Theater

 

Adjunct Professors:  Chandler, Digby Day, Ranelli, Strasberg, White; Visiting Assistant Professor:  Hoffman; Lecturers:  Golebiewski, Notarfrancisco; Associate Professor Lowe, chair

 

The Major in Theater

 

The major in theater forms an integrated study wherein students develop a broad knowledge of theater by balancing the study of literature, criticism, and history of drama with creative experience in studio work, production, and performance.

                In addition to the department faculty, students have an opportunity to work with guest artists in acting, directing, design, and technical theater.  The varied production program is designed to offer challenging theater to the community while setting professional standards.  The college accredits two programs offered by the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center:  The National Theater Institute in Waterford, CT and the National Theater Institute in Moscow.  Each program offers an intensive semester providing students with a unique opportunity to experience the rigors and standards of professional theater within the context of a liberal arts experience.  It is recommended that if a student does a semester away it should be taken in the junior year.

                Students wishing to major must arrange for an audition/interview in the fall or spring of the sophomore year.  The major consists of a minimum of eleven courses.  In addition, two major crew assignments are required.  The director of the production, in consultation with the production manager, will determine what constitutes a major crew assignment.  Students must take the following required courses.

 

Area 1 - Performance and Production

 

REQUIRED:  Course 104, 120, 206, 236, 245

 

Area 2 - Dramatic Literature, Criticism, and History

 

REQUIRED:  Course 141; Course 241; Course 231 or Classics 204, Classics 222 or English 303 or Slavic Studies 263; English 209, English 210 or English 493F, 494F.

 

In addition to the above required courses, two 300- or 400-level courses in Theater or dramatic literature in other departments are required.

 

The Minor in Theater

 

Students wishing to minor must arrange for an audition/interview, in the fall or spring of the sophomore year.  A minor consists of seven courses:  104; 120; 141; 206; 236 or Classics 204, 222 or English 303 or Slavic Studies 263; Theater 231 or English 209, 210, 493F, 494F; Theater 241.  In addition, one major crew assignment is required.  The director of the production, in consultation with the production manager, will determine what constitutes a major crew assignment.

 

Courses at Connecticut College

 

THEATER  104  ACTING I:  PREPARATION  A foundation course in acting technique with extensive physical and vocal work, including an introduction to textual analysis and character development.  All students are required to work on a crew for a college production.

                No prior acting experience is required.  Enrollment limited to 16 students.  Offered both semesters.  This course satisfies General Education Area 5.  Staff

 

THEATER  113  PUBLIC SPEAKING  Speech and vocal techniques emphasized to culminate in individual projects designed for public speaking and small group communications.

                Enrollment limited to 15 students.  Staff

 

THEATER  120  TECHNICAL THEATER  A practical foundation course in costume, makeup, mask, stage technology, lighting, sound, and scenery.  Two two-hour sessions per week, plus crew work on college productions.  Prospective majors should take this course and Acting I during their freshman year.

                Enrollment limited to 16 students.  Offered both semesters.  This course satisfies General Education Area 5.  S. Notarfrancsico

 

THEATER  140  CONVERSATIONS IN THE ARTS  This is the same course as Dance 140.  Refer to the Dance listing for a course description.

 

THEATER  141  THE ART OF THEATER  An examination of the process by which theater is created in contemporary America.  Explanation of how each of the elements of theater—acting, directing, design, playwriting, dramaturgy, and theater spaces—contributes to the creation of the total theatrical production.  Attendance at several productions at professional regional theaters in the area and college productions required.  Prospective majors should take this course by the end of their sophomore year.

                Enrollment limited to 16 freshmen and sophomores, or with permission of instructor.  Special fee.  This course satisfies General Education Area 4.  M. L. Lowe

 

THEATER  206  ACTING II:  SCRIPT ANALYSIS  Study and practice of script analysis for actors, with a focus on contemporary American and European plays.  Breaking down scenes into units and analyzing them for objectives, relationships, complications, and key moments in order to interpret and shape the action in rehearsal and performance.

                Prerequisite:  Course 104; and 120 (may be taken concurrently).  Enrollment limited to 16 students.  Staff

 

THEATER  212  PLAYWRITING STUDIO  Writing projects include elements of writing for the stage, including circumstance, action, character, mood, diction, and construction.  A journal as a working tool for the development of writing habits and projects.  One short play and one other independent project required.  Reading from the works of O'Neill.

                Prerequisite:  Completion of all 100-level requirements for any major plus permission of the instructor.  Enrollment limited to 10 students.  J Ranelli

 

THEATER  215, 216  PRACTICUM IN THEATER  Extended work as a set designer, costume designer, lighting designer, stage manager, technical director, or major crew head in relation to productions presented by the departments of dance and theater.  Specific projects must be coordinated with a project supervisor before registration.  Two hours credit per semester.

                Prerequisite:  Course 120 and permission of a project supervisor.  Staff

 

THEATER  217, 218  SERVICE-LEARNING PRACTICUM IN THEATER  Extended service work in community settings as an integral part of an existing course.  Specific projects must be coordinated with the instructor.  Minimum of four hours of community work per week, plus extensive reflection work in the classroom/studio setting.  Students electing Course 217, 218 must concurrently enroll in a second Theater course.  Two hours credit.

                Permission of the instructor.  Staff

 

THEATER  226  DIRECTING ONE:  COACHING THE ACTOR  The fundamental elements of performance including:  script analysis of character function, relationship, and action; basic acting techniques and how they can be applied to creating performances by means of the collaboration between actor and director; and visual composition and metaphoric images.  Students will develop communication skills essential to professional interaction through in-class presentations, coaching, and discussions.

                Prerequisite:  Courses 104 and 120 and 206 or permission of the instructor.  Enrollment limited to 15 students.  Staff

 

THEATER  228  PLAY READING AS PUBLIC PERFORMANCE  Creating a performance context for the reading of new and classic texts for the theater.  Vocal and physical exercises, and analysis of dramatic texts.  Performances will be staged in various locations both on campus and in the community.  Student performances with evening rehearsals may be required.  Recommended for sophomores and juniors.

                Prerequisite:  Course 104 and permission of the instructor.  Enrollment limited to 15 students.  Staff

 

THEATER  230  THE PERFORMANCE PROJECT  Performance and production with emphasis on the role of the arts and related activity in the enrichment of individual and community life.  Focus on historical and critical studies and practical (studio) experience in performance techniques with applications in wider social contexts.  This is the same course as Art 230.

                Permission of the instructor.  Enrollment limited to 30 students.  Staff

 

THEATER  231  AMERICAN DRAMA  American dramatic literature from Mowatt to Mamet.  Themes of major American playwrights such as O'Neill, Hellman, Williams, and Hansberry explored.  Performance art and theater collectives included.

                Prerequisite:  Course 141.  Recommended for sophomores and juniors.  Staff

 

THEATER  236  ACTING III:  IMPROVISATION  Development of fundamental acting skills, including work on relationships, status, spontaneity, and given circumstances, through improvisational exercises.  The work of Spolin, Johnstone, and others will be used as a springboard for more advanced work on monologues and scenes from realistic modern plays.

                Prerequisite:  Course 104; and 120 (may be taken concurrently).  Enrollment limited to 16 students.  M. L. Lowe, Staff

 

THEATER  238  SCREENWRITING  An introduction to the possibilities, problems, and conventions of dramatic writing for the screen.  Students will explore the concepts of character, story, dramatic structure, visualization and economy of dialog.  Through a series of exercises students will develop an idea into a finished script for a short film.  This is the same course as Film Studies 238.

                Open to sophomores, juniors and seniors.  Permission of the instructor required.  Enrollment limited to 12 students.  Staff

 

THEATER  239  ACTING FOR THE CAMERA  A practical exploration of the basic elements of the film actor's craft using existing film scripts and student screenwriting projects from Course 238.  Exercises are filmed and critiqued regularly so that students learn terminology of the field and develop a working relationship with the director.

                Enrollment limited to 6 Connecticut College students and 6 National Theater Institute students.  Permission of the department required.  Staff

 

THEATER  241  THEATER AND CULTURE  Theater architecture, works of dramatic literature, and performance from major periods in world theater history.  Special attention will be given to the multicultural nature of performance.  Videos, visiting lectures, and field trips.

                Prerequisite:  Course 141 or permission of the instructor.  Open to sophomores, juniors, and seniors.  This course satisfies General Education Area 4.  Staff

 

THEATER  245  DESIGN AESTHETICS  Focus on overall visual design skills including individual and group projects.  Developing responses to plays and other media, and expressing those responses through set and light design.  Particular attention will be given to the ways by which artists communicate with other artists and the audience through visual imagery.  All students are required to work on a crew for a college production.

                Permission of the instructor required.  Enrollment limited to 12 students.  Staff

 

THEATER  263  CHEKHOV AND RUSSIAN THEATER  This is the same course as Slavic Studies 263.  Refer to the Slavic Studies listing for a course description.

 

THEATER  301  DIRECTING TWO:  BUILDING A CONCEPT  The study and practice of the directing process through examination of production styles and concepts, analysis and staging of dramatic texts, and discussion of performance theory.  Each student is expected to direct a one-act play for public performance as the culmination of the semester's work.  Extensive rehearsal time is required in addition to class meetings.

                Prerequisite:  Courses 226 and 236, and permission of the instructor.  Recommended for juniors and seniors.  Enrollment limited to 8 students.  Staff

 

THEATER  308  SPECIAL PROJECTS IN THEATER  Explorations of the techniques of creating original work.

                Prerequisite:  Courses 104 and 120, and permission of the instructor.  Recommended for juniors and seniors.  Student performances with evening rehearsals may be required.  Staff

 

THEATER  308B  GENDER ISSUES IN CONTEMPORARY PERFORMANCE  An exploration of gender issues in contemporary dramatic literature and performance with an emphasis on collaborative practices used to create performance works.  Student performances with evening rehearsals may be required.  This is the same course as Gender and Women's Studies 308B.

        Prerequisite:  Courses 104 and 120, and permission of the instructor; or Gender and Women’s Studies 103 and 224 (or 306) or permission of the instructor.  Recommended for juniors and seniors.  M. L. Lowe

 

THEATER  322  ADVANCED SCENE STUDY:  CHEKHOV, IBSEN, STRINDBERG, AND O'NEILL  Intensive text analysis and performance of scenes from the major plays of  Chekhov, Ibsen, Strindberg, and O'Neill, together with readings in acting theory.

                Prerequisite:  Course 236 or permission of the instructor.  Enrollment limited to 10 students.  M. L. Lowe, Staff

 

THEATER  323  ADVANCED SCENE STUDY:  STYLES  Intensive text analysis and performance of scenes from plays that demand a heightened performance style.  Class will focus on playwrights such as Molière, Beckett, and Coward.  Two two-hour class meetings per week plus extensive rehearsal time.

                Prerequisite:  Course 236 or permission of the instructor.  Enrollment limited to 10 students.  M. L. Lowe, Staff

 

THEATER  324  ADVANCED SCENE STUDY:  SHAKESPEARE  Intensive text analysis and performance of scenes and soliloquies from the major plays of Shakespeare, together with readings in acting theory.

                Prerequisite:  Course 236 or permission of the instructor.  Enrollment limited to 10 students.  Staff

 

THEATER  330, 430  CONCENTRATION PROJECT  This is a studio class for theater majors who are completing their concentrations or seek to develop their production work beyond the curricular offerings.  Admission to the course is based on demonstrated excellence in related theater department courses and demonstrated ability to develop and pursue effort with a high degree of initiative and responsibility.

                Permission of the instructor.  Staff

 

THEATER  339, 340  SEMINARS IN THEATER  Open to junior and senior majors, and to others with the permission of the instructor.

 

THEATER  339A, 340A  SEMINARS IN THEATER:  PRACTICAL DRAMATURGY  This course is designed as a practical approach to the study of dramatic literature.  Since the emphasis of such a course is to read for production and performance, rather than for academic research, the course will focus on a limited number of plays from the world repertoire.  These plays will be covered in depth in class as hypothetical production projects.  Each play project will require external research:  reading and writing assignments; it will also require students to participate in individual and group exercises, reports or demonstrations in class.  Staff

 

THEATER  339B, 340B  SEMINARS IN THEATER:  THEORIES OF PERFORMANCE  Modern and classic approaches to performance art explored through the work of theoreticians, directors, and critics such as Aristotle, Wagner, Brook, Craig, and Chaikin.  Appropriate videos, films, and plays considered in tandem with theoretical and critical readings.  Staff

 

THEATER  339C, 340C  SEMINARS IN THEATER:  HISTORY OF THE AVANT-GARDE  A study of the contemporary theater of Europe and the U.S. focusing on the anti-realists who shaped the avant-garde response in this country to the "fourth wall convention."  Playwrights such as O'Neill, Brecht, and Pirandello will be studied as well as directors, theorists, and performance artists.  Staff

 

THEATER  339D, 340D  SEMINARS IN THEATER:  EUGENE O'NEILL AND HIS AMERICA  The life, times, and works of the United States' most honored playwright, with special emphasis on the New London roots of many of his dramas.

                Open to juniors and seniors.  Enrollment limited to 15 students.  Staff

 

THEATER 339E, 340E  SEMINARS IN THEATER:  PERFORMANCE STUDIES  This course employs “performance” as a lens through which Vietnamese culture and society can be scrutinized.  Through site visits and readings, students will investigate such topics as the performance of nationality, cultural dynamics of tourism, and representations of history from the interdisciplinary perspective of performance studies.

                Open to juniors on SATA Vietnam.  Enrollment limited to 16 students.  M .L. Lowe

 

Theater  416  Intersecting Performances:  Dance—Theater  This course explores contemporary performance work created at the intersection of theater and dance.  Throughout the semester, the work of artists such as Ping Chong, Pina Bausch and others will be explored as students experiment with creating their own work.  The class will culminate in a public performance.  This is the same course as Dance 416.

                Prerequisite:  Permission of one of the instructors.  Enrollment limited to 16 students.  M. L. Lowe and D. Dorfman

 

THEATER  295, 296  FIELD WORK  Supervised practical work at an established theater company or organization.  Students will work under the supervision of an official or director of the field theater and will keep a journal or record of the experience, including analysis from a theoretical viewpoint, which will be submitted to the supervising faculty member.  Under exceptional circumstances, students may enroll for more than four hours in field work credit in a given semester.

                Prerequisite:  Completion of four courses in theater, recommendation of the supervising faculty member, practical experience, permission of the participating organization and field supervisor and approval by the advisory committee on theater.  Staff

 

THEATER  291, 292  INDIVIDUAL STUDY

 

THEATER  391, 392  INDIVIDUAL STUDY

 

THEATER  491, 492  INDIVIDUAL STUDY

 

THEATER  497-498  HONORS STUDY

 

Barbara Walen Long Wharf Theater Internship

 

THEATER  260  PERFORMANCE AND PRODUCTION  (Long Wharf Theater Internship)  To be taken concurrently with Course 261 during residence at the Long Wharf Theater.  Practical experience in one or more of the following areas and departments of Long Wharf Theater:  Backstage (scenery, electrics, stage management, costumes) or front-of-house operations (box office, development, communications, literary office).  Significant responsibility in the managerial and practical aspects in chosen areas which culminate in professional public contact or performance.  Eight hours credit.

                Prerequisite:  Completion of a major crew and permission of the supervising faculty member and appropriate Long Wharf director.

 

THEATER  261  THEATER REPERTORY AND PERFORMANCE CRITICISM  (Long Wharf Theater Internship)  To be taken concurrently with Course 260 during residence at the Long Wharf Theater.  Following written material required:  Reviews and critiques of the plays in performance there and other area professional theaters which address how the production concept reflects the historical, social and aesthetic background of the plays; a "profile" on one of the playwrights produced at the theater during the internship; journal of day-to-day activities during the internship; paper describing the professional insights gained and activities pursued during the internship.  Eight hours credit.

                Prerequisite:  Courses 226 and 241, permission of the supervising faculty member and appropriate Long Wharf director.

 

At the National Theater Institute

 

THEATER  201  DIRECTING  All students direct a scene at least once and act in scenes directed by their peers.  Emphasis on history of Western theater in its historical and literary context.  Texts from the present day back to the "golden ages" of Spanish and English theater in the 17th century.  A number of allied workshops connected with the program.

 

THEATER  202  PLAYWRITING  Designed to assist aspiring writers in their development through a great variety of projects reflecting the range of contemporary theater.  After a series of introductory exercises, students will choose to concentrate on the writing of a play lasting not more than 30 minutes or on the development of a one-person performance piece or a group performance piece or on the adaptation of existing material for the stage.  The course culminates in a week of showing the "works in progress."

 

THEATER  210  DESIGN  Closely related to the directing program in use of parallel text, scene and costume design are studied in both an historical and practical context.  Instructor currently working in the professional theater.  There will be special workshops in stage craft and stage lighting in connection with the program.

 

THEATER  300  ACTING  The National Theater Institute is not imprisoned in any one method; it embraces those appropriate to the individual text.  Emphasis on the art and craft of acting designed to enable the students to free the imagination and enhance their versatility.  Classes will include scene study, improvisation, audition preparation, and styles.

 

THEATER  310  MOVEMENT AND VOICE  Classes in both vocal technique and production and dance and movement techniques for the actor.  Daily warm-ups, improvisation, modern, and African dances together with stage combat and special workshops in mask work and mime.  Voice training covers Linklater method, speech, dialect work, and signing in both group classes and individual lessons.

 

THEATER  354  HISTORICAL FOUNDATION OF DIRECTING  Students will serve as trainee directors within the NTI program.  The course will cover aspects of Western Theatre:  Elizabethan and Jacobean; Spanish and French 17th-century; German Romantic Theater; Ibsen, Strindberg, Shaw, Chekhov; O'Neill and American Theater from Albee to Mamet.

                Prerequisite:  One semester at NTI.  Permission of the instructor required.

 

THEATER  355  DIRECTOR'S TUTORIAL  Students create a director's notebook on a specified classical text, to analyze the intellectual content of the play and, most importantly, understand the play as a staged work rather than a reading exercise.  Critical interpretation of text, notes on staging, analysis of probable original staging and performance style is required.  The play must be understood in its literary, historical and theatrical context.  Discussion of decor, costumes and blocking is required.  Students have individual tutorials with the Directing Instructor and a variety of specialized course instructors on a regular basis.

 

THEATER  451  DIRECTOR'S RESIDENCY  Students serve as a director's assistant in a selected  regional theater in the U.S. or abroad for two weeks.  They attend rehearsals of a production, meet regularly with the theater director and administrator as well as have opportunities to observe work in all departments of the producing organization.  This course requires submission of a detailed journal and is supervised by the director or associate director of the selected theater.

 

THEATER  452  DIRECTOR'S PROJECT  Students will work with the NTI ensemble on either a short play or an extract from a larger work for final presentation in a staged workshop.  This final work would be subject to evaluation by a panel of professional directors and actors drawn from NTI faculty and special guest artists.  Student directors would also work on the staging of plays written by NTI students in playwriting class.

                Prerequisite:  One semester at NTI.  Permission of the instructor.

 

The O'Neill Theatermakers:  Six-week summer immersion program in the work of the National Playwrights Conference

 

The following courses are intended for advanced theater students in their junior or senior year.  Students must have at least four semesters in which theater courses have been taken.

 

THEATER  470  THE COLLABORATIVE EXPERIENCE:  THE O'NEILL PROCESS  This course is designed to examine collaborative techniques as experienced through daily interaction at The O'Neill National Playwrights Conference.  Students review contributions of the actors, writers, directors, and designers, observed in project development.  Course work includes evaluation of student projects developed in the craft courses, professional projects, and workshops.

                Enrollment limited to 16 students.

 

THEATER  471  DIRECTING:  STAGING NEW VISION  Course is designed to expand basic staging techniques through daily interaction with the directors and theater artists of the National Playwrights Conference.  Students serve as assistant directors.  In addition students will direct projects developed in Playwriting:  Advanced Techniques.

                Enrollment limited to 16 students.

 

THEATER  472  PLAYWRITING:  ADVANCED TECHNIQUES FOR THE CONTEMPORARY STAGE  Course is designed to expand basic playwriting techniques through interaction with the playwrights of the National Playwrights Conference.  Students are exposed to the collaboration between playwright, designer and director resulting in new works for the stage.  Includes regular assignments culminating in projects presented to The O'Neill Theater Center community and the public.

                Enrollment limited to 16 students.

 

THEATER  473  ADVANCED ACTING:  CHARACTER AND IMMEDIACY  Course covers physical and vocal workshops, improvisational work, and techniques for cold readings, staged readings, and audition technique.  Students will serve as the acting company for the Theatermakers playwrights, and have opportunity to shadow Equity actors at the Conference.

                Enrollment limited to 16 students.

 

At the O’Neill Moscow Art Theater Semester

 

                Prerequisite:  With the exception of Course 252, three semesters of college-level theater courses. Enrollment limited to 15 students.

 

THEATER  250  MOVEMENT AND VOICE  Daily classes in voice technique, production and singing.  Movement classes include mime, dance, classical folk dance, scenic movement and ballet.  Focus on developing the actor's imagination in concert with the training and development of the vocal instrument and range.

 

THEATER  251  RUSSIAN THEATER HISTORY  History of the Russian theater, its playwrights, prominent actors, directors and dramaturgs.  Theater, museum and cultural visits supplement lectures.

 

THEATER  252  RUSSIAN LANGUAGE  Intensive language immersion.  Appropriate for beginning, intermediate and advanced level students of the Russian language.  Course level appropriate for each student determined by placement tests.  Advanced level students may take Russian literature.

 

THEATER  253  ACTING AND DIRECTING  Daily classes in all phases of acting and directing technique.  Special emphasis on Stanislavsky and the expressionist directors.  Extensive scene work concentrating on Russian dramatists such as Chekov, Gorky, Gogol, Ostrovsky, as well as contemporary playwrights.

 

THEATER  254  DESIGN  Introduction to work of great traditional and experimental Russian designers combined with individual work in the field of stage and costume design.