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Theatre and DanceCOURSES 110 INTRODUCTION TO THEATRE STUDIES This course provides an introduction to studies in theatre and performance by way of critical dramatic and performance frameworks, from antiquity to present. This is an initiation, in other words, for the student of theatre and performance into a selection of global sources of performance forms, histories, and research methods. Around the world, artists have deployed written and embodied crafts for performance, and we will examine interpretational practices for engaging with written as well as performance texts. Key important terms include: representation, mediation, historiography, politics, philosophy, theory, performance—as well as theatre, drama, and audience. Students engage with the critical tools necessary to begin exploring histories of the critical arts, addressing methodologies of thinking, writing, reading, and researching works in the theater and the performing arts. The organizing project is to carefully consider the question of Mimesis (imitation): how it continues to inform conceptualizations of the field of Theatre and Performance Studies, and what it is that disciplines our research activities in it. In asking ’what is theatre, what is performance? How have they worked?’ we also consider Methexis (participation). How are performance practices located? What are the imperatives of difference and repetition for thinking sources of global performance? Sources include Euripides, Plato, Aristotle, Ngugi wa Thiongo, Everyman, Shakespeare, Islamic and Golden Age Spain, Aztec ritual, Mayan theatres, and other indigenous performance practices. Every year. (4 credits) 115 CULTURES OF DANCE This course serves as an introduction to dance from a global viewpoint. It involves an investigation of forms and styles through performance attendance, movement, video viewing, discussion, reading and guest artists. We will examine the function of dance in the lives of individuals and societies as seen through various cultural lenses such as feminist, Africanist, and ethnological perspectives. There will be an emphasis on movement participation, including a weekly movement lab. Every fall. Fulfills the Fine Arts distribution requirement. (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 Theatre and Dance 341 is required for a dance minor. Every fall. (4 credits) 125 TECHNICAL THEATRE A demonstration of the importance of scenographic technology in the production of theatre. This course investigates the basic theories of how a design is executed, involving all aspects of theatre 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 semester. (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 THEATRE 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 theatre 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 theatre 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 theatre-making, and participate in at least one major community project during the semester. Every other year; next offered 2011. (4 credits)
215 READING THE DANCING BODY: STUDIES IN DANCE HISTORY Dance is an art of the body in time, space, and culture. It is a language that reflects individual, economic, social, and religious forces. This class will “read” the gender, race, and politics of the dancing body within African-American and Euro-American dance traditions from the 19th century to the early 21st century. The focus will be on theatrical dance forms in the United States including ballet, modern, and musical theater dance. Social dance will also be looked at as a predecessor to some of these genres. We will read, write, discuss, dance, view videos, and attend performances. Every other spring; next offered Spring 2011. Fulfills the Fine Arts Distribution requirement. (4 credits) 235 FUNDAMENTALS OF SCENE DESIGN Study of the concepts, principles, and techniques of scene design in the modern theatre. 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 theatre 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: Theatre and Dance 125 or permission of instructor. $40 materials fee required. Every spring. (4 credits) 242 PLAYWRIGHTING AND TEXTUAL ANALYSIS Effective text-based theatre, 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. Every other spring; next offered Spring 2010. (4 credits) 250 EXPERIENTIAL ANATOMY AND THE MIND-BODY CONNECTION Through reading, writing, research, hands-on exercises, and structured movement activities, this course will explore the body’s design and function, focusing on the skeletal, muscle, nervous, and respiratory systems. We will use yoga postures (asanas) and breath control (pranayama) as tools to cultivate direct knowledge of anatomy and alignment. This course is designed to integrate scientific models of anatomy and one’s lived experience of body and movement. We will investigate the relationship between body and mind, beginning with the question of how the body and mind are defined and understood. Along with recent scholarly research, we will use mindfulness meditation (calm, precise attention) as a means to study thought, feeling, sensation, perception, and consciousness and how they interrelate. Every spring. (4 credits) 255 LIGHTING DESIGN This course is an introduction to basic lighting design and the history of lighting. While emphasis is on theatre, 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. $20 materials fee required. Alternate years; next offered Fall 2010. (4 credits) 260 PERFORMANCE STUDIES PRAXIS: AVANT-GARDE ARTS AND THE SOCIAL In this introductory course we examine the key issues and methods of avant-garde performance, performance art, and Performance Studies. Focusing on a poetics of “revolution,” we study the theory and practices of aesthetic inquiry within and beyond the conventions of cosmopolitan modernismos. The representational critiques of literary, sonic, somatic, visual, and theatre arts guide our study. Every year. (4 credits) 261 MODERN GLOBAL PERFORMANCE This course takes up where Theatre and Dance 260 leaves off, and introduces students to the theatre, 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: Theatre and Dance 110, Frames and Methods in Performance Studies, or permission of the instructor. Next offered Spring 2010. (4 credits) 262 PERFORMING FEMINISMS (Same as Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies) 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” theatre 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 2011. (4 credits) 263 AFRICAN AMERICAN THEATRE This course is an overview of the development of theatre by and about Black Americans. It examines the historical, social, political, and cultural context of African-American Theatre. After investigating the roots of African-American Theatre 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; next offered Spring 2010. (4 credits) 264 RIGHTS AND RESISTANCE: THEATRE AND FILM IN LATIN AMERICA (Same as Latin American Studies 264) This course offers an introduction to negotiations between art and the state in Latin American theatre and film texts and performances that expressly illuminate cultural and political movements in the Americas during the 20th century. We study the ways in which theatre and film address and express crisis of social conflict. Drawing on post-colonial and liberation theories of culture, art, and the state, we construct an intellectual history of socially motivated Latin American performances. This course satisfies the Internationalism requirement. Offered occasionally. (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; next offered Spring 2010. (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: Theatre 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: Theatre 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: Theatre 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 Theatre 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 theatre. The class also functions as a directing clinic dealing with questions raised by the individual student directors. This course has a restricted enrollment. Prerequisites: Theatre and Dance 350, 340 or 360, senior standing, and permission of the department. Every fall. (4 credits) 465 ADVANCED LIGHTING DESIGN Continuation of Theatre and Dance 255. Meets simultaneously with Theatre 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: Theatre and Dance 255 or permission of instructor. $20 materials fee require. Alternate years; next offered Fall 2011. (4 credits) 475 ADVANCED SCENE DESIGN Continuation of Theatre and Dance 235. Meets simultaneously with Theatre 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: Theatre and Dance 235 or permission of instructor. $40 materials fee required. Every spring. (4 credits) 489 PERFORMANCE THEORY SEMINAR This seminar examines the vibrant and highly productive field of Performance Studies, and its attentions to theatrical, artistic, and cultural practices, focusing on the key theoretical innovations which mobilize interest in Performance across many disciplines. In particular, we will pursue the question of performance, and performance theory, in the current era of globalization, ie: how do studies in theatre, performance, and dance engage with the many registers of thinking what Spivak calls ‘a planetary’ arts and criticism? How do performance artists and theorists conceptualize and address formal artistic methodologies, culture, and globalization? Our premise is that all researchers are cultural producers, at once located within processes of globalization and mapping their terrains. Understanding theory as a method of doing (nothing more, nothing less) we examine some of the essential critical vocabularies for thinking the site-specific theories and practices of performance and globality together. Readings in theatre and performance research, in addition to literary, media, anthropology, and cultural studies, contribute to our study of contemporary Performance Studies. 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 theatre. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor. Every semester. (Variable 1–4 credits) 624 INTERNSHIP The theatre and dance department allows up to eight credits for approved internship experiences, which may be applicable to a major in theatre 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 Find expression and embodiment through the practice of movement improvisation. Open to all levels of ability. Come with a desire to move, an open mind and a willingness to explore in a non-competitive environment. We will learn to fall, roll and work with gravity in relationship to ourselves and others. The class will introduce you to contact improvisation, the “art-sport” developed by Steve Paxton in 1972. Relieve stress and balance your mind and body through physical action and awareness. 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 formation of a cohesive group through a focused and energetic rehearsal process. Each year a guest choreographer creates a dance for the Ensemble which is then performed at the American College Dance Festival in March. Dance Ensemble is offered every year and requires a full year commitment. One credit for each semester is awarded at the end of the semester. Practicum Credit in Theatre Production work in theatre 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 Theatre Practicum I(non-majors only/pass-fail) or Theatre Practicum II (majors and minors only/grade assigned). Students participating in productions may earn up to eight total practicum credits in Theatre or Dance. Practicum beyond eight will appear on transcript but not count towards graduation. Students participating in productions earn practicum credits in the following ways: one of two ways: THEATRE 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 Theatre Practicum I in Acting 16 Theatre Practicum I in Scenery/Lighting/Costuming Construction 17 Theatre Practicum I in Production Running Crew Every semester. (1 credit) THEATRE PRACTICUM II SERIES (majors/minors only) (grade assigned) Majors and minors in theatre and in the combined major in theatre 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 complete 2 practica in 76, 1 practicum in 77 and 1 practicum in 80. Practica 78 maybe substituted for 77 or one of the 76 practicum. 75 Theatre Practicum II in Acting 76 Theatre Practicum in Scenery/Lighting/Costuming Construction 77 Theatre Practicum II in Production Running Crew 78 Theatre Practicum II in Advanced Production Techniques 80 Theatre Practicum Senior Project Every semester. (1 credit) Practicum Credit in Dance Students participating in Dance productions may earn up to eight total practicum credits in Theatre or Dance. Practicum beyond eight will appear on transcript but not count towards graduation. Students participating in productions earn practicum credits in the following areas: 05 Dance Practicum in Production Any student can receive 1 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 (Theatre and Dance Combined Majors only) (grade assigned) Students with a combined major in theatre 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 theatre. 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 26 Dance Practicum in Costuming/Sound/Lighting 28 Dance Practicum in Production Assistance 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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