Semiotics of the Visual in Performing Arts

Catalog description

Semiotics is the study of linguistic and nonlinguistic communication. In the performing arts, visual elements are essential to how the meaning of a performance is created.. These elements include sets, props, costume, projections, and multimedia design, as well as bodily movement, gesture, and visual languages. Each type of visual communication has its own principles and conventions that vary across historical periods, performance traditions, and cultures. Students will study a range of visual modalities, from the movement patterns of commedia dell’arte and the mudras of Indian classical dance, to physical theatre and sign language performance. Students will analyze visual choices in a variety of productions to understand how these elements contribute to the artistic and aesthetic meanings of the performance. This course is writing intensive.