Crafting the Tangible
THDA 232, Crafting the Tangible: As our society shifts away from a human connection to the tangible, this course seeks to reconnect the student to the tangible object. Our focus will be on the process of “thinking through making.” Through a series of project based learning opportunities, students will develop a deeper understanding of themselves, the process of “critical making,” and current performance production technologies. The department will provide course materials.
Course Objectives
- Develop a competency with the major tools used in the making of performance.
- Develop skill in communicating through visual forms.
- Develop a familiarity with a variety of materials used in performance.
- Develop skills in the use of specific equipment found in the theater. This will include the areas of rigging, lighting, video, and sound.
- Develop skills in problem solving and developing a visual idea.
Methodology
This course will meet in a combination seminar and studio format. Through readings, lecture, and guided group problem solving, students will support their creative development during the studio portion of the class. Lectures will be in response to the needs of the class, based on each individuals “critical making” process. The process is supported through sketching, prototyping, and ultimately fabricating the idea. Through the making students also develop a focus on material creation, development and sustainability. This focus on material selection is supported by each students’ collection of possible project material choices in a “material morgue.”
Evaluation
- Sketchbook/Process: 10%
- “Sittable” Project: 20%
- “The World” Project: 20%
- “The Intangibles” Project: 20%
- The Integration of the Whole: 10%
- Problem/Critique Participation: 10%
- Material Morgue: 10%