DEPARTMENT OF THEATRE

WHAT'S NEW AND INTERESTING FOR FALL 2008

THET 399F RACE AND SEXUALITY IN THEATRE AND FILM
MW (12:00 - 1:15pm) – PAC 1815
May be used to satisfy the History/Theory or Supporting Course requirement
Instructor: Faedra Carpenter
By considering interrelated representations of race, sex, and gender, this course not only questions the authoritative portrayal of white, masculine heterosexuality in contemporary theatre and film, but it charges students to consider whether or not the issues of race, gender, and sexuality are inherently interdependent. Among the questions raised by this course: Does the issue of race and culture complicate the staging of gender politics or does one issue always take precedence over the other? In terms of sexuality, how can a play stage images of Asian men to critique assumptions regarding both White and Asian masculinity? Does the homosexuality of black men invalidate their masculinity (and thus their “blackness”)? Does queerness "color" whiteness?

THET 399W 500 CLOWN WORKSHOP
Place and Time to be Arranged
Instructor: Leigh Smiley
Audition required; details TBA. Participation will encompass summer 2008 and fall 2008.

THET 480 AUDIO TECHNOLOGY
F (11am - 1:50pm) – PAC 1807
First technical course in the installation and operation of professional sound systems. This course explores current standards of both analog and digital audio theory as well as recording and reinforcement techniques.
May be used to satisfy the Design/Production or Supporting Course requirement
Instructors: Kristine Eckerman

THET 481 THEATRE GRAPHICS II: COMPUTER ASSISTED DESIGN
T/TH (9:30am -10:45Am) – PAC 2727
Study and practical application of computer generated graphical design for use in theatrical production.
May be used to satisfy the Design/Production or Supporting Course requirement
Instructor: Dan Conway

THET 488R SPECIAL TOPICS IN THEATRE HISTORY BEFORE 1800: RENAISSANCE THEATRE
T/TH (11:00am - 12:15pm) – PAC 1815
May be used to satisfy the History/Theory or Supporting Course requirement
This course looks at the foundations of modern theatre in the developments that occurred in Europe and Asia in the 15th to early 17th centuries, a period now called Early Modern. Our focus will be on England, Spain, Italy, France, China and Japan. Because the theatre of this time was highly influenced by classical theatre, the first part of the course will look at the theatre of Greece, Rome, classical India, Byzantium and medieval Europe. We will read some plays but always with a focus on understanding how they were performed. The course deals primarily with theatre as a profession.
Instructor: Franklin Hildy

THET 489C SPECIAL TOPICS IN THEATRE HISTORY FROM 1800 TO PRESENT: SUBVERSIVE CULTURE
T/TH (11:00am - 12:15pm) – PAC 1801
May be used to satisfy the History/Theory or Supporting Course requirement
Every society has rebels – those who refuse to conform to the mainstream’s rigid rules, aesthetics, and beliefs. From unruly skateboarders, punk rockers, bohemian poets, and avant-garde performers, to revolutionary movements and brick-throwing anarchists – such groups form niches that are defined by their exclusion from society. Some are content to remain safely out of sight, while others set out to confront and even destroy the social systems that persecute them. Scholars routinely analyze the structure of society and explore systems of symbol and belief. Implied in any understanding of these structures is also anti-structure -- marginality, resistance, and protest against the established norm. These reactive moments of Anti-, Outside, and Underground and their demands for social transformation are often condemned by the mainstream as dissident, subversive, and dangerous. We will question why these individuals or groups are considered dangerous and who defines them as such. We will look at how their beliefs and actions fit into a particular socio-historical context and how their actions drive social change.
Instructor: Laurie Frederik Meer