THDA 120, Acting: 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. This course is closed to seniors, except with permission of instructor.
Frequency: Every semester.
Fulfills Writing WP requirement.
Course Objectives
- Making clear and concise choices as a human, as an actor, and as a community member.
- Listening and responding honestly and fully.
- Risking beyond comfort levels.
- Learning how to deconstruct text in monologues and dialogues.
- Understanding how to be available for the unexpected.
Methodology
- Sharing the space with peers who are taking a look at context as well as unknowns to move in to a clear objective based on “what one wants” and “what one is willing to do to get it.”
- Creating personal space to allow discomfort and distraction to be embraced as part of a process.
- Stepping into roles, relationships that are securing landed in the class in order to experience how others may or may not react in life situations.
- Breaking down ideas, words, phrases, sentences to understand writer’s intentions as well as personal observations.
- Meditations and sharing as a practice allow for filing the students with a shared willingness to see outside their own judgements.
Evaluation
- Class attendance: 20%
- Participation: 40%
- Journal writing: 10%
- Scene scoring: 20%
- Reflection papers: 10%