2015-2016 Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]
Courses of Instruction
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Spanish |
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SPN 313 - Topics in Applied Spanish Grammar 1 course unit
A review of the structures and usage of Spanish grammar for upper level students. At the core of this class are the study and practice of the finer points of grammar in both theoretical and practical terms. The cultural understandings that underlie and inform language and make-or impede-effective communication will be explored at length. The course takes as its starting point the understanding that students come to it able to communicate in Spanish; for this reason the course is conducted in Spanish.
Prerequisite(s): One 300-level course in Spanish beyond SPN 304 - Advanced Spanish Conversation & Composition or approval of instructor.
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SPN 320 - Civilization of Spain 1 course unit
An introduction to contemporary Spanish life with its intellectual, economic, and social phenomena as well as its regional aspects. The course also surveys the artistic, architectural, and historical heritage of Spain. Given in Spanish. Offered every year during the fall semester.
Prerequisite(s): SPN 301 - Spanish Conversation & Composition .
Meets general academic requirement H or HU.
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SPN 322 - Civilization of Latin America 1 course unit
An introduction to contemporary Latin American life with its intellectual, economic, and social phenomena as well as its regional aspects. The course also surveys the artistic, architectural, and historical heritage of Latin America. Given in Spanish. Offered every year during the spring semester.
Prerequisite(s): SPN 301 - Spanish Conversation & Composition .
Meets general academic requirement D or H or DE and HU.
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SPN 410 - Medieval & Renaissance Spanish Literature 1 course unit
A study of representative works of Spanish literature of the Middle Ages through the Renaissance. Emphasis is placed on the literary analysis of both major and marginal genres, such as epic poetry, the fable, ballads, the miracle story, the picaresque novel, and mystic poetry. We will highlight the historical and socio-cultural context of these period texts, paying special attention to the relationships among Christian, Arabic, and Jewish cultures coexisting in the Iberian Peninsula at the time. We will also explore the way in which these different cultural products were experienced by their mainly illiterate audiences, through private performance (communal readings, moral exemplum, teaching lessons) and public performance on the stage or the street (theatrical productions, puppet shows, songs, and dances). Texts are accompanied by a number of films/videos based on the literary works and/or the historical period. Class is conducted in Spanish.
Prerequisite(s): SPN 304 - Advanced Spanish Conversation & Composition .
Meets general academic requirement L or HU.
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SPN 411 - Cervantes & the Origins of the Spanish Narrative 1 course unit
The focus of the course on the development of the Spanish narrative by Miguel de Cervantes will alternate between the novel Don Quijote and Cervantes’ exemplary tales. During semesters focusing on Don Quijote, one of the greatest and most humorous books ever written, students will examine the work as an emblem of artistic and social modernity in the West and as a multi-faceted cultural icon central to the humanities, exploring issues such as the nature of reality and illusion, heroism, humor, adventure, freedom and self-fulfillment, racial tolerance, love, the consequences of reading, metafiction, games, and truth. During alternate semesters, when the focus is on the rich tradition of short stories in early modern Spain, students will investigate the transition from an oral to a written culture and the importance of printing as a driver for this and other significant cultural changes. Students will explore the problem of Spanish national identity through the emerging imperial processes of political and cultural exclusion, contextualizing the act of narrating and of reading fiction as they explore the didactic, comic, critical, and satirical roles of the exemplary tales. Class is conducted in Spanish.
Prerequisite(s): SPN 304 - Advanced Spanish Conversation & Composition .
Meets general academic requirement L or HU.
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SPN 412 - Early Modern Spanish Drama & Performance 1 course unit
This course is an introduction to early modern Spanish drama from a performance-based approach. Students will read, analyze and interpret some of the most important plays produced during the so-called Golden Age in Spain (sixteenth-seventeenth century) by authors like Cervantes, Lope, Tirso, or Calderón. We will focus on text analysis and performance as two fundamental elements in the understanding and appreciation of Spanish theatre. Students will have access to the plays from different angles: 1) as texts to be studied analytically; 2) as cultural and historical exponents of a specific period; 3) as objects of literary and theatrical research; and 4) as would-be productions waiting to be staged. After an introductory account of early modern Spanish theater and comedia performance then and now, classes are organized around three phases resembling those of theater production: text analysis, pre-production workshop, and staging. Note: By the second part of the semester students will need to schedule additional time outside the classroom to rehearse and complete the production of a short play or scenes for the stage. Class is conducted in Spanish.
Prerequisite(s): SPN 304 - Advanced Spanish Conversation & Composition .
Meets general academic requirement L or HU.
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SPN 413 - From the Golden Age to the Silver Age 1 course unit
A study of the plays, poetry, and novels of eighteenth and nineteenth century Spain, reflecting the social, political, and ideological changes leading up to and throughout the Industrial Revolution. Special attention will be paid to the different roles of writer, narrator, and reader through textual clues. Taught in Spanish.
Prerequisite(s): SPN 304 - Advanced Spanish Conversation & Composition .
Meets general academic requirement L or HU.
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SPN 414 - Contemporary Spanish Literature 1 course unit
A study of contemporary texts and development of tools with which to interpret the culture and literature of today’s - and tomorrow’s - Spain. Emphasis is placed on literary reflections of the changes to the concept of national identity in Spain, spanning the harrowing realization in 1898 that Spain was no longer host to an empire, through the harsh repression and massive emigration under Franco’s rule, to the new reality of Spain as home to fast-growing immigrant communities. Taught in Spanish. Offered in alternate years.
Prerequisite(s): SPN 304 - Advanced Spanish Conversation & Composition .
Meets general academic requirement L or HU.
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SPN 415 - The Literature of Conquest & Colonization in Spanish America 1 course unit
Reading and discussion of poetry and prose by Indoamerican writers of the Pre-Columbian era and by Spanish American writers from the fifteenth through the nineteenth centuries. Students will explore how literary components such as theme, character, and imagery represent the rise and fall of the Spanish Empire in the Americas and its resulting confluence of indigenous, African, and European cultures as they trace the development of Spanish American literature from its earliest expressions in pre-conquest cultures to the first declarations of defiance against the Spanish Crown by colonial writers. Emphasis is placed on an understanding of the technical development of various genres within each literary period as well as on the thematic content of work as it relates to the period’s historical, political, social, and philosophical content.
Prerequisite(s): SPN 304 - Advanced Spanish Conversation & Composition .
Meets general academic requirement D or L or DE and HU.
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SPN 416 - Postcolonial Realities in Spanish American Literature 1 course unit
Reading and discussion of selections by Spanish American writers from the late nineteenth through the twenty-first centuries. For many Spanish American authors, obscuring the line between reality and fantasy becomes a literary game in the search for true reality within countries racked by civil strife that underscores the postcolonial paradigm in the Americas in terms of the subaltern issues of race, gender, and social class. Thus, students will delve into the artistic subconscious as they examine the legacy of the Spanish Conquest in the prose and poetry of literary periods that include modernismo, posmodernismo, and vanguardismo as well as the Boom and Post-Boom with their techniques of realismo mágico and realismo crítico. Emphasis is placed on an understanding of technical development of various genres within each literary period and on thematic content of work as it relates to that period’s historical, political, social, and philosophical context.
Prerequisite(s): SPN 304 - Advanced Spanish Conversation & Composition .
Meets general academic requirement D or L or DE and HU.
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SPN 417 - Contemporary Spanish American Novel 1 course unit
An in-depth study of the development of the novel in both the pre- and post- “boom” periods of the Spanish American narrative. Emphasis is placed on an analysis of the literary techniques and thematic aspects of the works in relation to the various artistic and philosophical movements of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Taught in Spanish. Offered in alternate years.
Prerequisite(s): SPN 304 - Advanced Spanish Conversation & Composition .
Meets general academic requirement D or L or DE and HU.
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SPN 418 - Hispanic Literature & Film 1 course unit
An analysis of the relationship between literature and film, focusing on texts from Spain and/or Spanish America and their film adaptations. Issues to be discussed include film adaptation as a cultural construct; narrative voice in literature and film; the transformation of the written word to a visual image; and the relationship between politics, literature, and film. Taught in Spanish. Offered in alternate years.
Prerequisite(s): SPN 304 - Advanced Spanish Conversation & Composition .
Meets general academic requirement L or HU.
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SPN 419 - Border Literature 1 course unit
An exploration of contemporary narratives by Latino writers in the United States who focus on the border experience, understood as both a geographical and cultural phenomenon. Emphasis will be placed on the analysis of the literary techniques employed in the development of the narrative form within its political, social, and cultural context. Topics include issues of class, ethnicity, and gender. Taught in Spanish.
Prerequisite(s): SPN 304 - Advanced Spanish Conversation & Composition .
Meets general academic requirement D or L or DE and HU.
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SPN 420 - Human Rights Literature in the Americas 1 course unit
A literary exploration of the nature of human rights in the Americas through a close examination of representative works of various genres, such as poetry, the short story, the novel, and drama. Emphasis is placed on an understanding of literary theory and technique within the historical, political, and philosophical context of each work. In this way, students will explore thematic issues such as the legal and ethical rights inherent in citizenship within the world and specifically within the Americas with respect to ethnic and religious minorities, women, gays, and political dissidents. Areas of comparison/contrast will include Chile, Argentina, Guatemala, El Salvador, Cuba, and the United States. Taught in Spanish.
Prerequisite(s): SPN 304 - Advanced Spanish Conversation & Composition .
Meets general academic requirement D or L or DE and HU.
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SPN 500-549 - CUE: Senior Capstone Seminar: Transatlantic Issues in Hispanic Literatures & Cultures 1 course unit
The senior Capstone Seminar is a topics-based course in Spanish that will allow students to take their understanding of Hispanic literatures and cultures and apply it to broader multicultural and international perspectives. Whether focusing specifically on literature or centering on broader social, cultural, or linguistic issues, students will examine aspects of the on-going dialogue between Spain and the Americas within their historical, social, and political contexts. The explicitly comparative approach will both broaden and consolidate students’ understanding of language as a living process rooted in cultural contexts, a process essential in a pluralistic American society and in a world where nations―even those bound by a history of colonialism―are interdependent in increasingly complex ways. Students will work individually and collaboratively to design, research, and present their critical analyses and findings in a thoughtful and thought-provoking way using theoretical approaches consistent with the discipline. Taught in Spanish.
Prerequisite(s): One 400-level course in Spanish or approval of instructor.
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Speech |
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SPC 250 - Basic Speech 1 course unit
An introduction to the principles of public speaking. Concentration on the development of assurance and good platform presence through making frequent short speeches of simple expository or narrative types.
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Sustainability Studies |
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SUS 350 - Community Sustainability in Costa Rica 1 course unit
Students explore solutions to complex community problems related to sustainability in Costa Rica. During the spring semester students develop projects and prepare for the two-week study/research/travel experience to Costa Rica at the end of May. Preparation includes study of the area’s ecological diversity; political, cultural, and social issues; research skills; and service in the Allentown Community. In Costa Rica students explore a variety of habitats, live in and interact with members of a small town, and conduct both community service and independent research projects. Research projects focus on ecology, sociology, culture, sustainability, and public health of the region. One objective is to remove the blinders of specific discipline-based learning and our own culture to enable us to develop sustainable solutions.
Meets general academic requirements D or S or DE and SC.
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SUS 355 - Climate Change & Sustainable Development in Bangladesh 1 course unit
This team-taught course examines the impact of climate change on economic, social, and political development by focusing on the nation of Bangladesh. In addition to introducing students to the science and politics of climate change, the course also examines the specific environmental, economic, and social changes confronting Bangladesh’s political development since its independence; investigates the environmental and social consequences of state-sponsored development strategies, especially recent market-based “neo-liberal” policies; and evaluates new “sustainable development” strategies that are emerging as a response to the challenges posed by climate change.
Meets general academic requirement D or DE.
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SUS 365 - Local Sustainability 1 course unit
This course will take an interdisciplinary approach to analyzing sustainability at the local level, either in the Muhlenberg community or communities in the Lehigh Valley and will explore human-environment issues within the context of the relationship among individuals and institutions. Through readings, presentations, and the development of individual research projects, students will assess current sustainability efforts and develop recommendations for future efforts. Research projects may include surveying community members on perceptions and attitudes towards sustainability and environmental issues, assessing current sustainability efforts, and interviewing local experts - members of organizations and politicians. Priorities for research will be determined in collaboration with the community and results and recommendations will be shared.
Prerequisite(s): Any single course in the Sustainability Studies Minor.
Meets general academic requirement S or SC
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SUS 405 - Sustainable Solutions 1 course unit
An interdisciplinary approach to developing and assessing sustainable solutions to meet the needs of human society and the environment on local, regional, and global scales. Each offering of this course will focus on a particular issue or set of issues such as food, energy, green design, or waste management. Students will read the trade and primary literature as it relates to each specific theme and then through project-based learning will design and test potential solutions that might help achieve sustainability. Students will study the issues and focus on design, data collection, dissemination and assessment related to solving the problem being analyzed.
Prerequisite(s): Any two courses in the Sustainability Studies Minor.
Meets general academic requirement W.
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SUS 960 - Sustainability Studies Internship 1 course unit
Internships arranged with local, national, and international public or private organizations in the areas of development, environment, and sustainability in practice.
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Performance Theory, History, Literature |
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THR 100 - Theatre & Society: An Historical Introduction 1 course unit
Students in this course study the historical development of world theatre with an emphasis on the western dramatic tradition as a way of understanding how the theatrical experience reflects the society in which it exists. A broad range of theatrical literature and theoretical material will be explored. The members of the class will attend several live theatrical performances and are required to complete production laboratory hours. Open to all Muhlenberg students, this is the foundation course for the theatre major.
Students planning to major in theatre should complete this course in their first year.
Meets general academic requirement A.
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THR 190 - Foundations of the Creative Arts 1 course unit
Students will investigate the basic aesthetic concepts in visual arts, music, dance, and drama. They will examine the arts as a way of perceiving the world, reflecting and challenging cultural norms, and expressing new ideas. By exploring and experiencing the fundamental skills used in the creative process, students will discover their own connection to the arts as a means of personal expression. Through a primarily studio experience, students will have the opportunity to engage a variety of art forms as part of the process of learning an aesthetic language. This objective will be achieved most effectively as students actively work in and through multiple artistic perspectives. Open to teacher certification candidates only.
Meets general academic requirement A or AR.
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THR 212 - Performance Studies 1 course unit
This course introduces the burgeoning interdisciplinary field of Performance Studies and investigates the human body engaged in symbolic action using methods drawn from such disciplines as the performing arts, cultural anthropology, ritual studies, and popular culture studies. Thus, it analyzes aestheticized forms like theatre, performance art, dance, and music but also inquires into cultural performances like political protests, fashion shows, sporting events, and worship services. Students will learn the basic history of the field and develop a working knowledge of its scholarly methods and proclivities.
Meets general academic requirement W.
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THR 301, 302 - Feminist Theories of the Theatre 1 course unit
This course introduces students to the intellectual viewpoints, critiques, and new questions (and the new objects of study to match the new questions) that have arisen in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries’ feminist theories of the theatre. In order to move through the theoretical models employed by feminist critics in the theatre, we will begin with those key essays in film theory, semiotics, and materialist analysis that contributed to the current body of theoretical feminist material. By reading theories of reception and representation, of race and whiteness, and of unmaking mimesis, students will become familiar with analyses articulated by contemporary scholars. As objects of study upon which to practice these theoretical approaches, the class will read contemporary plays of feminist writers.
Prerequisite(s): THR 100 - Theatre & Society: An Historical Introduction or permission of instructor.
Meets general academic requirement W when offered as 302.
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THR 336 - The History of Queer Performance 1 course unit
This course charts the significant but often obscured influence of queerness on Western performance culture - and therefore, on Western culture as a whole - since the late nineteenth century. We will explore historical records of the personal and professional lives of playwrights, actors, directors, producers, designers, and critics, as well as consider the impact of major historical and performance events, both mainstream and queer, within the past 150 years. With a foundation in the history of sexual identity in the modern public sphere, we wrestle with the problems of investigating and analyzing queer performance practices (both on and off stage). Focused primarily on the United States and Britain, the course investigates how economic, social, and political anxieties have fueled apprehension about non-mainstream sex/gender identity, as well as art. Of particular interest is how these combined anxieties have thwarted, and can continue to hinder, the work of the queer theatre historian.
Prerequisite(s): THR 100 - Theatre & Society: An Historical Introduction or permission of instructor.
Meets general academic requirement H and W or HU and W.
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THR 337 - History of the American Musical Theatre 1 course unit
Students will study the history and development of American musical theatre from the era of early minstrel shows of the 1840s to the present day. As a crucial element of American culture, the study of musical theatre can lead to a deeper understanding of how issues of race, gender, ethnicity, and national identity impacted popular stage entertainment as the nation moved through the industrial revolution, civil and world wars, periods of massive immigration, depression, and increasingly complex technological change.
Prerequisite(s): THR 100 - Theatre & Society: An Historical Introduction .
Meets general academic requirement H or HU.
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THR 339, 340 - Post-Independence African Theatre 1 course unit
This course examines theatre in Africa beginning from the anticolonial independence movements of the 1950s and continuing to the present. It does not purport to offer a comprehensive view of Africa’s diverse theatrical traditions but examines several regions, heritages, and time periods, attentive to both commonalities and differences. Particular attention will be given to theatre’s function as an agent of social and political change. Theoretical concerns are likely to include theatre and nationalism, negritude and its critics, the relationship between theatre and ritual, the role of women, and the interaction of indigenous African performance practices with western theatre.
Prerequisite(s): THR 100 - Theatre & Society: An Historical Introduction or permission of instructor.
Meets general academic requirement H or D or HU and DE (and W when offered as 340).
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Theatre Studio Performance: Acting |
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THR 150 - Introduction to the Art of Acting 1 course unit
A survey of acting theories and practice culminating in the rehearsal and performance of scenework. The course is designed for non-majors and those who plan to major in theatre but have limited previous acting training. The first part of the semester will examine a variety of approaches to the art of acting, including those of Stanislavski, Artaud, Brecht, the Elizabethans, and one or more non-European traditions. Students will be asked to consider the basic assumptions about the nature and function of theatre implied by each approach. The balance of the work will consist of exercises to explore the intentional and communicative nature of concentration, introductory Meisner technique, improvisation, and the acquisition of a basic acting vocabulary. To gain a practical understanding of the preparatory work, each student, with one or more partners, will rehearse and perform a scene from the modern American theatre. Meets four hours per week.
Meets general academic requirement A or AR.
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THR 151 - Voice & Speech for the Actor 1 course unit
Employing techniques devised by Linklater, Lessac, and Skinner, this course aims to develop (1) refined - released, unrestricted, supported vocalization for the stage and (2) clear - articulate speech for the stage. Both the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) and the phonetic annotative scheme of Arthur Lessac are introduced, as the phonemes that make up spoken Standard American English are catalogued and practiced. Students address the phonetic bases of their own regional dialects with an ear toward acquiring vocal habits to support acting choices in a wide range of roles.
Meets general academic requirement AR.
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THR 250 - Acting I: Process 1 course unit
The beginning class in the acting sequence, this class lays the foundations for the ultimate goal of the acting program: to create actors who know how to work on a role within the context of the play and who have flexibility in their craft. The focus will be on acting process, including relaxation work; how to critique; commitment to language, sound, emotional connection, and movement; the active choice; and actor’s text analysis. Actors will be judged on their individual growth and also on their ability to work as an ensemble member within the class. This course is the building block leading into scene work and a requirement of the class will be a fully staged scene. Possible readings from Stanislavsky, Peter Brook, Chekhov, Williams, Shephard, and other writers. Films may be shown as an example of craft. Class meets for six hours a week.
Prerequisite(s): THR 100 - Theatre & Society: An Historical Introduction
Meets general academic requirement AR.
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THR 251 - Acting II: Scene Study 1 course unit
Building on the foundations taught in Acting I, this class moves the student actor into scene work. Primary focus in the class is on American realistic text with the possibility of moving into increasingly difficult texts from the modern canon. Class will explore the tools of the actor, including text analysis, critique, commitment to action, linking choices to the larger structure of the play, theatricality, language, impulse work, and style. Actors will be judged on their individual growth and also on their ability to work as an ensemble member within the class. Playwrights may include Hellman, Kushner, O’Neill, Churchill, Fornes, among other writers. Films may be shown as an example of technique. Will meet for four hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): THR 250 - Acting I: Process .
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THR 350 - Acting Classical Verse 1 course unit
This advanced acting class investigates methods for approaching, rehearsing, and performing pre-modern lyric texts, such as those by William Shakespeare and his contemporaries. With a focus on the practical demands of heightened language, the course addresses technical, stylistic, historical, and interpretive considerations as they relate to the feat of performance. Special attention is paid to linguistic structure as well as to its relationship to the individual experience of the actor/character. A directed emphasis on voice and speech development complements study by providing physical conditioning aimed at enhancing the student’s production of poetic language. Topics of study also include verse structure, metrical variation, rhythm, language-as-action, forward movement, prose, phonetic word fabric, and imagery. The course acknowledges the modern actor’s psychological approach to text (regardless of period) while at the same time recognizing that classical plays require actors to make distinct shifts in both acting-style and psychology. Graded performance projects involve advanced scene work from Shakespeare’s oeuvre. Class will meet for four hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): THR 251 - Acting II: Scene Study .
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THR 351 - Commedia dell’Arte 1 course unit
This is an advanced acting class that explores comic performance from the classical French, Italian, and Spanish traditions. Scenes from the plays of Goldoni, Gozzi, Moliere, Marivaux, Beaumarchais, and Cervantes will be analyzed and performed. In addition, the study of the stock Commedia dell’Arte characters (Arlecchino, Pantalone, Brighella, Dottore, Capitano, etc.) will allow the actor to improvise with masks in order to expand vocal and physical abilities. Students in the class are required to write and perform contemporary scenes in the style of the Commedia, and elements of comedy will be researched through the viewing of current films and plays in order to trace the influence of this tradition on contemporary practice. A final performance will take place in a community venue.
Prerequisite(s): THR 251 - Acting II: Scene Study .
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THR 352 - Experiments in Acting 1 course unit
This course is designed to explore the extremes of tragedy and comedy, and to combine them in the specific style of Samuel Beckett, as “tragi-comic.” With readings from Sophocoles, Friederich Nietzche, Antonin Artaud, Joseph Chaikin, and Peter Hall, the class discovers the dynamics of Greek chorus, the presence of the neutral mask and the building of a clowning act. Texts from Electra and Waiting for Godot are studied in depth and serve as inspiration for writing a scene in a tragi-comic style. Films are assigned every week.
Prerequisite(s): THR 251 - Acting II: Scene Study .
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THR 353 - Acting the Song 1 course unit
This class will help the actor develop such skills as finding the right attitude in approaching the song, telling the story, playing with the music, and connecting with the audience on a very personal level. Students will learn to creatively act characters from musicals and/or to express themselves through cabaret performance. Special attention will be given to learning about cabaret traditions, auditioning the song, writing material, and the business of building an act. All kinds of styles of music are encouraged from musicals to jazz, and/or diverse languages. The focus of the class is not on vocal technique, but is about acting the song.
Prerequisite(s): THR 251 - Acting II: Scene Study .
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THR 355 - On-Camera Acting 1 course unit
This upper level course is designed to introduce students to the skills required to work effectively on camera. Using material drawn from the professional world, students will work in a variety of on-camera genres that may include commercials, daytime, primetime (sitcom and drama), and film. Class time will be divided equally between shooting and viewing, and students are expected to engage critically with both their own work and their classmates. Analytical viewing assignments from each of the genres will be required.
Prerequisite(s): THR 251 - Acting II: Scene Study .
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THR 450 - Advanced Topics in Acting 1 or .5 course unit
This intensive laboratory course explores the ideas and techniques of one or more advanced approaches to performance. In some iterations this studio class will concentrate on topics such as Advanced Problems in Acting/Emotional Techniques, will meet for 4 hours per week, and students will receive one unit. Additional topics may include Stage Combat, which will meet for 3.5 hours per week and students will receive .5 units, (students should start with the “Unarmed” version). Meets four hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): For one unit version, THR 251 Acting II: Scene Study ; for .5 unit version, THR 250 Acting I: Process
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THR 451 - Performing Magic 1 course unit
This course is a studio introduction to the performance art of magic. While we read important works in the theory or philosophy of magic (by Eugene Burger, Juan Tamariz, Dai Vernon, Jeff McBride, and others), the primary focus is to train students in the effective performance of magic. Some main areas of training will be sleight of hand, directing attention, the psychology of deception, scriptwriting, persona, audience interaction, and repertoire selection. The course is being taught as an introduction, so no previous experience with magic is required. What is required is a strong desire to perform magic for other people and a commitment to focused, disciplined, and creative work. By the end of the semester everyone will have one or two quality performance pieces: that is, the beginning of a repertoire and knowledge of how to build upon it. As a culminating experience, students will perform their pieces for and be evaluated by a jury of professional magicians.
Prerequisite(s): THR 150 - Introduction to the Art of Acting or THR 250 - Acting I: Process or permission of the instructor.
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Theatre Studio Performance: Directing |
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THR 370 - Fundamentals of Directing 1 course unit
This class introduces the art form of theatre directing. Students learn key directorial concepts, focusing especially on issues of plot, character, space, and sound. A series of compact, supervised projects give students the opportunity to develop their abilities with these and other tools. In addition to teaching the basics of craft, the course presumes that directing is an expressive art form. Subsidiary concerns of the class will include models of rehearsal, directorial text analysis, and contemporary directing theory. Meets four hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): THR 251 - Acting II: Scene Study .
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THR 371 - Directing: Process in Production 1 course unit
This is an experiential course that explores the process of bringing the play text to the stage. Working as an ensemble of actors and directors, the class will confront the challenges of production conceptualization, text analysis, problems in physical staging, and collaborative process. Each student will participate as a director and actor in the mounting of several one-act plays in the course of the semester. Members of the class will also produce two production prompt books based on their work as directors. Meets four hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): THR 251 - Acting II: Scene Study .
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THR 372 - Major Directors: Theory & Practice 1 course unit
This course explores the ideas and techniques of one or more major theatre directors. The class will touch upon the historical development of each artist, concentrating on the conceptual and practical bases of their work. Students will read and write about these signal figures and create many new theatrical projects inspired by them. Extensive collaboration will be expected. The directors studied will change from semester to semester but might include Vsevolod Meyerhold, Bertolt Brecht, Joan Littlewood, Tadevsz Kantor, or Arianne Mnouchkine. Meets four hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): THR 251 - Acting II: Scene Study or permission of the instructor.
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Design and Technical Theatre |
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THR 161 - Creativity & Collaboration 1 course unit
An introduction to ‘total design’ for the stage using a text-based approach to generate and test ideas as the core of creating a design. With the actors as the central focus of concentric rings of aesthetic choices, analysis would include a study in each successive circle: costume design - the fluid layer moving with the actor; stage properties - the objects the actor immediately uses; scenery - the contained world of the play; lighting design - the revelation of the physical world; and sound design - the most unconscious mood-maker onstage. The course will introduce the beginning stage designer to the creative process of making “art” onstage that is forged through a strong visual production concept.
Meets general academic requirement A or AR.
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THR 162 - Introduction to Stage Make-up 0.5 course unit
This 7-week course is an introduction to the basics of stage make-up; study includes historical and contemporary techniques in make-up and hair design and execution. Students will analyze the face and explore ways to manipulate and exaggerate the features with make-up and three-dimensional mediums. Projects include work with analyzing plays and characters to then create conceptual make-up charts that lead to realized designs. Study includes human physiognomy, theatrical make-up styles, and rendering techniques.
Meets general academic requirement AR.
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THR 163 - Introduction to Sound Design 1 course unit
Covers basic design theory and history, engineering, and technology for theatrical sound scoring and sound reinforcement. Classes include both lecture and hands-on labs in weekly three-hour sessions. Students write short plays that require sound designs, fabricate conceptual designs for short works, create a complete sound plot, engineer a series of audio projects, and work on lab projects and exercises. Students will be able to conceptualize, discuss, and research projects; record and create basic cues; and understand and operate simple sound systems.
Meets general academic requirement AR.
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THR 164 - Stage Management 1 course unit
Introduction to the craft and art of the theatre stage manager and the professional stage management process. The course will cover the theory and historical development of contemporary practice. Studies will require the acquisition of specific skills and knowledge, including a vocabulary of theatre terminology, blocking notation, production book, and scheduling techniques. Students will learn how technical and design elements are coordinated, how to effectively work with directors, and to call and maintain shows. This course is designed to integrate theories and concepts with skills and techniques in order to meet the problem-solving and organizational challenges commonly encountered by stage managers in the creation of a show.
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THR 165 - Stagecraft: Aesthetics & Lighting 0.5 course unit
Introduction to a theatre designer’s aesthetic choices, including overview of stage design styles and design process as applied to stage design. The course will cover techniques, tools, and materials of stage lighting, including the hang and focus of lighting design. Crew/laboratory requirement will complement class lecture.
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THR 166 - Stagecraft: Scenic Techniques 0.5 course unit
This course will cover techniques, tools, and materials used in the construction and painting of scenery. Other technical studies will include safety, stage rigging and knots, properties, and production organization. A crew/laboratory requirement will complement class lectures.
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THR 167 - Stagecraft: Costume Techniques 0.5 course unit
This course will cover techniques, tools, and materials used in the construction of costumes. Topics will include properties of different fabrics, sewing, cutting and draping, dying, and costume maintenance. A crew/laboratory requirement will complement class lectures.
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THR 260 - Scene Design I 1 course unit
An exploration of the relationship between the play and its physical setting. Students will explore how the cultural/literary context of specific theatrical works can be expressed through the designer’s process. A major focus will be on production conceptualization and the aesthetics of the theatre. Class members will be introduced to the basics of model building, color rendering practice, and the various media available to the modern designer. Crew work will be required. Offered in alternate years.
Prerequisite(s): THR 161 - Creativity & Collaboration or permission of the instructor.
Meets general academic requirement A or AR.
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THR 261 - Stage Lighting I 1 course unit
An exploration of the properties of light and their relation to the stage play in production. Areas to be covered include electrical theory, color theory, stage lighting design theory, and control systems. Students will develop an understanding of the potentials of the lighting instruments available to the designer and the uses of computer memory control. Crew work will be required. Offered in alternate years.
Prerequisite(s): THR 161 - Creativity & Collaboration or permission of the instructor.
Meets general academic requirement A or AR.
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THR 262 - Costume Design I 1 course unit
A survey of costume design and history with training in basic construction techniques. The application of basic design concepts and their relation to clothes, costume, and the human figure will be discussed and related to script analysis exercises. Students will work on designing, patterning, and planning costumes for specific plays. Figure drawing and rendering technique will be covered, and crew work will be required.
Prerequisite(s): THR 161 - Creativity & Collaboration or permission of the instructor.
Meets general academic requirement A or AR.
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THR 360 - Scene Design II 1 course unit
Advanced work in production conceptualization and a discussion of the design process in relation to the demands of period drama. Students will study the historical development of architecture and period décor and will work to hone drafting and rendering skills. Offered in alternate years.
Prerequisite(s): THR 260 - Scene Design I .
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THR 361 - Stage Lighting II 1 course unit
Continuing study in the practice of lighting design for the stage with principal emphasis on aesthetics and interpretation, discussion of lighting as an art form, and its effect upon other aspects of theatre. Drafting as it relates to the completion of lighting plots and the associated paperwork will be taught. Class projects as well as concentrated involvement in actual productions will be required. Offered in alternate years.
Prerequisite(s): THR 261 - Stage Lighting I .
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THR 460 - Advanced Topics in Design 1 course unit
This studio course explores specialized ideas or techniques in theatre design. Possible topics might include scene painting; moving lights technology.
Prerequisite(s): THR 161 - Creativity & Collaboration or permission of the instructor.
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Ensembles and Internships |
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THR 900-959 - Community Performance Ensemble 0.5 course unit
Members of the Community Performance Ensembles in theatre and dance develop, rehearse, and tour programs (plays, dance performances, interactive dramatic pieces) for presentation at schools, community centers, and senior citizen residences. In addition to participation in the touring ensemble, students will be expected to submit a journal about their experience in mounting the production and touring to diverse audiences. May be repeated.
Audition required for participation.
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THR 960 - Theatre Internship 1 course unit
An opportunity for students to serve internships with professional theatre companies. These internships will usually be in such areas as stage management, technical theatre areas, and theatre administration. Pass/fail only.
Acting internships are usually not available. Internships are available both in Allentown and at theatres outside the Lehigh Valley.
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Women’s and Gender Studies |
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WST 202 - Topics in Women’s and Gender Studies 1 course unit
Engages the foundational and vigorously debated ideas within women’s studies, gender studies and feminist thought. The scope of the class encompasses women’s studies, feminisms, sexuality studies, masculinity studies, and lesbian and queer studies within their historical contexts. The course explores what is at stake in the constructions of femaleness and maleness. The readings are interdisciplinary and cover gender and women’s studies theories from the nineteenth century to the present. Special attention will be given to the connections among gender, race (including Black Feminism and whiteness), ethnicity, and socioeconomic class. We explore how gender functions as an organizing system of power, privilege and oppression and intersects with other identity markers. Our readings will be grounded in objects of inquiry such as bodies, modes of artistic representation, the state, and health and science. Professors from such diverse disciplines as Africana Studies, Art, History, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, and Theatre teach the class. Students considering the WST Minor should take soon after taking a first Women’s and Gender Studies course.
Prerequisite(s): One course included in the WST list of classes or permission of the instructor.
Meets general academic requirement W.
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WST 960 - Women’s and Gender Studies Internship 1 course unit
Supervised work and/or community service, arranged in consultation with the Director of Women’s and Gender Studies.
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