18 courses with the subject DRA, each shown exactly as we captured it from the college's catalog, with every element we hold. Where the wording looks broken, that is our reading of the catalog, not the college's text.
DRA 101Acting I3
This course is an introduction to acting techniques, which will be studied and practiced during each class period. Along with an overview of the evolution of the craft, emphasis will be placed on improvisation, eliminating tension, and overcoming inhibition. The course will foster an understanding of the actor’s job: living truthfully under imaginary circumstances.
This course is a further exploration of the craft of acting with a focus on creating an organic performance in partnership with other actors. The course will include exercises pioneered by Constantin Stanislavsky as well as an overview of the Meisner technique. Students will learn the basics of portraying a character and the actor’s responsibilities in a production.
An introduction to the history of theatre, drama, and the principal phases of theatrical production, this course will allow students to study theatre both analytically and practically. Course work will include study of theatre concepts, theatre history, production methods, and plays. Students will be expected to complete written and oral projects and to participate in theatre production. This course can be used to meet the fine arts requirement in the core curriculum.
This is a course in refining the actor’s techniques. Students will learn in-depth text analysis, how to make sound acting choices, and how to prepare a role for performance. Course work consists of choosing and rehearsing scenes with partners outside of class, then working on the scenes in class with the instructor. Students will perform in an end-of-term classroom showcase that will be open to the public.
This workshop emphasizes the practical application of the skills necessary to theatre production including lighting, sound, backstage crew, stage management, publicity, and front-of-house staff.
DRA 131 Offered: Fall, spring Fees: Internship/Practicum fee applies
DRA 300Theatre Production3
Students in this course will learn the elements necessary to mount theatrical productions on the professional, community, and educational levels. Topics include fundraising, budgeting, marketing, finding performance space, legal obligations, and engaging technical and artistic personnel. The course will culminate in a theatrical performance produced by the class.
This is a technical skills course in the use of the actor’s body as an instrument. Vocal techniques studied include breath support, resonance, vocal variety, and increasing volume without tension. Physical techniques include a focus on relaxation, increasing stamina, and an introduction to Mary Overlie’s “Viewpoints” system. Students must devote time to exercises outside of class.
An extension of the studies in Voice and Movement I, this course adds technical instruction in how to eliminate unhealthy and/or distracting vocal habits, stage diction, vocal projection, and a more in-depth study of the “Viewpoints” system.
This course surveys British, American, and European plays from Ibsen to the present, focusing on the movement from the realistic drama of the early modern period to the multi-dimensional theatre of the present. Study will also include dramatic theory and staging techniques related to modern drama, as well as critical material related to the works of individual authors. Reading in the course may include earlier dramatic works as reference for the study of modern and contemporary plays.
ENG 101 , ENG 102 / ENG 103 , and at least one semester of Literature Offered: Fall, every third year
DRA 311Performing Verse3
Students in this course will learn techniques enabling them to interpret and perform dramatic verse from the Elizabethan Theatre, English Restoration, and French Neoclassic period. Special emphasis will be given to the use of scansion to unlock performance clues in Shakespeare’s iambic pentameter. Intensive class work will be required. Students must also devote time to assignments outside of class.
This course introduces students to five English-language dialects commonly required of actors in film and theatre with a focus on vowel and consonant changes, pitch, resonance, and melody. Students will learn how to analyze and reproduce dialects on their own through the use of the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA).
This course introduces the skills required to perform staged combat for theatrical productions, with an emphasis on combining industry-standard safety techniques with convincing interpretation. Forms taught include unarmed combat and basic swordplay. Students should be prepared for intense, physically demanding class sessions. Some practice outside of class will be necessary.
In this course students divide an entire play into scenes, giving students the opportunity to demonstrate their training by developing some of the most famous characters in the history of drama. This course culminates in the presentation of the full play.
This course examines 7-to-10 of Shakespeare’s major plays, including tragedies, comedies, and histories. Consideration will also be given to critical material related to the study of Shakespeare, as well as to the history of the period and the staging of Renaissance drama.
ENG 101 , ENG 102 , and at least one semester of Literature
DRA 405Directing3
Students in this course will learn the skills necessary to direct a theatrical production, including script analysis, blocking annotation, creating ground plans, stage composition, auditioning actors, and creating design concepts. Special emphasis will be given to working with actors, collaboration with designers, and rehearsal techniques. Each student will direct a workshop production of a one-act play that will be open to the public.
This course introduces students to the craft of writing for the stage, from the inception of an idea to the printed page. Emphases include format, character, and story development. The course includes an examination of the work of successful playwrights, a practical introduction to getting work produced, and a look at the current climate for producing new work in the American theatre. Students will write a play.
ENG 101 , ENG 102 , and at least one semester of literature
DRA 424Special Topics3
Special topics in the field will be taught as interest among the students and availability of faculty allow. Possible topics include theatre history, in-depth study of dramatic texts, in-depth study of dramatic theory, and study abroad related to the dramatic arts.
This is a three-semester-hour course designed to provide senior Dramatic Arts majors with the opportunity to present a senior capstone project. This project may include, but is not limited to, directing a play, acting in a major part in a play, writing a play, or designing tech for a play. The student will work under the supervision of a senior member of the faculty.
