You are in the official 2004-2005 General Catalog
for California State University, Fresno.
Department of Theatre Arts
COURSES
Theatre Arts (DRAMA)
10. The Art of Theatre (3)
Fundamental knowledge and skills required for study in the Theatre Arts
Program which includes the literary basis, technique, visual impact, and
presentation of drama.
15. Dramatic Arts Laboratory (1-2; max total
6)
(Same as DRAMA 115.) Group laboratory experience in presentation of
major productions for public performance. Not available for CR/NC
grading.
22. Oral Interpretation of Literature (3)
Discovering and communicating intellectual and emotional meaning of
the printed page through preparation and presentation of selected readings
from prose, poetry, and drama. G.E. Breadth C1.
30. Voice and Speech for Performance (3)
Open to theatre arts majors and minors only. Principles of voice and
speech for stage performance including the International Phonetics Alphabet,
breathing, relaxation, resonance, enunciation, articulation, pronunciation,
projection, expressiveness, and vocal characterization. (Can Dram 6)
31. Fundamentals of Voice and Articulation (3)
Open to nonmajors only. Principles of voice and articulation with demonstration
in various aspects of oral communication.
32. Introduction to Acting (3)
Not open to theatre arts majors except dance option. Open to theatre
arts minors. A study of the physiological, sociological, and psychological
components of acting. Includes role-paying in daily life; characterization;
text analysis; diverse cultural and generational perspectives; and relaxation,
voice, and body techniques. G.E. Breadth E1.
33. Fundamentals of Acting (3)
Open to theatre arts majors and minors only. Non-majors and minors,
see DRAMA 32. Fundamental techniques and theories of acting; development
of individual insight, skill, and discipline in the presentation of dramatic
materials. (Can Dram 8)
34. Theatre Crafts (3)
Introduction to the crafts in technical theatre scene construction,
scene painting, property selection, stage lighting, sound production; costume
construction, and makeup; laboratory experience in preparing major plays
for public performance.
35. Intermediate Acting (3)
Prerequisite: DRAMA 33. Intermediate studies in acting including text
analysis, expansion of the actor's character range and audition techniques.
41. Makeup for Theatre (3; max total 6)
Theory and practice of makeup for theatre; techniques for characterization,
style, and technical processes. Emphasis on basic techniques; introduction
to prosthetics. Preparing plays for major public performances.
62. Theatre Today (3)
Not open to theatre arts majors. Perspectives on theatre, its origins,
and contemporary forms. Explores theatre as an artistic medium for enhancing
our understanding of human experience. Emphasis on the content, meaning,
and entertainment value of drama in performance. G.E. Breadth C1.
77. Community Service - Theatre (1-3; max total 6)
Directed field experience developing skills in theatre or dance through
a performance or design project; projects may include work with community
service or other nonprofit organizations, public schools, special events,
and other projects approved by the faculty supervisor.
83. Touring Theatre (1-3; max total 6)
(Same as DRAMA 183.) Prerequisite: permission of instructor. Experience
in touring major productions for public performance.
89. Projects in Production (1-3; max total
9)
(Same as DRAMA 189.) Prerequisite: permission of instructor. Group projects
in all phases of production in laboratory theatre.
110. Design for the Theatre (3)
Comprehensive study of design aesthetics and application of design to
theatrical production, including scenery, costume, lighting, sound, and
makeup. Laboratory application, material for major public performance.
115. Dramatic Arts Laboratory (1-2; max total 9)
(See DRAMA 15.)
Not available for CR/NC grading.
130. Screenwriting (3; max total 9)
Principles and techniques in the preparation and marketing of film scripts.
131. Fundamentals of Playwriting (3; max total 9)
Exercises in plotting, characterization, exposition, and stage business,
critical analysis, and revision of manuscripts.
132. Advanced Acting: Period Styles (3; max total 6)
Prerequisite: DRAMA 35. A study of styles of acting ranging from Greek
Tragedy to Theatre of the Absurd with special emphasis on playing Shakespeare.
133. Advanced Acting: Scene Study (3; max total 6)
Prerequisite: DRAMA 35. Advanced techniques including script analysis,
characterization, physicalization, and emotional commitment, developed through
improvisation and scene study.
134A-B. Advanced Theatre Craft (3-3)
Prerequisite: DRAMA 34. (A) Advanced training in scenic techniques and
allied technology. Laboratory application to major public productions. (B)
In-depth survey of each phase of the costume design and production process.
Laboratory application to major public performances.
136. Puppetry (3)
Introduction to the art of puppetry: history, construction of various
types of puppets and theatre, practice in manipulation, script writing,
use of puppets in education and recreation.
137. Creative Dramatics (3; max total 6)
(Same as CI 137.) Basic techniques for the use of dramatization in elementary
education; sociodrama, dramatization of school subjects, creative dramatic
play; simplified staging techniques.
138A-B. Children's Theatre (3-3) (138B; max total 6)
(A) Theory, practice, and applications of theatre for children and adolescents;
children's plays are examined through reading, discussion, and scene study.
(B) Prerequisite: permission of instructor. Theatre for Young Audiences
Tour; experience touring children's theatre productions for public performance.
139. Fundamentals of Play Direction (3)
Prerequisite: DRAMA 33. Fundamental techniques and theories of stage
direction; function, responsibility, movement, analysis, style; practice
in directing scenes.
140. Experimental Techniques in Play Direction (3)
Experimental techniques of play direction: prerehearsal problems and
procedures; structural analysis of plays, composition, picturization, pantomimic
dramatization, movement, rhythm.
151. Stage and Production Management (3)
Principles and techniques of stage and production management as applied
to professional, educational, and community theatre and applied media; production,
audition, rehearsal process, and organization; technical and performance
process and procedures; production personnel and cost management. (Formerly
DRAMA 188T section)
155. Sound in the Theatre (3)
Theory, techniques, and procedure necessary to develop and integrate
sound, music, and effects in theatre production; hearing, acoustics, environment,
sources, transducers, control, systems, equipment; organization and planning.
Laboratory experience in preparing plays for a major public performance.
157. Theatre Graphics (3; max total 6)
Development of rendering technique and other graphic skills essential
to design for the theatre.
160. Field Studies in Theatre and Dance (1-6; max total 8)
Prerequisite: permission of instructor. Supervised off-campus study
of the theatre arts and dance. Submission of project or term paper required.
163. Dramatic Literature (3)
Prerequisites: G.E. Foundation and Breadth Area C. Critical analysis
of various types and styles of plays with respect to their form, meaning,
and theatricality. G.E. Integration IC.
164. 20th Century Drama (3)
Study of the plays of major 20th Century dramatists encompassing various
nations and cultures, with emphasis on the contemporary scene. Also includes
dramatic theory and analysis, and consideration of social and political
issues reflected in these authors' works.
177. Community Service: Theatre Arts
(1-3; max total 6)
Directed field experience developing skills in theatre or dance through
a performance or design project; projects may include work with community
service or other nonprofit organizations, public schools, special events,
and other projects approved by the faculty supervisor.
178. Oral Studies of Shakespeare (3)
Appreciation and communication of representative histories, comedies,
and tragedies; problems of content and structure from the point of view
of the oral interpreter.
179. Playwrights' Theatre (1-2; max total 6)
Prerequisite: permission of instructor. Presentation and readings of
original and classical plays.
180A-B. Scene Design for Theatre (3-3; 180B max total 6)
Prerequisite: DRAMA 34. (A) Styles, techniques, and methods of scene
design; history. Laboratory application, material for major public performance.
(B) Scenery design; design problems of a complicated play; experimental
ideas; new materials. Laboratory application, material for major public
performance.
181A. Costume History for Theatre (3)
A survey of historical periods of dress from early Egyptian civilizations
to present day with an emphasis on application to stage usage.
181B. Costume Design for Theatre (3; max total 6)
Costume design for theatre and dance incorporating analysis of script,
research of historical period, selection of fabric, preparation of budget,
and rendering of plates. Emphasis on illustration and design elements.
182A-B. Stage and Television Lighting (3-3)
Prerequisite: DRAMA 34 or 134A-B. (A) Instruments, control, color, electromechanical
factors and simplified design and planning lighting leading to and resulting
in a major public performance. (B) Lighting as an art, design concepts;
lighting plots, projections, sequential cue relationships. Laboratory application,
material for major public performance.
183. Touring Theatre (1-3; max total 6)
(See DRAMA 83.)
185. History of the Theatre and Drama I (3)
History of European theatre and component arts from ancient Greece through
the mid-19th century; analysis of representative examples.
186. History of the Theatre and Drama II (3)
Prerequisite: DRAMA 163. From Ibsen to the present; analysis of representative
examples.
188T. Topics in Theatre Arts (1-6; max total 9)
Prerequisite: permission of instructor. Selected topics may include
acting, children's theatre, creative dramatics, play direction, technical
theatre, theatre history, dramatic literature, and theatre administration.
(May include lab hours)
189. Projects in Production (1-3; max total 9)
(See DRAMA 89.)
190. Independent Study (1-3; max total 6)
See Academic Placement -- Independent
Study. Approved for RP grading.
194. Shakespeare (4)
(See ENGL 189.)
IN-SERVICE COURSE
(See Course Numbering System.)
Theatre Arts (DRAMA)
303. Topics in Theatre Arts (1-3)
In-service training in selected areas of drama/theatre arts.
Dance (DANCE)
A maximum of 12 units of dance technique courses (DANCE 16,
117, 155, 158), ATHL, and KAC courses may be credited toward the minimum
B.A. graduation requirement of 124 units for dance majors.
16. Introduction to Dance (3)
Exploration of basic concepts, techniques and styles through study problems,
video and critical readings. Dance concert attendance may be required. G.E.
Breadth E1.
20. Physical Theatre (3)
Incorporates the study of body awareness techniques, contact improvisation,
commedia dell' arte, clown work, and other physical theatre traditions in
an active exploration of actor training and expression.
70. Balance BodyMind (3)
Study of the alignment of the body and continuum between inner, cellular
awareness of body through space. Promotes greater ease in movement; reduced
emotional stress; knowledge of the body as process. Nondancers encouraged
to enroll. G.E. Breadth E1. (Formerly DANCE 170)
115. University Dance Theatre (1; max total 9)
A student-organized course in which the experiential, experimental,
and exploratory nature of dance can be accessed. Focuses on achieving excellence
through the preparation, performance, and production needs of completed
works that are performed at the end of the semester. Not available for CR/NC
grading.
117A. Modern Dance Technique (1; max total 2)
Basic aspect of modern dance technique. Emphasis on importance of breath,
body alignment, and rhythmic coordination; total movement awareness.
117B. Modern Dance Technique (1; max total 2)
Beginning-intermediate level study of movement fundamentals, locomotor
activities, and expressive qualities; development of balance, strength,
breath coordination, and technical ability.
117C. Modern Dance Technique (2; max total 6)
Intermediate level modern dance technique with emphasis on increasing
skills in reading movement and expressing more complex patterns. Develops
the core muscles to support greater ease in sequencing body flow from center
practice to sweeping locomotor phrases.
117D. Modern Dance Technique (2; max total 12)
Advanced level modern dance technique with elements of alignment, embodiment,
flexibility, strength, and energy flow. Stresses individual mastery as well
as ensemble performance. Integrates techniques of Hawkins, Limon, and Graham
as well as developmental theories of Bartenieff, Pilates, and Bainbridge-Cohen.
155A. Modern Jazz Dance (1)
An in-depth study of jazz dance using a modern dance foundation that
emphasizes the fortification, stretching, and reshaping of mind and body
to help produce a more accomplished dancer.
155B. Modern Jazz Technique (1)
An in-depth intermediate/advanced level of study of jazz dance using
a modern dance foundation that emphasizes the fortification, stretching,
and reshaping of mind and body to help produce a more accomplished dancer.
158A. Ballet Technique (1; max total 2)
Elementary ballet technique. Emphasizes alignment, control, and proper
awareness of style and phrasing. Develops a foundation from which to build
a dancer capable of a broad range of expression and demonstration to meet
the demands placed on today's dancers.
158B. Ballet Technique (1; max total 2)
Intermediate study of elementary ballet technique combined with a more
broad-based understanding of ballet as an art form through traditional exercises,
with proper awareness of conditioning, style, and phrasing.
158C. Ballet Technique (2; max total 12)
An intermediate/advanced level ballet class with emphasis on technique,
artistry, and conditioning. Builds well-placed dancers capable of a broad
range of expression and demonstration with skills that can readily adapt
to the demands placed on today's dancers.
158D. Ballet Technique (2; max total 12)
Study of preprofessional advanced ballet technique with emphasis on
performance preparation. Builds well-placed dancers capable of a broad range
of expression and demonstration with impressive technical skills that can
readily adapt to the demands placed on today's dancers.
158P. Ballet Pointe (1)
Prerequisite: permission of instructor. Advanced level of ballet technique
and technical training for ballet pointe work. Advanced study of style and
theory used for ballet pointe.
159. Music in Choreography (3)
Study of music theory as it relates to modern and postmodern choreography.
Development of the dancer's percussive and vocal abilities through the study
of world music and rhythmic analysis.
160. Creative Movement for Children (3)
Introduction to the basic concepts, principles, and methodology needed
to develop an awareness of the aesthetic experience through dance and creative
movement. The aesthetic qualities of dance are stressed to develop the use
of creative intelligence and imagination.
161. Musical Theatre (3)
Training of actors for musical auditions through fundamental voice and
movement techniques, study of how music and lyrics combine to suggest character,
and study of relationship of song, scene, and choreography in various styles.
163. Portable Dance Troupe Company Class (2; max total 8)
Prerequisite: permission of instructor. By audition only, held in fall
semester and meets for two semesters. A repertory class consisting of rehearsing,
understudying, and performing roles. This laboratory experience leads toward
performances and touring.
164. Dance History (3)
The historical development of dance from its origins to contemporary
forms including diverse cultural perspectives.
166. Dance Choreography (2; max total 16)
Investigation and practice of contemporary styles of choreography. Application
of basic choreographic principles with emphasis on improvisation, form,
content, current media and technology, group structures, movement invention,
and evaluative skills
168. Awareness through Movement (3)
An introduction to the Feldenkrais Method -- movement sequences that
create new movement skills in the individual. Designed to include movement
and observation, analysis and the application of this work in the fields
of education and performance.
170. Pilates Mat (3)
Study and practice of Pilates mat sequence incorporating principles of core
strength and study of body musculature. Designed to give students an exercise
program to supplement any type of physical activity. Emphasizes use of breath
and leads to total body strengthening. (Formerly DANCE 174T)
171. Philosophical Bases and Trends in Dance (3)
Prerequisites: G.E. Foundation and Breadth Area C. The elements and
principles common to all arts and their relationship to dance. G.E. Integration
IC.
173. Theories of Improvisational Movement (3; max total 9)
Philosophical and physiological ideas in the possibilities of spontaneity
as they relate to the actual process of human movement.
174T. Topics in Dance (1-3; max total 12)
Selected topics may include philosophy, psychology, art, theatre, and
music as related to dance.
Theatre Arts Degrees