Course Offerings: Theater Theater courses bear the designation THEA. Courses in dramatic literature also carry the ENGL designation. For additional courses crosslisted in English and Theater, see the listings for ENGL 211, 321/322, 356, and 458.
Introductory Theater Courses 250 Stagecraft J. Morain
A study of technical aspects of theater, including set and properties construction, scene painting, costumes, lights, and sound. Course requirements include 20 hours of backstage work on University Theater productions. This course is open to all students, with theater majors and minors given priority. Juniors and seniors are admitted by permission only. This course is offered every term. 252 Scenic Design M. Kellogg
A hands-on introduction to the theory and practice of theatrical set design, including play reading and analysis from the designer’s point of view, visual research, and the step-by-step development of individual design concepts into stage-worthy scenery. Basic technical skills, such as perspective drawing, drafting to scale and model building, are taught and put to use in the Dana design studio, with the goal of expressing the students’ ideas fully and articulately. This course is offered every term. Juniors and seniors are admitted by permission only. 253 Costume Design M. Kellogg
An introduction to designing costumes for the theater, with an emphasis on serving the playwright’s intentions, and the use of clothing as an expression of character and social history. Several plays are read, analyzed, researched and designed. Basic drawing and painting skills are taught and applied. A corresponding lab in the costume shop offers practical experience in simple costume construction techniques: patterning, draping, cutting and sewing. Juniors and seniors admitted by permission only. 254 Basic Acting A. Giurgea, A. Sweeney
An introduction to the craft of acting. The course consists of group exercises to develop physical awareness, imagination and trust. Text analysis and character are explored through monologue and/or scene work. First-year and sophomore students only. 257 Workshop in Children’s Theater S. Giurgea
An introduction to performance through the creation of a play for children. Often the play is an original work or adapted from literature. Students explore all aspects of collaboration in a final production. The course has a service-learning component, which may include community-based projects and touring. Students are required to enroll in the corresponding lab. Juniors and seniors may be admitted. 259 Performance I Staff
Credit for performance in a University Theater production. This 0.50 credit course may be combined with any other 0.50 course. THEA 259
may be taken up to four times for half credit. No student can receive more than 2 credits in total. 266 Theaters of Ritual and Revolution C. DuComb
A survey of theater history and dramatic literature from ancient Athens through the early 19th century. Course readings explore the ritual origins of theater, as well as the relationship of theater to the politics of democracy and revolution. Plays on the syllabus include not only classics of Western drama but also exemplary theater texts from India, China, and Japan. This course is usually offered in the fall term. Juniors and seniors admitted by permission of instructor only. Students intending to major or minor in theater ordinarily take either 266
by the end of sophomore year.
This course is crosslisted asENGL 266. 267 The Modern Stage C. DuComb
A survey of the new theatrical styles to emerge around the world in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Course readings closely consider the relationship between a play’s literary form and its realization in performance, as well as theater’s response to the emergence of film, television, and new media. This course is usually offered in the spring term. Juniors and seniors admitted by permission of instructor only. Students intending to major or minor in theater ordinarily take either 266
by the end of sophomore year. This course is crosslisted as ENGL 267.
Advanced Theater Courses 349 Global Theater C. DuComb
An exploration of Asian, African, intercultural, and postcolonial performance traditions, spanning theater, dance, ritual, and everyday life. Course materials include both classic and contemporary play texts along with selected readings in history, anthropology, and performance studies. This course is crosslisted as ENGL 349. 350 Practicum Staff
Concerted, directed work in a specific theatrical skill. Variable credit. 351 Boiling Over: Theater and the American Melting Pot C. DuComb
A study of theatrical manifestations of what it means to be American. In 1908, Israel Zangwill’s play The Melting Pot
, which centers on a family of Russian-Jewish immigrants, introduced an oft-repeated catchphrase for cultural assimilation into American politics. This course delves into the melting pot by asking how we perform our American identities, both onstage and off. Readings include Irish American, African American, Asian American, Native American, and Chicano plays from the 19th century to the present. This course is crosslisted as ENGL 351. 353 Theater Play and Improvisation A. Giurgea, A. Sweeney
A course designed to cultivate the actor’s creativity, spontaneity, and collaborative skills through play, games, and improvisation. 354 Basic Directing A. Giurgea, S. Giurgea
An introduction to the art of theater directing. Class projects are developed into workshops and site-specific productions. Students learn about what makes a director a “central intelligence” in theater practice Priority given to theater majors and minors. 355 Advanced Acting Staff
A technique and scene study class designed to be an exploration of plays with heightened language and/or style, e.g., Shakespeare, Molière, other verse drama. Prerequisite: THEA 254
or permission of the instructor. 356 Playwriting Staff
General principles of playwriting. The goal of the course is the creation of a finished work: a one-act play, one act of a longer play, or a complete play. Writing for the theater represents emotional and artistic commitment and intellectual pursuit. As part of the learning process, students tackle the artistic and pragmatic challenges of building methodically from the seeds of inspiration to the crafting of the well-written play. Text analysis investigates classic and modern plays. The class is a first-hand initiation into the vocabulary and technique of collaboration for the development of original material. This course is crosslisted as ENGL 356. 358 Narrative Screenwriting Staff
A workshop approach to the craft of writing for the camera. Students read and analyze screenplays in order to understand the process of how the screenwriter tells a story. A complete, short, narrative screenplay is the final project for the course. 359 Performance II: Devised Theater Workshop Staff
A collaborative, performance-based class focusing on the rehearsal of a full-length work for public performance with a faculty or guest director. Prerequisite: THEA 254
or THEA 353
or permission of instructor. 454 Advanced Directing A. Giurgea, S. Giurgea
A course in the entire directorial process, from text analysis through performance. Prerequisites: THEA 354
or permission of the instructor. 491 Independent Study in Theater Staff
Independent study for advanced theater majors in a topic not otherwise covered in the theater curriculum. All independent studies must be approved by the director of the theater program 495 Senior Seminar in Theater Staff
A studio course that brings together all senior majors and minors in a conceptual, creative project.THEA 495
is the culminating experience of the Colgate theater student. Students in the seminar create a piece of theater as an ensemble, developed not only through work with text but also through close attention to the raw materials of theater-making: time, space, and the body. Research and critical writing assignments form an integral part of the seminar, which may also include visits by guest artists and trips to see theater and performance beyond the Colgate campus. Offered in the fall. Students must enroll in the corresponding lab. 496 Special Studies for Honors Candidates in Theater Staff
Creation and presentation of a significant work of playwriting, directing, design, and/or performance. With permission of the director of the theater program, theater majors who wish to pursue a capstone project in the spring semester of senior year may enroll in THEA 496.
Capstone projects must be proposed in the fall semester of senior year. The project may also take the form of a long-form critical, historical, or theoretical essay.