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Theater and Dance Course Descriptions

110 FRAMES AND METHODS IN PERFORMANCE STUDIES

In the exciting field of performance studies, a street is a rehearsal room, a skyscraper is a choreographer's floor, and everyone makes performances that could change the world. In this course, we will investigate the theories and practices of performer-artist-citizens on local and global stages. Using interdisciplinary theories of performance, power, and meaning-making, and employing such diverse methods as somatic inquiry, ethnography, and cultural theory, students will learn about and experience the transformational power of performance in people's lives. Projects will be experiential and flexible for those new to performance. Attendance at local performances and community events will be required. No prerequisites. Offered every spring. (4 credits)

 

115 CULTURES OF DANCE

This course will introduce you to dance in various ways: through performance attendance, video viewing, class discussions, readings, guests and studio movement participation. From a global view point we will look at dance as culturally coded embodied knowledge, investigating forms, styles, and contexts. We will examine the function of dance in the lives of individuals and societies through various cultural lenses including feminist, Africanist and ethnological perspectives. This investigation of dance theory and practice will include a weekly movement lab. No previous experience necessary. Every fall. (4 credits)

 

120 ACTING THEORY & PERFORMANCE I

An introduction to the fundamental techniques of realistic acting. Through improvisation, physical and vocal exercises, text and character analysis, and scene studies, the student is introduced to the process of acting preparation and performance. Limited to 16 students. Every semester. (4 credits)

 

121 BEGINNING DANCE COMPOSITION

The creative art of choreography is the transformation of felt and learned experiences into externalized forms. The process of organizing movement and evaluating the choices made within that organization is the development of the craft of choreography or composition. The elements of space, time and energy are studied in depth. Each student is actively involved in the creative process as choreographer and viewer. Either this course or Theater and Dance 341 is required for a dance minor. Every fall. (4 credits)

 

125 TECHNICAL THEATER

A demonstration of the importance of scenographic technology in the production of theater. This course investigates the basic theories of how a design is executed, involving all aspects of theater technology: staging methods, materials, construction, and drafting. In addition to the lectures, the class will have a studio/drafting lab once a week, plus outside class laboratory crew experience. $30 materials fee required. Limited to 16 students. Every fall. (4 credits)

 

145 MAKE-UP DESIGN AND APPLICATION

This course teaches students the theory and practice of make-up design and application, through a combination of lecture, discussion, demonstration and intense application. Students independently complete an extensive research portfolio called a "make-up morgue" while learning the principles of make-up design and application in weekly classroom laboratory format. $45 materials fee required. Alternate years. (4 credits)

 

210 COMMUNITY-BASED THEATER

In almost every town in the world, in a rich tradition spanning millennia, communities make theatrical representations of themselves: their heroes, their unsung neighbors, their struggles, their aspirations. Community-based theater is made by, for and about communities, and the varieties, strategies, controversies and triumphs of this form are the content of this course. In the United States, which is the geographical focus of this course, community-based theater has emerged from rural and urban communities, communities of color, communities of coalitions united toward a cause—we will learn from historical and scholarly accounts, and from participants' accounts, about many of these efforts. We also will explore the Twin Cities' own deep history of community-based theater-making, and participate in at least one major community project during the semester. Offered every other spring semester; next offered Spring 2009. (4 credits)

 

235 FUNDAMENTALS OF SCENE DESIGN

Study of the concepts, principles, and techniques of scene design in the modern theater. The emphasis is on developing an understanding of what a design concept involves and how to put ideas into colors, spaces, and forms. Much of the class lectures concern how to handle theater space and how other designers and periods in history have solved these problems. The lectures and exercises analyze the diverse materials available to the designer and the skills involved in mastering them. Prerequisite: Theater and Dance 125 or permission of instructor. Spring 2008. (4 credits)

 

242 PLAYWRIGHTING AND TEXTUAL ANALYSIS

Effective text-based theater, also known as "good playwrighting," is made by writers who understand how plays work, how directors and designers collaborate, and how directors and actors communicate. In this course, we will read and discuss a variety of plays with an interest in their formal innovations(s), attend productions in the Twin Cities and develop a critical vocabulary for discussing the strengths and weaknesses of the writing, and meet with directors and playwrights experienced in the creation of new work. In-class time will be dedicated to writing exercises and reading students' work. A one-act festival of original work from the class is the final course project. Prerequisite: sophomore standing or permission of instructor. Offered every other spring; next offered Spring 2008. (4 credits)

 

255 LIGHTING DESIGN

This course is an introduction to basic lighting design and the history of lighting. While emphasis is on theater, it also teaches the lighting design of film, television, dance, opera, and environmental settings. This course is primarily an approach to lighting design, but the student will be expected to have a basic grasp of lighting hardware as well. The first aim of the course is to make the student more aware of color and light around him/her every day. Demonstrations are an integral part of the lectures. Alternate years; next offered Fall 2008. (4 credits)

 

260 SOURCES OF GLOBAL PERFORMANCE

This course introduces students to performance, theater and drama as they have developed across the world from antiquity to c. 1600 C.E. Proceeding from the proposition that contemporary theater is animated by the "ghosts" of past performance practices, the course pursues questions through an historical inquiry in order to enrich our understanding of, and creative engagement with, current forms and experiments. The course may range from ancient Greece to medieval Japan to pre-Colombian Americas, posing questions such as: what is "performance?" where was it made and what were its urgencies? Who "delivered" its extant documents? This course is the first in a two-course survey of the global history of theatrical performance. Students will become familiar with the methodologies of historiography and performance studies, and employ them in course projects. Prerequisite: Theater and Dance 110, Frames and Methods in Performance Studies, or permission of the instructor. Fall semester. (4 credits)

 

261 MODERN GLOBAL PERFORMANCE

This course takes up where Theater and Dance 260 leaves off, and introduces students to the theater, drama and performance of the past 400 years, in local, national and international contexts. Though encouraged, it is not necessary to take 260 and 261 in sequence. Prerequisite: Theater and Dance 110, Frames and Methods in Performance Studies, or permission of the instructor. Next offered Spring 2008. (4 credits)

 

262 PERFORMING FEMINISMS

This course focuses on the playwrighting, directing and performance strategies of 20th and 21st century women, in mostly the U.S. context, who have used the stage as a dynamic site of collaboration, contestation and innovation. "Texts"—written and performed, conventional and radical—by women artists of color are read as historical documents of movements for racial, gender, sexuality and class self-narration; texts by pioneering women in first- and second-wave "feminist" theater offer context and counterpoint. Assignments include a research project on a woman artist not represented on the syllabus, and an original collective performance project (no performance experience required!). Prerequisite: sophomore standing or permission of the instructor. Alternate years; next offered Spring 2009. (4 credits)

 

263 AFRICAN AMERICAN THEATER

This course is an overview of the development of theater by and about Black Americans. It examines the historical, social, political, and cultural context of African-American Theater. After investigating the roots of African-American Theater in African culture, performance modes, and social values, it focuses on a study of plays written by Black Americans in the 19th and 20th centuries. Prerequisite: sophomore standing or permission of the instructor. Alternate years. (4 credits)

 

340 MASK IMPROVISATION FOR THE ACTOR OR DANCER

Mask improvisation focuses on the important performance skills of imagination, spontaneity, and improvisation. In this course the actor learns much about himself/herself as a psychophysical being and techniques for transforming himself/herself into a character. Here the actor is not dealing with a written text, but is the playwright as well as the performer. Enrollment limited to 12 students. Permission of the instructor. $15 materials fee required. Alternate years. (4 credits)

 

341 INTERMEDIATE DANCE COMPOSITION

A continuation of the study of choreography, utilizing tools from the beginning level course in an advanced format, such as a juxtaposition of the dance elements involving more than one dancer. This course will deepen the student's ability to draw upon his or her self knowledge and create work that is rich in intuitive and intellectual knowledge. A look at the relationship of movement and music will be explored. Attendance at performances, followed by choreographic analysis will be an integral part of the process. Prerequisite: Theater and Dance 121 or permission of the instructor. Every fall. (4 credits)

 

350 DIRECTING THEORY & PRODUCTION I

An introduction to the basic principles, skills, and methods of directing for the stage through emphasis on analysis and interpretation, director-actor communication, and stage composition. Laboratory experiences are integral to the course and consist of the in-class production of several short scenes. Prerequisite: Theater and Dance 120, 125, and 235, or permission of the instructor is also required. Enrollment limited to 12 students. Every spring. (4 credits)

 

360 ACTING THEORY & PERFORMANCE II

Advanced work in characterization and additional acting techniques with continued focus on voice, movement, improvisation and textual analysis. A continuation of Acting Theory and Performance I, this course is designed to deepen the student's understanding of his/her instrument as well as develop an individualized working method. Included in the course is a consideration of style through scene work in other genres. Prerequisites: Theater and Dance 120, sophomore standing, and permission of instructor required. Enrollment limited to 12 students. Every year. (4 credits)

 

460 DIRECTING THEORY & PRODUCTION II

In this course the students apply the theories and principles learned in Theater and Dance 350, Directing Theory and Production I, by preparing projects for public performance. Class time is spent on the more complex directing problems such as working with the design/technical staff, directing for different space configurations, focusing and pacing productions, and directing non-realistic styles of theater. The class also functions as a directing clinic dealing with questions raised by the individual student directors. This course has a restricted enrollment. Prerequisites: Theater and Dance 350, 340 or 360, senior standing, and permission of the department. Every fall. (4 credits)

 

465 ADVANCED LIGHTING DESIGN

Continuation of Theater and Dance 255. Meets simultaneously with Theater and Dance 255. Emphasis will be on furthering skills and techniques used in developing lighting design concepts. Projects are more complex and require more precision in their execution. Group discussion/critiques and field trips are included. Students' final projects will be a mock United Scenic Artist Lighting Design Exam. Prerequisite: Theater and Dance 255 or permission of instructor. Alternate years; next offered Fall 2007. (4 credits)

 

475 ADVANCED SCENE DESIGN

Continuation of Theater and Dance 235. Meets simultaneously with Theater and Dance 235. Emphasis will be on furthering skills and techniques used in developing a design concept and how those design concepts are presented in three dimensional models or color renderings (paintings). A design portfolio will be the outcome of this course. Prerequisite: Theater and Dance 235 or permission of instructor. Every spring. (4 credits)

 

489 PERFORMANCE THEORY SEMINAR

This seminar examines theater and its relationship to society. The specific subject matter and focus of the seminar changes each year but considers such questions as: What is the purpose and function of theater in society? How culture-specific are our theater forms? What values are inherent in the content and context of our current theater? How will theater continue to speak to the need for diversity as well as community in the face of an emerging global culture? What will theater be like in the 21st century? This course is designed for theater majors, and examines many theoretical and critical issues through non-performance and performance research methods. Prerequisite: junior/senior standing; if a non-major, permission of the instructor required. Every fall. (4 credits)

 

604 TUTORIAL

Prerequisite: permission of the instructor. Every semester. (Variable 1–4 credits)

 

614 INDEPENDENT PROJECT

For the advanced student capable of independent study requiring library research and/or experimental work in the theater. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor. Every semester. (Variable 1–4 credits)

 

624 INTERNSHIP

The theater and dance department allows up to eight credits for approved internship experiences, which may be applicable to a major in theater arts (and non-majors, by approval from and in consultation with a department faculty member). Internships are available to junior and senior majors with permission of the department. Every semester. (Variable 1–4 credits)

 

634 PRECEPTORSHIP

Through a preceptorship, an advanced student assists a faculty member in the planning and teaching of a course. This opportunity is available only to juniors and seniors, with permission of the instructor and the department. Every semester. (Variable 1–4 credits)

 

644 HONORS INDEPENDENT

Independent research, writing, or other preparation leading to the culmination of the senior honors project. Offered every semester. (1–4 credits)

 

Dance Technique Classes

 

Students may earn credit for participating in dance technique classes. Each class is one credit. Students may earn a maximum of eight credits from dance technique classes towards graduation. Dance technique classes are graded S/NC.

 

The technique classes are offered as follows: 21, 41 & 51, fall only; 11, 31, 42 & 52, spring only; 43 & 53, both semesters. Each level can be repeated for credit.

 

11 YOGA AND BODY AWARENESS

This class will introduce students to the philosophy and practices of yoga, emphasizing *asana* ("posture") practice as a tool for exploring breath and movement in the body. The class is taught in the tradition of T.K.V. Desikachar, though the structural awareness of B.K.S. Iyengar's teachings will complement and deepen students' understanding of *asana*. Prior experience with yoga not required; appropriate for all students. Adaptations of postures will be offered for all students' well-being. Offered most spring semesters.

 

21 AFRICAN DANCE

The African Dance class covers the traditional dance and music forms from several countries on the African continent. This physically rigorous class is accompanied by a drummer. Students learn about the origins of the dance forms and create in-class projects. Attendance at a concert off-campus is required.

 

31 DANCE IMPROVISATION

Dance improvisation is the discipline of making movement choices in the moment. Open to all levels of movers, students explore movement and structure in many different ways. Basic contact and problem-solving skills will be introduced. Risk-taking and a willingness to play will be encouraged.

 

41 MODERN DANCE I, 42 MODERN DANCE II, 43 MODERN DANCE III, 45 MODERN DANCE IV

The study of fundamental principles of movement, emphasizing the integration of mind and body. Attention is given to breath as a support for the body systems, as well as attainment of strength, flexibility and coordination. The elements of space, time and energy are identified and developed through set movement patterns and basic improvisations. Attendance at a concert off-campus is required, followed by a written or creative response.

 

51 BALLET I, 52 BALLET II, 53 BALLET III

The study of the fundamentals of classical ballet. Students learn correct alignment principles, ballet movement vocabulary, musicality, sense of line, and spatial awareness. Exploration of how movement and physics principles apply to weight, momentum, suspension and release. Attendance at a concert off-campus is required, followed by a written or creative response.

 

60 DANCE ENSEMBLE

Selected by auditions in early fall, the ensemble members work towards achieving a high level of dance performance. Participation in the dance ensemble requires a strong commitment to the group and rehearsal process. Becky Heist, Director of the Dance Program, and an annual guest choreographer creates dance for the ensemble. The ensemble generally performs at the American College Dance Festival. First year students are not eligible for the ensemble.

 

Practicum Credit in Theater

 

Production work in theater and dance is open to all Macalester students. One credit is earned through successful completion of one practicum experience. Students will sign a contract for either a Theater Practicum I (non-majors only/pass-fail) or Theater Practicum II (majors and minors only/grade assigned). Up to eight practicum credits may be earned overall. Students participating in productions earn practicum credit in the following ways:

 

THEATER PRACTICUM I SERIES (non-majors only) (pass/fail)

 

Credit is earned by working a minimum of 45 hours during the semester on a department production. Non-majors may earn all practicum credits in one area or a combination of areas.

 

15 Theater Practicum I in Acting

16 Theater Practicum I in Costuming/Properties Construction

17 Theater Practicum I in Scenery/Lighting/Sound

 

Every semester. (1 credit)

 

THEATER PRACTICUM II SERIES (majors/minors only) (grade assigned)

Majors and minors in theater and in the combined major in theater and dance commit to study and training in all aspects of production, during all semesters they are in residence in the Junior and Senior years. Majors and minors are required to enroll in 76, 77, 80 and, in addition, may choose either 75 or 78.

 

75 Theater Practicum II in Acting

76 Theater Practicum in Costuming/Properties Construction

77 Theater Practicum II in Scenery/Lighting/Sound

78 Theater Practicum II in Advanced Production Techniques

80 Theater Practicum Senior Project

 

Every semester. (1 credit)

 

Practicum Credit in Dance

 

05 Dance Practicum in Production

Any student can receive one credit for completing a minimum of 45 hours of tech such as costuming, running crew, sound operator, or stage manager.

 

06 Dance Practicum in Performance

Students may earn 1 credit by participating as a dancer in a dance choreographed by a faculty or guest artist. Students are responsible for attendance at every dance rehearsal, tech rehearsal, and performance.

 

07 Dance Practicum in Choreography

Students may earn 1 credit by choreographing a dance that will be presented in the fall or spring concert. In addition to the creation of the dance, choreographers are responsible for directing student dancers in the rehearsal process. All student choreographers will be advised by a faculty member.

 

ADVANCED DANCE PRACTICUM SERIES (Theater and Dance Combined Majors only) (grade assigned)

Students with a combined major in theater and dance are required to participate in departmental productions during the four semesters of their junior/senior years. It is expected that students will do one practicum every semester; two in dance and two in theater. In addition, students are required to complete a senior project. (The senior project can be taken for one to four credits either as an independent study or as fulfilling the 70 Dance Practicum Senior Project requirement.)

 

25 Dance Practicum in Performance

Every semester. (1 credit)

26 Dance Practicum in Costuming/Sound/Lighting

Every semester. (1 credit)

28 Dance Practicum in Production Assistance

Every semester. (1 credit)

70 Dance Practicum Senior Project

Every semester. (1 credit)

 

Practicum Credit in Debate and Forensics

 

All debate and forensics activities are open to all Macalester students. One semester credit is earned upon satisfactory completion of one semester of practicum experience. A maximum of four semester credits may be earned through debate and forensic activities. For majors, no portion of these credits may substitute for one of the ten required courses. Offered every semester.

 

90 PRACTICUM IN FORENSICS

Credit may be earned by participating in several forensic tournaments or by extensive participation in the public audience symposium program or mock trial competitions. Offered every semester. (1 credit)

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