This course introduces a dance style not only seen but heard as the rhythmic structure unfolds. It is designed to explore the rudiments of tap dance techniques as an entertaining form of dance.

No dance experience necessary.

This introduction to the stylization of Jazz dance emphasizes the basic technical work of isolations and an overview of the development of jazz dance from its origin.

No dance experience necessary.

This is an introductory course in modern dance technique. Students learn a blend of techniques including fall and recovery, and contraction and release.

No dance experience necessary.

This is a beginning course offering the basic theory and practice of classical ballet and ballet terminology, emphasizing the use of placement.

No dance experience necessary.

This course introduces students to ceili dances which form part of the Irish dance tradition. Ceili dances are social, group dances intended for general participation. A few basic dance steps are learned which become the foundation for numerous group dances. The ceili dances found in Part 1 of Ar Rinci Foirne are covered.

No dance experience is required; the ceili courses may be taken in any order as there are no prerequisites for any ceili courses. Graded pass/no credit.

This course introduces students to ceili dances which form part of the Irish dance tradition. Ceili dances are social, group dances intended for general participation. A few basic dance steps are learned which become the foundation for numerous group dances. The ceili dances found in Part 2 of Ar Rinci Foirne are covered.

No dance experience is required; the ceili courses may be taken in any order as there are no prerequisites for any ceili courses. Graded pass/no credit.

This course introduces students to ceili dances which form part of the Irish dance tradition. Ceili dances are social, group dances intended for general participation. A few basic dance steps are learned which become the foundation for numerous group dances. The ceili dances found in Part 3 of Ar Rinci Foirne are covered.

No dance experience is required; the ceili courses may be taken in any order as there are no prerequisites for any ceili courses. Graded pass/no credit.

This course continues to build student’s knowledge of tap terminology and offers an intermediate level of tap technique.

Prerequisites: DA110 and consent of instructor

This course continues to work toward building the vocabulary of jazz technique, isolations, and extended rhythmical phrasing.

Prerequisites: DA120 and consent of instructor.

This course continues to build students’ modern dance technique. Students are introduced to the principles of improvisation, blend of techniques including fall and recovery, and contraction and release.

Prerequisites: DA130 and consent of instructor.

The course builds the beginning ballet vocabulary, furthering the acquisition of placement and technique, ballet terminology, and ballet as an art form.

Prerequisites: DA140 and consent of instructor.

This course deals with specialized topics, including those relevant to the dancer or choreographer. Topics may include: Ballroom Dance, Men’s Class, Fosse, Jerome Robbins Choreographic Approach, Classical or Contemporary Repertory, Clogging, Pilates/Yoga, Dance Fitness, etc.

Prerequisite: consent of instructor.

This course covers the seven traditional set dances in the Irish dance canon: St. Patrick’s Day, Garden of Daisies, The Blackbird, Job of Journeywork, King of the Fairies, Three Sea Captains, and Jockey to the Fair. The course is intended for experienced Irish dancers who plan to pursue preparation for the T.C.R.G. exam. In addition to actual dances, set dance music is studied as well. The music from approximately eight other set pieces are studied along with the seven traditional sets.

Consent of instructor required.

This course covers a variety of solo set dances in the Irish dance canon which are not considered traditional sets. The course is intended for experienced Irish dancers who plan to pursue preparation for the T.C.R.G. exam. In addition to actual dances, set dance music is studied as well. The music from approximately fifteen set pieces are studied along with the required number of set dances.

Consent of instructor required.

This course explores the human body and how it functions in relation to the performer’s body. Students learn through readings, lectures, class discussions, and in-class projects. There is a special focus on muscular and skeletal systems, prevention and care of injuries, and conditioning.

This course offers an intermediate level of tap dance technique. Students are introduced to syncopation and performance styles, and continue to build a strong tap dance vocabulary.

Prerequisites: DA210 and consent of instructor.

This course offers an intermediate level of jazz dance technique. Students are introduced to rhythmical phrasing and continue to build a strong jazz dance vocabulary.

Prerequisites: DA220 and consent of instructor.

This course provides an intermediate level of modern dance technique and vocabulary furthering the exploration of improvisation.

Prerequisites: DA230 and consent of instructor.

An intermediate level of classical ballet, concentrating on extended vocabulary and the advancement of technique.

Prerequisites: DA240 and consent of instructor.

This course prepares students and gives them the necessary tools for teaching Irish dance. Students are taught techniques for establishing an effective class environment as well as teaching techniques. Additionally, the appropriate progression for introducing various dances is covered. Students are actively engaged in student teaching.

Intended for experienced Irish dancers; consent of instructor required.

This course prepares students and gives them the necessary tools for teaching Irish dance. Students are taught techniques for establishing an effective class environment as well as teaching techniques. Additionally, the appropriate progression for introducing various dances is covered. Students are actively engaged in student teaching.

Intended for experienced Irish dancers; consent of instructor required.

This course is designed to enhance students’ understanding of and ability to perform dances of the modern American musical stage. Students learn techniques and styles of contemporary dance as it is specifically applied to musical theatre, emphasizing theatre dance styles from the 1920s to the present. The course also encompasses research of the styles of major musical theatre choreographers and performers noteworthy for their musical dance innovations.

Offered fall semester. Prerequisite: one of the following: DA210, DA220, DA230, or DA240.

This course explores basic choreographic methods with an emphasis placed on improvisation as a vehicle to creating movement phrases. Students also learn through readings, lectures, class discussions, and in-class projects.

Prerequisites: level II or higher dance technique class and/or consent of instructor.

This course provides an in-depth survey of the history of concert dance forms, including ballet, modern dance, jazz dance and tap dance. Discussion, assignments and text provide background concerning the influences of social and world dance on these ever-changing dance forms. A research paper is a requirement for this course.

Prerequisite: E120.

This course provides an advanced level of rhythm tap with a strong concentration on technique, syncopation and performance styles, including the exploration of improvisation and choreography.

Prerequisites: DA310 and consent of instructor.

An advanced level of jazz dance providing the continuation of strong techniques as well as developing artistry and performance qualities through the exploration of choreography.

Prerequisites: DA320 and consent of instructor.

This course provides an advanced level of modern dance technique with a strong concentration on improvisation, choreograph and artistry.

Prerequisites: DA330 and consent of instructor.

A fast intermediate level of classical ballet, providing the continuation of placement and technique.

Prerequisites: DA330 and consent of instructor.

An advanced level of classical ballet, providing the continuation of placement and technique while focusing on artistry. This course includes the opportunity to study pointe technique.

Prerequisites: DA440 and consent of instructor.

This course is designed to prepare the dancer for teaching jobs outside of school. Students understand the appropriate progression of dance levels, criteria for promotion and how to design a balanced class within this progression. Students are introduced to the various professional associations for teachers of dance and are exposed to literature on the teaching of dance.

This course allows students to apply compositional concepts, principles of choreographic structure, critical thinking and coordination skills in the development of a final dance project.

This is a capstone course for Dance minors only.

This course, required for all students participating in the London program, introduces students to the history of Western art. Lectures are supplemented by visits to the British Museum, the National Gallery, and the Tate. The primary course objective is to familiarize students with major periods of art (Classical, Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, and Modern), artists, historical eras, and basic artistic technical terms.

This course introduces students to British Politics. Topics include: British institutes: Crown, Parliament, the legal system, the Church; parties and politics: government from 1945 to the present day; power and personalities: MacMillan, Thatcher; on-going problems: devolution, Northern Ireland, European Union; and influence of the media.

This course introduces students to a representative selection of British writers from the British Isles who have been active in the last 20 years. Lectures are given on their work as well as their literary and social background, and include selections of poetry, prose, and drama.

Through the examination of a variety of plays from different eras and aesthetics, students learn methodologies from Aristotle to modern performance theory in order to critically and theoretically analyze a script for potential production. This course includes an introduction to theatre research and writing methods, and serves as a foundation for other major courses in theatre.

Offered fall semester.

This course prepares students to make effective informative and persuasive presentations incorporating audio-visual enhancements, and to utilize active listening techniques. The responsibilities of both the speaker and the listener are stressed. Practical experience in preparation, delivery/participation, and evaluation are provided.

An experiential course open to all students interested in a guided study of various theatrical arts in the context of a production atmosphere. Requirements of the course include a weekly three-hour lab, as well as the opportunity to perform a practical assignment on one production.

For the Theatre major, two credits at this level are required, but up to three may be taken. The course cannot be taken at the same time as Theatre Crafts or during the London semester. Graded pass/no credit.

The basic tasks of the actor are considered in three distinct units: voice and movement; creativity and imagination; and, character and scene development. The course serves as an introduction to theatrical performance, and provides a knowledge and appreciation of theatre as a process of fostering creative expression.

Offered spring semester.

An introductory study of the drama and theatre of the past and present, the course is designed for the student who has no previous background in theatre. The course is directed toward a greater appreciation and understanding of the theatre in our culture.

(Not open to majors.)

An introductory study and practice of basic techniques commonly used in theatre production. The course focuses on simultaneous development of crafts found in scenery, lighting, and costumes.

A materials fee is required. Offered fall semester.

This course, the first in a three-course sequence examining theatre within its historical context as a socially constructed mode of artistic and cultural expression, considers the history, dramatic literature, dramatic criticism, and theory of pre-literate ritual cultures, Ancient Greece and Rome, the Middle Ages in Europe, Asia, and India, and the European Renaissance.

Offered fall semester.

This course provides the necessary hands-on learning required to work as a master electrician or sound operator in theatre specifically focusing on the venues at Saint Mary’s. Students will learn to distinguish between various lighting instruments, cable, gel, and hookups and be able to hang the instruments, plug them in, dress the cable, gel and focus lighting instruments, and run the board. Students will also learn to set up the sound equipment (including speakers, microphones, monitors, and amplifiers) as well as run the sound board for live and recorded purposes.

Offered spring semester. Prerequisites: TA100 and TA180.

This course provides the tools for the theatre designer to visualize ideas and would cover necessary techniques in drawing as relates to creating renderings for scenic and costume designs. The course includes still life, perspective, three dimensional modeling, composition, sketching, page formatting and placement, applying elements of design, figure drawing, architectural drawing, drawing light, and the use of various media.

Offered spring semester. Prerequisites: TA100 and TA180.

This course considers the elemental concerns for the director including movement, composition, and a review of script analysis techniques. Students practice techniques and possibilities in short classroom scenes and through guided practice in directing scenes to be presented for an audience.

Offered fall semester. Prerequisites: TA100 and TA180.

This course explores the fundamental artistic and technical craft of the stage makeup artist. Through discussion, demonstration, projects, and image research students will define the scope of a makeup artist’s job description and responsibilities. Students will learn to apply basic stage makeup as well as character and specialty makeup. No prerequisites. Theatre students will be encouraged to take this course in the freshman year so they can apply skills in Production Lab. Costume and lighting design students will want to take this course as well to make connects to the use of stage makeup and its influences to their crafts.

Offered fall semester.

This course introduces the student to the techniques and essential crafts of the theatrical stage manager. Through discussion, role play, script analysis and research, and the assembling of a prompt book, the scope of a professional stage manager’s job description and responsibilities will be explored. Areas covered include planning and organization, auditions, rehearsal rules, managing rehearsals, information distribution, preparing for tech and dress rehearsals, pre-performance activities, duties during performance, organizational structures, and human behavior within theatre.

Offered alternating spring semesters.

This course is designed to provide students the opportunity to apply learned techniques and theories to a particular role on-stage or crew assignment offstage for a ‘main-stage’ production. Students apply and further develop their production knowledge and skills by applying them to practical, real life situations. Everything from play analysis, performance techniques, technical skills, critical thinking, and self discipline is practiced.

Registration for this course is mandatory for any student involved in an SMU theatre or dance production either on stage or behind the scenes. Students may register for 0 or 1 credit but no more than four (4) credits may be applied toward the total graduation requirements of 122 credits or the Theatre major.

Courses dealing with specialized topics, including those relevant to the actor, director, designers, or other theatre practitioners.

Prerequisite: consent of instructor.

This course is designed to integrate theatre and music. With an "on your feet" approach, students explore the relationship between acting and singing through structural analysis of the songs and lyrics, character development, and performance techniques. This course allows the development of the singing voice as an extension of speech as well as to physicalize the text. Audition techniques are explored.

Prerequisites: TA100 and TA155.

This course is designed to introduce the student to various techniques in vocal production and movement for the stage. Emphasis is placed on freeing the natural voice and exploring movement to release physical tension providing flexibility and versatility. Throughout the course students explore voice and movement as they are connected with psychological and emotional impulses.

Offered spring semester. Prerequisites: TA100 and TA155.

This course explores the essential crafts of the theatrical set designer. In a hands-on approach, students practice traditional sketching, painting, drafting, model-making and practical scenery construction methods. Study concentrates on process-orientated activity – developing one’s personal vision and interpretive skills through script analysis, research techniques, spatial and production considerations and communication of ideas.

Offered fall semester. Prerequisites: TA100 and TA180.

This course explores the essential crafts of the theatrical lighting designer. In a hands-on approach, students practice drafting, hanging, circuiting, focusing, and cuing for lights. Study concentrates on the process: developing one’s personal vision and interpretive skills through script analysis, research techniques, basic theory, production considerations and communication of ideas.

Offered in alternate spring semesters. Prerequisites: TA100 and TA180.

This course focuses on the history of clothing for the stage. Particular emphasis is placed on the costume design process from script to rendering, conceptual thought and communication, and techniques in the planning and building of a show.

Offered in alternate spring semesters. Prerequisites: TA100 and TA180.

Students are introduced to developing necessary materials and documentation for the academic and professional theatre portfolio. Topics include resumes, headshots, monologues, songs, design/tech portfolios, and the e-portfolio for their area of focus. Emphasis is placed on readying materials for the departmental sophomore review including writing the narrative statement of career goals, as well as preparing applications for summer theatre work.

Prerequisite: sophomore theatre major or minor.

This course is offered during the London semester and is designed to introduce students to the various aspects of British theatre. The class attends at least eight performances throughout the semester, each one relating to some aspect of British theatre.

Offered fall semester.

An introductory study of important contemporary films for students who wish to learn how to understand and evaluate popular cinema. Students are introduced to the history of film-making as well as basic film techniques. Movies are screened, discussed and evaluated in terms of content, style and intent. Students have the opportunity to react and formulate their own aesthetic preferences through a series of written and oral responses to the films seen.

Offered spring semester.

An experiential course open to all students interested in a guided study of various theatrical arts in the context of a production atmosphere. Requirements of the course include a weekly three-hour lab, as well as the opportunity to perform a practical assignment on one production.

For the Theatre major, two credits at this level are required, but up to three may be taken. The course cannot be taken at the same time as Theatre Crafts or during the London semester. Graded pass/no credit.

The second in a three course sequence examining theatre within its historical context as a socially constructed mode of artistic and cultural expression, this particular course investigates the history, dramatic literature, dramatic criticism, and theory of the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries with an emphasis on Baroque Europe, the aesthetics of Enlightenment and Romanticism, opera, and the development of theatre in the United States.

Offered spring semester.

This two-week course is typically offered as an extension of the London semester. The two-week workshop at the Gaiety School of Acting is intended to give students an intensive experience in the acting technical or administrative areas of theatre. Participants study Irish theatre literature and hone their skills. Attending performances and visiting significant cultural sites also includes a weekend in Galway.

An additional fee is required. Offered fall semester.

Students attend one or more plays within a particular region such as New York City, Chicago, the Twin Cities, or the Midwest. Discussions are held following the plays.

An additional fee is required for tickets and transportation.

This course is designed to develop advanced lighting, set, and costume design skills for the student who wishes to pursue design as a career or to advance to graduate school. Students will work on individual projects as well as collaborate on specific simulated real-life designs with full realization of their designs in renderings, models, plots, etc. Emphasis will also be placed on creating the design portfolio.

Offered in alternate spring semesters. Prerequisites: TA100, TA180, TA235, and one of TA270, TA275, TA280 and consent of instructor.

Consideration of more complex directorial issues, including advanced actor coaching, working with production managers, achieving style and unity, and dramatic criticism. Student direct scenes for thrust and arena stages. The course is also designed to hone communication skills necessary for effective collaboration in the director/designer relationship such as how to develop, create, and research a concept and vision. Directing of classroom scenes is required as well as the directing of a one-act play to be performed for an audience.

Offered in alternate spring semesters. Prerequisites: TA240 and consent of instructor.

Courses dealing with specialized topics, including those relevant to the actor, director, designers, or other theatre practitioners.

Prerequisite: consent of instructor.

This course consists of building blocks for those interested in pursuing playwriting. Techniques for exploring character development, conflict, dialogue, and dramatic action is explored through specific writing assignments. The culminating work is a short one-act play written by the students.

This course provides for the study of various acting styles found in the genres of realism, comedy, and tragedy. Periods of study include Elizabethan, Restoration, French Neo-classic, Victorian, and/or Early American. Work is focused on researching the background and demands of each period and style and to include this work in more intense scene and monologue work.

Offered in alternate spring semesters. Prerequisites: TA100, TA155 and TA260.

The course is taught during the London semester. It examines the British approach to scene work and the rehearsal process. Time is spent in working with the Standard British RP dialect. Students work with scenes written by British playwrights such as Shakespeare, Noel Coward, Tom Stoppard, and Harold Pinter.

Offered fall semester. Prerequisites: TA100 and TA155. Recommended: TA260.

This course is designed to provide a study of the history and repertoire of music in the theatre from its early forms of operetta, burlesque, vaudeville and revue to the integrated and spectacle musicals of today. This course focuses on the process of the writers, directors, performers and producers of musical theatre and through discussions of the production elements provide insight into what makes the musical form unique. Students have the opportunity to formulate their own aesthetic in regards to musical theater.

Prerequisites: TA100 and TA221.

This course explores the transfer of dramatic literature from the page to the stage. Prior to attending a London production, students analyze and interpret a given text and discuss its possible production requirements. After viewing the production students assess it based on their pre-production analysis and interpretation.

Offered fall semester. Prerequisite: majors or minors.

The opportunity for guided investigation into theatre research or production. Students may pursue a broad scope of possibilities such as acting, directing, design, theatre administration. Production projects are incorporated into departmental activities when possible.

Consent of department required.

This course is the third in a three-course sequence examining theatre within its historical context as a socially constructed mode of artistic and cultural expression with an emphasis on international theatre. Among the topics contemplated in this particular course are the contributions of Ibsen, Chekhov, and Stanislavsky; Theatre Libre, Bertolt Brecht, and Samuel Beckett; the theatre of cruelty, political theatre, the rise of Broadway, emerging world theatres, performance art, and contemporary theory.

Offered spring semester. Prerequisite: TA321.

This course helps students develop documents and materials relative to auditioning and interviewing for theatre related employment. Topics include resumes, head shots, monologues/songs, cold readings, design/tech portfolios, cover letters, call boards, graduate school/additional training, audition/interview protocol, talent and casting agencies, film-TV-industrials, unions and organizations, living in a large city, and more. The course culminates with a senior showcase.

Reserved for senior Theatre majors and minors only. Offered fall semester.

This course is designed to introduce students to the field of arts administration as it applies to the performing arts, visual arts, and arts services organizations. Arts explored include management models, marketing, development, finances and facilities management and planning. Students apply knowledge in these areas to an arts organization which they create in class. The course culminates with the students presenting their projects in executive session.

Offered in alternate spring semesters. Prerequisite: consent of instructor.

The course covers the major concepts of modern and post-modern dramatic and performance theory. The course culminates with a theoretically informed and faculty mentored research essay in modern theatre studies.

Offered fall semester. Intended for senior Theatre majors; other students may apply to the course instructor for permission to enroll.

Topics vary in these in-depth studies of particular aspects of theatre or of theatre artists.

Offered spring semester. Required: junior or seniors status or consent of the instructor.

Internships are available to qualified students in theatre at cooperating professional and educational institutions.

Prerequisite: consent of chair.

Theatre majors may complete a graduation project, which may be of either a creative or a research nature. The topic must be approved by the department faculty before the project is undertaken. In every case, there must be a written component which describes and evaluates the process. Normally, the project is presented to the department faculty and staff for a formal oral evaluation.

Prerequisite: consent of chair.