The Drama major consists of 40 semester hours to be taken as follows:
1. Required core consists of 28 semester hours.

a. Theatre Practicum (4 hours):
DRAM 1100     University Theatre Company (four semesters for a total of four semester hours; at least one                        semester must involve work in technical theatre)

b. Technology and Design (6 hours):
DRAM 1320     Introduction to Production Techniques OR
    DRAM 1330 Principles of Costume Technology
DRAM 2310     Principles of Design

c. Performance Theory (3 hours):
DRAM 1350     Introduction to Acting OR
    DRAM 1352 Acting I

d. Advanced Performance or Design Theory (3 hours)
Choose one of the following:
DRAM 2314     Principles of Stage Lighting
DRAM 2352     Acting II: Scene Study
DRAM 3312     Costume Design
DRAM 3313     Scene Design
DRAM 3340     Directing

e. Literature and History of Theatre (9 hours):
DRAM 2332    Play Structure and Analysis
DRAM 3331    History of Theatre: The Classical Theatre to 1642
DRAM 3332    History of Theatre: The Restoration to 1850

f. Capstone for the Drama Major (3 hours):
DRAM 4393    Capstone for Drama Majors

g. 12 additional hours of drama electives of which no more than 3 credit hours of directed studies or special topic courses may be applied toward the required 40-hour major.

h. At least 15 hours of the Drama major must be upper-division coursework.

i. Additional courses in Drama may be taken, but not substituted for those listed to fulfill the major requirements.

2. Senior Experience. Students may select from three options to meet this Common Curriculum requirement.

a. Select the capstone course DRAM 4393.
b. Complete the Honors Program in the major. Completion of the Honors Thesis will obviate the need for DRAM 4393.
c. Complete the Senior Synthesis (GNED 4301) as explained in the general discussion of the Common Curriculum. Completion of the Senior Synthesis will obviate the need for DRAM 4393.

THE MINOR

The Drama Minor consists of 20 hours to be taken as follows. At least 9 hours must be upper-division coursework.

1. Required core consists of 11 semester hours.
DRAM 1100     University Theatre Company (two semesters for a total of two semester hours)

An additional 9 hours to be selected from the following courses:
DRAM 1304     Introduction to Theatre
DRAM 1314     Introduction to Drama
DRAM 1320     Introduction to Production Techniques
DRAM 1330     Principles of Costume Technology
DRAM 1350     Introduction to Acting OR
    DRAM 1352     Acting I
DRAM 2100     Stage Makeup Design
DRAM 2310     Principles of Design
DRAM 2314     Principles of Stage Lighting
DRAM 2332     Play Structure and Analysis
DRAM 2354     Vocal Performance for the Actor (also listed as SPCH 2313)
DRAM 2356     Physical Performance for the Actor
DRAM 3331     History of Theatre: The Classical Theatre to 1642 OR
    DRAM 3332     History of Theatre: The Restoration to 1850

2. 9 additional hours of drama electives of which no more than 3 credit hours of directed study or special topic courses may be applied.

The Honors Program
I. University requirements

II. Departmental requirements:
The Department of Speech and Drama offers a major Honors Program in Drama. A description of the program is available in the departmental office.

DRAMA COURSES

LOWER DIVISION

DRAM 1100       University Theatre Company
Course focuses on specific responsibilities assigned by faculty and staff regarding University Theatre Productions. Included are performance, construction, running and operating crews, assistant stage management, and a weekly course meeting. May be repeated for four credit hours. Students working in University Theatre Productions who are neither drama majors nor minors are encouraged to enroll in DRAM 1100 but are not required to do so.

DRAM 1154       Dance for Theater
Dance for Theater is for students of various levels of expertise in dance, ranging from beginner to advanced, to acquire and polish their skills and convey character through dance. The topic varies based on production needs within the department, but all courses will be primarily skill-based and performance oriented, with short choreography and dance appreciation segments. Topics may include: jazz, tap, modern, ballet, choreography, and other pertinent dance forms. Course is repeatable for up to six credit hours.

DRAM 1304       Introduction to Theatre
A hands-on approach to the fundamentals of theatre including literature, acting, directing, and design. Intended as a survey, this course will provide an overview of theatre’s numerous components, from the page to the stage, so that the beginning student may better understand the theatrical world.

DRAM 1306       Oral Interpretation
Examines the performative and other critical approaches to the study of literature. Investigates and explores critical methods for analyzing texts and their application to the oral study and performance of a variety of literary genres. (Also listed as SPCH 1323.)

DRAM 1314       Introduction to Drama
A survey of dramatic literature in the western canon from the Ancient Greeks to the contemporary era. Students will read and discuss a significant number and range of plays in their theatrical, social, and cultural contexts. Assignments include two fairly short papers, a mid-term, and final examination.

DRAM 1320       Introduction to Production Techniques
Introduction to traditional stagecraft, including backstage organization, scenery construction, theatrical lighting, sound design, scene painting, and drafting. May be taken instead of DRAM 1330 as core credit toward the major.

DRAM 1330       Principles of Costume Technology
An introductory course that explores the fundamentals of costume construction, patterning and draping, textiles, and related crafts such as millinery and fabric painting and dyeing. May be taken instead of DRAM 1320 as core credit toward the major.

DRAM 1350     Introduction to Acting
This class will provide the beginning acting student with basic acting techniques and vocabulary through exercises, monologues, and scene work. (Not available for P/F option.) Students may not receive credit for both DRAM 1350 and 1352.

DRAM 1352       Acting I
This class will provide acting students with a core of techniques from which to further develop their acting skills as individuals and as members of a theatrical ensemble. The course is suggested for students planning to major in Drama. Open to all students by audition or permission of instructor. (Not available for P/F option.) Students may not receive credit for both DRAM 1350 and 1352.

DRAM 2100       Stage Makeup Design
Introductory course that studies the theory and practice of makeup design and application for the stage, including the creation of special effects.

DRAM 2310       Principles of Design
An introductory course that explores creativity through artistic composition and theatrical design. This overview course acquaints the student with design elements and techniques as non-verbal communication tools to express the creative imagination.

DRAM 2314       Principles of Stage Lighting
An introductory course that explores the use of light as an artistic medium in theatrical productions. This overview course acquaints the students with the equipment, design elements, and conceptual processes employed in lighting design.

DRAM 2332       Play Structure and Analysis
This course will introduce students to multiple theatrical models and methods used to understand dramatic structure and to analyze specific plays. This course seeks answers to the question: How can we discover the ways in which plays work? Prerequisite: DRAM 1314 or consent of instructor.

DRAM 2340       Creative Thinking and The Artistic Process
This course encourages students to synthesize a theoretical and experiential approach to the creative process as studied through the visual arts, music, creative writing and theatre.  Students enter into the creative process as means to develop creative self-expression, aesthetic sensibility, and an understanding of the arts.  The nature and drive of artistic endeavor is explored through studies of the lives of significant thinkers and artists, examination of art works, guest lectures and projects. Students will engage in activities and projects that will enable them to access and develop their own creative thinking skills in concert with traditional, analytic modes. Also listed as ART 2314, ENGL 2340, GNED 2340, and MUSC 2340.

DRAM 2352       Acting II: Scene Study
This course will focus on scene work from a variety of periods and playwrights, and in class exercises to further develop the acting student’s ability. Prerequisites: Prerequisite: Dram 1350 or 1352.

DRAM 2354       Vocal Performance for the Actor
Provides fundamental concepts and techniques of vocal production, voice and diction, and vocal performance training. Various modes of body/voice exploration are employed. Voice and body work are developed through multiple performance opportunities that seek to increase the performer’s vocal clarity, power, flexibility, and range. (Also listed as SPCH 2313).

DRAM 2356       Physical Theatre Laboratory
Drawing together movement, dance, text, mask, song, fact, fiction, and design, students will develop a creative vocabulary that will lay the foundation of a physical approach to theatre. By recalling the traditional popular theatre forms of commedia dll' arte and clowning, as well as mask performance and puppetry, the students will explore the creation of a performance that breaks the boundaries of individual disciplines.

UPPER DIVISION

DRAM 3215       Design Project
Students design costumes, lights, or scenery that is actualized in a university main stage production. Admission to course by consent of the Drama Faculty and Staff.

DRAM 3227       Stage Management Project
Provides the students with the opportunity to stage manage a university theatre production. Admission to course by consent of the Drama Faculty and Staff.

DRAM 3301       Theatre Graphics
An examination of current graphic techniques used to communicate designer concepts for the theatre and related fields, which include perspective drawing for the stage, costume drawing, scenic and costume rendering, and an understanding of selected computer-assisted design software's.

DRAM 3312       Costume Design
Costume design for theatrical productions. This course acquaints the student with the artistic techniques and principles used to create costume designs. Students will analyze play scripts in terms of their dramatic components and visual environment and use this information to create appropriate theatrical costume designs. Emphasis is placed on the visual interpretation of literary works using character study, period research, and script analysis. Prerequisite: DRAM 2310 or consent of instructor.

DRAM 3313       Scene Design
Rooted in the discipline of theatre, this course explores the art of conceptualization, visualization, and creativity. Problem solving activities include the use of metaphor to communicate literature for live performance, the creation of sculptural installations for plays and poetry, and the management of scenic design projects. The course examines the various means necessary to communicate a design to a producer, director, or client (sketching, drafting, painter elevations, and model making). Prerequisite: DRAM 2310 or consent of instructor.

DRAM 3315       Theatrical Scene Painting
A study of color theory, scenic techniques, and painting styles introducing the student to the art of theatrical scene painting.

DRAM 3320       Advanced Production Techniques: Computer Aided Design
Course will explore the increasing use of computer technology in the theatrical production. The course will acquaint the student with computer aided drafting, computer control of theatrical lighting, computer control and manipulation of sound for the theater, and computer control of mechanized scenery. The course will also explore the potential integration of these systems. Prerequisite: DRAM 1320 or consent of instructor.

DRAM 3331       History of Theatre: The Classical Theatre to 1642
An examination of the history theater, covering Classical, Medieval, and early Renaissance theatre, including African and Asian forms during these periods, up to the closing of the theatres in England in 1642. The course will utilize historical and critical writings and iconography, as well as representative dramatic texts from each period.

DRAM 3332       History of Theatre: The Restoration to 1850
An examination of the history of theatre, from the Restoration period to the beginnings of realistic theatre in 1850, including African and Asian forms during these periods. The course will utilize historical and critical writings and iconography, as well as representative dramatic texts from each period.

DRAM 3335       Greek and Roman Drama
Study of trends in Greek and Roman dramatic literature, with attention to social, cultural, and political contexts. Topics will include the development of dramatic conventions and traditions of reception and performance. (Also listed as CLAS 3303 and ENGL 3322.) Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or consent of instructor.

DRAM 3336       Modern Drama
Study of trends in dramatic literature from Realism to the present. (Also listed as ENGL 3320.)

DRAM 3337       Contemporary Drama
Study of trends in dramatic literature from World War II through the present as manifested in the United States, Great Britain, Europe, and representative Third World Countries. (Also listed as ENGL 3321.)

DRAM 3340       Directing
This course will teach and develop the skills necessary for directing. These include: reading a script, casting, rehearsing, and staging. Class time will be divided between lecture/discussion and presentation of student prepared scenes. Prerequisites: DRAM 1350 or 1352 and 2332 or consent of instructor.

DRAM 3352       Advanced Acting: Verse Drama
Verse Drama offers the advanced student scene work in plays from Classical antiquity, Elizabethan drama, Seventeenth Century drama, and other verse dramas from various periods and styles. Exercises explore scanscion, rhyme, and period movement. Prerequisites: DRAM 1350 or 1352 and 2352.

DRAM 3353       Advanced Acting: Non-Realistic Drama
Non-realistic Drama offers experience in acting scenes from non-realistic texts from nineteenth and twentieth-century European and American drama. Course includes exercises in voice, movement, and performance theory/art. Prerequisites: DRAM 1350 or 1352 and 2352.

DRAM 3354       Stage Dialects
Students learn to use the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) as an effective tool for identifying individual sounds of speech. This knowledge improves articulation, contributes to the development of good Standard American Speech, and provides the actor with an ability to play a range of performance roles. The course employs the use of visual and audio technology as well as phonetics to analyze, create, and perform stage dialects.

DRAM 3355       Theater for Social Change
Theater for Social Change investigates the critical issues and creative process that chart the field of community-based theater.  The critical investigation is framed by the following questions: What happens when theater gets into the community?  How might we define “community”? Can theater stimulate political and social change? What is the role of the artist in relationship to the community?  How can performance serve to raise consciousness?  The collaborative creative process will primarily draw upon August Boal’s work and will consist of learning exercises taken from the Image Theater, Invisible Theater, and Forum Theater.  This is a participatory and hands-on course.

DRAM 3360       Playwriting
This course investigates and practices systematic methods for developing dramatic ideas and turning them into dramatic literature through readings, discussions, and exercises. Each student will, at the end of the semester, have written a one-act play.

DRAM 3-90       Directed Studies
Independent work under faculty supervision. The nature of the project will be agreed upon by the student and participating faculty member prior to registration. Credit may vary from 1 to 3 hours depending on the scope of the project. Maximum credit three hours. Prerequisites: 15 hours in Drama, documentation of ability to undertake study, consent of instructor.

DRAM 3-97       Theatre Internship
Supervised off-campus experience in theatre production and/or management appropriate to the student’s specialty. Credit varies with responsibilities, but maximum is three credit hours.

DRAM 3398       Honors Readings
Independent study in selected areas in preparation for Honors Thesis. Prerequisite: Admission to Honors Program.

DRAM 4215       Design Project
Students design costumes, lights, or scenery which is actualized in a university main stage production. Admission to course by consent of the Drama Faculty and Staff.

DRAM 4227       Stage Management Project
Provides the students with the opportunity to stage manage a university theatre production. Admission to course by consent of the Drama Faculty and Staff.

DRAM 4340       Directing II
Builds on the fundamentals studied in Directing I to explore further the process of directing for the theatre, from image to context to created word. Special attention will be paid to working with essential elements of the stage, and developing resources into a created space of interaction. Image, time, space, text, character, relationship, rhythm, sound, will all be addressed as means of creating theatrical environment. The course is taught through practical work and developed presentation of short dramatic pieces. Prerequisite: DRAM 3340 or consent of instructor.

DRAM 4-85       The Drama Peer Tutor
Functioning as a peer mentor in introductory theatre courses, students will examine the philosophy, methods, and challenges of teaching theatre arts under the direction of the drama instructor for the course. Credit varies from 1 to 3 semester hours, depending on responsibilities and/or scope of the project. Course may be repeated for a maximum of 6 credit hours. Prerequisite: 15 hours of Drama or consent of instructor.

DRAM 4-90       Directed Studies
Independent work under faculty supervision. The nature of the project will be agreed upon by the student and participating faculty member prior to registration. Credit may vary from 1 to 3 hours depending on the scope of the project. Maximum credit three hours. Prerequisites: 15 hours in Drama, documentation of ability to undertake study, consent of instructor.

DRAM 4-91       Special Topics in Design
An in-depth study of select design topics. May be repeated once when subject varies. Maximum credit is six semester-credit hours.

DRAM 4-92       Special Topics in Performance
An in-depth study of select performance topics. May be repeated when subject varies. Maximum credit is six credit hours.

DRAM 4393       Capstone for Drama Majors
Drama majors with senior standing will create a portfolio of Drama coursework and production experiences, research career opportunities for the potential application of this portfolio, and present this synthesis to the Drama faculty, staff, and students. Applicable guidelines are available from Drama advisors. This course meets the Senior Experience requirement of the University's Common Curriculum. Prerequisite: Senior status.

DRAM 4394       Seminar in Drama
An in-depth study of selected plays, dramatists, and/or movements. May be repeated when subject varies. Prerequisite: Junior or Senior standing or consent of instructor.

DRAM 4-97       Theatre Internship
Supervised off-campus experience in theatre production and/or management appropriate to the student’s specialty. Credit varies with responsibilities, but maximum is three credit hours.

DRAM 4398, 4399       Honors Thesis
Individual research and scholarly investigation under faculty supervision leading to the preparation of an Honors Thesis. To be taken only by senior Honors students in both semesters of their senior year