| Theatre & Dance |
THDA 435 - Introduction to Theatre
Credits:
4.00
Introduces all aspects of theatrical production:
play writing, acting, directing, design, technical
theatre and construction, and theatre management. Cultural
and social context of theatre in our time and through the
ages. Introduces major classical and modern types of
theatre. Selected plays are read and discussed, and
attendance at theatrical production is required. Special
fee.
THDA 436 - History of Theatre I
Credits:
4.00
History and theory in its social framework from the
beginnings to 1700. Writing intensive.
THDA 436H - Honors/History of Theatre I
Credits:
4.00
See description for THDA 436. Writing intensive.
THDA 438 - History of Theatre II
Credits:
4.00
History and theory in its social framework from 1700 to the
present. Writing intensive.
THDA 438H - Honors/History of Theatre II
Credits:
4.00
See description for THDA 438. Writing intensive.
THDA 450 - History of Musical Theatre in America
Credits:
4.00
Study of the development of the musical and its relationship
to American social history. Special fee.
THDA 458 - Costume Construction
Credits:
4.00
Study and development of costuming techniques, including
hand and machine sewing, pattern drafting, alterations, and
fabric manipulation. Emphasis on demonstrated understanding.
Special fee.
THDA 459 - Stagecraft
Credits:
4.00
Elements of play production: basic building components,
tools, and materials for producing the scenery; equipment
and shop layouts supporting all of the areas of the set,
lighting, and costume designs; and consideration of various
stage spaces and theatrical venues. Practical application on
University theatre productions. Special fee. Lab.
THDA 461 - Modern Dance I
Credits:
4.00
Introductory course that includes techniques and
improvisation as well as lectures in history and theory.
(Also listed as KIN 604.)
THDA 462 - Ballet I
Credits:
4.00
Introductory course: technique; historical development of
ballet. Students who have had several years of ballet are
expected to register for THDA 562 or 662. Instructor will
determine appropriate level. Not open to seniors.
THDA 463 - Theatre Dance I
Credits:
4.00
Introductory course: techniques; improvisation; lectures on
jazz, ethnic, and other theatrical dance forms. Students
with prior experience are expected to register for THDA 563
or 663. Instructor will determine appropriate level. Not
open to seniors. Special fee.
THDA 470 - Movement and Vocal Production
Credits:
4.00
Expansion of the student's vocal and physical/kinesthetic
awareness, utilizing basic theories and lessons of Lessac,
Laban, and Alexander. Text exploration will be supplemented
with exercises from Berry. Permission required.
THDA 475 - Stage Makeup
Credits:
2.00
Fundamentals of juvenile, old age, character, and special
stage makeup techniques. Special fee.
THDA 487 - Dance
Credits:
4.00
Historical and philosophical consideration of dance trends.
Not a performance course.
THDA 520 - Creative Drama
Credits:
4.00
Drama techniques leading to the design and execution of
drama sessions with children. Includes role-playing,
improvisation, and story dramatization. Lab.
THDA 532 - London Experience
Credits:
2.00
Exploration of the culture and history of London while
enhancing study of live theatre prior to active study in the
country. May be repeated to a maximum of 4 credits. Special
fee. IA (continuous grading).
THDA 541 - Art and Theatre Administration
Credits:
4.00
Administration practices applied to arts, music and theatre
management. Fund raising, public relations, business and box
office management, audience development and long range
planning.
THDA 546 - Costume Design for the Theatre
Credits:
4.00
How to design costumes for the theatre, not figure drawing,
although drawing techniques are taught. Script analysis and
research and presentational techniques for costume design
explored and implemented. Special fee.
THDA 547 - Stage Properties
Credits:
4.00
Research and manufacture of period and modern stage, trim,
and hand properties. Prereq: THDA 459. Special fee.
THDA 548 - Stage Lighting Design and Execution
Credits:
4.00
Script analysis, the light plot, and instrument schedule,
including cue-writing, color, instrumentation, and the
mechanics of developing a functional design. Special fee.
THDA 550 - Actor's Voice Through Text
Credits:
4.00
Continuing development of the actor's techniques for
creating increased vocal expressiveness. Addresses the
methods of varying vocal style and presentation through
in-depth analysis and interpretation of the text. Prereq:
THDA 470.
THDA 551 - Acting I
Credits:
4.00
Development of fundamental vocal and physical stage
techniques for actors and directors through exercises,
improvisation and theatre games. Special fee.
THDA 552 - Acting II
Credits:
4.00
Focuses on strengthening the actor's ability to acheive a
higher level of truth, presence, and spontaneity on stage.
Building on the approach devised by Sanford Meisner, this
highly intensive class creates a bridge to connect these
developing skills to various forms of text. Prereq:
THDA 551. Special fee.
THDA 555 - Exploring Musical Theatre
Credits:
4.00
Introduction to musical theatre as an American art form.
Discussion and analyses of performing, acting, and staging
techniques. Permission required. Lab. Special fee.
THDA 562 - Ballet II
Credits:
2.00
Extension of ballet I syllabus; emphasis is on technique,
with additional step vocabulary. May be repeated once for
credit. Prereq: THDA 462 or permission.
THDA 563 - Theatre Dance II
Credits:
2.00
Technique; African-Cuban, modern, and East Indian dance;
body movement through exercise and combinations involving
stretch, strength, and flexibility. May be repeated for
credit. Prereq; THDA 463 or permission. Special fee.
THDA 576 - Pointe
Credits:
2.00
Intermediate course in the art of dancing on pointe. Focus
on technique involved in gaining strength and on methodology
for understanding the art of the ballerina.
THDA 583 - Introduction to Puppetry
Credits:
4.00
Introduces the art of puppetry for general appreciation,
entertainment, application in the classroom, and as a
therapeutic tool. Emphasis on constructing a variety of
puppets (e.g., hand, rod, shadow, and scarf) and adapting
literary sources for scripts and performance. (Not open to
seniors.) Special fee.
THDA 586 - Dance Pedagogy
Credits:
4.00
Introduction to the art and science of teaching the movement
forms of ballet, modern, jazz, and tap. Provides a general
background into the nature of teaching, standards that make
up good teaching, and methods of teaching dance that allow
for technical proficiency to develop. Students focus on
pedagogic approaches to learning their art and craft.
THDA 592A - Special Topics
Credits:
1.00 to 4.00
Special topics, projects in theatre and dance. Content
varies according to needs and interests of students and
faculty. Course descriptions are available in department
office. May be repeated for credit.
THDA 597 - Dance Theatre Performance
Credits:
2.00
Designed for students participating in UNH Dance Theatre
Company. Skill development through rehearsal and actual
performance experience.
THDA 622 - Storytelling, Story Theatre, and Involvement Dramatics
Credits:
4.00
Students actively develop storytelling techniques based on
individual needs. Includes an examination of story theatre
and involvement styles and the development of the ensemble.
Special fee.
THDA 624 - Theatre for Young Audiences
Credits:
4.00
This broad spectrum theatre course touches on every aspect
of dramatic production from historical overview through
scripted play to final production. Emphasis is on dramatic
theory as it applies to play writing, acting, directing, and
production techniques as applied to a production for young
audiences. Students are expected to actively participate in
a culminating production experience to complete the learning
experience.
THDA 632 - Interpretation of Shakespeare in Theatre
Credits:
4.00
Increases understanding of Shakespeare's language and
action, and improves ability to speak his verse and prose
with clarity and verve. Students achieve insights into
Shakespeare's plays through the medium of performance.
Weekly oral and written assignments. Prereq: THDA 551 and
THDA 552; or permission of instructor.
THDA 633 - Dance Composition
Credits:
4.00
Practical, developmental approach to process of creating
dances. Prereq: THDA 561; 562; 563;/or permission.
Special fee.
THDA 641 - Stage Management
Credits:
2.00
Introduction to the concepts and skills needed for stage
management. Stage managers perform a central role in the
theatrical production, coordinating artistic and technical
elements. They need a thorough understanding of the script,
strong management skills, and a solid background in all
aspects of the theatre. Prepares students to function as a
stage manager in productions at any theatre. Prereq: one of
the following: THDA 459; 551; 597; 655; or 741. Special fee.
THDA 650 - Scene Painting for the Theatre
Credits:
2.00
Scene painting analyzed. Techniques and media to create a
larger-than-life approach to scale, equipment for
conversion, and appropriate stylistic techniques for
enlargement reviewed. Employs basic painting techniques
and methods of paint application, but scale conversion
technique will extend the training of easel painters.
Prereq: THDA 459.
THDA 651 - Rendering for the Theatre
Credits:
2.00
Theatrical rendering is a presentational arrangement of
given items in perspective appropriate to a set or in a
costume at a frozen moment during the production,
indicating appropriate mood, atmosphere, and depth.
For the theatre, this is generally done in watercolor, but
many other media are possible and are explored. Prereq:
THDA 459.
THDA 652 - Scene Design
Credits:
4.00
Scene design from script to finished design. Both aesthetic
and practical viewpoints considered. Emphasis on
presentational techniques: study of perspective and
finished rendering. Prereq: THDA 459.
THDA 653A - Performance Project
Credits:
2.00
Application of prior coursework to a formal theatre
production or to an individual performance or teaching
project. Substantial written work is factored into the final
grade. May be repeated. Writing intensive.
THDA 653B - Performance Project/Musical Theatre
Credits:
2.00
Application of prior coursework to a formal theatre
production or to an individual performance or teaching
project related to Musical Theatre. Substantial written work
is factored into the final grade. May be repeated. Special
fee. Writing intensive.
THDA 654 - Scenic Arts Project
Credits:
2.00
Application of prior coursework to a formal theatre
production or to an individual performance or teaching
project. Substantial written work is factored into the final
grade. May be repeated. Writing intensive.
THDA 655 - Musical Theatre Styles
Credits:
4.00
Gives an increased understanding of performing and
directing techniques as they apply to musical theatre.
Students gain knowledge of various writers, and historical
periods, and apply their knowledge to a variety of
performance styles. Focus is on the discussion and
application of auditioning, acting, and staging techniques.
Special fee. Lab. Permission required. Writing intensive.
THDA 656 - Musical Theatre Repertoire and Audition
Credits:
4.00
Students read and analyze selected texts and scores from the
20th Century Musical Theatre and utilize their combined
readings and research to develop audition repertoire
materials. Class participants will be expected to
demonstrate an understanding of subject matter through
shared oral presentations and written work throughout the
term. Prereq: THDA 655 or permission. Special fee.
THDA 657 - Play Reading
Credits:
4.00
A high-volume reading course which introduces a breadth
dramatic literature from ancient times to the present.
Reading lists vary according to interests and needs of
students. Students read and analyze three plays/week.
THDA 662 - Ballet III
Credits:
2.00
Advanced-level course in technique; pointe work included.
May be repeated for credit. Prereq: THDA 562 or permission.
THDA 663 - Theatre Dance III
Credits:
2.00
Extension of Theatre Dance I and II; brings students to a
more advanced technical level. May be repeated for credit.
Prereq: Theatre Dance II. Special fee.
THDA 665 - Aerial Dance
Credits:
2.00
The study of aerial arts including two and one point
trapeze and fabric. May be repeated for credit. Prereq: THDA
662 or 663. Permission required.
THDA 670 - Dialects
Credits:
4.00
Study and practice in basic dialect acquisition for
performers. Prereq: THDA 470, 551. Permission required.
Special fee.
THDA 683 - Advanced Puppetry
Credits:
4.00
In-depth study of the theory and practice of puppetry for
the advanced student. Students develop skills in
manipulation and construction of selected puppet forms
and apply these skills in performance. Examines historical
perspectives and the application of puppetry in the
classroom and as a therapeutic tool. Prereq: THDA 583 or
permission. Special fee.
THDA 684 - Special Topics
Credits:
2.00 to 4.00
Exploration of topics agreed upon by students and
instructor. Topics vary. May be repeated.
THDA 689 - Practicum
Credits:
1.00
The practicum ensures a breadth of experience in the
major. Students should register for a different topic each
semester during the sophomore and junior years.
A) technical, B) costumes, C) performance D) management.
May be repeated for up to 6 credits. Cr/F.
THDA 691 - Internship
Credits:
2.00 to 8.00
Fieldwork with a regional or touring theatre. This advanced
level internship allows the student to experience a
professional theatre setting prior to graduation. Normally
supervised by a qualified theatre professional, with
frequent consultation with a faculty sponsor. A written
report is required. May be part- or full-time with credits
assigned accordingly. Permission required. Student must also
register for a graded 4-credit independent study.
Variable up to 8 credits. Cr/F.
THDA 721 - Education through Dramatization
Credits:
4.00
An advanced course that is paired with Methods of Teaching
Theatre. Provides in-depth study and practice of integrated
arts lessons in K-12 school curricula. Prereq: THDA 520.
Writing intensive.
THDA 727 - Methods of Teaching Theatre
Credits:
2.00 to 4.00
The capstone of the theatre education major's studies.
Designed for students who are preparing to enter student
teaching. Provides practical information, skills, and lesson
plans that theatre teachers will use as source material for
the secondary classroom. Covers a wide range of teaching
models. Students define and articulate a personal teaching
philosophy, write comprehensive semester curricula and
course syllabi, and create an extracurricular program plan
and philosophy. Prereq: THDA 520. Special fee. Writing
intensive.
THDA 729 - Community Oriented Drama Programs
Credits:
1.00 to 4.00
Advanced practicum in designing, developing, and producing
drama programs for the school and community. Includes
audience analysis and marketing skills as well as adapting
spaces, soliciting volunteers, and working with a limited
budget. May be repeated to a maximum of 4 credits.
THDA 732 - Choreography
Credits:
4.00
Theoretical and practical consideration of the creative and
aesthetic aspects of ballet, modern, and theatre dance.
Prereq: THDA 633. Special fee.
THDA 741 - Directing
Credits:
4.00
A process oriented approach to the art of stage directing.
The course begins with an in-depth focus on script analysis.
Students then develop their skills as the "master
storyteller" through imagination, interpretation,
communication, and style. Prereq: THDA 551 and THDA 552.
Special fee.
THDA 742 - Directing II
Credits:
4.00
In-depth study of the theory and practice of stage direction
for the advanced student. Builds on 741, Directing. Students
strengthen and expand their existing knowledge of the
subject area. Exploration focuses on three areas of
directorial communication, application to periods and
styles, and exploration of avant garde theory and
directorial technique. Concludes with a major project
mounted for public performance. Prereq: THDA 741. Special
fee.
THDA 750 - Writing for Performance
Credits:
4.00
An intensive exploration of the playwright's process. A
mixture of theory and creative writing. Students will
incorporate the fundamentals of creating a script in a
step-by-step process from monologues and scenes to the
completion of a one-act play. Though the focus of the course
is on writing for the stage, the process is applicable to
screen and teleplay writing. Special fee. (Not offered every
year.)
THDA 755 - Advanced Musical Theatre
Credits:
4.00
Emphasis on characterizations and directing techniques.
Use of scripts and scores of representative composers,
lyricists, and librettists. Permission required. Lab.
Special fee.
THDA 756 - Producing and Directing the Musical
Credits:
4.00
Focuses on analyzing musical scripts/scores from the
viewpoint of the producer and the director. Learning is
theoretical and performance-based. Prereq: THDA 555.
Special fee.
THDA 758 - Acting III
Credits:
4.00
Applies the principles and techniques acquired by
students in THDA 551 and THDA 552 to various genres, such as
epic and absurdist, and to mediums such as television and
film. Special attention will be given to characterization
beyond the student's standard range and the development of
the actor as a creative artist, using the techniques of such
methodologists as Lacoq, Laban, and Grotowski. Prereq: THDA
551 and THDA 552. Special fee.
THDA 759 - Acting: Period and Style
Credits:
4.00
Techniques of style analysis and period research. For the
first time in the students' undergraduate actor training,
students will synthesize their basic actor training with the
heightened language and archetypal characterization inherent
in the classical theatre of the ancient Greeks, the Commedia
d'Elle Arte, the Renaissance, the Neoclassical period, and
the Restoration period. Prereq: THDA 470, 551, 552; one
semester of THDA 436 or THDA 438, or permission.
THDA 781 - Short Courses for Teachers and Directors
Credits:
3.00 or 4.00
Each of these intensive short courses for elementary,
middle, and high school teachers focuses on
expanding production skills and methods of implementing
theatre and dance techniques in the classroom. Topics may
include puppetry, storytelling, play production for the
elementary and middle school teacher, makeup, performing
the musical with elementary and middle school students,
play production for middle school and high school
teacher, basic choreography for the school musical, script
adaptation, the use of drama to enhance reading and writing,
set and lighting design, and design and construction
techniques, teaching/directing Shakespeare, theatre
pedagogy/advanced methods of teaching theatre, analysis and
research, putting arts in the classroom, and integrated
arts. Continuing education and professional development is
also available for graduate education credit. (Also offered
as EDUC 998.) Special fee. May be repeated.
THDA #782 - Advanced Theatre Workshop for Teachers
Credits:
2.00 to 4.00
Each of these advanced, intensive workshops for teachers
focuses on expanding both play production and skills and
methods of implementing theatre techniques in the classroom.
Topics include: advanced puppetry, advanced storytelling,
advanced play production for the elementary and middle
school teacher, advanced makeup, performing the musical with
elementary and middle school students, play production for
middle and high school teachers, choreography for the school
musical, script adaptation and original playwriting, the use
of drama to enhance reading and writing, set and lighting
design and construction techniques. May be repeated. Special
fee.
THDA 795 - Independent Study
Credits:
1.00 to 8.00
Advanced individual study. Specific independent study
opportunities are sometimes posted in the Theatre and Dance
Department Office. Project, which includes a substantial
piece of writing, must be developed with supervising
instructor. May be repeated. Writing intensive.
THDA 796 - Independent Study
Credits:
1.00 to 8.00
See description for THDA 795. Writing intensive.
THDA 798 - Senior Seminar
Credits:
4.00
Course consists of two parts. Part I is an exploration of
avenues available to graduates in theatre and dance. In part
II, students write a senior research paper and present an
oral report. Theatre majors only. Prereq: junior or senior
status. Special fee. Writing intensive.