Theatre - THTR

The information below lists courses approved in this subject area effective Fall 2015. Not all courses will necessarily be offered these terms. Please consult the Schedule of Classes for a listing of courses offered for a specific term.

500-level courses require graduate standing.

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105 Introduction to American Musical Theatre
3 hours. A brief history of American musical theatre, its adaptation and alteration of earlier types of theatre, the basic structure of a classic musical, and how song and dance advance storytelling. Field trips required at a nominal fee. As UIC does not offer musical theatre productions, the course will require attendance at productions outside the University. At least two are anticipated, one to see/assess a traditional musical comedy and a second to see a new or contemporary example of musical theatre. Creative Arts, and US Society course.

109 Introduction to Theatre
3 hours. Understanding the theatre experience through production examples and the critical examination of the contributions of playwright, actor, director, designer, and audience. Play attendance required. Creative Arts, and Past course.

140 Polish Drama in Translation
3 hours. Elementary aspects of Polish dramatic theory and close reading of representative scripts selected from various periods. Same as POL 140. Taught in English. Creative Arts, and World Cultures course.

150 Technical Theatre
3 hours. Basic techniques of play production. Survey of methods and materials of set construction, painting, stage lighting, backstage organization. Practical work with University Theatre.

151 Fundamentals in Costume Construction
3 hours. Fundamentals of costume construction from conception to realization, through the use of sewing machines, pattern making, and historical research with practical projects.

155 Scenography: Introduction to Principles of Theatrical Design
4 hours. Scenography is making imagined spaces for theatrical performance. Students learn fundamentals of scenography including theatrical design history, theory, terminology, theatrical styles, script analysis, design research, color theory, and drawing. Field trip required at a nominal fee. Creative Arts course.

161 Introduction to Acting I
3 hours. Basic vocal and physical stage performance techniques including the role of character in relation to the intellectual and emotional landscape of a play.

209 Modern Drama
3 hours. Theatre theories and techniques developed between 1870 and the present, notably those of Ibsen, Appia, Stanislavsky, Meyerhold, Brecht, Artaud, and Grotowski. Prerequisite(s): THTR 109 and consent of the instructor. Creative Arts course.

210 Movement I: Body/Self
3 hours. Techniques in physical awareness and expression use of Dynamics in movement and text. Prerequisite(s): Credit or concurrent registration in THTR 161.

230 Script Analysis for Theatrical Production
3 hours. Examine and apply fundamental techniques theatre artists use to read, analyze, and organize a play script in preparation for theatrical production. Prerequisite(s): THTR 109 and THTR 209; or consent of the instructor.

231 Page to Stage: Adaptation of Text for Theatrical Performance
3 hours. Explores the history, methods, ethics, and aesthetics of adapting non-dramatic texts including fiction, non-fiction, personal narratives and found texts for theatrical performance. No adaptation experience required.

245 East Asian Theatre
3 hours. Survey of traditional theatre forms in China, Japan, and Korea, their cultural contexts, and influence on today's theatre. Students may also choose to research theatres of South East Asia. Creative Arts course.

250 Set Design I
3 hours. Fundamental principles of visual perception: space, mass, balance, line, texture, shape, color, light, movement, tension and their use in creating visual environments for performance. Practical design projects required. Prerequisite(s): Grade of B or better in THTR 150.

255 Set Design II
3 hours. Basic interpretive and practical techniques in creating 3-dimensional performance environments including conceptualization, research, drafting, rendering and model building. Students create a design solution for one of the theatre productions. Prerequisite(s): Grade of B or better in THTR 250.

256 Lighting Design
3 hours. Basic interpretive and practical techniques in creating and enhancing 3-dimensional performance environments through lighting. Prerequisite(s): Grade of B or better in THTR 150.

257 Costume Design I
3 hours. Basic interpretive and practical techniques in designing stage costumes including conceptualization, rendering and construction techniques. Prerequisite(s): Grade of B or better in THTR 151.

258 Costume Design II
3 hours. Practical research and rendering techniques in designing stage costumes for use in theatrical productions. Prerequisite(s): Grade of B or better in THTR 257.

259 Makeup Design
3 hours. Principle of designing and applying makeup for stage performances including prosthetics and wigs. Prerequisite(s): Grade of B or better in THTR 150 or grade of B or better in THTR 151.

260 Voice I: Voice
3 hours. Fundamentals of vocal production, their physical and emotional characteristics and their relationship to body, space, action and emotion.

261 Voice II: Speech
3 hours. The relationship between speech, sound, and dramatic sense. Detailed work on the principles of speech. Advancement of breath and phonation skills from Voice I. Prerequisite(s): Grade of B or better in THTR 210 and Grade of B or better in THTR 260.

262 Acting II: Scene Study
3 hours. Techniques of interpreting text, character, and dramatic action. Includes attention to alternative dramatic forms and modes of performance. Prerequisite(s): Grade of B or better in THTR 210 and Grade of B or better in THTR 260; and sophomore standing or above.

263 Acting II: Adaptations
3 hours. Techniques of adapting and interpreting text from fiction, short stories and novels into short dramatic scenes which the students write and act in. Prerequisite(s): Grade of B or better in THTR 161 and Grade of B or better in THTR 210; and sophomore standing or above.

270 Stage Management
3 hours. Organization and management of personnel and procedures in a theatrical production. Prerequisite(s): THTR 150 and THTR 151 and THTR 161. Recommended background: THTR 280 and THTR 281 and THTR 282 and THTR 283.

280 Practicum in Performance
3 hours. Rehearsal and performance techniques, including script analysis, characterization, voice, movement, directing, or design. May be repeated to a maximum of 18 hours. Students may register in more than one section per term. Prerequisite(s): Approval of the department and completion of a successful audition.

281 Practicum in Theatre Administration
1 TO 6 hours. Planning and execution of specific projects in administration and box office; publicity, budget, marketing, house management, and scheduling. May be repeated to a maximum of 6 hours. Students may register in more than one section per term. Prerequisite(s): Consent of the instructor.

282 Practicum in Costuming
1 TO 6 hours. Practical experience in all aspects of construction and maintenance, including millinery, mask making, wig making, pattern drafting, and makeup application. May be repeated to a maximum of 15 hours. Students may register in more than one section per term. Prerequisite(s): Consent of the instructor.

283 Practicum in Technical Theatre
1 TO 6 hours. Practical experience in various technical areas: scenery construction, set painting, stage lighting, sound, and properties construction. May be repeated to a maximum of 15 hours. Students may register in more than one section per term. Prerequisite(s): Consent of the instructor.

284 Seminar on Play in Production
3 hours. Research and development for play production using the current University production as an example. Special topics. May be repeated to a maximum of 6 hours. Prerequisite(s): Consent of the instructor.

299 Individual Topics
1 TO 3 hours. Individual investigation of special problems. May be repeated to a maximum of 6 hours. Students may register in more than one section per term. Prerequisite(s): Junior standing, a 2.50 grade point average, and consent of the instructor.

310 Movement II: Body/Space
3 hours. Advanced techniques in the physicalization of performance. Focus on relationship of body to space, time, and partner, kinesthetic response and physical action. Introduction to methods such as viewpoints, capoeira, a.o. and contact improvisation. Prerequisite(s): Grade of B or better in THTR 210; and sophomore standing or above. Recommended background: Advanced actor training and voice training.

350 Performance Ethnography
3 hours. Students engage performance as a subject and method of study as they investigate the methods and ethics of conducting ethnographic research and creating performance in order to explore how people express, negotiate, and create identity and meaning. Same as ANTH 350. Field work required. Recommended Background: Considerable interest in performance and/or ethnography is important; but no formal performance or ethnography training is required.

384 Teaching Artist Seminar
3 hours. Introduces students to history of arts in education, and provides hands-on training that prepares them to serve as teaching artists in elementary, high-school, and community settings. Prerequisite(s): Junior standing or above; or consent of the instructor. Students must have satisfactorily completed at least one 200-level practice-based course in the Departments of Theatre, Music, or Art.

385 Teaching Artist Practicum
3 hours. Provides students who have completed the teaching artist seminar course with an opportunity to develop expertise as teaching artists through 6-to10-week internship placements with master teachers at Chicago organizations. Prerequisite(s): THTR 384; and consent of the instructor.

410 Movement III: Style
3 hours. Specialized techniques in style, period and stage combat. Study of mannerisms, social attitudes, etiquette, clothing, dance, art music, economic, and political conditions influencing the world of a play prior to the 21st century. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. Prerequisite(s): Grade of B or better in THTR 310 and advanced physical performance experience; or consent of the instructor.

411 Movement IV: Somatics
3 hours. Techniques for the development of the "neutral body". Detailed focus on awareness through movement and somatic. The process of the individual student is emphasized. Prerequisite(s): Grade of B or better in THTR 310.

412 Movement V: Character
3 hours. Specialized instruction in the subjects of comedic, clowning and mask work. Introduction to 16th and 17th century style of Italian street theatre emphasizing stock characters, physical stunts and improvised text. Prerequisite(s): THTR 411.

413 Movement VI: Movement Lab
3 hours. Ensemble created physical theatre. Introduction to devised work. Prerequisite(s): THTR 412.

423 Playwriting
3 OR 4 hours. The development of scripts for stage performance. Same as ENGL 495. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. Prerequisite(s): Junior standing or above; and approval of the department and submission and approval of a playwriting sample or dialog-centered fiction prior to registration.

444 Drama in Its Cultural Context I
3 OR 4 hours. Drama in its social and cultural context, through the seventeenth century. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours.

445 Drama in Its Cultural Context II
3 OR 4 hours. Drama in its social and cultural context, eighteenth to twentieth centuries. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours.

451 Advanced Acting: American Drama
3 OR 4 hours. Techniques of performing classical and modern American drama. Focus on character development and interpreting dramatic action. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. Prerequisite(s): Grade of B or better in THTR 210 and Grade of B or better in THTR 260; and Grade of B or better in THTR 262 or Grade of B or better in THTR 263; and sophomore standing or above.

452 Advanced Acting: Shakespeare
3 OR 4 hours. Techniques of performing monologues and scenes from Shakespeare's plays. Focus on Magical Realism and techniques of performing in verse. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. Prerequisite(s): Grade of B or better in THTR 210 and Grade of B or better in THTR 261; and Grade of B or better in THTR 262 or Grade of B or better in THTR 263; and junior standing or above; or consent of the instructor.

455 Acting: Comedy
3 OR 4 hours. Techniques of performing classic comedy. Emphasis on the "Commedia dell'arte" and improvisational comedy. Topics vary. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. Prerequisite(s): Grade of B or better in THTR 262 or graduate standing in theatre.

458 Advanced Acting: Chekhov
3 OR 4 hours. Techniques of performing scenes from Chekhov's plays and short stories. Focus on Naturalistic theater, Psychological Realism and craft of transforming into the character. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. Prerequisite(s): Grade of B or better in THTR 452; or consent of the instructor or graduate standing in theatre.

459 Advanced Acting: Ensemble
3 OR 4 hours. Process and scoring of character development in a full-length twentieth-century play. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. May be repeated up to 1 time(s). Prerequisite(s): Grade of B or better in THTR 451 and Grade of B or better in THTR 452 and Grade of B or better in THTR 458; and junior standing or above; or consent of the instructor.

462 Voice III: Advanced Voice and Speech
3 hours. Advanced techniques in the integration of voice, speech, dialects, and other text-related vocal performance skills. Prerequisite(s): Grade of B or better in THTR 452; and junior standing or above.

464 Special Projects in Theatrical Design
3 OR 4 hours. Twentieth-century styles: design for the contemporary stage. Problems in conceptualization, realization, and execution. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. May be repeated up to 2 time(s). Prerequisite(s): THTR 250 or THTR 256; or THTR 257 and THTR 259; or graduate standing in theatre.

465 Stage Direction
3 OR 4 hours. Exploration of conceptual planning and implementation skills for the stage director ranging from script interpretation to rehearsal and performance. Performance projects required. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. Prerequisite(s): Grade of B or better in THTR 210 and Grade of B or better in THTR 250; and Grade of B or better in THTR 256 or Grade of B or better in THTR 257.

466 Special Projects in Performance Training
3 OR 4 hours. Training in varying advanced techniques of performance. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. May be repeated up to 2 time(s). Prerequisite(s): THTR 262; or for graduate students, consent of the instructor.

467 Advanced Acting: Brecht, Beckett, Pinter
3 OR 4 hours. Techniques of performing styles in the theatre of alienation and the theatre of the absurd. Focus on interpreting characters from plays by Brecht, Beckett and Pinter. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. Prerequisite(s): THTR 459; and senior standing or above; or consent of the instructor.

470 Contemporary Performance Techniques
3 OR 4 hours. The relationship of contemporary theory and performance techniques with attention to both text and non-text based forms. Topics vary. Performance projects required. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. May be repeated up to 1 time(s).

472 Investigative Collaboration
3 OR 4 hours. Collaboration as the primary means for theatrical creation. Production teams assigned to joint-production projects. Topics vary. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. May be repeated up to 1 time(s).

474 Internship
1 TO 8 hours. Students work in an approved professional setting. Individual projects developed through conferences with a faculty member and a field supervisor. May be repeated for a maximum of 1-6 hours for undergraduate students; or 1-8 hours for graduate students. Undergraduate credit should be in multiples of 3. Only three hours may be applied toward theatre major requirements. Prerequisite(s): Senior standing or above and 12 hours of upper-division courses in theatre, with a 3.00 grade point average in those courses.

475 Advanced Acting: Audition
3 OR 4 hours. Selection and performing of audition pieces from theater, film, and television. Professional seminars and discussions with actors, directors, agents and casting directors. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. Prerequisite(s): Senior standing or above; or consent of the instructor.

477 Voice IV: Text Styles
3 hours. Techniques in various styles of classical and contemporary text, especially heightened language. Prerequisite(s): Grade of C or better in THTR 260 or Grade of C or better in THTR 261 or Grade of C or better in THTR 462.

478 Voice V: Dialects
3 hours. Techniques in acting through song and performing in a dialect in musicals and/or plays. Prerequisite(s): Grade of C or better in THTR 260 or Grade of C or better in THTR 261 or Grade of C or better in THTR 462 or Grade of C or better in THTR 477.

479 Voice VI: Voice Lab
3 hours. Ensemble and individual experiences in various advanced voice and speech techniques. Prerequisite(s): Grade of C or better in THTR 260 or grade of C or better in THTR 261 or grade of C or better in THTR 462 or grade of C or better in THTR 477 or grade of C or better in THTR 478.

491 Study Abroad in Theatre
0 TO 16 hours. Study abroad within an approved foreign exchange program or departmentsponsored program. May be repeated with approval. Approval to repeat course granted by the department. Prerequisite(s): Approval of the department.

498 Independent Study
1 TO 4 hours. Individual investigation of special problems that may be student-initiated or related to faculty research. May also be used for special University-sponsored projects, such as interdisciplinary seminars. May be repeated to a maximum of 6 hours. Students may register in more than one section per term. Prerequisite(s): Senior or graduate standing and approval of the department.

502 Introduction to Research in Theatre
4 hours. Focuses on the research directors and scholars need to do to make informed choices.

522 Theories of Theatre
4 hours. Nature of the theatrical experience. Emphasis on topics varies, for example theory of comedy; semiotics of theatre; dada, surrealism, expressionism, futurism. May be repeated to a maximum of 12 hours. Prerequisite(s): At least three of the following: THTR 209; THTR 245; THTR 262; THTR 284, THTR 425; or consent of the instructor.

523 Special Topics in Dramatic Criticism
4 hours. Intensive analysis of an individual critic or school, or critical history of an important play. May be repeated to a maximum of 12 hours.

596 Independent Research
1 TO 4 hours. Department approved research projects not included in thesis research. May be repeated to a maximum of 6 hours. Students may register in more than one section per term. Prerequisite(s): Consent of the director of graduate studies.

597 Thesis Production
0 TO 8 hours. Under the guidance of an advisor and committee, the student creates a theatre or video production, together with a written explanation of the work's intended significance. Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory grading only. Prerequisite(s): Approval of faculty thesis production committee.

598 Thesis Research
0 TO 16 hours. Under the guidance of an advisor and committee, the student develops and conducts a research project addressing a theatre problem of a basic or applied nature. Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory grading only. May be repeated. Students may register in more than one section per term. Prerequisite(s): Approval of faculty thesis research committee.

Information provided by the Office of Programs and Academic Assessment.

This listing is for informational purposes only and does not constitute a contract. Every attempt is made to provide the most current and correct information. Courses listed here are subject to change without advance notice. Courses are not necessarily offered every term or year. Individual departments or units should be consulted for information regarding frequency of course offerings.