THTR 420 - Acting III: Advanced Acting

Upper Division

Prerequisites
THTR 320; Minimum grade C-.

This capstone course in the acting sequence is designed to challenge the experienced actor, one already familiar with the tools of script analysis, scene study and characterization. To support the students’ preparation for graduate study or professional employment, Advanced Acting focuses on the challenges of heightened dramatic language and explores the specific implications of “style” in classical acting. Special emphasis is given to techniques for approaching Shakespeare.
The course fosters a collaborative learning space using ensemble-building exercises and physical training drawn from Laban, Viewpoints and other sources. Students are also invited to identify and attempt to establish a daily practice supporting wellness and artistic development, and will have the opportunity to devise and lead a physical warmup. Woven across the course will be readings, reflections and candid conversations encouraging students to form and evolve their own relationship with “classical texts.” We will think critically about Shakespeare as both a seminal English-language playwright and a “cultural monument,” engaging with his work as performers through the lens of our intersectional identities. We’ll ask how we might use Shakespeare’s language to hone our artistry (our voices, bodies, senses, imaginations), while also subverting elitist assumptions, practices, and cultural institutions.

Core Curriculum Designation(s)
ACP, ARTS, HUM, HSP - Arts and Humanities Analysis and Practice

Repeatable
No

Fee
$60

Additional Notes
Previous course number: PERFA 137-01

Course credits: 4