Provisional University Bulletin (2025-2026)

• Minor
• Major (BA)

The Theater Arts Department focuses on a liberal arts education in the field of theater. Students are given a deep grounding in theater history, literature, and theory, and gain experience both in theoretical knowledge and practice. With an emphasis on collaboration, the program prepares students to enter the current American theatrical landscape with a better understanding of the interdisciplinary power of theatermaking.

The goal of our program is to prepare students to articulate and demonstrate a solid vision as young theater artists and the tools to begin their artistic work, whether their future lies in professional theater, graduate study in theater arts, or elsewhere.

Undergraduate Major

The major in theater arts is designed to give students a solid foundation in theater as a collective and embodied art form, as well as the opportunity to study dramatic literature, theory, history, and all areas of theater making and production. The curriculum stresses the cultivation of foundational understanding, experimentation, and the development of artistic methods and practical skills. In addition to managing their coursework, students actively participate in the department’s season of productions as actors, assistants, stage managers, scenic crew, and more, working closely with industry leaders, including faculty, staff, and other professionals. The department also supports student-led projects through senior theses and independent studies.

Graduate Program in Theater Arts

Admission to the Graduate Program in Theater Arts has been suspended.

The Department of Theater Arts is dedicated to the study, practice, appreciation, and interpretation of theater and performance, with an emphasis on its collaborative nature and a focus on the social, cultural, political, environmental and economic diversity of theatrical expression within the global/transnational context.

Knowledge

Understanding how theater has an impact on the world is important. It is also valuable for a student to learn what is involved in creating a role, working in an ensemble, making the space of the theater come alive with design, and to learn how to communicate and be clear about ideas and the basic needs for a production. To this end, our students learn to:

1. Engage conceptually and critically with theater text, performance, and production.
2. Have an understanding of the complex history of theater, its cultural roots, and impact on society.
3. Develop knowledge and skills in varied theatrical genres, styles, and techniques.
4. Obtain experiential knowledge of stage and performance practices.
5.  Delve into specific areas of interest through electives and more advanced study.

Core Skills

As majors or minors, students can specialize in a particular area of theater performance or study a variety of methods and disciplines. Also, students are given the opportunity to develop original material and perform their own work in the theaters provided by the department. Through our required courses, students:

1. Develop knowledge and a foundational understanding of the theatrical process. 
2. Understand analysis of plays from varying periods, genre and styles, and investigate classical and contemporary theater from a global perspective.
3. Demonstrate and implement a working knowledge and vocabulary of performance methodologies, skills and techniques.
4. Understand the visual elements of theater and its capacity for world-building.
5. Become well versed in the analysis, research, and reflection required to conceptualize and/or contextualize theatrical works.
6. Explore the management and production roles in professional theater, as well as the variety of career possibilities related to the study of theater.
7. Gain the tools to make socially and ethically responsible theater by contextualizing diverse and/or marginalized theater traditions as part of a global society.
8. Work in a backstage capacity to understand the technical elements of a theatrical production.

Social Justice

Through our required courses and electives, we encourage students to:

1. Bring humane awareness to casting choices, discussion of material selection, rehearsal etiquette, consent, intention and audience/community engagement.
2. Possess an understanding of how theater has been used outside of the traditional realm for community building and individual growth.
3. Explore the creation of original work that can be used for giving voice to social issues through collaboration and interaction within performance.

Upon Graduating you will be able to

1. Understand and apply a foundational knowledge of theater history, dramatic literature, and theory from a global perspective.
2. Utilize varied and collaborative disciplines in the creation of theatrical productions and original works.
3. Remain vibrant and adaptive to new discoveries, methodologies, interpretations and relationships with other disciplines, including law, medicine, education, social work and a variety of other fields.
4. Pursue advanced study and/or engage in the industry at a professional level.
5. Find conscious ways to give voice to social justice issues with artistry and connectedness.

Students who wish to major or minor in Theater Arts should meet early in their academic career with the Undergraduate Advising Head to develop a plan.

In general, students wishing to major in Theater Arts should enroll in THA 2a or 10a in the first year and should complete THA 11a, 11b or 150a by the end of their second year. The advantage of taking these courses in the first semesters is that most Theater Arts courses require one or more of these courses as prerequisites. Students could then begin to take both required courses and electives during the sophomore year.

Admission to the Graduate Program in Theater Arts has been suspended.

Cameron Anderson, Chair
Design.

Nancy Armstrong
Singing.

Andie Berry
20th/21st century African American dramatic literature. Theater history. Performance studies.

Jennifer A. Cleary, Undergraduate Advising Head
Stage management. Wellness/sustainability for artists. Creative pedagogy. Oral communication. Applied theater.

Susan Dibble (Emerita)
Movement for the actor. Dance.

Arthur Holmberg 
Dramatic literature. Theory history. Performance theory.

Adrianne Krstansky
Acting.

Marya Lowry (Emerita)
Acting. Voice production.

Ryan McKittrick
Theater literature. Theory and history. Playwriting.

Mitsu Salmon
Movement. Choreography. Physical theater.

Dmitry Troyanovsky
Performance and Directing.

Robert Walsh
Stage movement and combat. Public speaking. Directing. Business of Show Business.

Students wishing to minor in Theater Arts must take a selection of at least six courses (24 credits) in the department, including:

1. THA 2a or THA 10a
2. THA 11a or THA 11b or THA 150a
3. A cohesive progression of four other courses in Theater Arts. Note that THA 15b Public Speaking: The Art of Oral Communication and THA 16b Genius in Small Group Communication: Theory and Practice may not count as electives in the minor.
4. No grade below a C- will be given credit toward the minor.
5. No course taken pass/fail may count toward the minor requirements, with the exception of practicums.

All undergraduate majors must complete eleven one-semester courses, one Senior Seminar (one half-course credit), and two practicum courses (two half-course credit practicums). The total major requirement is the equivalent of twelve and one half (12.5) one-semester courses (50 credits). Requirements for the major include:

A. Required Courses (7.5 courses):


1. THA 2a Theater Foundations or THA 10a Theater as Collaboration
2. THA 11a Theater Texts and Theory I or THA 11b Theater Texts and Theory II or THA 150a Global Theater
3. THA 21b Fundamentals of Acting or THA 23a Movement for the Stage
4. THA 125b The Art of Scenography
5. THA 70a Directing or THA 71a Playwriting or THA 148b Fundamentals of Dramaturgy
6. THA 27a Wellness Models for Sustainability in Theater or THA 101a Stage Management or THA 138a The Business of Show Business 
7. One of the following courses: AAPI/THA 116a Asian American Performance, THA 142b Women Playwrights, THA 143B The Color Purple: Novel, Film, Musical, Manifesto, THA 144b Black Theater and Performance, THA 145a Queer Theater, THA 146a Theater and the Holocaust, or THA 147a Latinx Theater
8. All senior theater majors must participate in a 2-credit Senior Seminar (THA 199a) in their final fall semester, where students can work on capstone/thesis projects and prepare for post-graduate pursuits.

B. Electives (4 courses):

Four additional Theater Arts courses. One course cross-listed in Theater may be used. THA 15b Public Speaking: The Art of Oral Communication and THA 16b Genius in Small Group Communication: Theory and Practice may not count as electives in the theater major. Approved courses include anything listed above that is not already being counted towards “Required Courses,” as well as any THA course listed below under Courses of Instruction.

Note: One Theater independent instructional course (THA 92a, 97a, 98a,b or 99a,b) may substitute for an elective with departmental approval. Outside courses chosen with your adviser’s approval may also be allowed on a case by case basis.

C. To fulfill the practicum requirement, students must take one semester of THA 30a AND one field-specific practicum in acting, directing, movement, stage management, dramaturgy, or design (THA 42a, 43a, 44a, 45a, 47a, 48a). This second practicum must include involvement in a department show at least once by the end of a major’s career.

D.  Foundational Literacies:

As part of completing the Theater Arts major, students must:

• Fulfill the writing intensive requirement by successfully completing one of the following: THA 71a, THA 76a, THA 142b, THA 150a, or RECS/THA 140a.

• Fulfill the oral communication requirement by successfully completing: THA 2a, THA 10a, or THA 138b.
• Fulfill the digital literacy requirement by successfully completing one of the following: THA 70a, THA 125b, or THA 180a.


E. No course with a final grade below C- can count toward fulfilling the requirements for the major in Theater Arts, with the exception of practicums and Senior Seminar.

F. No course taken pass/fail may count toward the major requirements.

G. To be eligible for departmental honors – which are determined collaboratively by the Theater Arts faculty – students must earn a GPA of 3.8 or higher in the major and:

• Submit a portfolio of their work, including a 3-5 page reflection on their citizenship within the department, their accomplishments, how their work has improved, their collaborative skills, and the ways they hope to utilize their Theater Arts education moving into the future (to be developed in 199a: Senior Seminar).
• Demonstrated excellence in the classroom and contributed significantly to departmental productions.
• Engaged with the cultural and intellectual contexts of theatermaking.
• Exhibited professionalism, collaboration, and integrity.

To be eligible for high or highest honors, students must have also:

• Successfully completed a full-year Senior Thesis (99a,b) or a one-semester Capstone Project (97a). Adviser and additional reader's evaluation of the student's work will be considered.

H. Students must have completed “Required Courses,” except for Senior Seminar, prior to beginning Thesis work. Students must have completed a course in the area of study in which they are proposing their research/thesis. It is suggested that students have completed an advanced course in the area of study in which they are proposing their research/thesis, or that they will be enrolling in an advanced course within the year that the research/thesis will begin.

Admission to the Graduate Program in Theater Arts has been suspended.

THA 2a Theater Foundations: Process, Production, and Performance
[ ca oc ]

Intended as an entry level course for majors, minors, and interested students with little to no theater experience. May count towards the major or minor in Theater Arts.

An introduction and investigation of theater in its many aspects. This course will acquaint the student with the theatrical elements of production and performance and familiarize the student with the role of artist and audience. Usually offered every year.

THA 10a Theater as Collaboration
[ ca oc ]

Develops the student's ability to read a theatrical text through the lens of the collaborative theater artist. Reading, discussions, papers, and exercises about acting, directing, movement, design, dramaturgy, technical theater, and management will constitute the bulk of this course. Intended as the entry level course for majors, minors, and interested students with a background in theater. Usually offered every year.

THA 11a European Theater Texts and Theory I
[ ca ]

The evolution of Western drama from its ritual origins through the mid-eighteenth century. Greek tragedy, Roman comedy, medieval drama, Italian humanism, Spanish Golden Age comedias, and French neoclassicism. Attention paid to theater history, dramatic theory, and performance. Usually offered every year.

THA 11b European Theater Texts and Theory II
[ ca ]

A continuation of THA 11a, covering plays, history, and political theory. Romanticism to the present, including realism and the avant-garde. Usually offered every year.

THA 15b Public Speaking: The Art of Oral Communication
[ oc ]

Does not meet the requirements for the major or minor in Theater Arts. May not be used to satisfy the Creative Arts distribution requirement.

Introduces the basic concepts and techniques of making presentations to groups of people. Students explore the principles of human communication and apply them to various situations and forms of spoken discourse. Students develop a process for analyzing the audience and situation; for choosing, limiting, and researching a subject; for developing effective habits of vocal delivery; and for writing their own speeches. Usually offered every year.

THA 16b Genius in Small Group Communication: Theory and Practice
[ oc ]

Does not meet the requirements for the major or minor in Theater Arts. May not be used to satisfy the Creative Arts distribution requirement.

The study of small group communication centers on placing the self as secondary and the group as primary, implementing the art of compromise and collaboration. This course develops critical skills in communicating in public and within a small group context. Course meetings introduce theoretical frameworks around small group communication and students will immediately put ideas into practice in class. Requires group work inside and outside of class. Usually offered every second year.

THA 21b Fundamentals of Acting
[ ca ]

An introduction to the art and craft of acting. This course focuses on analysis and performance techniques including the use of actions, objectives, obstacles, engaging with the "other," dramatic conflict, and physical and emotional give and take of playing scenes from dramatic literature. Usually offered every semester.

THA 22b Undergraduate Singing
[ ca ]

Prerequisite: Instructor permission. May be repeated for credit.

Discover the joy in finding your singing voice! Explores the fundamentals of singing in detail, concentrating on breath and relaxation, placement and resonance, and tonal quality. Specific exercises for each facet of vocal production are covered.  Work includes solo and ensemble repertoire. No experience required, all levels are welcomed. Usually offered every year.

THA 23a Movement for the Stage I
[ ca hwl2 pe-1 ]

The actor's job is to create action out of meaning and meaning out of action. Stories can be told with a simple physical gesture, a position or shape of the body in space. The dynamic physical action or quality in which a body moves can convey a rich and fascinating narrative. Developing a keen awareness of one's movement and physical expressiveness is essential for presenting and performing on the stage or in a public forum. The course will involve exercises designed to unleash the individual's imagination in order to bring courage and responsiveness into the body. The course will offer an in-depth approach designed to develop physical skills and tools for theater performance. Usually offered every year.

THA 25a Voice and Text for the Stage
[ ca ]

The focus of the class is to develop the human voice in preparation for performance. Foundational exercises are designed to deepen the student's connection to breath, expand vocal color, range and resonance, and to develop clarity, stamina, and power, while connecting body, voice, and imagination to the expressive use of language. Students will also learn techniques to analyze text for meaning, rhythm, and sound, as well as gain beginning agility in dialects. Usually offered every year.

THA 27a Wellness and Sustainability in the Theatrical Process
[ hwl2 ]

Prerequisite: THA 2a or THA 10a.

Focuses on the experiential research and applied practice of wellness models for theater-makers. Students gain theoretical and practical knowledge around various roles, responsibilities, boundaries, and priorities within a rehearsal and production process. The course conceptualizes theater as both an art form and a wellness/healing practice within communities, cultures, and in therapeutic/milieu settings, while simultaneously investigating the ways in which the wellness conceptualization applies for theater-makers in practice. Why do theater-makers engage in this work? What brings us into the profession, and what keeps us there? How does identity and empowerment show up in these spaces? How might new professional roles centered around wellness, equity, diversity, inclusion, and safety (such as intimacy direction) move the field forward into a more sustainable wellness model? The course engages with artistic tensions such as: process and product; self-care and community care; teamwork and boundaries; aesthetics, time, and success. Students gain foundational skills in group process, communication, collaboration, boundary-setting, conflict resolution, and in generating one’s own professional and personal artistic goals. Students will imagine ways in which they can implement these models in their artistic communities. Usually offered every year.

THA 30a Theater Practicum

Offered exclusively on a credit/no credit basis. Yields half-course credit. May be repeated once for credit. There is a mandatory class meeting for this course at the beginning of each semester. The instructor will email the class with a date and time of the beginning of semester informational meeting. This meeting is mandatory and usually takes place during the second week of classes.

A hands-on production course, providing exposure to and experience in the practical aspects of theater production. Under professional direction, students develop a working knowledge of a specific theatrical area and learn how all areas come together in creating theater. Students work as crew members for the Brandeis Theater Department. Usually offered every year.

THA 35a The Audition
[ ca ]

Actors obtain work through an audition process; therefore, actors need to audition well. This course aims to prepare mid- and upper-level acting students for that process. Topics include resumes, material selection, preparation, and practice in various kinds of auditions using both classical and contemporary literature. Usually offered every second year.

THA 40a The Art of Visual Narrative and Production Design
[ ca ]

Explores the process of creating visual narrative - how do we travel from idea to image to visual storytelling? We will learn to create evocative environments and visual metaphor that transport the viewer, transcend reality, and make stories. We will construct and deconstruct the idea of performance space both theatrical and site-specific. How do we create the psychological landscape of a story? What can an architectural detail tell us about character? What can we learn from objects? We will approach design from an interdisciplinary perspective that will challenge students to combine visual art, new media, performance, and space, in surprising and meaningful ways. Of interest to designers, actors, directors, film-makers, fine artists, and anyone interested in the process of creating a visual story line. Usually offered every second year.

THA 42a Acting Practicum

Offered exclusively on a credit/no-credit basis. Yields half-course credit. May be taken only once for credit.

Lab credit for students serving in acting positions for the Brandeis Theater Department. Usually offered every year.

THA 43a Dance and Movement Practicum

Offered exclusively on a credit/no-credit basis. Yields half-course credit. May be taken only once for credit.

Lab credit for students serving in movement/dance positions for the Brandeis Theater Department. Usually offered every year.

THA 44a Directing Practicum

Prerequisite: THA 70a. Offered exclusively on a credit/no-credit basis. Yields half-course credit. May be taken only once for credit.

Lab credit for students serving in directing and assistant directing positions for the Brandeis Theater Department. Usually offered every year.

THA 45a Design/Technical Practicum

Offered exclusively on a credit/no-credit basis. Yields half-course credit. May be taken only once for credit.

Lab credit for students serving in design/technical and assistant design/technical positions for the Brandeis Theater Department. Usually offered every year.

THA 47a Stage Management Practicum

Offered exclusively on a credit/no-credit basis. Yields half-course credit. May be repeated for credit with the permission of the instructor.

Lab credit for students serving in stage management positions for the Brandeis Theater Department. Usually offered every year.

THA 48a Dramaturgy Practicum

Offered exclusively on a credit/no-credit basis. Yields half-course credit. May be taken only once for credit.

Lab credit for students serving in dramaturgy and assistant dramaturgy positions for the Brandeis Theater Department. Usually offered every year.

THA 66a The American Drama since 1945
[ ca ]

Examines the major plays and playwrights representing styles from social realism to avant-garde performance groups and the theater of images. Usually offered every second year.

THA 70a Directing: Imagination in Action
[ ca dl ]

Examines the art of theater from the director's perspective. Focuses on how theory and practice meet in the crucible of actual rehearsal, production, and performance from the director's point of view. Usually offered every year.

THA 71a Playwriting
[ ca wi ]

Introduces students to the fundamentals of playwriting. Attention will be given to dramatic structure, the development of character, and stage dialogue. In addition to completing a number of playwriting exercises, students will write one ten-minute play and one one-act play. Work will be shared with the class and read aloud. Usually offered every year.

THA 92a Internship in Theater

All THA students completing internships for credit must enroll in this seminar.

This seminar continues the process of experiential learning through the completion of various projects that utilize the resources of the professional theaters in the Boston area. Usually offered every year.

THA 97a Senior Capstone

Students may complete a senior capstone project to fulfill the final requirements of the major. Students should meet with their adviser to develop a suitable project. Usually offered every semester.

THA 98a Independent Study

Prerequisite: University GPA equal to a B or higher. Enrollment limited to juniors and seniors.

Students may elect either a research paper, a production project, or a combination of the two. Usually offered every year.

THA 98b Independent Study

Prerequisite: University GPA equal to a B or higher. Enrollment limited to juniors and seniors. Instructor permission required. Yields half-course credit.

Students may elect either a research paper, a production project, or a combination of the two. Usually offered every year.

THA 99a Senior Research

With permission of the department, qualified students may choose to complete a thesis paper, a play, or a project in theater arts. This course may be taken alone to fulfill major requirements or in conjunction with THA 99b to complete a full-year thesis project. Students will undergo review by their advisers before being allowed to enroll in the continuation of the thesis project, THA 99b, and must obtain permission of the adviser before registering. Usually offered every fall semester.

THA 99b Senior Thesis

With permission of the department, qualified students may choose to complete a thesis paper, a play, or a project in theater arts. This course may be taken alone to fulfill requirements for the major or in conjunction with THA 99a to complete a full-year thesis project. Students will undergo review by their advisers and must obtain permission from their advisers before registering. Usually offered every spring semester.

AAPI/THA 116a Asian American Performance
[ ca deis-us hwl2 ]

Introduces contemporary Asian American and Pacific Islander choreographers, playwrights, artists, writers, and performance makers. We will then draw from these works and ideas to develop performances. The course focuses on both performance practices as well as critical engagement with conceptual, cultural, and aesthetic contexts. Students will delve into making by combining lectures, reading, discussion, collaboration, and performance skills. Performance techniques will be developed through guided exercises in embodied practice, improvisation, ensemble work, and devising prompts. The course is open to all levels of knowledge and experience in theater and AAPI studies. Usually offered every year.

RECS/THA 140a Russian Theater: Stanislavsky to Present
[ ca djw hum wi ]

Throughout its history, Russian theatre has tried to communicate truthfully in a mostly repressive society. This course introduces students to the achievements of theatre artists from Stanislavsky through Post-Modernism. We will examine the work of groundbreaking directors like Meyerhold, Vakhtangov, and Lyubimov. We will read and analyze representative works of major modern and contemporary playwrights. The course load consists of readings, discussions, papers and in-class projects. Usually offered every second year.

THA 101a Stage Management
[ ca ]

Introduces the field of stage management in the American professional theater. Through readings, discussions, and practical applications, students will engage in the theatrical process from auditions and pre-production to rehearsal and performance. The current nature of the professional theater workplace in the United States will also be discussed. Some previous theatrical knowledge and/or experience is expected. Required for students interested in pursuing stage management positions with the Brandeis Theater Department. Usually offered every year.

THA 102b Shakespeare: On Stage and Screen
[ ca ]

Shakespeare wrote his plays to be seen and heard, not read. This course approaches Shakespeare as a man of the theater who thought visually as well as verbally. Explores Shakespeare's scripts in their original theatrical context, subsequent production history, and migration to film. Usually offered every second year.

THA 105a Singing for Musical Theater
[ ca ]

May be repeated for credit.

Fundamentals in singing techniques using the repertoire of the musical theater. Students practice healthy vocal habits for breath support, focusing resonance, extending the tonal line, and clarity of diction. The course is a combination of group sessions and individual lessons. Usually offered every year.

THA 106a Advanced Undergraduate Singing
[ ca ]

Enrollment by audition only.

Explores the music of a Broadway Musical Theater composer. Usually offered every year.

THA 109a Improvisation for Theatre: Acting Unscripted
[ ca ]

An approach to acting through the stimulation of the actor's imagination and creativity, freeing the actor's impulses and faith. Improvisation breaks down the elements of scene work and, through a series of exercises, makes these elements more personal and accessible to the actor. Usually offered every second year.

THA 110a Moving Women/Women Moving
[ ca hwl2 pe-1 ]

Counts as one activity course toward the physical education requirement.

Among the influential women leaders in America are choreographers who shaped the history of modern dance in the twentieth century. This course will focus on the work and lives of these women. Students will learn dance techniques and investigate the twists and turns in the lives of these extraordinary artists. Usually offered every third year.

THA 110b Contemporary Dance and Movement
[ ca hwl2 pe-1 ]

Offers a variety of fundamental dance/movement methods, while focusing primarily on the basic forms and movement vocabulary of Contemporary Dance. Students will learn to appreciate contemporary dance as a valuable art form and engage in collaborative creative projects, history, research, and a variety of choreographic styles such as floor work, development movement, and release technique. Students will develop physical and mental strength and flexibility by participating in warm-ups, traveling phrases across the floor, combinations, and structured improvisations. Usually offered every year.

THA 111b Stage Combat
[ ca hwl2 pe-1 ]

Prerequisite: Instructor permission required.

The course's purpose is to teach the basic skills necessary for the creation of effective and safe stage combat. At the completion of the semester, student competency will be tested by means of a choreographed "fight" utilizing compulsory moves and safety techniques. Usually offered every year.

THA 120a Dance in Time
[ ca hwl2 pe-1 ]

Counts as one activity course toward the physical education requirement.

Focuses on how life cycles, nature and the elements, rhythm and structure in traditional dance forms and rituals, poetry, social events, and human behavior, for example, can all contribute to the understanding of dance and its place in the history of the world. Students are given the opportunity to explore these ideas as well as learn about and practice the creative process by using a variety of sources that inspire and inform the human being who participates in dance of all kinds. Usually offered every second year.

THA 120b Movement and Dance Theater Composition
[ ca ]

Counts as one activity course toward the physical education requirement.

A studio course designed to teach the art of making dances and movement theater. Students will learn from the story of this artform and how it involves exploring the use of space, theme, rhythm, repetition, and music. The online course offers an introduction to the process of creating original dance and movement theatrical work for the stage and presents exercises and tools for creating dance movement using inspiration from autobiographical material, visual and oral content, poetry, literature, forms of all kinds in a variety of disciplines. Usually offered every year.

THA 122b Butoh: Japanese Dance Theater
[ ca djw hwl2 pe-1 ]

Butoh began in 1960s Japan as a new dance-theater form created by collaborations between Tatsumi Hijikata and Kazuo Ohno and has since become a global phenomenon. This course draws from Butoh training through guided imagery, movement, and structured improvisation. The exercises pull from nature, the mythical, and the unconscious as sources of inspiration. As well as studying the practice of Butoh, students will also learn about the art form's cultural, historical, and philosophical aspects. The course will be a mixture of movement and performance exercises as well as weekly readings and discussions. Students will develop an in-depth understanding of the Butoh through both an academic and embodied approach. Usually offered every year.

THA 123a American Musical Theater
[ ca ]

Analyzes American musicals in their historical contexts: students learn how to analyze the structure and score of musicals, and develop a vocabulary for examining the visual dimensions of productions. Attention will be given to production histories. Usually offered every year.

THA 125a Acting for the Camera
[ ca ]

A process-based acting class. Emphasis is on developing the actor's ability to work honestly and creatively in front of the camera. All work is videotaped. Students regularly review their performances in order to advance their critical understanding of the work. Usually offered two consecutive years with a third-year hiatus.

THA 125b The Art of Scenography: Scenic Design and Invention for Performance
[ ca dl ]

May be repeated for credit if taught by different instructors. Open to non-majors.

Introduces students to the process of creating evocative and imaginative designs for the stage. This course is designed for students of all majors and years who want to learn about scenic design. Working with a variety of source material, students will explore how to develop ideas and striking theatrical images that tell the story of the text. How can we create a psychological visual environment that transports the viewer to another time and space? How do textures, colors, and composition work on the mind? We will use installation art, sculptural thinking, and creative writing to inspire our environments. We will examine the body and the space it inhabits to create new interdisciplinary possibilities. How can new technologies such as video and projection inform our process? Working in a studio setting, students will be introduced to methods and craft of set design - including research, sketching, model making and drafting. Above all, students will be asked to take risks, and begin to develop their artistic vision. Of interest to designers, directors, film-makers, fine artists, and anyone interested in the process of creating a visual story line. Students are required to purchase materials. Usually offered every year.

THA 126a Playing for Change - Community Building and Social Change on Stage
[ ca djw ]

Examines ways in which theatrical arts can create change in a variety of non-traditional situations. This course is grounded in the discussion/practice of theater activists such as Augusto Boal's Theatre of the Oppressed. For both theater and non-theater students, this course focuses on how and why this collaborative, useful art form can be introduced into sociological, psychological, political, cultural, educational, medical, and historical paradigms. Students will generate work surrounding social issues of importance to them. Usually offered every second year.

THA 126b Playback Theatre
[ ca ]

Comfortable clothing recommended.

Playback Theatre is a form of improvisation where audience members voluntarily share true stories and then instantly witness a group of actors and a musician recreating the 'essence' of what was shared. Deeper issues related to the audience and society are revealed through the metaphorical reenactments of each story, reinforcing a sense of community and self worth. In this course we will learn the basic skills and forms required to perform Playback Theatre successfully, as well as analyze some of the theories of how the Playback experience strengthens communities by connecting people. Usually offered every second year.

THA 130a Suzuki
[ ca hwl2 pe-1 ]

Counts as one activity course toward the physical education requirement. Undergraduates may repeat this course twice for credit.

Developed by the Japanese theater artist Tadashi Suzuki, the Suzuki method of acting training develops physical strength, stamina, and agility while engaging the imagination and will of the actor. Through a series of walks, statues, and marches, students are taught to breathe and move from the core of their bodies. This training allows students to act from physical impulse, resulting in a deep and personal experience of language and the world of play. Usually offered every semester.

THA 132a Collaborative Creation
[ ca ]

May be repeated once for credit.
 

The COVID pandemic exposed the ongoing questions of how we make theater. This course asks if we could reinvent the theater, how would we transform what is possible in performance, design, text, and collaboration? We will explore the process of collaborative creation from the idea to performance. All students work as performers, directors, writers, and designers in a creative laboratory supporting the creation of original and adapted theater pieces, based on material that resonates with the group. You will be challenged to grow artistically in your area of interest. Students will learn particular devising techniques, such a Viewpoints and Moment work. Usually offered every second year.

THA 133a Ensemble Acting: Scenes from Chekhov to Today
[ ca ]

Focus is on releasing the creative energies of the actor through integrated work on technique and text in order to become a better ensemble member and performer. Student actors are guided in applying basic acting concepts to scenes from modern and contemporary drama. Students explore how to craft a character, collaborate with their fellow actors and take responsibility for their own development through the rehearsal process. Introduces relevant techniques such as script analysis, improvisation, and character research. Usually offered every year.

THA 133b Acting the Classics
[ ca ]

Explores specific approaches to rehearsing and performing in the heightened world of classical texts, including William Shakespeare. The course is designed to release the actor's creative energies by stimulating an appetite for size, power and extravagant physical/vocal communication, to deepen the actor's analytical skills and free the actor for greater intellectual and emotional engagement. You will develop a respect for and understanding of form while gaining ease and joy in the fully realized expression of heightened language texts. Usually offered every second year.

THA 135b Lighting Design for Live Performance
[ ca ]

Students develop visual awareness of light and light sources through observation and study of artistic composition in art, photography, architecture, and entertainment design – as tools in developing a conceptual and technical approach to lighting design for live entertainment. Usually offered every second year.

THA 138a The Business of Show Business
[ ca oc ]

Provides students with an overview of the many different facets of what it takes to produce live theater in America today. With an emphasis on non-profit theater, students will learn about organizational structure, aesthetic and artistic goals, facilities management, budgeting and revenue streams, public relations/marketing/advertising and communication. From brainstorming to barnstorming, this course will give students the step-by-step process of delivering live, professional theater. Usually offered every second year.

THA 138b Creative Pedagogy
[ ca oc ]

Explores the individual discovery in human creativity and how this journey impacts the quality and inclusivity of teaching and learning both inside and outside of educational spaces. Students will dig into their own educational experiences and their relationship to creativity in this creativity-engaged space. Using the theoretical stages of creativity, students read research, reflect on their own experiences, try new creative endeavors, and engage in creative collaboration with others with the lens towards inspiring and supporting learning. Students are asked in the course to expand their own creative reach and risk-taking capabilities. Usually offered every second year.

THA 142b Women Playwrights: Writing for the Stage by and about Women
[ ca deis-us wi ]

Introduces the world of women playwrights. This course will engage the texts through common themes explored by women playwrights: motherhood (and daughterhood), reproduction, sexuality, family relationships, etc. Students will participate in writing or performance exercises based on these themes. Usually offered every second year.

THA 144b Black Theater and Performance
[ ca deis-us ]

Explores aesthetic innovations and transformations in African American theater and performance and examines the crucial role the stage has played in shaping perceptions and understandings of blackness. Usually offered every year.

THA 145a Queer Theater
[ ca deis-us ]

Explores significant plays that have shaped and defined gay identity during the past 100 years. Playwrights span Wilde to Taylor Mac. Examining texts as literature, history, and performance, we will explore cultural change, politics, gender, the AIDS epidemic, camp, and coming out. Usually offered every third year.

THA 146a Theater and the Holocaust
[ ca djw ]

By studying plays and theatrical tools, students can gain insight into the Holocaust and what made it possible as well as its lasting impact. The course will examine how theater has attempted to represent the unimaginable as and communicate about the toxic appeal of antisemitic Nazi ideology, both in the context of the Holocaust and its legacy. Usually offered every third year.

THA 147a Latinx Theater
[ ca deis-us ]

Examines the theatrical artistic expression by and about people of the Latin American diaspora in the United States, exploring how theatrical performance, in its many forms, wrestles with questions of faith, family, gender, space, nationhood, and the myriad identities one bears. Students will celebrate, survey, and study the historic and contemporary contributions of artists, movements, and collectives to better understand the rich and distinct identities and artistic practices in the Latino/a/x/e population. Usually offered every fourth year.

THA 148b Fundamentals of Dramaturgy
[ ca wi ]

Introduces students to the art and practice of dramaturgy. Explores the role of the dramaturg in the theater-making process from production research, new play development, and script analysis, to season planning, community outreach, and audience enrichment. Usually offered every second year.

THA 150a Global Theater: Voices from Asia, Africa, and the Americas
[ ca djw nw wi ]

Explores dramatic literature and performance traditions from across the globe. Examines the ways various artists have engaged theater to express, represent, and interrogate diversity and complexity of the human condition. Usually offered every year.

THA 155a Icons of Masculinity: Media Images of Men
[ ca ]

Using icons from movies, fiction, theater, and television who represent manhood, this course explores how American men have defined and performed their masculinity. Various archetypes, including the cowboy, the gangster, the rogue cop, the athlete, the buddy, the lover, and Woody Allen are examined. Usually offered every second year.

THA 164a Costume Design
[ ca ]

Explores the social and political themes within various dramatic texts and discusses how those themes influence design choices. We will examine the ways specific costume design choices - period, silhouette, texture and color - convey meaning, and will gain experience creating and presenting theoretical costume design concepts as paper projects. Intended for Theater Arts majors as well as students with no theater experience. Usually offered every second year.

THA 180a Multimedia and Video Design for Live Performance
[ ca dl ]

Explores the convergence of multimedia theater, installation art, and video design. Students will learn about the use of technology in visual storytelling, and the cross-disciplinary and hybrid practices of multimedia design including sound, video, light and space. How can we use technology to enhance, frame or even reveal new perspectives on the stories we tell? Students will learn about tools and techniques from design professionals, and will engage directly and collaboratively with technology and space to design full-scale experiences focused around performance. No experience in performance, theater, or design expected. Usually offered every second year.

THA 195a Topics in Theater and Drama
[ ca ]

Prerequisites and enrollment limits vary with course topic and instructor.

Study of special topics in theater history, dramatic literature, theatrical production, acting, or design. May be repeated for credit as the course topic varies. See Schedule of Classes each semester for further information.

THA 199a Senior Seminar: The Professional Experience
[ oc ]

Open only to Theater Art majors. Instructor permission required. Yields half-course credit.

Professional field exploration and preparation for all seniors graduating with a degree in Theater Arts, covering a variety of topics through in-depth seminars with working professionals, faculty, and staff. Students will be exposed to all of the possibilities awaiting them within the professional field and will gain skill in presenting their own work In theater. Students in the seminar will work extensively on their oral communication skills in professional and presentational settings. Usually offered every year.

THA 70a Directing: Imagination in Action
[ ca dl ]

Examines the art of theater from the director's perspective. Focuses on how theory and practice meet in the crucible of actual rehearsal, production, and performance from the director's point of view. Usually offered every year.

THA 125b The Art of Scenography: Scenic Design and Invention for Performance
[ ca dl ]

May be repeated for credit if taught by different instructors. Open to non-majors.

Introduces students to the process of creating evocative and imaginative designs for the stage. This course is designed for students of all majors and years who want to learn about scenic design. Working with a variety of source material, students will explore how to develop ideas and striking theatrical images that tell the story of the text. How can we create a psychological visual environment that transports the viewer to another time and space? How do textures, colors, and composition work on the mind? We will use installation art, sculptural thinking, and creative writing to inspire our environments. We will examine the body and the space it inhabits to create new interdisciplinary possibilities. How can new technologies such as video and projection inform our process? Working in a studio setting, students will be introduced to methods and craft of set design - including research, sketching, model making and drafting. Above all, students will be asked to take risks, and begin to develop their artistic vision. Of interest to designers, directors, film-makers, fine artists, and anyone interested in the process of creating a visual story line. Students are required to purchase materials. Usually offered every year.

THA 180a Multimedia and Video Design for Live Performance
[ ca dl ]

Explores the convergence of multimedia theater, installation art, and video design. Students will learn about the use of technology in visual storytelling, and the cross-disciplinary and hybrid practices of multimedia design including sound, video, light and space. How can we use technology to enhance, frame or even reveal new perspectives on the stories we tell? Students will learn about tools and techniques from design professionals, and will engage directly and collaboratively with technology and space to design full-scale experiences focused around performance. No experience in performance, theater, or design expected. Usually offered every second year.

AAAS/WGS 148b Black Dance: The Politics of Black Movement
[ ca ss ]

Introduces students to theories, debates, and critical frameworks in African Diaspora Dance Studies. How is black movement political? What makes a dance "black"? How do conceptualizations of gender and sexuality inform our reading of dancing bodies? Uses African diaspora, critical dance, performance, and black feminist frameworks to examine the history, politics, and aesthetics of "black dance." Usually offered every year.

AAPI/WGS 137b Performing Asian/American Women on Screen and Scene
[ deis-us oc ss ]

Examines performances of Asian/American women and how they have changed over the course of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. We analyze American film, television, and stage performances to trace the shifting, yet continuous participation of Asian/American women on screen and scene in the United States. Important issues include Orientalism and representation, race and racism, immigration and diasporas, militarism and hypersexualization, yellow face practices then and now, as well as assimilation and resistance. We ask: what have dominant representations of Asian/American been like from the silent film era to the current digital age? How have the figures of the lotus blossom, the dragon lady, the trafficked woman, the geisha, the war bride, the military prostitute, the orphan, among other problematic tropes emerged to represent Asian/American women? How has the changing political, social, and cultural position of Asian/Americans shaped their participation in media production, as well as their media representations in the United States broadly speaking? Students will leave this course with a strong understanding of how media and culture shapes the racial and sexual formation of Asian Americans, as well as how to interact with that media and culture beyond just consumption but instead towards analysis and critique too. Usually offered every second year.

CAST 160a Provocative Art: Outside the Comfort Zone
[ ca ]

Presents, analyzes, and discusses art that provokes controversies, discomfort, and other strong responses. This class will focus on a broad range of artistic expressions, including visual art, theater, film, music, and literature with Brandeis faculty as well as visiting artists. Final project consists of students finding, articulating, and advocating for provocative art from multiple perspectives. Note: Students are responsible for attendance and assignments during the shopping period and must be present in those classes to be enrolled off the waitlist. Usually offered every semester.

CLAS 172a Ancient Athenian Drama in Translation
[ hum ]

Examines the genre of tragedy and comedy in ancient Athens. All texts read in English. Usually offered every third year.

ENG 33a Shakespeare
[ hum ]

May be repeated once for credit.

A survey of Shakespeare as a dramatist. From nine to twelve plays will be read, representing all periods of Shakespeare's dramatic career. Usually offered every year.

ENG 113b Performing Climate Justice
[ deis-us dl hum oc ]

Considers justice in relation to our ordinary and collective actions as these recreate or transform our social and material realities as human drivers of the Anthropocene. How can the embodied creation and transmission of knowledge and skills, by creative workers and change agents, help us imagine and create new, translocal ways of being and acting together no longer driven by fossil fuels? What happens to notions of the human, human civilization, and human history if we adopt a non-anthropocentric and biocentric approach to climate justice and climate ethics? Usually offered every fourth year.

ENG 123a Violence and the Body in Early Modern Drama
[ dl hum ]

May not be taken for credit by students who took ENG 23a in prior years.

Explores early modern understandings of the body, with particular attention to gender, sexuality, race, and nation. Considers the role of violence in determining who counts as fully human, who can be reduced to a body, and whose bodies can be severed from citizenship, recognition, and value. Explores as well the claims of the body and voice to memorialization and belonging, and the evidence of actors' bodies on the stage. Usually offered every third year.

ENG 133a Advanced Shakespeare
[ hum wi ]

Recommended prerequisite: ENG 33a or equivalent.

An intensive analysis of a single play or a small number of Shakespeare's plays. Usually offered every third year.

ENG 151b Performance Studies
[ dl hum ]

Explores paradigms for making performance inside and outside of institutionalized theater spaces, with an emphasis on the performance of everyday life. Students read theories of theater and performance against paradigmatic dramatic texts and documents of social performance. Combining theory with practice, students explore and make site-specific and online performances. Usually offered every third year.

ENG 170b Contemporary Theatre and Performance: Between Rights and the Post-Human
[ hum oc ]

Students will explore two pressing questions: How do contemporary theatre artists work to rehumanize those denied humanity? During a global climate emergency, how can the theatre, which is traditionally defined by the co-presence of humans, relocate the human as only one of many lifeforms--not the center of everything but rather entwined with other organic, inorganic, and spiritual agencies? Usually offered every second year.

FA 23b Architectural Drawing and Digital Design I
[ ca dl ]

Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. Only Architectural Studies IIM students may take both FA 23b and FA 24a for credit.

Intended to develop new skills in conceptualizing, designing, and communicating architectural ideas. Students will be exposed to conceptual strategies of form and space and site relationships within social and environmental factors. Students will study the basic techniques and concepts of architectural design and digital drawing, with two and three-dimensional representation skills. Usually offered every year.

FA 62a Art since 1945
[ ca ]

Survey of developments in painting and sculpture since World War II. Consideration of major trends of the period, including abstract expressionism, pop art, minimalism, color field painting, and realism. Usually offered every second year.

HBRW 164b Israeli Theater Within the Framework of U.S Cultures
[ ca deis-us djw fl hum oc wi ]

Prerequisite: Any 30-level Hebrew course or permission of the instructor.

Promotes cultural awareness and global understanding through the reading and analysis of plays. Student creativity develops through participation in acting and creative writing assignments. Usually offered every second year.

MUS 31a Broadway Bound: The Craft of Composing Music and Lyrics for the Theater
[ ca ]

Open to music majors and non-majors.

Do you like to write poetry or plays? Have you written music and/or lyrics and want to try your hand at writing musical theatre? In this class, you will learn how music functions in a dramatic context by writing songs (alone or in collaboration with others) and regularly presenting your material for peer and instructor feedback. Contemporary and traditional musical theater masterpieces will be analyzed. Usually offered every second year.

NEJS 184b Disability Cultures: Art, Film and Literature of People with Disabilities
[ deis-us djw hum oc ]

Explores cultural representations of disability in Israel, Europe, and the US. By focusing on literature, film, dance, and visual art, it explores physical, mental, and emotional disability experiences, and their relations to gender, sexuality, nationalism, and identity politics. Usually offered every second year.

RECS 134b Literature and Medicine: Chekhov and the Healing Arts
[ hum wi ]

Open to all students. Conducted in English. Most students will choose to read the works in English translation, but students who know Russian may do the readings in Russian.

Explores Chekhov as a fiction writer, a dramatist, and a devoted physician. Many of his artistic works, including a number where doctors figure as primary characters, read as case studies of particular diseases, mental illnesses, and conditions induced by poverty. Chekhov practiced the healing arts in all aspects of his professional and creative life, as well as in his courageous efforts on the remote penal-colony island of Sakhalin and in his dangerous public work during a terrible cholera epidemic. Reading both Chekhov and the works of several other modern and contemporary writers who were deeply influenced by him, this course emphasizes the skills of close looking—techniques equally valuable to the writer, the dramatist, and the physician. We read works about children and the nature of childhood, about students, about “the woman question,” about peasants, about religion, about marriage and adultery, as well as two plays: The Seagull and Uncle Vanya (and adaptations of each of them). Students will consider the ebb and flow between Chekhov’s efforts as a dramatist and a story-teller and engage with Chekhov’s most vivid, candid, and intriguing letters about medicine and art. Usually offered every second year.

THA 11b European Theater Texts and Theory II
[ ca ]

A continuation of THA 11a, covering plays, history, and political theory. Romanticism to the present, including realism and the avant-garde. Usually offered every year.

THA 66a The American Drama since 1945
[ ca ]

Examines the major plays and playwrights representing styles from social realism to avant-garde performance groups and the theater of images. Usually offered every second year.

THA 144b Black Theater and Performance
[ ca deis-us ]

Explores aesthetic innovations and transformations in African American theater and performance and examines the crucial role the stage has played in shaping perceptions and understandings of blackness. Usually offered every year.

WGS 41b Storyweaving: Movement and Creative Process through Dance
[ ca ss ]

No prior dance experience or training is required. Attendance and physical participation is the primary mode of learning for this course. Therefore, students at risk for health concerns or potential obstacles related to in-person attendance or physical participation are encouraged to consult with their advisor and the instructor in advance of the start of class.

Explores forms of modifiable movement, alongside guided movement and creative processes for dance making. Pedagogy and readings for this course will center on Indigenous approaches to movement and dance, and Indigenous performance and dance studies scholarship. Usually offered every year.

RECS/THA 140a Russian Theater: Stanislavsky to Present
[ ca djw hum wi ]

Throughout its history, Russian theatre has tried to communicate truthfully in a mostly repressive society. This course introduces students to the achievements of theatre artists from Stanislavsky through Post-Modernism. We will examine the work of groundbreaking directors like Meyerhold, Vakhtangov, and Lyubimov. We will read and analyze representative works of major modern and contemporary playwrights. The course load consists of readings, discussions, papers and in-class projects. Usually offered every second year.

THA 71a Playwriting
[ ca wi ]

Introduces students to the fundamentals of playwriting. Attention will be given to dramatic structure, the development of character, and stage dialogue. In addition to completing a number of playwriting exercises, students will write one ten-minute play and one one-act play. Work will be shared with the class and read aloud. Usually offered every year.

THA 142b Women Playwrights: Writing for the Stage by and about Women
[ ca deis-us wi ]

Introduces the world of women playwrights. This course will engage the texts through common themes explored by women playwrights: motherhood (and daughterhood), reproduction, sexuality, family relationships, etc. Students will participate in writing or performance exercises based on these themes. Usually offered every second year.

THA 150a Global Theater: Voices from Asia, Africa, and the Americas
[ ca djw nw wi ]

Explores dramatic literature and performance traditions from across the globe. Examines the ways various artists have engaged theater to express, represent, and interrogate diversity and complexity of the human condition. Usually offered every year.

THA 2a Theater Foundations: Process, Production, and Performance
[ ca oc ]

Intended as an entry level course for majors, minors, and interested students with little to no theater experience. May count towards the major or minor in Theater Arts.

An introduction and investigation of theater in its many aspects. This course will acquaint the student with the theatrical elements of production and performance and familiarize the student with the role of artist and audience. Usually offered every year.

THA 10a Theater as Collaboration
[ ca oc ]

Develops the student's ability to read a theatrical text through the lens of the collaborative theater artist. Reading, discussions, papers, and exercises about acting, directing, movement, design, dramaturgy, technical theater, and management will constitute the bulk of this course. Intended as the entry level course for majors, minors, and interested students with a background in theater. Usually offered every year.

THA 15b Public Speaking: The Art of Oral Communication
[ oc ]

Does not meet the requirements for the major or minor in Theater Arts. May not be used to satisfy the Creative Arts distribution requirement.

Introduces the basic concepts and techniques of making presentations to groups of people. Students explore the principles of human communication and apply them to various situations and forms of spoken discourse. Students develop a process for analyzing the audience and situation; for choosing, limiting, and researching a subject; for developing effective habits of vocal delivery; and for writing their own speeches. Usually offered every year.

THA 16b Genius in Small Group Communication: Theory and Practice
[ oc ]

Does not meet the requirements for the major or minor in Theater Arts. May not be used to satisfy the Creative Arts distribution requirement.

The study of small group communication centers on placing the self as secondary and the group as primary, implementing the art of compromise and collaboration. This course develops critical skills in communicating in public and within a small group context. Course meetings introduce theoretical frameworks around small group communication and students will immediately put ideas into practice in class. Requires group work inside and outside of class. Usually offered every second year.

THA 138a The Business of Show Business
[ ca oc ]

Provides students with an overview of the many different facets of what it takes to produce live theater in America today. With an emphasis on non-profit theater, students will learn about organizational structure, aesthetic and artistic goals, facilities management, budgeting and revenue streams, public relations/marketing/advertising and communication. From brainstorming to barnstorming, this course will give students the step-by-step process of delivering live, professional theater. Usually offered every second year.

THA 138b Creative Pedagogy
[ ca oc ]

Explores the individual discovery in human creativity and how this journey impacts the quality and inclusivity of teaching and learning both inside and outside of educational spaces. Students will dig into their own educational experiences and their relationship to creativity in this creativity-engaged space. Using the theoretical stages of creativity, students read research, reflect on their own experiences, try new creative endeavors, and engage in creative collaboration with others with the lens towards inspiring and supporting learning. Students are asked in the course to expand their own creative reach and risk-taking capabilities. Usually offered every second year.

THA 199a Senior Seminar: The Professional Experience
[ oc ]

Open only to Theater Art majors. Instructor permission required. Yields half-course credit.

Professional field exploration and preparation for all seniors graduating with a degree in Theater Arts, covering a variety of topics through in-depth seminars with working professionals, faculty, and staff. Students will be exposed to all of the possibilities awaiting them within the professional field and will gain skill in presenting their own work In theater. Students in the seminar will work extensively on their oral communication skills in professional and presentational settings. Usually offered every year.