Courses

Overview of theatre, including historical background, literary works, technical aspects, and performance techniques. The theatre of today is studied in relation to its predecessors and in terms of its modern forms in cinema and television. Students read texts and analyze methods used in bringing those works into production. Field trips offer opportunities to critique performances. Open to first- and second-year students only.

Course provides an extensive investigation of historical and contemporary trends and practices essential for theatre production. Students gain an understanding of theatre procedures and acquire a grasp of equipment necessary for the execution of scenery, properties, sound, and stage lighting. Course is a combination of lecture and laboratory work and requires backstage participation in college productions.

Overview of the history of theatrical costumes with a look at fashion as dictated by economic, religious, socio-political, and other factors. Study of costume design and construction with hands-on projects which foster technical skills (primarily sewing) and minimal drawing skills. Examination of the basic processes of costume research, design, and construction as they fit into the total production concept of a play. Introduction to general and specialty stage make-up. Practical experience in preparing costumes and serving backstage for main stage productions.

Study of the theory and technique of the art of acting: movement analysis, non-verbal play, complicity. Devised scenes, status play and improvisation, and scene presentations from contemporary plays accompany critical analysis of plays, character action, and live performances.

Overview of the development of social and theatrical dance of western cultures from the 15th century to present day. It will expand understanding of dance in its social, cultural, political, artistic and performance context. The course will also introduce students to the innovators, dancers, choreographers and dance masters who contributed to the development of dance throughout the centuries. Ballroom etiquette, period fashion and its effect on dance movement and how dance is depicted in fine and decorative arts and on film will complete the exploration.

Survey of the theatre from the Greeks to the Renaissance. Emphasis is placed on the relevance of theatre design, production techniques, and acting styles to the plays of their periods. The course covers Greek, Roman, Medieval, Spanish Golden Age, Elizabethan, Japanese, and Italian Renaissance.

Survey of the theatre since the Italian Renaissance to the present. Emphasis is placed on the relevance of theatre design, production techniques, and acting styles to the plays of their periods. The course is devoted to French Neoclassical, the Restoration, and the eighteenth, nineteenth, and twentieth centuries

Rehearsal, performance, or technical aspects of theatrical productions for the Gettysburg Department of Theatre Arts season. Students work alongside professors of Acting, Directing, and Design and of the department and under professional direction. 0.25 unit awarded.

Rehearsal, performance, or technical aspects of theatrical productions for the Gettysburg Department of Theatre Arts season. Students work alongside professors of Acting, Directing, and Design and of the department and under professional direction. 0.25 unit awarded.

Study of the theory and technique of the art of the director. Course explores dramatic action, script and story analysis, why a play is selected, auditions and casting, and the purpose and techniques of blocking, movement, and acting, including Viewpoints. Particular attention is given to the preparation of the director's production promptbook and other written analysis. Students are required to direct scenes in class and a short play as part of the Laboratory Theatre Series.

Overview of dramatic literature from the Greeks to the present. Play structure is analyzed, and comparisons made between methods of executing plot, development of character, and theme. Includes plays from the Greek and Roman periods, medieval, Elizabethan, and seventeenth through twentieth centuries. Emphasis is placed on written analysis.

Basic theories and technique of design for the stage. The theory behind the design, and the interrelationship of scene design, lighting, costumes, and properties. How stage design interprets themes and moods of a play is studied, as well as identification of period and place. Course follows a lecture-discussion format and involves extensive studio work. Students analyze, create, and execute basic designs for the Laboratory Theatre Series, in association with students in Theatre Arts 212

Further study in the theory and techniques of the actor, the analysis and interpretation of acting roles, and the building of characterization. Analysis and performance of contemporary and classic plays and acting for the camera. Prerequisite: Theatre Arts 120 or permission of the instructor.

Study of traditional Japanese theatre, focusing on Noh, Bunraku Puppet Theatre, and Kabuki from the fourteenth century to the present. The course examines major theories and a variety of representative plays of the three theatrical forms and investigates their artistic, religious, and socio-cultural significances. Emphasis is on adaptation of literary canons, treatment of convention, seminal playwrights, and performance styles. Instruction in performing Noh chanting and dancing unites theory and performance to deepen understandings of the non-western tradition. Readings in English

Examination of historical and contemporary theories of scene, lighting, and costume design. Students consider design as the visual manifestation of a playwright's concepts. In addition to designing both a play for proscenium, arena, thrust, and profile stages and a period play for a period other than its own, students complete advanced designs in scene, lighting, and costumes, and create designs for the Laboratory Theatre Series in association with students in Theatre Arts 282. Prerequisite: Theatre Arts 215.

Workshop in art of writing and collaborative devising of works for the stage. Students will learn to identify and analyze play structure, character development, and effective plot construction through writing and movement exercises, both individually and collaboratively. Through improvisation, rehearsed readings, and intensive post-reading feedback, students will produce their own scripts, experimenting with different genres. Students will attend performances, read and analyze playscripts, and analyze and perform each other’s works, culminating in a public staged reading of texts. Prerequisite: Theatre Arts 105 or 120.

Modern dance theory and practice exploring basic modern dance technique and movement invention. Course includes modern dance technique, improvisation, and composition. Students develop an understanding of movement in relation to space, time, and energy through movement practice and experimentation. Students explore basic spatial, rhythmic and dynamic movement through individual and group movement composition studies. No previous dance experience is required.

During a seven-week program, students rehearse and perform in two mainstage productions for children and families as part of the Gettysburg Theatre Festival (founded 1963). Students work alongside professional actors, administrators, and designers of the Festival and under professional direction. Commedia dell'Arte and other improvisational techniques are employed in the creation of each presentation. A study of the works represented on the mainstage, as well as discussion sessions and workshops with professional actors and directors are included in class work.

During a seven-week period, students participate in the varied technical aspects of mounting two mainstage productions for children and families as part of the Gettysburg Theatre Festival (founded 1963). Hands-on experience is gained from the construction, painting and placement of sets, hanging and running of stage lights, and the construction and gathering of properties and costumes. A study of the technical and design aspects along with the cultural and aesthetic heritage of the works produced is integral to the course.

Further studies in the theory and technique in the art of the director. Students engage in directional analyses of plays representing different periods, including Shakespeare. Particular attention on contemporary and experimental methods of presentation. In addition to directing scenes in class, students direct scenes and a one-act play for public presentation, the latter as part of the Laboratory Theatre Series. Prerequisites: Theatre Arts 212.

The course aims to expand the range of theatrical means by merging the skill sets of the actor with the playwright, designer, and director. Emphasis on the student’s personal artistic vision and choice of expression. Research and creation assignments in self-scripting and ensemble creation; utilizing non-traditional forms and spaces; and the collision of performance with emerging technologies.

Study of major dramatists from after World War II to the present and of dramatic movements such as realism, naturalism, expressionism, as well as Theatre of the Absurd. Prerequisite: Theatre Arts 214.

Overview of dramatic literature and stage practices of contemporary African, Caribbean, Indian, and Asian theatre. The course includes an introduction to post-colonial literature and theory, including the ways that indigenous theatrical practices were affected by colonial traditions. Focus is on the historical context of each work as well as on themes of national identity, liberation and oppression.

Design Course for students who have demonstrated the skill and talent to undertake further studies in design. Culminates in an independent study project. Prerequisite: Theatre Arts 155 and 255.

For students who have demonstrated that their skills in performing before the public (both young and old) might be further developed. Students continue work begun in Theatre Arts 307; they are expected to produce mature and advanced work and undertake a broader range of roles and more complex ones. Prerequisite: Theatre Arts 307.

For students who have demonstrated that their skills in the technical aspects of theatre might be further developed. Students continue work begun in Theatre Arts 311 and are expected to undertake more advanced assignments in set construction, stage lighting, costumes, and properties. Prerequisite: Theatre Arts 311.

Examination of concepts, approaches, and professional practices in the Theatre Arts, culminating in an intensive experience for Theatre majors. Under faculty supervision, students develop and present a final production or research project, either individually or in collaboration with other seniors. Offered every spring.

Individualized tutorial counting toward the minimum requirements in a major or minor, graded A-F

Individualized tutorial counting toward the minimum requirements in a major or minor, graded S/U

Individualized tutorial not counting in the minimum requirements in a major or minor, graded A-F

Individualized tutorial not counting in the minimum requirements in a major or minor, graded S/U

Individualized research counting toward the minimum requirements in a major or minor, graded A-F

Individualized research counting toward the minimum requirements in a major or minor, graded S/U

Individualized research not counting in the minimum requirements in a major or minor, graded A-F

Individualized research not counting in the minimum requirements in a major or minor graded S/U

Internship counting toward the minimum requirements in a major or minor, graded A-F

Internship counting toward the minimum requirements in a major or minor, graded S/U

Internship not counting in the minimum requirements in a major or minor, graded A-F

Internship not counting in the minimum requirements in a major or minor, graded S/U

Summer Internship graded A-F, counting in the minimum requirements for a major or minor only with written permission filed in the Registrar's Office.

Summer Internship graded S/U, counting in the minimum requirements for a major or minor only with written permission filed in the Registrar's Office