Musical Theatre (B.F.A.)

This is a fundamental course in the systematic analysis of dramatic texts. It is designed to equip theatre arts majors and minors with the textual expertise and vocabulary needed for academic discussion and artistic collaboration. Students will read and research a series of scripts in order to investigate the process in which a play develops from page to performance. Emphasis will also be given to how directors, designers, performers, and spectators individually and collaboratively engage with and utilize a dramatic text during each phase of the pre-rehearsal, rehearsal, and performance process.
(Normally offered each fall semester.)

This introductory acting course focuses on building physical, vocal, intellectual, and intuitive foundations for actors. Through discovery exercises, students increase their awareness of the fundamentals of contemporary acting and apply these concepts to monologue and scene work.
(Normally offered each fall semester.)

Play reading is a course that focuses on the reading, discussion, and interpretation of dramatic texts. Its aim is to provide a concentrated study of both content and form of selected texts in an effort to broaden knowledge of dramatic techniques genre, and strategies for interpretation. Dramatic texts will vary each semester with the goal that students will gain knowledge of a large quantity of plays during a four-year period. This course may be repeated for credit up to eight times for Theatre Arts majors and up to three times for Theatre Arts minors.

A study of the theories and techniques of directing. Students will direct several short scenes.
Prerequisite(s): THTRE 1020 Script Analysis, THTRE 1300 Acting I, and THTRE 1400 Stagecraft.

This is an introductory course in the theory and practice of scenography for the theatre. The primary goal of this class is to provide access to terms, concepts, and design principle applications for theatrical scenery, costume, and lighting design.
(Normally offered each fall semester.)

Students will direct under supervision a one-act play or (with instructor's permission) a full-length play. This course may be repeated.
Prerequisite(s): THTRE 1020 Script Analysis, THTRE 1300 Acting I, THTRE 1400 Stagecraft, THTRE 1310 Acting II, and THTRE 2500 Directing I.

A survey of theatre arts from ancient Greece through the 19th century. It includes sections on classic, medieval, Renaissance, Restoration, 18th century, and 19th century drama and theatre practice.
Prerequisite(s): THTRE 1010 Theatre Appreciation or THTRE 1020 Script Analysis.
(Normally offered on even fall semesters.)

A course for students preparing for careers in theatre. Projects will include resume and portfolio preparation, auditioning, and interviewing techniques, introduction to internships, apprenticeships, and graduate study.

THTRE 4810 Musical Theatre History is a survey of musical theatre history and musical theatre music and dramatic literature from its earliest documented beginnings up to the present day. As the course is designed primarily for musical theatre majors, primary emphasis will be given to musical theatre history in the United States. Students will consider examples of classical, medieval and early modern musical entertainment, followed by units covering continental operetta of the 18th C, early 19th C, late 19th C (including Gilbert & Sullivan), each decade in the 20th C, as well as contemporary developments. Students will also critically analyze the specific elements of musical theatre: integration of song and book, character and voice, ensemble, orchestra, narration and technology. Musical Theatre History is designed to familiarize students with the tenets and challenges of historical inquiry as they can be applied to the study of musical theatre. The course also seeks to build appreciation for a broad range of musical theatre styles. THTRE 4810 Musical Theatre History is a required course for the B.F.A. in Musical Theatre.
Prerequisite(s): THTRE 3800 World Theatre History I or permission of instructor.
(Normally offered even spring semester.)

A survey of theatre arts from the advent of realism to contemporary theatre. Special emphasis will be given to nonrealistic theatre movements and their influence on playwriting, directing, acting, and design.
Prerequisite(s): THTRE 1010 Theatre Appreciation or THTRE 1020 Script Analysis.
(Normally offered on odd fall semesters.)

Contemporary Theatre is a course designed to
situate the study and practice of theatre within
contemporary cultural contexts.
Prerequisite(s): Junior standing or permission of
the instructor.

This intermediate acting course reinforces the fundamental skills acquired in Script Analysis and Acting I, and builds upon them in order to emphasize technique and truth in acting. Using elements from comtemporary acting theorists (Meisner, LeCoq, Alder, etc.) students investigate contemporary dramatic texts. The process focuses on freeing the performer's instrument while concentrating on the actor's intent.
Prerequisite(s): THTRE 1020 Script Analysis and THTRE 1300 Acting I.

Musical Theatre Voice is an introductory course in the effective use of the voice for singing. Students will learn the basics of vocal health, vocal conditioning, breath support, body alignment, and tone quality. In addition students will acquire basic singing terminology and introductory music reading and piano skills.

This course focuses on development of musical theatre performance skills in the areas of singing, dancing, and acting. Topics to be investigated include techniques of musical storytelling, vocal techniques for musical theatre singing, sight-reading, fundamentals of musical theatre dance, acting a song, and truth in musical theatre acting. Each student prepares and presents a series of performance projects including a repertoire of musical theatre songs, group dance numbers, and acting presentations. This course is recommended for the student who has an interest in musical theatre plus the student who plans to be a music or theatre teacher in the secondary schools. This course may be repeated once for credit. It can count only once for the Theatre Arts minor.
(Normally offered on even fall semesters.)

This course focuses on development of musical theatre performance skills in the area of singing and acting. Topics to be investigated include techniques of musical storytelling, vocal techniques for musical theatre, singing, sight-reading, acting a song, and truth in musical theatre acting. Each student prepares and presents a series of performance projects including a repertoire of musical theatre songs.
Prerequisite(s): Successful completion of THTRE 1650 Musical Theatre: I.
(Normally offered each fall semester.)

This is an advanced course in acting that incorporates the technique and truth in acting skills from Acting II and aims to provide an intensive study of character analysis and presentation skills. Performance texts for class activities and exercises will be drawn primarily from turn-of-the-century playwrights such as Ibsen, Shaw, and Chekhov. Attention is also to be given to the process of preparing professional auditions. This course may be repeated once for credit.
Prerequisite(s): THTRE 1020 Script Analysis, THTRE 1300 Acting I, and THTRE 1310 Acting II.
(Normally offered on even fall semesters.)

A course designed to assist the student in improving control and use of the voice for speaking. Students participate in individualized and group exercises. The course also serves as an introduction to the variations in speech sounds, rhythms, and intonational patterns that characterize selected dialects of spoken English. Students utilize the International Phonetic Alphabet to transcribe cuttings from selected plays into the sounds of appropriate dialects and then reproduce the sounds vocally. Recordings of dialects are utilized for ear training.

Movement for the Actor will deal with techniques for freeing the actor's body, external character development, awareness of physical habits, the actor's physical health, and listening to body language. Physical assessment coupled with habit modification and intellectual choice of body movement will place the actor in a more "neutral" zone and allow her/him to play more varied roles on stage and off. Improvisation, exercise, music/movement, and elements of Alexander Technique will be explored. May be repeated for credit up to 6 times for Theatre Arts majors and up to 3 times for Theatre Arts minors.

Musical theatre dance techniques and combinations will be explored in this course. Exercises to promote flexibility and stamina will be incorporated into the process. Course progress will be demonstrated in a culminating performance. This class may be repeated for credit.

This advanced course focuses on development of musical theatre performance skills in the area scene study as it applies to musical theatre. Topics to be investigated include techniques of musical storytelling, vocal techniques for musical theatre, singing, sight-reading, acting a song, and truth in musical theatre acting. Each student prepares and presents a series of performance projects including a repertoire of musical theatre songs. The major thrust of the class will be musical theatre scene work.
Prerequisite(s): THTRE 1650 Musical Theatre: I and THTRE 1660 Musical Theatre II.
(Normally offered each fall semester.)

This course focuses on development of musical theatre performance skills. Topics to be investigated include techniques of musical storytelling, vocal techniques for musical theatre, singing, sight-reading, acting a song, and truth in musical theatre acting. Each student prepares and presents a series of performance projects including a repertoire of musical theatre songs. The major thrust of this class will focus on musical theatre literature as it pertains to the performer. Material will be selected from Gilbert and Sullivan Operettas to contemporary literature. May be repeated for credit.
Prerequisite(s): THTRE 1650 Musical Theatre: I, THTRE 1660 Musical Theatre II, and THTRE 3650 Musical Theatre III.
(Normally offered each fall semester.)

This is an advanced acting course that builds upon the skills gained in previous acting and directing classes. It trains students to handle specific acting challenges presented to them from the instructor from a director's perspective. Recommended for students completing the B.F.A. degree in theatre with an emphasis in acting.
Prerequisite(s): THTRE 1020 Script Analysis, THTRE 1300 Acting I, THTRE 1310 Acting II, and THTRE 2300 Acting III.
(Normally offered each spring semester. )

This advanced acting course reinforces the fundamental skills acquired in previous Acting class and builds upon them in order to develop techniques for performance auditions. Specifically, the choice and preparation of material will be discovered.
Prerequisite(s): THTRE 1300 Acting I, THTRE 1310 Acting II, and THTRE 2300 Acting III or permission of instructor.
(Normally offered each fall semester.)

A study of the theory and practice of stage makeup. The final project is the supervised design and execution of makeup for a major production or lab theatre production.
(Normally offered each spring semester.)

Playing Shakespeare is an intermediate level acting class focusing on the technique necessary to perform classical texts. We will focus on expanding the abilities of the actor's instrument. Truthfulness will be the ultimate goal balanced by the requirements of the text. Students will be introduced to the guidelines and techniques for acting dramatic verse. Students learn period movement and style appropriate for the Elizabethan and Jacobean era. Students also explore the use of voice, speech, tone, rhythm and pitch as part of character revelation. Playing Shakespeare may be repeated once for credit.

In Acting for the Camera, students will learn and explore the necessary adjustments of one's acting styles, terminology, and techniques to be a successful actor on camera. This course will be divided into the various components of camera jobs (feature films, commercials, industrial film, sitcoms, one-hour episodic tv, etc.), and after learning the appropriate techniques for that particular genre, students will spend time in front of the camera working with exercises and actual commercial, film and TV, industrial scenes. Performances will then be analyzed and critiqued so that students will have an opportunity to improve their skills.
Prerequisite(s): THTRE 1300 Acting I.
(Normally offered each fall semester.)

This is a general introductory course in Stage Combat. Students will learn the basics in Combat Safety, Unarmed Combat, Small Sword, Rapier, Rapier and Dagger, Broadsword and Sword and Shield.

This course is a study of the theory and practice of lighting and sound design. The student will do several projects and designs for lights and sound. One of these designs will be actualized in the laboratory theatre or a major production. This course may be repeated once for credit.
Prerequisite(s): THTRE 1020 Script Analysis and THTRE 1400 Stagecraft.
(Normally offered on odd fall semesters.)

Dialects is a course that focuses on the mastery of vocal techniques required for utilizing stage dialects in performance. The course will offer a practical approach to learning dialects that will be believable and accurate. We will explore a process for creating a dialect role, from pre-production script analysis and dialect acquisition, through the rehearsal period and run of the texts. Each student will prepare and present a series of oral and written dialect projects culminating in an oral examination.

Theatre Workshop is a class in which students prepare, rehearse, and present a theatre production. The culminating project will be a theatre production. The culminating project will be a presentation of the productioon on stage as part of the NWU Theatre season. This course may be repeated for credit.

See department for course description

On-the-job training for theatre arts majors and minors in theatre-related organizations. Students will arrange for their positions according to departmental guidelines, and each internship will be designed to the satisfaction of the sponsor, faculty coordinator, and student. Students may repeat the course and earn a maximum of 6 hours credit.
Pass/Fail only.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of the department chair.

The senior theatre project is done under the immediate supervision of a theatre faculty or teaching-staff member in one of these areas: costumes, scenery, lights, properties, makeup, acting, stage management, or directing. The student and the diretor of the theatre must first determine the feasibility of the proposed project for a full-length play (i.e., at least 90 minutes playing time) and select a theatre faculty/teaching-staff member supervisor. This planning process must be completed no later than May 1 of the junior year. The student will be responsible for doing the research, designing the project and seeing it to completion. The supervisor will serve as a consultant throughout the project, will grade the project, and will arrange for the student to present a description of his or her accomplishment to interested persons. See the director of the theatre for further guidelines and procedures.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of the department chair.