Class Schedules

Reading Plays guides students in close readings of dramatic literature, in particular of plays that are typically left out of the traditional theatrical canon. In this edition, students will learn about the socio-historical context of each play, and in-class exercises will introduce them to the foundation of script analysis: they will examine the play’s given circumstances, dialogue, dramatic action, characters, and style. Students will read a new play every week; assignments include weekly in-class writing exercises and short critical papers. Some playwrights we may explore are: Ayad Akhtar, Jaclyn Backhaus, Christopher Chen, Mashuq Mushtaq Deen, Prince Gomolvilas, David Henry Hwang, Naomi Iizuka, Rajiv Joseph, Hansol Jung, Haruna Lee, Kimber Lee, Young Jean Lee, Qui Nguyen, Jiehae Park, Lloyd Suh, Kristina Wong, Lauren Yee, and Chay Yew.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WA
Internationalism OR U.S. Identities and Differences

Distribution Requirements:
Fine arts

Course Materials

This course introduces students to the art of acting. They will acquire fundamental acting skills and engage in  artistic experimentation. Students will learn how to create a repeatable score of psychophysical actions, script analysis, use the body/voice as the actor's performing instrument; explore internal (memory, impulses, and so forth) and external (the other actors, the environment, objects, and so forth) stimuli as creative sources; rediscover of play and imagination; and develop work ethics and discipline. Students in this course will engage in physical activity and be required to spend 3-5 hours in rehearsals outside of scheduled class time.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WP

Distribution Requirements:
Fine arts

Course Materials

This course introduces students to the art of acting. They will acquire fundamental acting skills and engage in  artistic experimentation. Students will learn how to create a repeatable score of psychophysical actions, script analysis, use the body/voice as the actor's performing instrument; explore internal (memory, impulses, and so forth) and external (the other actors, the environment, objects, and so forth) stimuli as creative sources; rediscover of play and imagination; and develop work ethics and discipline. Students in this course will engage in physical activity and be required to spend 3-5 hours in rehearsals outside of scheduled class time.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WP

Distribution Requirements:
Fine arts

Course Materials

The unique qualities of dance as an art, a form of expression, and a mode of communication present fascinating opportunities for collaboration among dancers, choreographers, and designers. In this course, we will watch a variety of live and recorded dance performances with an emphasis on contemporary productions. We will learn to examine the relationship between dance and design elements (scenery, costume, light, sound, and projection design) through analysis and hands-on projects. Field trips on evenings and weekends.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WP

Distribution Requirements:
Fine arts

Course Materials

This course focuses on dance in the United States from the early 20th century to today with attention to how it has interacted with the nation’s cultural transformations. The historical study of dance as an embodied art form inevitably lends itself to an intersectional examination of how gender, race, ethnicity, and class experiences continually reflect and shape individual as well as collective identities. We will examine dance forms that have grown in and outside of concert halls, discuss seminal texts in dance and cultural studies, analyze dance videos and live performances, and write short papers that critically consider the relationship between the histories of American dance and culture over the last century.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WP
U.S. Identities and Differences

Distribution Requirements:
Fine arts

Course Materials

This course will undertake the process of technical design;  the challenges and problems one must overcome in bringing a visual design to full realization.  We live in a performance world greatly influenced by film and spectacle; and these influences create great technical challenges. This course will expand and develop specific technical areas introduced in Technologies of Performance.  These areas will include:  stage rigging, structural design, metal fabrication and stage automation and control. Prerequisite(s): THDA 125

General Education Requirements:
Quantitative Thinking Q1

Distribution Requirements:
Fine arts

Course Materials

Scenography is the creation of imagined spaces for performance. In this course we will study the fundamentals of scenography holistically, including scenic, lighting, costume, and sound design. Students will develop the ability to analyze and critique elements of performance design, articulate design ideas through written and verbal means, and complete a design project from textual analysis to tangible objects. This course is a prerequisite for intermediate and advanced design courses in Theater and Dance. Department provides course materials.

General Education Requirements:
Quantitative Thinking Q1

Distribution Requirements:
Fine arts

Course Materials

In this course, students engage in a series of playwriting exercises and read a wide variety of plays. They will read new and contemporary plays that employ different storytelling techniques (i.e., structure, character arcs, staging elements, etc.), in order to embrace the unlimited possibilities of theatricality, exemplifying why we write for the stage. Students will develop a "playwriting toolkit" as they explore their artistic interests. In-class exercises, prompts, small-group workshopping, and related readings will challenge each writer's individual development. A mid-term check-in and in-class readings of final plays will allow students to hear their work out loud in a supportive public setting. Course may be taken twice for credit.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WC

Distribution Requirements:
Fine arts

Course Materials

Students in this class will engage with costume design as both generative and collaborative artists. They will learn to conceptualize costumes for theater and dance productions drawing from a multitude of inspirations including the fine arts, costume/fashion history, music, literature, film, opera, and textiles. Class meetings will include discussions about readings and visual literacy, as well as hands-on exploration of a real-world design process including research, drawing and painting renderings, budgeting, fittings, and oral presentations of designs. Students will engage with both traditional and devised methods of developing characters and silhouettes to develop their unique vision for theatrical and dance productions. There will be 1-2 field trips to visit key resource locations for costume designers.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Fine arts

Course Materials

This course will introduce students to the multi-faceted responsibilities of the stage manager in theatrical stage productions. Through a combination of lectures, exercises, site visits and group discussion, students will learn the responsibilities and tools of managing any collaborative creative team. Each student will either Stage Manage or Assistant Stage Manage a THDA Production during the year. By the end of this course, students will have developed core proficiencies in note-taking, information management, giving written & verbal feedback, collaboration, leadership, communication, conflict intervention, decision making and team organization. Students receive 2 credits per semester, and 4 credits per year, but only after two consecutive semesters of enrollment. Every year. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Permission of Instructor only; Appropriate for First Years

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials

In the United States there is a friendly and non-partisan divide between folks that love musicals and those who do not. If you are in the loving musicals camp, then this course is for you. And even if you don’t love it but are curious about why people love it--also for you. The course will explore different musical styles, structure, and themes -as it relates to the socio-political and cultural climate in which it was written and produced. We will read, discuss and analyze recordings, scripts, and live performances of great American musicals including SHOWBOAT, GUYS AND DOLLS, FLOWER DRUM SONG, CABARET, FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, INTO THE WOODS, LION KING, IN THE HEIGHTS, FUN HOME, and HADESTOWN.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WP
U.S. Identities and Differences

Distribution Requirements:
Fine arts

Course Materials

This interdisciplinary course reimagines the study and practice of performance art as a bridge between disciplines and a dialogue between theory and practice, mind and body, history and experimentation. Students will gain a rare opportunity to think, move, and create across traditional disciplinary boundaries within fine arts, investigating how artists transform the body into a site of creation, resistance, and social critique—from early avant-garde disruptions to contemporary, cross-cultural performances in galleries and in public spaces. Students will engage with foundational texts on embodiment, spectatorship, and the politics of visibility alongside hands-on explorations of performance strategies by globally significant artists, ensuring that they learn not only about historical figures such as Marina Abramović, Joseph Beuys, and Carolee Schneemann, but also with cutting-edge global artists and experimental collectives in performance art today.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Fine arts

Course Materials

This course prepares advanced theater students to direct public performances, and thus focuses on the acquisition of skills such as text analysis, dynamic storytelling, stage composition, and communication (with designers, actors, stage managers, and production team). Students will choose a scene from a play proposed by the instructor, research style and aesthetic, run auditions, cast the scene, facilitate a rehearsal process, and stage a live performance. They will also learn best collaborative practices, since the class unfolds in conversation with the Acting Approaches course (THDA360) and culminates in public performances at the James A. Williams Theater. Prerequisite(s): THDA 120 or THDA 235 or THDA 360, or permission of the instructor.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WP

Distribution Requirements:
Fine arts

Course Materials

This is a reading and writing intensive course that engages theories from the fields of aesthetics and cultural studies to support each student's in-depth research into a topic of their choice. Discussions examine how particular uses of the body, space, and narrative intersect to inform our experience of "performance," broadly defined, and engage the interplay between real and fictional in both artistic productions and performative social contexts. Students may pursue archival and library research, analysis of live performance, and analysis of documents of various kinds, including visual materials. Required for Theater and Dance majors, open to Dance, Theater, and Performance Design and Technologies minors.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WA

Distribution Requirements:
Fine arts

Course Materials

This is a dance experience for students who have never taken a dance class before! Do you like moving to music? Do you like being part of a community? In this course you will develop coordination and experiment with rhythm. In warm ups, you will practice the principles of strengthening, stretching, and how to take care of your body and avoid injuries. We will improvise, play with composition, and try different styles to enjoy dance as a creative discipline. No experience necessary.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials

This is a beginning ballet class designed for students who have never had ballet before. The goal is to demonstrate fundamental understanding and execution of basic ballet technique and to develop a foundation in movement that will carry over and support any other style of dance or physical practice. It will include barre and center work, across-the-floor combinations, and stretching and strengthening practices. Correct alignment, coordination, and body mechanics will be emphasized. May be repeated for credit. Letter grading. Every semester. (2 Credits)

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials

This introductory level course explores the theory, technique, and terminology of modern dance as a performing art. Students engage fully with their bodies and minds as they deepen their strength, sense of rhythm, flexibility, and coordination. The course develops skills in inversions, floorwork, and balance based in a deepening awareness of alignment. May be repeated for credit. Letter grading.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials

This is a beginning intermediate level ballet class for students who have acquired a foundation in the basic skills of classical ballet or have successfully completed THDA 51. Students will be expected to develop or expand their ballet technique while continuing to grow as dance artists. This class will consist of ballet barre and center work, simple pirouettes and the development of basic petit allegro steps. May be repeated for credit. Letter grading.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials

Designed for intermediate to advanced dancers, the class invites you to explore the nuances of alignment, momentum, and articulation, while honing the relationship between movement and musicality. Each session is a dynamic blend of warm-ups, center exercises and dance phrases that challenge both body and mind. Building on the foundation of Beginning Contemporary Dance (or with permission of instructor), this course is a space to refine your expression, precision, and stamina. You will expand your technical skills to let your movement speak with clarity and power. May be repeated for credit. Letter grading. Every semester. Prerequisite(s): THDA 24 or permission of instructor.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials

This is an advanced level ballet class for students who have achieved an advanced level of skill and artistry in classical ballet. Students will be expected to expand and develop their ballet technique while continuing to grow as dance artists. It will include barre work, pirouettes ending in all positions, and petit allegro with beats. Combinations will increase in complexity and students will be expected to pick up material quickly. May be repeated for credit. Letter grading. Prerequisite(s): Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials

Students are involved in Theater and Dance Department productions as actors or dancers in student-led pieces. Performance Practice in Student Projects is the appropriate course when students will not work under direct supervision of a faculty member, but are part of a student director’s or student choreographer’s work in an Honors production or Dance Concert. Two credits awarded at the end of the semester. May be repeated for credit. S/N grading only. Every semester. (2 credits) Prerequisite(s): permission of instructor only.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials

Students are involved in production as actors or dancers, assistant choreographers or choreographers, assistant directors or directors, assistant designers or designers, dramaturgs and playwrights. Two credits awarded at the end of the semester. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor required; please contact the Theater and Dance Department directly for audition and registration information.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials

Students are involved in set, costume, lighting and sound engineering and construction, and running crew. Two credits awarded at the end of the semester. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor required; please see instructor to be added to registration roster

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials

Reading Plays guides students in close readings of dramatic literature, in particular of plays that are typically left out of the traditional theatrical canon. This section’s focus turns toward varied approaches from contemporary Global Majority works in the Americas, Muromachi period Japan, Yoruba conceptions of tragedy, and European Modernists to consider the special utility of dramatic literature to serve as poetic polemic and cultural ambassador. Students will learn about the socio-historical context of these works, holding space for differing views in the arena of intercultural imagination while tracing common conceptions of justice, desire, and universal human worth. In familiarizing ourselves with these dramatists’ distinct methods and the cultural contexts that led them there, we will meditate on one basic question: what does it mean to live fully alongside others unlike ourselves? Students will read and discuss a new play every week; assignments will introduce them to the foundation of script analysis, including creative responses, group presentations, and short critical papers.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WA

Distribution Requirements:
Fine arts

Course Materials

This course grounds students in the technical and construction practices of performance-making: materials and their sources and histories; conventional and contemporary technologies and techniques; quantitative methods for calculating and assessing drawings for execution. A balance of lecture and hands-on studio time allow students to learn and apply knowledge through working with materials. Students in this course also may provide support to mainstage performance projects, further extending their learning in the course. Department provides course materials.

General Education Requirements:
Quantitative Thinking Q1

Distribution Requirements:
Fine arts

Course Materials

This course grounds students in the technical and construction practices of performance-making: materials and their sources and histories; conventional and contemporary technologies and techniques; quantitative methods for calculating and assessing drawings for execution. A balance of lecture and hands-on studio time allow students to learn and apply knowledge through working with materials. Students in this course also may provide support to mainstage performance projects, further extending their learning in the course. Department provides course materials.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials

This course is the study and discipline of dance-making. Students learn the tools of the choreographer - time, space, energy - and how they can be shaped to give the body expressive power. The course focuses on the relationships between form, content, and technique. Students choreograph short studies, improvise, discuss, and view dance on film and in live performance. The course values risk-taking and collaboration in a supportive, shared space. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite(s): Coursework in a dance technique; or permission of instructor. Students with dance experience prior to Macalester are encouraged to contact the instructor for permission to enroll.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Fine arts

Course Materials

Making theatre is a messy business; in this studio course, we will explore physical comedy, the haphazard world of the clown, masks, improvisation, games, and object manipulation. The goal of the course is to encourage curiosity, and to engage the student as creator, designer, and performer-we will invent everything ourselves by learning how to play with skill. In short: there are no scripts, no lines and no stage directions. Our training will include basic acrobatics, balancing, and juggling. The instructor draws inspiration from the work of French stage actor and movement coach Jacques Lecoq.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WP

Distribution Requirements:
Fine arts

Course Materials

This course is an introduction to the techniques and tools of scene painting. Students will be introduced to terminology and a variety of tools to explore faux finishes, abstract techniques, and realistic reproductions. Students will also have a chance to participate in painting the Theater department Spring productions to test their skills. Prior experience with painting is helpful, but not required. All materials will be provided.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Fine arts

Course Materials

In this course, students engage in a series of playwriting exercises and read a wide variety of plays. They will read new and contemporary plays that employ different storytelling techniques (i.e., structure, character arcs, staging elements, etc.), in order to embrace the unlimited possibilities of theatricality, exemplifying why we write for the stage. Students will develop a "playwriting toolkit" as they explore their artistic interests. In-class exercises, prompts, small-group workshopping, and related readings will challenge each writer's individual development. A mid-term check-in and in-class readings of final plays will allow students to hear their work out loud in a supportive public setting. Course may be taken twice for credit.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WC

Distribution Requirements:
Fine arts

Course Materials

This course is an introduction to event lighting design. While emphasis is on performance, the principles can be applied to film, television, streaming and installation (museum/storefront) settings. Through hands-on activities, group projects and the use of industry standard software. Students will learn about the process of conceptualization and design, and the technology and practical skills of realizing a design. Students will learn to think critically about aesthetics and function, and critique and communicate artistic and technical ideas. Department provides course materials. Prerequisite(s): THDA 125 or THDA 235 or permission of instructor.

General Education Requirements:
Quantitative Thinking Q1

Distribution Requirements:
Fine arts

Course Materials

Once upon a time, in order to break into TV, you had to write a speculative script for an existing show. These days, show runners want to see that you have an exciting and (most importantly) original voice. In this class we explore what it takes to create that. Together we’ll watch pilot episodes of TV shows, read original pitches and show bibles, and dig into structures of both hourlong dramas and half hour sitcoms. Over the course of the semester, students will create a pitch for their own original show, begin to create a show bible, and complete a draft of their spec pilot.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WC

Distribution Requirements:
Fine arts

Course Materials

Have you ever wondered where certain articles of clothing and decorative elements originated?How did they become items that we may conveniently purchase today? This course is a step through thehistory of some particular items and shapes of clothing and accessories seen and utilized today. Bows,peplums, t-shirts, and more are discussed through imagery, social history, and project work to better interpret, and understand some contemporary clothing items and decoration. This course will also step through acostume designer's process through research, analysis, deconstruction, and recombination of several of these clothing styles and decorative elements for the costume design of the THDA Spring Musical Cabaret.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Fine arts

Course Materials

By examining key movements in dance and theater history from the late 19th century to the present, this seminar explores the active relationship between theoretical thought and aesthetic innovation on stage. Through close readings of primary, secondary, and critical texts, the course highlights the ways in which dance and theater advanced movement by movement, each "ism" a reaction to what came before, and how the transformation from historical avant-garde to experimental contemporary performance represents dynamic and cumulative ruptures with the mainstream. Ultimately, they shape how we imagine, see, and create dance and theater today. Work in this class will support learning theories and methodologies for a larger project, such as a capstone and Honors thesis, or projects, as well as independent research in theater, dance, and other forms of live performance. Required for Theatre and Dance majors

General Education Requirements:
Writing WA

Distribution Requirements:
Fine arts

Course Materials

This class offers students the opportunity to engage in the creation of a theatrical performance—either from an existing script or a newly devised piece – with an emphasis on exploring and learning the craft of theatremaking. Students may be involved as performers, designers, assistant designers, writers, and dramaturgs. The work will conclude with public performances in the James A. Williams Theater. Rehearsals will take placeduring class hours, but final technical rehearsals and performances will involve some evenings at the end of the semester. This class may be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor, an audition and/or interview with the instructor is required.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Fine arts

Course Materials

This course will provide students with the technical foundations and cultural context to confidently perform jazzand related theatrical dance forms. The course will focus on musicality, dynamic movement, improvisation,memorization of choreography, and performance quality. From its Irish, Scottish, and Afro-diasporic roots tomore commercial present-day manifestations, jazz dance is a vernacular form through which students can finda sense of belonging as well as self-expression. No prior dance experience is required, but students should beprepared to obtain jazz shoes, appropriate attire, and must be able to participate in at least 60 minutes ofactive dancing twice a week.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials

This is a beginning ballet class designed for students who have never had ballet before. The goal is to demonstrate fundamental understanding and execution of basic ballet technique and to develop a foundation in movement that will carry over and support any other style of dance or physical practice. It will include barre and center work, across-the-floor combinations, and stretching and strengthening practices. Correct alignment, coordination, and body mechanics will be emphasized. May be repeated for credit. Letter grading.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials

This introductory level course explores the theory, technique, and terminology of modern dance as a performing art. Students engage fully with their bodies and minds as they deepen their strength, sense of rhythm, flexibility, and coordination. The course develops skills in inversions, floorwork, and balance based in a deepening awareness of alignment. May be repeated for credit. Letter grading.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials

This dynamic course invites students to dive into the vibrant world of dances of the African Diaspora, where movement, music, rhythm, and history come together. The course begins with energizing warm-up exercises designed to prepare the body for the flow and intensity of these dance forms. Through embodied practice, students will develop foundational skills, strengthen the connection between dance and music, learn about diasporic history, and engage in community building. Readings include "Cultivating capoeira: tensions in an Afro-Brazilian art ’gone global," "Evolution of Samba: How Samba has evolved in the last 50 years," and "Maculele: Origins and Modern Interpretation." May be repeated for credit. No experience necessary, though THDA 21 (fall semester) is recommended. Letter grading.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials

This course builds on skills introduced in Beginning Contemporary. Students engage fully with their bodies and minds as they deepen their strength, flexibility, and feel a sense of alignment and flow. Emphasis is placed on deepening precision, sense of rhythm, and anatomical awareness of the body in motion. Class consists of in-place warm-ups, traveling across the floor, and final combinations. May be repeated for credit.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials

Students learn the fundamental characteristics, techniques, and principles of Breaking/Breakdance. The class will dive into the typical movements, histories and origins of this urban dance style. We are going to deep detail using theories and concepts that can help our minds, bodies and spirit connect further and deeper to the stylesthemselves. This class will allow your own identity and way of motion to be in the forefront. The course is physicallyrigorous, and emphasizes community building. We will utilize class time to learn and discuss the history of Breaking and its evolution through a course reading called, "The Birth of Breaking" by Serouj "Midus" Aprahamian. Noexperience required. All are welcome. May be repeated for credit. Letter grading.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials

This is an advanced level ballet class for students who have achieved an advanced level of skill and artistry in classical ballet. Students will be expected to expand and develop their ballet technique while continuing to grow as dance artists. It will include barre work, pirouettes ending in all positions, and petit allegro with beats. Combinations will increase in complexity and students will be expected to pick up material quickly. May be repeated for credit. Letter grading. Prerequisite(s): Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials

Students are involved in Theater and Dance Department productions as actors or dancers in student-led pieces. Performance Practice in Student Projects is the appropriate course when students will not work under direct supervision of a faculty member, but are part of a student director's or student choreographer's work in an Honors production or Dance Concert. Two credits awarded at the end of the semester. May be repeated for credit. S/N grading only.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials

Students are involved in production as actors or dancers, assistant choreographers or choreographers, assistant directors or directors, assistant designers or designers, dramaturgs and playwrights. Two credits awarded at the end of the semester. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor required; please contact the Theater and Dance Department directly for audition and registration information

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials

Students are involved in set, costume, lighting and sound engineering and construction, and running crew. Two credits awarded at the end of the semester. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor required; please see instructor to be added to registration roster

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials

Students are involved in set, costume, lighting and sound engineering and construction, and running crew. Two credits awarded at the end of the semester. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor required; please see instructor to be added to registration roster

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials