Classes

Dramatic Arts/Acting Workshop (P)  Year · 10

Credits Dramatic Arts (Beginning Drama), introduces students to the fundamentals of theatrical production. Students learn the basic elements and vocabulary of the theater as well as how to use these tools to create informal and formal pieces of theater, from improvisations to short one-act plays. In addition to performance, students grasp how theater came to be and understand it in its cultural context through field trips to professional productions and class reading and writing projects. Students learn the rudiments of how to gauge the aesthetic value of different theatrical experiences as well as how principles of theater can be used and applied to problem solving in other contexts. Students learn that the organizational, leadership, analytical and time-management skills of the theater can also be utilized in other disciplines and professions. Dramatic Arts is designed to acquaint students with various aspects of theatre: acting, costuming, make-up, speech, lighting, directing, and scene design. Primary stress is on the language skills of listening and speaking through reading and interpretation of dramatic literature and evaluating performances. Emphasis is on acting, scene study, and character development. A secondary emphasis is placed on writing. Students prepare in-class performances. UC/CSU (f Acting Workshop: Through movement, voice exercises, theatre games, and scene study, students develop the tools they need for building competent stage performance. Class members perform improvisation and/or short formal scenes before invited audiences. Advanced students have the opportunity to direct one act plays for Production/Acting performances. UC/CSU (f)

 

Production/Acting Semester  Semester· 5 Credits

Students in this class are cast members of the play(s) being performed by Performing Arts during the semester. Enrollment is determined after auditions, which are announced in the student bulletin each semester. Students are not allowed to enroll in this class until the play(s) have been cast. Prerequisite: By audition only.

 

Stagecraft Semester · 5 Credit

Students design, light and build sets and properties for current Performing Arts productions.

 

Advanced Theater Projects (CTE) Year · 10 Credits

Students delve deeply into several theatrical disciplines including mask-work, voice-technique, stage combat, Movement Theater, Suzuki and Grotowski techniques; as well as several styles of theater directing. Through two major research papers, students explore deeply, two different historical periods as represented in the major playwrights, directors and plays they produced. Prerequisite: Acting Workshop and audition. UC/CSU (f) Note: The following courses can earn credit in either Performing Arts or Physical Education