Theatre

Thea 100 Dramatic Theatre 1-4
This course involves initial participation in theatrical production. It includes limited involvement in various areas of theatre from inception to presentation. Students with little or no theatre experience will gain a working knowledge of performance. Repeatable for up to 12 credits.

Thea 101R Introduction to Theatre (4-0) 4
This course offers a general introduction to the theatre and to performance in the human experience. Students view and discuss films and live performances, and perform scenes in class. The course emphasizes an understanding of the processes of creating theatre, and of the role of theatre and performance in the context of cultures and contemporary society. Guest speakers from other disciplines introduce a variety of perspectives on performance as a human activity. There is a strong participatory component to the course. Fall and winter terms.

Thea 121 Speech Communication (3-0) 3
Through closely supervised activities in various speech forms, the student develops skills necessary to deal successfully with various speaking situations. Summer term.

Thea 126R Introduction to the Dance (4-0) 4
This course offers an exploration of the historical/theoretical bases of dance and its many variant forms. In addition to gaining a historical and theoretical knowledge of dance, this course includes the practical/technical overview of traditional and contemporary dance forms including African dance, folk dance, ballet, Jazz dance, musical theatre, performance art, and dance improvisation. Students will gain a general knowledge of technical skills as well as a broad knowledge and appreciation of the art and history of dance. Fall term.

Thea 135 Acting Techniques (4-0) 4
This course is the first in the performing sequence (135, 236, and 336). It introduces students to basic performance techniques including: vocal and physical preparation, alignment and posture, movement for stage, improvisational skills, performance of literature, text analysis, and introductory scene work.

Thea 200 Theatrical Production 1-4
This course constitutes involvement of the intermediate level student in theatrical production. Students with a developing dedication to theatre participate in selected areas including but not limited to dramaturgy, technical theatre, performance administration, and performance. Repertoire includes classical, modern, musical theatre, and dance. Repeatable for up to 12 credits.

Thea 230 Stage Technology (3-2) 4
This course provides students with a base working knowledge of the technical aspects of theatre including scenery construction, costume construction, prop construction, lighting equipment and its uses, and sound equipment and its uses. This course also offers an introductory knowledge of the aspects of stage design.

Thea 231 Make-Up for Stage (2-0) 2
This hands-on course explores stage make-up techniques including old age, stylized, fantasy, disaster, and corrective make-up. In addition to this application, students will also explore make-up design from text to production.

Thea 233 Audition Techniques (2-0) 2
An audition is the actor’s primary tool for securing employment. This course explores the audition process in terms of text analysis, musical auditions, film auditions, choosing audition materials, and audition trends across the United States. The purpose of this course is to help students compile an audition repertoire in order to be competitive in both the professional and educational world of theatre.

Thea 236 Styles in Acting (3-2) 4
This course is the second in the performing sequence (135, 236, and 336). It further develops the student’s performance skills through the theory and practice of various systems of acting. At this level the students will focus primarily on styles in acting. Thea 135 suggested, but not required. Winter term.

Thea 240 Ancient and Classical Theatre (4-0) 4
This course is the first in the dramatic literature sequence (240, 340W, and 381). Students taking this course attain a breadth and depth of foundational knowledge of theatre and dramatic literature by examining the various styles and traditions of actors, playhouses, plays, and playwrights from Classical Greece and Asia through the age of enlightenment (1800). Focus is placed on reading and analyzing plays and attaining insight into the thinking and theatre conventions of times and places at a greater distance from our own. Time periods covered in this class include: Classical Greek and Roman, classical Asian theatre forms, Medieval drama, Italian Renaissance theatres, Elizabethan drama, Jacobean and Caroline theatre, Spanish theatre, French Neo-classic theatre, Restoration, and Theatre of the Enlightenment. Fall term.

Thea 280 Interdisciplinary Studies (4-0) 4
Students in this course study theatre forms in the context of the perspective of other disciplines, e.g., political science, philosophy, archaeology, sociology, theology, etc. A group of plays or a theatrical movement may be chosen as a point of focus. Significant readings from relevant literature of other fields are used for this study. The plays or the movement and the society and historical periods in which they arose will become occasions for study from an interdisciplinary perspective. Suitable “Topics” course for English majors.

Thea 300 Theatre Ensemble 1-4
This course involves participation in a theatrical production, including various areas of technical theatre and performance. The maturing student is actively involved in theatre production (s) during the semester. Repeatable for up to 12 credits.

Thea 310 Design for the Theatre (4-0) 4
This class provides an in-depth look at design for the stage. Emphasis will be placed on scenery, lighting, properties, and sound design. This course includes research in art history, time periods, and theatrical styles. Students will present a series of designs and models for those designs.
Prerequisites: Thea 230.

Thea 322 Creative Dramatics (4-0) 4
Creative Drama uses a student’s innate ability to “play” in the developmental process of becoming a productive well-adjusted human being. This course focuses on using drama as a teaching tool in multiple disciplines, using drama as a socializing tool for children and adults, and understanding drama as an art form.

Thea 323 Children’s Theatre (4-0) 4
In this performance-based course, students will explore dramatic literature appropriate for child audiences. Students will travel to area schools and perform for and with Durango area children.

Thea 336 Creating Performance: Directing (4-0) 4
This course is the third in the performing sequence (135, 236, and 336). It concentrates on the conceptual and practical application of performance in the form of creating a production from initial concept to closure. Students will develop and use the skills of analysis, strategic planning, directing, creating movement, organization, and administration. Thea 135, Thea 236, and participation in at least two departmental productions are suggested but not required before taking this course.

Thea 340W Modern Theatre (4-0) 4
This course, the second in the dramatic literature sequence (330, 340W, and 350), surveys developments in theatre practice and dramatic literature from the beginning of the 19th through the mid-20th century. The development of modern drama and the concurrent philosophical thinking in Western theatre history will be the focus of the course. Will also explore coinciding developments in Asian and African theatre and intercultural influences. Thea 330 suggested but not required before taking this course. May be taken as a “Topics” course for English majors. Winter term.
Prerequisites: Thea 240.

Thea 366 Dance Technique: (Style Of Dance) (2-0) 2
This course is specifically dance technique, or the practical application of a specific dance form. In this course the student will be given the opportunity to learn and practice the technique of a specific style while concentrating on personal abilities, awareness, and ways to correctly train his or her body. The type of technique taught each session is predetermined by the department and may be chosen from many forms. Students taking this course to satisfy theatre studies electives will be required to take this course twice so as to experience two kinds of dance techniques. Repeatable for up to 12 credits.

Thea 369 Playwriting (4-0) 4
In Playwriting, students develop their own creativity in theatrical forms. Students examine dramatic plots, characters, dialogue, exposition, setting, theme, new and traditional forms and other elements of drama through a series of exercises and writing practices. They will read a number of contemporary plays and attend local performances. All students will write a producible one-act play. Fall term.

Thea 381 Special Topics in Dramatic Literature (4-0)
This course examines a group of plays chosen from the canon of dramatic literature which relates to a specific theme or topic. The theme or topic is changed regularly, e.g., war, women, marriage, the family, work, political change, etc. Suitable “Topics” course for English majors.

Thea 382 American Indian Theatre (4-0) 4
This class will review the literature and history of American Indian Playwrights and theatre artists. Students will first examine the history of Euro-American representations of indigenous peoples; reviewing colonial culture will foreground subsequent readings of Native-centered plays, interviews, and criticism. The class will include videos of Native theatre and performances.

Thea 400 Performance Studies 1-4
This course involves in-depth involvement in theatrical production, performance and technical theatre. The advanced theatre student will have the opportunity to build on his/her theatre skills in areas such as acting, dance, technical theatre, costuming, dramaturgy, and theatre administration in both on and off-campus situations. Repeatable for up to 12 credits.

Thea 496, 497 Senior Seminar 2, 2
This course gives senior theatre majors the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities in connecting the analytical academic research process to performance. Significant research, on an approved topic, will result in a substantial paper. Each student’s research combined with insightful performance knowledge, problem-solving techniques, and creative thinking, results in a public presentation. This is a full course and 496 must be taken in the fall, followed by 497 in the winter.
Prerequisites: Thea 340W, Thea 336, and senior standing.

Thea 499 Independent Study 1-3
Individual research is conducted under the supervision of a faculty member. Offered on demand.
Prerequisites: Approval of Theatre Department faculty.

Course Listings