The course is designed to provide students with a foundation in major dramatic and performance theories including works by Aristotle, Stanislavsky, Brecht, Grotowski, and a variety of other contemporary theorists and practitioners. In addition to surveying the work of key dramatic and performance theorists and theories, the course will engage students in the application of these theories in the study and analysis of play texts from a variety of periods, genres and cultures. Students will analyze these texts from the perspective of both the logistic and aesthetic requirements of production (as actors, directors and designers).

Themes in Theatre Studies is a variable topics course that offers students a deep dive into a specific subject of theatre theory and history. Topics and methods vary from term to term, though each offering features an introduction to a theme, concept, methodology, or other subfield of study within theatre history and play analysis. The course offers the opportunity to build knowledge and evaluate the artistic expression of specific events, issues, and opportunities unique to theatre, dramatic theory, and performance studies. Possible subjects range from the history of mask-work on stage, witches depicted through dramatic literature, and theories of theatrical space in site-specific performance. Students develop theoretical and experiential knowledge of the topic under investigation while fostering opportunities to respond to recent events and to interpret the societal and cultural frameworks in which the concepts emerge. Students, acting as investigators, delve deeply into their topics, conducting research and exploration to create deliverables appropriate to their experience. These may include presentations, projects, and performances, all of which reflect their investigative process and findings. The topic will be announced prior to the course offering.

A survey of theatre and drama of selected European nations and periods, emphasizing plays and theatre productions in particular historical, artistic, and theoretical contexts (e.g. “Modernist European Theatre and Drama, 1890-1930” – “Romanticism and Realism on Continental Stages”; “France and Germany, 1789-1989”; “Theatre of the European Renaissance” ; “Major Dramatists of Scandinavia, Russia, and Central Europe”).

This course is a survey of the development of the American Musical Theater, highlighting representative works, composers, librettists and performers of both the cultivated and vernacular traditions. It is further designed as an appreciation course, fostering the development of a greater appreciation for all types of stage music and the ability to better evaluate the quality of a work, the performance, and the performers.