The Collaborative Arts Theatre Experience

Catalog description

In this course students will generate, devise, develop, and perform a theater production through solo authorship and collaborative creation processes in response to shared artistic goals. In the first 7 weeks students will write the play - assigning scenes to be created by student playwrights, as well as devising material collaboratively in pairs and larger groups. Students may choose to combine their original work with already-existing texts, adapt/deconstruct a classic play, incorporate interview material, etc. The second 7 weeks will consist of the rehearsal, tech and the final performance. Students will be encouraged to wear many different hats (designer, playwright, technician, composer) - though everyone will be cast as performers. Throughout the semester we will integrate essential production elements into storytelling by applying foundational principles of design and technical theater (sound, light, media, props, costumes, etc.) as purposeful tools that support character, atmosphere, and audience experience. The semester will culminate with a play staged and performed before a live audience.