif or period in translation. The specific topic is determined by the interests of the individual instructor. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different.
- ROML 296 - Spring-Term Topics in Romance Languages
Credits 4 Nature and content of the course is determined by the interests of the instructor(s) and student(s).
- SPAN 290 - Topics in Latin American Culture and Literature
Credits 4 Prerequisite SPAN 162, SPAN 164, or SPAN 200 placement This course offers students the opportunity to further their knowledge of the culture and literature of a specific Latin American country, and their awareness of Latin America in general, through the study of special cultural and literary topics. Readings, discussions, and assignments occur primarily in Spanish.
- SPAN 295 - Special Topics in Conversation
Credits 3-4 Prerequisite SPAN 162, SPAN 164, or SPAN 200 placement Further development of listening and speaking skills necessary for advanced discussion. Acquisition of both practical and topic-specific vocabulary. Appropriate writing and reading assignments, related to the topic, accompany the primary emphasis on conversational skills. Recent topics include: Hispanic Cinema and La Prensa.
- Visual Culture and Analysis Courses:
- ARTH 200 - Greek Art & Archaeology
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 An introduction to ancient Greek art and archaeology. We encounter some of the greatest works of art in human history, as we survey the development of painting, sculpture, architecture, and town planning of the ancient Greeks. We encounter the history of the people behind the objects that they left behind, from the material remains of the Bronze Age palaces and Classical Athenian Acropolis to the world created in the wake of Alexander the Great's conquests. We also consider how we experience the ancient Greek world today through archaeological practice, cultural heritage, and the antiquities trade.
- ARTH 255 - Northern Renaissance Art
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 A survey of Northern painting from 1300 to 1600, examined as symbols of political, religious, and social concerns of painters, patrons, and viewers. Among the artists covered are Campin, van Eyck, van der Weyden, Durer, Holbein, and Brueghel. Emphasis placed on interpretation of meaning and visual analysis.
- ARTH 258 - Baroque and Rococo Art
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 A survey of the art and architecture that focuses on the stylistic and ideological issues shaping western Europe during 17th and 18th centuries.
- ARTH 261 - History of Photography
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 An art-historical introduction to the history of photography, from its origins in the 19th century to the present day. Lectures and discussions examine photography's aesthetic, documentary, and scientific purposes; important contributors to photography and its history; the evolution of the camera and related technical processes; and issues of photographic theory and criticism. Photography is considered as a medium with its own rich history - bearing in mind stylistic shifts and changes in subject matter related to aesthetic, social, and cultural concerns - but also as a key component in the wider narrative of modern art.
- ARTH 262 - 19th-Century European Art
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 This course begins in the late 18th century and covers major European art movements and criticism up to c.1900. Topics include the art of the French Revolution as an instrument of propaganda; the rise of Romanticism; the advent and impact of early photography; and the aesthetic and ideological origins of Modern Art.
- ARTH 263 - 20th-Century European Art
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 This course covers major European art movements and criticism from the late 19th century through the 20th century. Lectures and discussions explore the implications of what it means for art to be/appear modern," the social and aesthetic goals of the early avant-garde, the "rise and fall" of abstraction, and artistic responses to post-war mass culture. Movements discussed include Fauvism, Cubism, Futurism, Dada, Surrealism, Abstract Expressionism, and New Realism."
- ARTH 264 - Surrealism
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 Surrealism was one of the most multi-faceted and influential intellectual movements of the 20th century with a legacy and practice that continues today. This seminar examines the key writings and ideas that underlie surrealism with a focus on its artistic practice. We will consider works by artists including Salvador DalÃ, René Magritte, and Max Ernst; watch surrealist films; discuss the significance of dreams; and play surrealist games of chance.
- ARTH 266 - American Art to 1945
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 A survey of painting and sculpture in the United States from its earliest settlement to about 1945. Lectures and discussions emphasize the English eastern seaboard development in the 17th and 18th centuries, though other geographical areas are included in the 19th and 20th centuries. Topics include art of the early colonies, the Hudson River School, Realism and Regionalism, and the reception of abstract art in the United States.
- ARTH 267 - Art Since 1945
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 This course introduces students to art and art theory from 1945 to the present. The objectives of the course are: (1) to enhance student knowledge of the major works, artists, and movements of art in Europe and the United States since 1945; (2) to integrate these works of art within the broader social and intellectual history of the period; and (3) to help students develop their skills in visual analysis and historical interpretation. Among the issues we examine are the politics of abstract art; the ongoing dialogue between art and mass culture; the differences between modernism and postmodernism; and contemporary critiques of art history's prevailing narratives. This is a lecture course with a heavy emphasis on in-class discussion.
- ARTH 274 - Art and Revolution: Mexican Muralism
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 A survey of public monumental art produced by Mexican artists Diego Rivera, José Clemente Orozco, and David Alfaro Siqueiros in Mexico and the United States from 1910 to the 1970s. Lectures focus on art that promotes social ideals and the role that art played in building a new national consciousness in Mexico. Students also examine the impact of Mexican muralism throughout Latin America and the United States. This course fulfills the Arts and Humanities requirement for the LACS minor.
- ARTH 356 - Science in Art: Technical Examination of 17th-Century Dutch Paintings
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 4 Prerequisite instructor consent A survey of 17th-century Dutch history, art history, politics, religion, economics, etc., which links the scientific analysis of art to the art and culture of the time. The course begins on campus and then history, etc., will occur for a few days in Lexington and then proceed to Center for European Studies, Universiteit Maastricht, The Netherlands. Students visit numerous museums, hear guest lectures from faculty at Universiteit Maastricht, and observe at conservation laboratories at some of the major Dutch art museums. Students are graded by their performance on two research projects involving presentations and journals. Though students are not required to learn a world language to participate in the program, they are expected to learn key phrases in Dutch as a matter of courtesy to citizens of the host country. Spring Term Abroad course.
- ARTH 364 - Seminar on Art of the 1960s
FDR HA Credits 3 An exploration of the art produced during the decade of the 1960s. A seminal period, it includes Pop Art, Post-Painterly Abstraction, Minimalism, and socially conscious and politically oriented art reflecting feminism and black radicalism. Emphasis is placed not only on the major artistic currents of the period but also on the broader cultural reflections of these movements. .
- ARTS 223 - Paris: History, Image, Myth
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 4 Prerequisite instructor consent Participants in this course spend four weeks in Paris asking the following questions: how can photography capture Parisian life and Parisian spaces to document a sense of place? How can we use photography to observe the city's changing landscape as well as understand its rich past? Indeed, how has photography-the development of which is closely tied to Paris' history-altered the fabric of the city? Numerous museum and gallery visits will also play an important role in our time in Paris. Students may not take this course and HIST 210. ARTS 120 is recommended as a prerequisite.
- DANC 220 - Dance Composition
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 A studio course exploring the craft and art of creating dance performances in a variety of styles and contexts. Images, text, music, improvisation and the elements of time, space and energy are examined as sources for dance material leading to individual andgroup choreography.
- DANC 240 - Revolutionary Dancers
FDR HA Credits 3 This course is a study of the manifestations of American modern dance from the beginning of the 20th century to the present. Students explore the relationship between dance and developments in U.S. culture and study the innovators of the art form and their techniques, writings, and art works through readings, video and lectures.
- DANC 340 - Contemporary Dance Observation and Analysis
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite instructor consent The observation and analysis of live and recorded contemporary dance focusing on the work of emerging and established choreographers. Exploration of methods for describing the moving body in space. Emphasis is placed on the written and verbal critique of contemporary dance in performance.
- CHEM 156 - Science in Art
FDR SC Science, Math, CS Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite instructor consent This course develops students' fundamental understanding of certain physical, chemical, biological, and geological concepts and utilizes that vocabulary and knowledge to discuss 17th-century Dutch art. The emphasis is on key aspects of optics, light, and chemical bonding needed to understand how a painting works and how art conservators analyze paintings in terms of conservation and authenticity, using techniques such as X-ray radiography, X-ray powder diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, Raman microscopy, infrared spectroscopy, infrared microscopy, infrared reflectography, gas chromatography, liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry, UV-vis spectroscopy, UV photography, and laser ablation methods. When possible, the course develops modern notions of science with those of the 17th century in order to see how 17th-century science influenced 17th-century art.
- FREN 331 - Etudes thématiques
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite 3 French courses numbered between 200 and 299 This course gives students a general knowledge of the evolution of French literature and ideas over the centuries through the study of one main theme. Recent offerings include: L'Exil; Regards sur la ville; Le dépaysement; Le voyage dans la literature française; L'esprit critique au XVIIIe siècle.
- HIST 105 - Scenes from Chinese History
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 Film is one of the 20th century's most influential forms of mass communication and, consequently, has been one medium for the creation and maintenance of nation-states. In this sense, no film can be considered as mere entertainment entirely divorced from the social, political, economic and, ultimately, historical context in which it was produced. This is particularly true of modern nation-states invented during the 20th century like the People's Republic of China (PRC). This course is intended to explore how contemporary PRC cinema has interpreted Chinese history, as represented by some of that history's pre-PRC milestones of conflict in the Qin and Qing dynasties as well as the Republican period. Students evaluate the films critically as historical products of their own times as well as current historical narratives of the past by examining each event through a pair of films produced at different times in PRC history. Students also examine post-1949 changes in China and its interpretation of its pre-1949 history, and so, by seeing how a country interprets its history at a given time.
- JOUR 270 - Digital Media and Society
Credits 3 Facebook, YouTube, and iPhones are popular, if not essential elements in college students' busy lives. Being born into the digital age, students have grown up with profound and rapidly changing media and communication technologies, yet likely take them for granted. This course takes an in-depth look at digital media, exploring the relationship between technology and social change. The concept of technological determinism guides our examination of social networking, online news/information, digital entertainment, and health online.
- PHIL 264 - Aesthetics
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 This course offers a wide-ranging, reflective overview of contemporary debates in the philosophy of art. We discuss the following kinds of questions: How are artistic experience and value interrelated? In what does beauty consist? What is the nature of aesthetic experience? Should we value works of art for what we can learn from them? How do pictures represent? What constitutes artistic expression? In what ways is the imagination involved in engaging with artworks? Can emotional responses to fiction be genuine and rational? Is artistic intention relevant to the interpretation of artworks? Are there general principles of aesthetic evaluation? What are the relations between the moral and aesthetic values of art?
- POL 290 - Seminar in Politics, Literature and the Arts
FDR SS2 Social Science - Group 2 Distribution Credits 3 In this course, we study how literature, film, and other media are used to examine political themes and how they are used to achieve political ends. We address how politics shapes the arts and how the arts shape politics.
- REL 153 - Jesus in Fact, Fiction, and Film
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 A study of representations of Jesus in history, fiction, and film and the ways in which they both reflect and generate diverse cultural identities from antiquity to the present. The course begins with the historical Jesus and controversies about his identity in antiquity and then focuses on parallel controversies in modern and postmodern fiction and film. Readings include early Christian literature (canonical and non-canonical), several modern novels and works of short fiction, and theoretical works on the relationship of literature to religion. In addition, we study several cinematic treatments of Jesus dating from the beginnings of filmmaking to the present.
and when appropriate,
- FILM 403 - Directed Individual Study
Credits 3 Prerequisite instructor consent Students enrich their academic experience by undertaking a performance project. Students must demonstrate ability to work with little supervision and must develop a written proposal defining the issue to be addressed, an outline of the proposed methodology, and a statement of the intended outcome with a schedule for completion. The project must include written, historical, and practical components, and permission must be secured in advance of registration. May be repeated for up to 12 credits.
- FILM 423 - Directed Individual Research
Credits 3 Prerequisite Instructor consent Students enrich their academic experience by pursuing advanced study in a specialized area of film and visual culture. Permission to undertake directed individual research is a priveleage granted to those students who have demonstrated their ability to work with little supervision. The student wishing to undertake this class must develop a three- to five-page written proposal that includes the problem or issue to be addressed, an outline of the proposed methodology to be used in executing the research, and a statement of the intended outcome with a schedule for completion. Student must be secure approval for the research by the faculty adviser of the project. May be repeated for up to 12 credits.
- Production Courses:
- ARTS 111 - Drawing I
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 Development of skills and visual awareness through the study of the basic elements of drawing. Variety of media, including pencil, charcoal, ink and crayon. Lab fee required.
- ARTS 112 - Drawing II
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite ARTS 111 Continuation of Drawing I. Lab fee required.
- ARTS 120 - Photography I
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 An introduction to the methods and materials of photography, with an emphasis on composition, exposure, and light. The course includes a combination of image presentations, technical demonstrations, studio instruction, and group critiques. Lab fee required; cameras are available for check-out.
- ARTS 131 - Design I
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 An introduction to the elements and concepts of two-dimensional design within the context of current digital technology, with an emphasis on contemporary computer software programs.
- ARTS 217 - Painting I
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 Emphasis on color, design and spatial relationships. Work from observation and imagination in oil and acrylic. Lab fee required.
- ARTS 218 - Painting II
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite ARTS 217 Continuation of ARTS 217. Lab fee required.
- ARTS 219 - Painted Light: Interpreting the Landscape
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 4 Prerequisite ARTS 217 This course begins with the introduction of en plein air , a French expression which means "in the open air" and is used to describe the act of painting outdoors. We examine artists who have worked en plein air , past and present, study their work and methods, and then apply this knowledge to painting outdoors. Emphasis is on the way light and color define form and space. Students build on their knowledge of color theory through observation and implementation. Beginning with the concept of plein air, we quickly branch out to more interpretive and subjective uses of the landscape in painting, resulting in a cohesive body of work. Lab fee required.
- ARTS 220 - Photography II
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite ARTS 120 or ARTS 121 Intermediate study of the methods and materials of fine art photography, explored through analog film and hybrid practices. Approaches for editing, sequencing, and presentation are investigated. The course includes a combination of demonstrations, studio projects, and group critiques, as well as image presentations, readings, and discussions. Lab fee required; cameras are available for check-out.
- ARTS 221 - Antique Photographic Processes
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite ARTS 120 or ARTS 121 An exploration of 19th-century photographic processes within the context of the history of photography. Individual processes are learned through studio demonstration and intensive hands-on lab sessions. Processes covered in this course include salt printing, cyanotype, Van Dyke, kallitype, and platinum and palladium printing and toning, as well as wet plate collodion processes such as tintypes and ambrotypes. Students learn how to make enlarged digital negatives for contact printing from photographs that originate in either film or digital formats. In addition to technique, students learn the historical background of each process, as well as contemporary trends and artists working with these methods.
- ARTS 223 - Paris: History, Image, Myth
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 4 Prerequisite instructor consent Participants in this course spend four weeks in Paris asking the following questions: how can photography capture Parisian life and Parisian spaces to document a sense of place? How can we use photography to observe the city's changing landscape as well as understand its rich past? Indeed, how has photography-the development of which is closely tied to Paris' history-altered the fabric of the city? Numerous museum and gallery visits will also play an important role in our time in Paris. Students may not take this course and HIST 210. ARTS 120 is recommended as a prerequisite.
- ARTS 224 - Color Photography
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite ARTS 120 or ARTS 121 An exploration of the visual and technical principles of color photography, as applied through digital and hybrid approaches. Students learn the concepts of color photography through demonstrations, studio projects, and group critiques, as well as image presentations, readings, and discussions of artists and trends in contemporary color photography. Lab fee required; cameras are available for check-out.
- DANC 120 - Fundamentals of Contemporary Modern Dance Practice
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 This course is an introduction to individual and ensemble artistic expression in contemporary modern dance within the context of modern dance history. Attention is given to educating the body to move with specificity and to develop rhythm, spatial, and effort awareness. No dance experience required.
- FILM 222 - Writing for the Screen and Stage
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 This course focuses on the creating dramatic works for the stage and the screen. Students learn how to create a core message and idea; from that foundation, they practice building strong plot, bold characters, effective dialogue, and descriptive writing for these visual mediums. Writing techniques, structure, and styles will be taught through readings, lectures, in-class writing exercises, small group activities, and student presentations.
- FILM 237S - Field Documentary
FDR HA Credits 4 Prerequisite Instructor consent Experiential Learning. Taught by W&L faculty at the University of Cape Coast as part of the W&L in Ghana program. This course teaches students how to research, conceptualize and develop a non-fiction story idea into a film. Students receive instruction on effective research strategies, idea development, production planning, and proposal writing and pitching. They learn the theoretical, aesthetic, and technical principles of non-linear editing for documentary. Principally, students are taught how to: digitize and organize source material, create basic effects and titles, develop sequences, and organize and edit their raw materials into a polished final product. In addition to making films, we screen various documentaries, analyze the techniques, and put them to use in our own creation and editing.
- FILM 238 - Documentary Filmmaking
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 Skills for creating effective documentary films. The topic varies for each term's documentary. Students work collaboratively to create the documentary from the seed idea through to the finished product, using readings, screenings, analysis, discussion, equipment orientation, field production, and editing. Students deepen their production and communication skills through creating a professional-quality documentary film.
- FILM 252 - Preparation for Field Documentary on Human Rights in Ghana
Credits 1 Prerequisite instructor consent This preparatory course for FILM 253 (Field Documentary on Human Rights in Ghana) will teach you the essential skills needed for a successful experience in Ghana. First, we will spend a good deal of time learning about Ghanaian Culture through reading, viewing films and discussion with experts. Second, we will prepare for creating films by learning the film technology, forming documentary teams and creating production plans. Third, each team will partner directly with a non-governmental organization in Ghana to learn about their approach to human rights and strategize about what type of documentary is needed by the organization.
- FILM 253 - Field Documentary on Human Rights in Ghana
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite FILM 252 This course teaches students how to research, conceptualize and develop a non-fiction story idea into a film. We begin our work connecting with NGOs on the ground in Ghana, establishing a relationship with those organizations, and developing the research and preparation for creating a documentary about a human rights issue. These issues will alter from year to year, depending on the focus on the NGO. Students receive instruction on effective research strategies, idea development, production planning, and proposal writing and pitching. Students in this course learn the theoretical, aesthetic and technical principles of non-linear editing for documentary. Principally, students will be taught how to: digitize and organize source material, create basic effects and titles, develop sequences and organize and edit your raw materials into a polished final product.
- FILM 255 - Seven-Minute Shakespeare
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 4 Prerequisite completion of both the FDR:FW and FDR:HL requirements After intensive collective reading and discussion of three Shakespeare plays in the first week, students organize into four-person groups with the goal of producing a seven-minute video version of one of the plays by the end of the term, using only the actual text of the play. The project requires full engagement and commitment, and includes tasks such as editing and selecting from the text to produce the film script, creating storyboards, casting and recruiting actors, rehearsing, filming, editing, adding sound tracks and effects. We critique and learn from each other's efforts.
- JOUR 266 - Cross-Cultural Documentary Filmmaking
Credits 3 The United States is a melting pot of nationalities and cultures. As people move to the U.S. from other countries they go through cross-cultural adaptation, and identity becomes an issue for everyone. Students in this course work in three-person teams to produce five-minute documentaries on cross-cultural adaptation by an ethnic community in our region or by selected international students at Washington and Lee. Students are expected to immerse themselves in learning about the home countries and current communities of their subjects. The course includes instruction in the techniques of documentary film-making, allowing students to develop their writing, storytelling, shooting and editing skills.
- THTR 121 - Script Analysis for Stage and Screen
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 Same as FILM 121. The study of selected plays and screenplays from the standpoint of the theatre and screen artists. Emphasis on thorough examination of the scripts preparatory to production. This course is focused on developing script analysis skills directly applicable to work in production. Students work collaboratively in various creative capacities to transform texts into productions.
- THTR 141 - Intro to Acting: Foundations of Collaboration
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 Are you interested in being a lawyer? A teacher? A politician? A journalist? A marketing professional? Or anyone whose job or social life requires interaction with other people? (Or do you secretly want to be a star of stage or screen?) In this class you will learn new ways to be a creative thinker and problem solver, a clear communicator, a savvy listener, and a great storyteller by connecting with others, playing games, and performing scenes.
- THTR 222 - Writing for the Screen and Stage
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 This course focuses on the creating dramatic works for the stage and the screen. Students learn how to create a core message and idea; from that foundation, they practice building strong plot, bold characters, effective dialogue, and descriptive writing for these visual mediums. Writing techniques, structure, and styles will be taught through readings, lectures, in-class writing exercises, small group activities, and student presentations.
- THTR 241 - One-Act Performance
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite THTR 141 This studio course offers students the opportunity to perform in one or more short, one-act performances culminating in a public presentation. The focus of the course will be on clear oral and physical communication, improvisation, textual analysis, collaboration, and creative problem-solving. No prior acting experience is necessary.
- THTR 242 - Musical Theater
FDR HA Credits 3 Students learn, through study of seminal texts and video clips of performances and interviews with performers, a basic history of the American musical theater as an art form, combining the talents of composers, lyricists, directors, choreographers, set and costume designers, and others. Students research musical dramatic literature and apply musical and acting skills in the development and performance of excerpts from distinctive musicals of various eras. Students develop constructive, critical methods in the process of practicing and viewing musical theater performance.
- THTR 251 - Exploration of Performance Design
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 Have you ever loved the costumes in a movie? Or the scenery in a musical? This course breaks down the fundamentals and aesthetics of design in performance. This project based course gives students the chance to create their own designs with an emphasis on how design tells a story. Students will develop their own systematic approach and aesthetic through peer critique. No prior theater or drawing experience is required. Lab fee.
- THTR 253 - Digital Production
FDR HA Credits 3 Digital technologies and multimedia interaction are increasingly utilized to produce, enhance, and innovate theatrical production. Students examine and experiment with various digital technologies as they relate to theater and dance performance. Students create digital audio, video, design rendering, and animation projects for theatrical performances.
- THTR 336 - Lighting Design
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 A study of the practice of stage lighting, focusing on styles of production, historical methods and artistic theory. Culminates in a light design for a public theatrical production.
- THTR 337 - Scene Painting and Scenic Art
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 This course is an exploration and application of the methods and materials used in painting and finishing scenery for the theater. The course covers both historical and current scene painting techniques, as well as the tools and paints that have been developed to support those techniques. Outside projects are required.
- THTR 338 - Costume Design
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 A study of stage costuming with emphasis on design and construction. The course includes lecture and lab sessions.
- THTR 361 - Stage Directing 1
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite THTR 141 An introduction to directing for the stage. In this hands-on class, students learn and develop basic techniques for integrating work with scripts, performers, and designers into a cohesive stage performance. Students direct scenes from realistic modern or contemporary plays, focusing on collaboration, clarity, imagination, and analysis to create stage pictures and character relationships that tell a specific story on stage. The class culminates in invited classroom performances.
and, when appropriate,
- FILM 195 - Topics in Film Studies
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3-4 Prerequisite completion of FDR:FW requirement Selected topic in film studies, focused on one or more of film history, theory, production, or screenwriting.
- FILM 403 - Directed Individual Study
Credits 3 Prerequisite instructor consent Students enrich their academic experience by undertaking a performance project. Students must demonstrate ability to work with little supervision and must develop a written proposal defining the issue to be addressed, an outline of the proposed methodology, and a statement of the intended outcome with a schedule for completion. The project must include written, historical, and practical components, and permission must be secured in advance of registration. May be repeated for up to 12 credits.
Theater minor
A minor in theater requires at least seven courses. A student may not complete both a major and a minor in theater. In meeting the requirements of this discipline-based minor, a student may not use more than nine credits that are also used to meet the requirements of another major or minor.
- Performance: THTR 109, 121 (FILM 121), 141
- Literature: One course chosen from THTR 212, 213, 297
- Design/Technology: Choose one of the following: THTR 131, 209, 236, 238, 251, 253, 336, 337, 338
- Electives: Two additional courses chosen from the following, with at least one at the 300 level
THTR 100, 125, 131, 202, 204, 209, 212, 213, 221 (FILM 221), 222 (FILM 222), 236, 238, 239, 241, 242, 245, 251, 253, 290, 297, 336, 337, 338, 342, 361, 397, 403, 423, 453, 493
DANC 120, 202, 215, 220, 225, 230, 233, 240, 250, 292, 330, 340, 390
FILM 195, 196, 222 (THTR 222), 233, 236, 255
MRST 286- Performance:
- THTR 109 - University Theater
Credits 1 Prerequisite instructor consent Participation in a university theater production for a minimum of 40 hours. A journal recording the production process is required. May be repeated for degree credit with permission. Maximum seven credits for students with a major or minor in theater, eight credits for others.
- THTR 121 - Script Analysis for Stage and Screen
(FILM 121)
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 Same as FILM 121. The study of selected plays and screenplays from the standpoint of the theatre and screen artists. Emphasis on thorough examination of the scripts preparatory to production. This course is focused on developing script analysis skills directly applicable to work in production. Students work collaboratively in various creative capacities to transform texts into productions.
- THTR 141 - Intro to Acting: Foundations of Collaboration
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 Are you interested in being a lawyer? A teacher? A politician? A journalist? A marketing professional? Or anyone whose job or social life requires interaction with other people? (Or do you secretly want to be a star of stage or screen?) In this class you will learn new ways to be a creative thinker and problem solver, a clear communicator, a savvy listener, and a great storyteller by connecting with others, playing games, and performing scenes.
- Literature:
- THTR 212 - Reimagining the Classics
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 This course examines classical theatrical texts throughout history, from their original context of creation in the ancient world and cultures through to modern adaptations in their contemporary context. We ask the questions, "How and why are these texts a part of the dramatic canon of civilization?" and "What ties these works together across centuries and cultures?" Through exploration of the texts, students will learn about how the stories have transformed throughout theatre history in response to new audience demands and shifting cultural values and needs.
- THTR 213 - Theatrical Outsiders
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 While most of us think of theatre as primarily a source of entertainment, over the course of its history, theatre has been a civic duty, a political undertaking, a source of propaganda, a religious act, a means of rebellion, and a lascivious sin. In many of these iterations, the stories it has chosen are those of people who are different, or special, or who don't fit in. This course explores how definitions of "outsiders" continue to shift and how the treatment of them has varied in response to historical, cultural and societal changes. In looking at the stories of outsiders that both theatre and film present, we will ask how and why these stories continue to fascinate audiences, build theories about what purpose is served in telling these stories, and explore how these ideas might affect our own community and those who may feel like outsiders here.
- THTR 297 - Special Topics in Theater History
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 This course explores selected theatre and performance traditions of a selected time-period and/or culture and/or a topical emphasis. Students will examine how theatre is created and performed and how it is used as an entertainment form as well as how it is used to advance ideas. Special emphasis is up to the professor. May be repeated for credit if the topics are different.
- Design/Technology:
- THTR 131 - Introduction to Entertainment Technology
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 Corequisite THTR 132 - Laboratory for Intro to Entertainment Technology Have you ever been wowed by a show's lights, costumes, set, or video? This course takes you 'behind the curtain' to understand the backstage technology used to create productions in Theater, Dance, and Film. Through hands-on exercises students will be introduced to the tools, materials, and techniques for creating the scenery, costumes, props, painting, lighting, sound, and video for productions. Students participate as run crew 40-50 hours for one of the department productions during the term as well as complete the co-requisite lab course THTR 132. No prior theater experience is required.
- THTR 209 - Production and Stage Management
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 Production and stage management are essential leadership roles for all performance organizations. Students will begin to develop a personal management style necessary to manage and run theater, dance, and film productions. Students will explore methods and skills required to manage productions through hand-on exercises. The course offers students greater understanding of the artistic and organizational best practices for running creative performance organizations, while focusing on the collaborative communication essential to an inventive and safe environment.
- THTR 236 - Special Effects for the Theater
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 Do you like practical effects from films? Do you like to find creative solutions to problems? In this hands-on, project-based course, students apply the process of iterative design and use critical thinking to provide ingenious solutions to solve the artistic effects required to tell stories in theater. Starting with textual analysis of given scripts, students develop the parameters required for various effects, and through a process execute practical rehearsal and final effect solutions for a show. No prior theater experience is required. Lab fee.
- THTR 238 - 3D Printing & Digital Fabrication for Theater
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 3D printing has revolutionized manufacturing and prototyping. This course is an introduction to Digital Fabrication and concentrates of how to craft practical objects for use in theatrical production. Students will develop a systematic approach to envisioning digital designs, publish them electronically, and execute physical versions through iterative development, in order to achieve a successful stage prop. No prior theater or computer knowledge is required. Lab fee.
- THTR 251 - Exploration of Performance Design
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 Have you ever loved the costumes in a movie? Or the scenery in a musical? This course breaks down the fundamentals and aesthetics of design in performance. This project based course gives students the chance to create their own designs with an emphasis on how design tells a story. Students will develop their own systematic approach and aesthetic through peer critique. No prior theater or drawing experience is required. Lab fee.
- THTR 253 - Digital Production
FDR HA Credits 3 Digital technologies and multimedia interaction are increasingly utilized to produce, enhance, and innovate theatrical production. Students examine and experiment with various digital technologies as they relate to theater and dance performance. Students create digital audio, video, design rendering, and animation projects for theatrical performances.
- THTR 336 - Lighting Design
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 A study of the practice of stage lighting, focusing on styles of production, historical methods and artistic theory. Culminates in a light design for a public theatrical production.
- THTR 337 - Scene Painting and Scenic Art
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 This course is an exploration and application of the methods and materials used in painting and finishing scenery for the theater. The course covers both historical and current scene painting techniques, as well as the tools and paints that have been developed to support those techniques. Outside projects are required.
- THTR 338 - Costume Design
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 A study of stage costuming with emphasis on design and construction. The course includes lecture and lab sessions.
- Electives:
- THTR 100 - Introduction to Theater
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 An introduction to drama and the theater arts, including a brief historical survey, selected examples of dramatic literature, and a sequence on theater disciplines such as acting, designing, and directing.
- THTR 125 - Speak/Persuade/Influence
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 From courtrooms to comedy clubs, novels to movie theatres, stages to TV screens to corporate boardrooms, the use of direct address (acknowledging the actual presence of an audience by speaking directly and specifically and in response to them) has been part of performative human communication as long as we've been communicating. This course will study direct address in many of its forms in preparation for practicing it in our own public performance. Students will learn to read an audience, use persuasive rhetoric, choose body language and make vocal adjustments to present the "character" that will best persuade or influence their audience, and gain confidence in speaking in front of others.
- THTR 131 - Introduction to Entertainment Technology
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 Corequisite THTR 132 - Laboratory for Intro to Entertainment Technology Have you ever been wowed by a show's lights, costumes, set, or video? This course takes you 'behind the curtain' to understand the backstage technology used to create productions in Theater, Dance, and Film. Through hands-on exercises students will be introduced to the tools, materials, and techniques for creating the scenery, costumes, props, painting, lighting, sound, and video for productions. Students participate as run crew 40-50 hours for one of the department productions during the term as well as complete the co-requisite lab course THTR 132. No prior theater experience is required.
- THTR 202 - London Theatre
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 4 Prerequisite instructor consent An intensive exposure to English theater and the current season in London. In addition to a full schedule of theater attendance, the course includes a study of theater training, production techniques and representative styles and periods of English drama. A Spring Term Abroad course.
- THTR 204 - Study Abroad in Swedish Theater
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 4 Prerequisite instructor consent This course provides a broad impact on student's cross-cultural skills and global understanding, enhancing their worldview. Students have the opportunity to acquire critical intercultural knowledge, appreciation of cultural and social differentness, and exposure to perspectives critical for global leadership. The course focuses on examining cultural differences between Sweden and United States through the exploration of the arts; however, because of the size of the class students are encouraged to examine Swedish culture from their own disciplinary interest.
- THTR 209 - Production and Stage Management
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 Production and stage management are essential leadership roles for all performance organizations. Students will begin to develop a personal management style necessary to manage and run theater, dance, and film productions. Students will explore methods and skills required to manage productions through hand-on exercises. The course offers students greater understanding of the artistic and organizational best practices for running creative performance organizations, while focusing on the collaborative communication essential to an inventive and safe environment.
- THTR 212 - Reimagining the Classics
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 This course examines classical theatrical texts throughout history, from their original context of creation in the ancient world and cultures through to modern adaptations in their contemporary context. We ask the questions, "How and why are these texts a part of the dramatic canon of civilization?" and "What ties these works together across centuries and cultures?" Through exploration of the texts, students will learn about how the stories have transformed throughout theatre history in response to new audience demands and shifting cultural values and needs.
- THTR 213 - Theatrical Outsiders
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 While most of us think of theatre as primarily a source of entertainment, over the course of its history, theatre has been a civic duty, a political undertaking, a source of propaganda, a religious act, a means of rebellion, and a lascivious sin. In many of these iterations, the stories it has chosen are those of people who are different, or special, or who don't fit in. This course explores how definitions of "outsiders" continue to shift and how the treatment of them has varied in response to historical, cultural and societal changes. In looking at the stories of outsiders that both theatre and film present, we will ask how and why these stories continue to fascinate audiences, build theories about what purpose is served in telling these stories, and explore how these ideas might affect our own community and those who may feel like outsiders here.
- THTR 222 - Writing for the Screen and Stage
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 This course focuses on the creating dramatic works for the stage and the screen. Students learn how to create a core message and idea; from that foundation, they practice building strong plot, bold characters, effective dialogue, and descriptive writing for these visual mediums. Writing techniques, structure, and styles will be taught through readings, lectures, in-class writing exercises, small group activities, and student presentations.
- THTR 236 - Special Effects for the Theater
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 Do you like practical effects from films? Do you like to find creative solutions to problems? In this hands-on, project-based course, students apply the process of iterative design and use critical thinking to provide ingenious solutions to solve the artistic effects required to tell stories in theater. Starting with textual analysis of given scripts, students develop the parameters required for various effects, and through a process execute practical rehearsal and final effect solutions for a show. No prior theater experience is required. Lab fee.
- THTR 238 - 3D Printing & Digital Fabrication for Theater
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 3D printing has revolutionized manufacturing and prototyping. This course is an introduction to Digital Fabrication and concentrates of how to craft practical objects for use in theatrical production. Students will develop a systematic approach to envisioning digital designs, publish them electronically, and execute physical versions through iterative development, in order to achieve a successful stage prop. No prior theater or computer knowledge is required. Lab fee.
- THTR 239 - Total Theater
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 4 Prerequisite 3 credits in Dance or Theater A practical study of design, directing, production and acting problems in a specific style of dramatic literature, culminating in a public theatrical production. Additional fee required. Laboratory course. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different.
- THTR 241 - One-Act Performance
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite THTR 141 This studio course offers students the opportunity to perform in one or more short, one-act performances culminating in a public presentation. The focus of the course will be on clear oral and physical communication, improvisation, textual analysis, collaboration, and creative problem-solving. No prior acting experience is necessary.
- THTR 242 - Musical Theater
FDR HA Credits 3 Students learn, through study of seminal texts and video clips of performances and interviews with performers, a basic history of the American musical theater as an art form, combining the talents of composers, lyricists, directors, choreographers, set and costume designers, and others. Students research musical dramatic literature and apply musical and acting skills in the development and performance of excerpts from distinctive musicals of various eras. Students develop constructive, critical methods in the process of practicing and viewing musical theater performance.
- THTR 251 - Exploration of Performance Design
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 Have you ever loved the costumes in a movie? Or the scenery in a musical? This course breaks down the fundamentals and aesthetics of design in performance. This project based course gives students the chance to create their own designs with an emphasis on how design tells a story. Students will develop their own systematic approach and aesthetic through peer critique. No prior theater or drawing experience is required. Lab fee.
- THTR 253 - Digital Production
FDR HA Credits 3 Digital technologies and multimedia interaction are increasingly utilized to produce, enhance, and innovate theatrical production. Students examine and experiment with various digital technologies as they relate to theater and dance performance. Students create digital audio, video, design rendering, and animation projects for theatrical performances.
- THTR 290 - Topics in Performing Arts
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3-4 Prerequisite instructor consent Selected studies in theater, film or dance with a focus on history, criticism, performance or production. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different. Prerequisite may vary with topic.
- THTR 297 - Special Topics in Theater History
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 This course explores selected theatre and performance traditions of a selected time-period and/or culture and/or a topical emphasis. Students will examine how theatre is created and performed and how it is used as an entertainment form as well as how it is used to advance ideas. Special emphasis is up to the professor. May be repeated for credit if the topics are different.
- THTR 336 - Lighting Design
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 A study of the practice of stage lighting, focusing on styles of production, historical methods and artistic theory. Culminates in a light design for a public theatrical production.
- THTR 337 - Scene Painting and Scenic Art
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 This course is an exploration and application of the methods and materials used in painting and finishing scenery for the theater. The course covers both historical and current scene painting techniques, as well as the tools and paints that have been developed to support those techniques. Outside projects are required.
- THTR 338 - Costume Design
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 A study of stage costuming with emphasis on design and construction. The course includes lecture and lab sessions.
- THTR 342 - Creating Meaning
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite instructor consent Shakespeare is OLD and DEAD. Why do students still study his plays and theatre companies still perform them? Does he have anything left to say to us? Is his work relevant to the world we live in now? This is an acting class for the lovers and the haters, the readers and the performers. First we will explore ways to perform Shakespeare's texts for a modern world while exploding preconceived notions about them. Then we will use contemporary devising techniques to create and perform our own new work using Shakespeare as a jumping off point.
- THTR 361 - Stage Directing 1
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite THTR 141 An introduction to directing for the stage. In this hands-on class, students learn and develop basic techniques for integrating work with scripts, performers, and designers into a cohesive stage performance. Students direct scenes from realistic modern or contemporary plays, focusing on collaboration, clarity, imagination, and analysis to create stage pictures and character relationships that tell a specific story on stage. The class culminates in invited classroom performances.
- THTR 403 - Directed Individual Study
Credits 3 Prerequisite instructor consent This course permits the student to follow a course of directed study and reading in order to widen the scope of experience and to build upon concepts covered in other courses.
- THTR 423 - Directed Individual Research
Credits 3 Prerequisite instructor consent This course permits the student to follow a program of specialized applied research in order to widen the scope of experience and to build upon concepts covered in other courses.
- THTR 453 - Internship
Credits 3 Prerequisite instructor consent After consultation with a theater faculty member and a representative of a departmentally approved theater or dance company, students submit a written description of a proposed summer internship with the company. Specific conditions of the internship and of required on-campus, follow-up projects must be approved by the department. Credit is awarded after completion of the required on-campus, follow-up projects.
- THTR 493 - Honors Thesis
Credits 3 Prerequisite instructor consent An advanced theater course that serves as a capstone to the major. Theater majors selected by the department conduct advanced theater research and individual artistic preparation, contribute artistically to the department's performance season, and produce a significant written thesis under the guidance of a thesis adviser.
- DANC 120 - Fundamentals of Contemporary Modern Dance Practice
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 This course is an introduction to individual and ensemble artistic expression in contemporary modern dance within the context of modern dance history. Attention is given to educating the body to move with specificity and to develop rhythm, spatial, and effort awareness. No dance experience required.
- DANC 202 - Dance Europe
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 4 Contemporary modern dance is an art form that explores questions about the body, identity, and globalization. Choreographers experiment with their craft by examining the way in which we relate to the world around us. The globalization of dance leads to cultural interchange and critical thinking about our place in a larger society and includes an exchange of styles and ideas and a cultural reflection on how and why dance is made. Globalism creates a rich artistic atmosphere and contributes to a wide variety of styles. Students travel to the four centers of contemporary modern dance in Europe: Paris, London, Amsterdam, Brussels. We explore contemporary aesthetics of particular regions, how culture influences movement choices, and the new ways in which European audiences are adapting to new forms of expression.
- DANC 215 - World Dance Technique
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 2 This dance class reflects the world dance form that is the specialty of the dance artist-in-residence. The basic dance techniques of that specific form are taught and movement is tied to the historical narrative of the country.
- DANC 220 - Dance Composition
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 A studio course exploring the craft and art of creating dance performances in a variety of styles and contexts. Images, text, music, improvisation and the elements of time, space and energy are examined as sources for dance material leading to individual andgroup choreography.
- DANC 225 - Contemporary Modern Dance Practice
Credits 2 This studio course is devoted to refining effort/shape values and phrasing in contemporary modern dance technique. Students investigate combinations, deconstruct movement phrases, and practice listening to the body by connecting movement phrases with kinesthetic experiences.
- DANC 230 - Musical-Theater Dance Technique
Credits 2 A studio exploration of choreography in musical theater from the 1940s to the present. Composition, theme, and form are discussed in concert with practical work in restaging historically significant musical dance choreographies. Of particular interest are the choreographers' styles and the many dance techniques prevalent in musical theater. May be repeated for up to six degree credits.
- DANC 233 - Movement for Actors
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 This course exams an array of methods that provide a vocabulary for thinking about, acting upon, and talking about movement and gesture and the physical integration of voice, breath, speech, and movement. We explore Alexander Technique and create an awareness of physical habits of 'misuse' and transform them by focusing on breathing and vocal work. Students examine viewpoints as a method for vocabulary to discuss work and as a tool for creating it. Laban Movement Analysis looks at these same concepts as a language for interpreting and documenting human movement. Class meetings include lecture, studio work, and individual projects.
- DANC 240 - Revolutionary Dancers
FDR HA Credits 3 This course is a study of the manifestations of American modern dance from the beginning of the 20th century to the present. Students explore the relationship between dance and developments in U.S. culture and study the innovators of the art form and their techniques, writings, and art works through readings, video and lectures.
- DANC 250 - Aerial Dance Techniques
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite instructor consent This course examines a unique array of techniques from across the aerial arts and a diversity of experimental approaches to movement in the air. The history of the form as well as lineage of style and current techniques are expressed through lecture, studio work, required readings and videos, masterclasses, performances, and written responses. Course fee required. May be repeated for up to nine degree credits.
- DANC 292 - Ballet Technique
Credits 2 This studio course is devoted to the practice of classical ballet technique and to the exploration of classical and contemporary ballet in performance. This course may be repeated for degree credit for up to six degree credits.
- DANC 330 - Experiential Anatomy
FDR HA Credits 3 Prerequisite Instructor consent A study of human motion as it relates to the locomotor and physical activities of the dancer. The course covers the planes of the body; vocabulary of the skeleton; and specific muscles, their actions, and how they relate to the dancer's body. Injury prevention through alignment and proper movement is considered, as well as the reversal of body alienation. Attention is given to the application of course information to technique class and performance.
- DANC 340 - Contemporary Dance Observation and Analysis
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite instructor consent The observation and analysis of live and recorded contemporary dance focusing on the work of emerging and established choreographers. Exploration of methods for describing the moving body in space. Emphasis is placed on the written and verbal critique of contemporary dance in performance.
- DANC 390 - Special Topics
Credits 3-4 Selected studies in dance with a focus on history, choreography, technique or performance. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different.
- FILM 195 - Topics in Film Studies
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3-4 Prerequisite completion of FDR:FW requirement Selected topic in film studies, focused on one or more of film history, theory, production, or screenwriting.
- FILM 196 - Topics in Film and Literature
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3-4 Prerequisite completion of FDR:FW requirement Selected topics in film and literature.
- FILM 222 - Writing for the Screen and Stage
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 This course focuses on the creating dramatic works for the stage and the screen. Students learn how to create a core message and idea; from that foundation, they practice building strong plot, bold characters, effective dialogue, and descriptive writing for these visual mediums. Writing techniques, structure, and styles will be taught through readings, lectures, in-class writing exercises, small group activities, and student presentations.
- FILM 233 - Introduction to Film
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite completion of FDR:FW requirement Same as ENGL 233. An introductory study of film taught in English and with a topical focus on texts from a variety of global film-making traditions. At its origins, film displayed boundary-crossing international ambitions, and this course attends to that important fact, but the course's individual variations emphasize one national film tradition (e.g., American, French, Indian, British, Italian, Chinese, etc.) and, within it, may focus on major representative texts or upon a subgenre or thematic approach. In all cases, the course introduces students to fundamental issues in the history, theory, and basic terminology of film.
- FILM 236 - Science Fiction & Fantasy: From Page to Screen and Beyond
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 4 Film, almost from origins, has been fascinated by the evocation of fantasy worlds and by the effort to imagine and represent future worlds filled with technological marvels.(Film is, of course, a medium obsessed by its own technological improvements from sound and color to 30 and virtual reality.) From such major directors as Lang and Kubrick to Lucas and Spielberg, science fiction has attracted some of the finest and most innovative directors. In this course, we study major examples of this phenomenon along with the technological history and philosophical speculations contributing to it.
- FILM 255 - Seven-Minute Shakespeare
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 4 Prerequisite completion of both the FDR:FW and FDR:HL requirements After intensive collective reading and discussion of three Shakespeare plays in the first week, students organize into four-person groups with the goal of producing a seven-minute video version of one of the plays by the end of the term, using only the actual text of the play. The project requires full engagement and commitment, and includes tasks such as editing and selecting from the text to produce the film script, creating storyboards, casting and recruiting actors, rehearsing, filming, editing, adding sound tracks and effects. We critique and learn from each other's efforts.
- MRST 286 - Preparation for Shakespeare in Performance
Credits 1 Prerequisite instructor consent Students receive an introduction to Shakespeare's verse in performance; read and analyze scripts from some of the plays to be observed during spring term; and engage in a team-building workshop and the creation of walking tours of modern London, each built around a particular cultural theme. The course consists of six two-hour meetings.
Required courses:
One course chosen from:
Choose one of the following:
Two additional courses chosen from the following, with at least one at the 300 level:
- ARTS 224 - Color Photography
- DANC 220 - Dance Composition