DRMA- Drama

EDP,GS,H- Introduction to Theatre introduces students to the practices and history of contemporary American theater, and its global historical and cultural precedents and influences. Students will read plays and other materials, attend productions, and analyze and discuss these course materials. The course also includes multiple creative projects to give students hands-on experiences of creating theater. After successful completion of this course, students will be equipped to analyze and discuss theater and other performance genres as informed audience members, readers, and/or participants, and will produce thoughtful commentary on productions they see and plays they read. Central to the course is an analysis of the ways in which American drama has reinforced and reproduced as well as disrupted and commented on dominant systems of power, privilege, and inequality. Drama 101 is appropriate for students with all levels of experience, from those who have never attended a live performance to those with performance or production experience.

EDP,GS,H- The primary material in this drama course will be several theater productions in the greater Puget Sound area, which students will attend either on their own or in groups. Through these experiences, students will examine theatrical storytelling and performance, including design elements and production choices, scenic and costume designs, use of light and sound, and directorial and dramaturgical decisions. The coursework will require students to consider cultural difference and intersections, grapple with the relationship between art and culture, and examine the social, political, economic, and historical contexts of how stories are told, including systems of power, privilege, inequality and identity. The goal of this work is to develop critical thinking about the role and effects of theater, and about students' own responses to these performances. *In lieu of textbooks, this course will require several out of class field trips, which will require the purchase of student tickets.

HP- This drama course focuses on the theory and practice of the fundamentals of acting primarily through rehearsing and performing scenes and monologues and through other acting work. Students learn techniques to strengthen vocal, physical and emotional awareness and response while studying the foundational theories of acting. They particularly develop a deep understanding of the elements of characterization in relation to cultural, historical and economic background.