BSU Catalog Home | Theatre and Speech Communication Program | All-University Courses and Descriptions

Theatre and Speech Communication Course Descriptions

(THSP) College-Program: 12-04. Check with Department for quarter when these courses are offered. Read each course description for prerequisites.

104 BASIC STAGE MAKEUP (2 credits). Design, theory, and character analysis. Practice in application. Laboratory fee.

105 ADVANCED STAGE MAKEUP (2 credits). Plaster casting, rubber prosthesis, beard making and other specialized techniques. Laboratory fee. Prerequisite: THSP 104.

109 INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION (3 credits). Oral communication as it relates to human interaction between individuals and within small groups. (Applies to Liberal Education Area III ).

110 BASICS OF SPEECH COMMUNICATION (3 credits). Public speaking. Includes some interpersonal and small group speaking. (Applies to Liberal Education Area III ).

122 IMPROVISATION (1,1 credit). Creative self-expression, awareness, observation and sensory development. Theatre games, warm-ups. Open to everyone. (May not be offered every year.)

150 INTRODUCTION TO THE THEATRE (3 credits). Form and structure of dramatic literature and theatre production. Modes of presentation, principles of criticism and function of artists. (Applies to Liberal Education Area II ).

151 THEATRE PROCESS (3 credits). The creative process of making theatre productions for an audience, focusing on the skills and artistic creativity of craftspeople in the modern theatre. Familiarization with contemporary technology, working procedures, and materials.

161 THEATRE: VISUAL DESIGN (3 credits). A beginning course in the development of visual expression in the theatre. A combination of studio projects and discussion intended to provide students with insights into the conceptual problems of designing productions. This course is a prerequisite for all advanced theatre design courses.

180 TWENTIETH CENTURY MUSICAL THEATRE (3 credits). Study of the genesis and evolution of the musical comedy theatre in America. Investigation of form, concept and theme. Principles of criticism of music theatre. Study will be musical and theatrical.

210 ADVANCED SPEECH COMMUNICATION (3 credits). Analysis of forms of public speech activity. Practice in audience situations. (May not be offered every year.) Prerequisite: THSP 110.

215 PUBLIC DISCUSSION (4 credits). Problem solving as applied in the several forms of group discussion. Extensive oral practice. (May not be offered every year.) Prerequisite: THSP 110 or equivalent.

220 ORAL INTERPRETATION (3 credits). Principles and techniques of the selection, the investigation of meaning, and the oral delivery of literature. (Applies to Liberal Education Area III ).

221 PLAYWRITING (3 credits). Experience in writing one act, radio, television and theatre plays. Prerequisites: ENGL 121, 122, and 123 or equivalent. (Applies to Liberal Education Area III ).

222 STAGE ACTING I (3 credits). Principles of voice, physical activity, and interpretation in acting. (Applies to Liberal Education Area III ).

232 VOICE AND DICTION (3 credits). Designed for personal improvement of voice, pronunciation, enunciation and choice of words.

250 THEATRE: FORM AND STYLE (3 credits). Study of the principal dramatic genres and forms, theatrical production styles, and the relationship of dramatic form and structure to production styles. Prerequisite: THSP 151 (Theatre Process) or consent of instructor.

260 TECHNICAL THEATRE (3 credits). Methods and materials. Design. Emphasis on pre-production planning.

270 INTRODUCTION TO THEATRE HISTORY (3 credits). The development of theatrical production-performance from classical Greece, Rome, the Middle Ages and Renaissance, to the twentieth century. Reading of representative literature. Study of the evolution of theatre spaces and technology. Introduction to the theatre of non-western cultures.

272 CHILDREN'S THEATRE (4 credits). Resources of theatre for children. Acting, directing, writing.

280 LISTENING (4 credits). A study of the role of listening in the communication process, the principles of effective listening, and extensive practice in the skills required. (May not be offered every year.)

322 STAGE ACTING STYLES (2 credits). Styles, techniques and characterization. Examination of theories of acting. Prerequisite: THSP 222.

355 STAGE DIRECTING (4 credits). Scripts, techniques of tryouts, rehearsals, group expression. Students produce public presentations. Prerequisite: Advanced Standing.

364 STAGE SCENERY DESIGN (3 credits). Elements and theory of stage design. Water color rendering and model building. Prerequisite: THSP 161.

365 STAGE LIGHTING AND SOUND (3 credits). Design and operation of lighting and sound equipment. Prerequisite: THSP 161.

366 STAGE COSTUMING (3 credits). Design; water color rendering and construction. Prerequisite: THSP 161.

370 THEATRE HISTORY: ORIGINS, CLASSICAL, AND MEDIEVAL (3 credits). Drama and the theatre during the Greek, Roman and Medieval periods. Prerequisite: Advanced Standing.

373 THEATRE HISTORY: RENAISSANCE THROUGH 18th CENTURY (3 credits). Elizabethan, Restoration, Neo-classic and Romantic drama. Prerequisite: Advanced Standing.

375 THEATRE HISTORY: 19th AND 20th CENTURY (3 credits). The modern theatre from 1800 to the present. American and European playwrights and theatre; modern theories. Prerequisite: Advanced Standing.

376 THEATRE HISTORY: ASIAN (3 credits). Survey of the major theatrical and dramatic forms of India, China, Japan, and Southeast Asia.

400 SENIOR PROJECT (0 credits). Presentation of a theatre arts project demonstrating the best creative work of the student major. Project may be performance, composition or production, or research. Project must be approved by the student's advisor and by the department theatre faculty. Prerequisites: Accumulated theatre course credits of at least 40 to submit plan for approval.

401 THEATRE WORKSHOP (3-6 credits). Technical theatre production with a summer stock company. May be repeated.

402 PORTFOLIO (1 credits). Creation of the theatre portfolio for scenery, costume, makeup, lighting, properties, and publicity. For the student seeking internships, assistantships, and/or employment in theatre. Prerequisites: A minimum of 40 credits in theatre and/or related courses.

430 THE THEATRE OF SHAKESPEARE (4 credits). A study of the staging of selected major plays of Shakespeare considering the Elizabethan theatre buildings and stage design, with its effects on placement and handling of actors, audience influence and the powerful dramatic effects of the plays themselves. (May not be offered every year.) Prerequisite: Junior status.

455 ADVANCED DIRECTION OF PLAYS (3 credits). Period styles. Experimental direction, script adaptations. Prerequisite: THSP 355.

466 CREATIVE DRAMATICS IN THE SCHOOL (3 credits). Self-expression for children through improvisational drama. Prerequisite: Advanced Standing.

474 DRAMATIC CRITICISM (3 credits). Study of the theories and techniques of dramatic criticism in the theatre with plays from ancient Greece to the present. Prerequisite: Advanced Standing.

482 SEMINAR IN THEATRE/SPEECH (3 credits). Advanced study in a seminar format with limited enrollment. Prerequisite: Advanced standing or consent of instructor.