Theater Arts (THEA)

THEA 4321  History of Costume  (3)  
Pre-requisite(s): Upper-level standing or consent of instructor  

A study of dress from Egyptian times to the twentieth century.

THEA 4322  History of Decor in the Western World  (3)  
Pre-requisite(s): Upper-level standing  

Major historical movements and periods in architecture and decorative arts in the West, with special attention to how these trends relate to theatrical design.

THEA 4326  Advanced Costume Design  (3)  
Pre-requisite(s): THEA 3326  

Advanced principles and practices of costume design, with an emphasis on the design team/director collaboration.

THEA 4335  Creative Dramatics  (3)  
Pre-requisite(s): Consent of instructor  

Education, theory, and philosophy that will cultivate the techniques of creative dramatics and develop the skills needed for human interaction in dramatic play. Lab required.

THEA 4365  Advanced Directing I  (3)  
Pre-requisite(s): THEA 3324  

Directing techniques for departures from realism, with an emphasis on postmodern theatre, musical theatre, and verse drama. Workshop required.

THEA 4366  Advanced Directing II  (3)  
Pre-requisite(s): THEA 4365  

Continuation of THEA 4365. Workshop required.

THEA 4376  Theater History III  (3)  
Pre-requisite(s): THEA 2374 and 2375; and upper-level standing  

Historical investigation of theatre practice, performance, and dramatic literature from the early twentieth century to the present.

THEA 4377  The Theatre and Christianity  (3)  
Pre-requisite(s): Upper-level standing or consent of instructor  

An exploration of biblical perspectives concerning creativity and the arts with a special emphasis on theatre and the performing arts.

THEA 4378  Dramaturgy: Theory and Practice  (3)  
Pre-requisite(s): THEA 4376 and consent of instructor  

Investigation of the functions and methods of the dramaturg such as choosing a season, audience enrichment, new play development, researching production history, and understanding dramatic structure and theory.

THEA 4379  Advanced Studies in Contemporary Theatre and Drama  (3)  
Pre-requisite(s): THEA 2374 and 2375  

Topics related to leading contemporary playwrights, current issues of dramatic style, and emerging trends in theatrical practice. May be repeated once for credit with different content.

THEA 4380  Performing Arts Management  (3)  
Pre-requisite(s): Upper-level standing  

Organizational structure, fundraising techniques, and board development for non-profit professional and commercial performing arts organizations. Includes contracting with professional unions, budgeting, and season planning. Technical crew lab included.

THEA 4390  Advanced Stage Management  (3)  
Pre-requisite(s): THEA 2390  

Role and responsibilities of the stage manager using the Regional Theatre or LORT Stage Manager model. Explores budgeting, seasonal planning and responsibilities in touring and non-theatrical situations.

THEA 4398  Technical Direction for Theater  (3)  
Pre-requisite(s): THEA 1312, 1316, 1383, and 2371  

Four basic areas of technical direction: creating technical drawings, estimating a set, choosing materials used in the theater, and scheduling the building of sets for the theater. This course may be repeated once with a different topic.

THEA 5101  Introduction to Graduate Theatre Studies  (1)  

A two week introductory intensive designed to prepare students for graduate level theatre research, analysis, and teaching.

THEA 5199  Non-Thesis Degree Completion  (1)  

To fulfill requirements for non-thesis master's students who need to complete final degree requirements other than coursework during their last semester. This may include such things as a comprehensive examination, oral examination, or foreign language requirement. Students are required to be registered during the semester they graduate.

THEA 5301  Contemporary Directing Styles  (3)  

Analysis of contemporary directing styles.

THEA 5304  History and Theory of Directing  (3)  

An historical and theoretical study of the development of the director, with emphasis on the late nineteenth century to the present.

THEA 5306  Play Analysis for Directors  (3)  

Advanced study of several methodologies for analyzing dramatic structure and composition; approaches to the direct application of analysis to play production.

THEA 5307  Contemporary Performance Theory  (3)  

Development of twentieth-century performance theory.

THEA 5308  Dramatic Theory and Criticism  (3)  

Dramatic theory and criticism from Aristotle to the twentieth century.

THEA 5310  Seminar in Classical Drama  (3)  

An historical and theoretical study of selected classical masterworks in performance.

THEA 5311  Directing Modern Plays  (3)  

A study of theories and techniques used in directing selected European and American masterworks with emphasis on script analysis and interpretation, staging practices, and particular concept and style.

THEA 5312  Directing Classical Plays  (3)  

Directing theories and concepts of tragedy and comedy from the Greeks through the nineteenth century.

THEA 5313  Production Design  (3)  

Research, analysis, and practical experience in designing scenery, lighting, sound, costumes, and makeup for a realized production.

THEA 5315  Seminar in Modern Drama  (3)  

This seminar course offers advanced study of modern American and British and European drama specifically for graduate students of theatre.

THEA 5335  Director's Workshop  (3)  

Practical experience in all areas of theatre production for the public presentation of a full-length play.

THEA 5351  Theatre Scholarship and Research Methods  (3)  

Seminar study of practical issues in advanced theatre scholarship, research methods, application of theory, academic writing, and scholarly publication.

THEA 5370  Seminar in Dramatic Production  (3)  

Research and critical analysis of plays and their productions.

THEA 5372  Independent Study  (3)  

Guided study of pre-approved topic(s).

THEA 5373  Dramaturgy  (3)  

Application of directorial script analysis and dramaturgical tools in production planning, development of the production script, and rehearsal.

THEA 5374  Collaborative Theater Process  (3)  

An investigation through research and discussion of the elements of design, the relationship between the director and designers, and the process of unifying various elements of theatre production. Students will submit proposals for designs of both classic and modern plays and justify their ideas through literary and pictorial research.

THEA 5375  Actor-Director Collaboration  (3)  

Through scene work and acting exercises, directors explore the theories, common vocabularies, and basic skills and techniques needed to work with actors from differing backgrounds. Attention will also be given to auditioning, casting and rehearsal strategies as well as the major directorial performance styles of the twentieth century.

THEA 5376  Playwriting  (3)  

A study of the art and craft of playwriting, emphasizing analytic approaches to writing, developing a personal voice, narrative, characters, and point of view. Workshop required.

THEA 5398  Thesis Production and Research  (3)  

Master of Fine Arts students only. Research, design, and direction of the thesis production.

THEA 5V99  Thesis  (1-9)  

Research, data analysis, writing, and oral defense of an approved master’s thesis. At least six hours of THEA 5V99 are required.