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

Theatre and Speech Communication (THSP)

College-Program Codes: 2-04. Check with department for semester when these courses are offered. Read each course description for prerequisites.

1017 THEATRE PRACTICA: PERFORMANCE (1 credit) Performance laboratory course in theatre activities.

1018 THEATRE PRACTICA: PRODUCTION/MANAGEMENT (1 credit) Production/Management laboratory course in theatre activities.

1019 THEATRE PRACTICA: STAGECRAFT (1 credit) Stagecraft laboratory course in theatre activities.

1040 STAGE MAKEUP (3 credits) Design, theory and character analysis. Practice in application. Plaster casting, rubber prosthesis, beard making and other specialized techniques.

1090 INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION (2 credits) Oral communication as it relates to human interaction between individuals within small groups.

1100 BASICS OF SPEECH COMMUNICATION (3 credits) Fundamentals of public speaking. includes several opportunities to present speeches. Also includes some interpersonal and small group work.

1500 INTRODUCTION TO THEATRE (2 credits) Form and structure of dramatic literature and theatre production Modes of presentation, principles of critical function of artists.

1800 TWENTIETH CENTURY MUSICAL THEATRE (2 credits) Study of the genesis and evolution of musical comedy theatre in America. Investigation of form, concept and theme. Principles of criticism of music theatre. Study will be musical and theatrical. (May not be offered every year)

2010 SOPHOMORE THEATRE PRACTICUM (0 credits) Applied course for Theatre majors and minors. Students are required to be involved with each University Theatre production during each term of their sophomore year (or until they complete 65 credits). Opportunity to apply what is learned in classes as well as identify areas that need further study. Students confer with department chair to determine what assignments to take on and which faculty will supervise them. Department chair assigns a grade of “S” or “U” in consultation with supervisor. Prerequisite: 33 semester credits of university-level work.

2030 INTRODUCTION TO SCRIPTWRITING (2 credits) Experience in writing one act, radio, television and theatre scripts. Prerequisites: ENGL 1001 and ENGL 1002 or equivalent.

2100 ADVANCED SPEECH COMMUNICATION (2 credits) Analysis of forms of public speech activity. Practice in audience situations. Prerequisite: THSP 1100. (May not be offered every year)

2150 PUBLIC DISCUSSION (2 credits) Problem solving as applied in the several forms of group discussion Extensive oral practice. Prerequisite: THSP 1100 or equivalent. (May not be offered every year)

2200 ORAL INTERPRETATION (2 credits) Principles and techniques of the selection, the investigation of meaning, and the oral delivery of literature.

2220 STAGE ACTING (3 credits) Creative self-expression, awareness, observation and sensory development. Theatre games, warm-ups. Principles of voice, physical activity and interpretation in acting.

2320 VOICE AND DICTION (2 credits) Designed for personal improvement of voice, pronunciation, enunciation and choice of words.

2510 THEATRE FORM AND PROCESS (3 credits) Study of the principal dramatic genres and forms, theatrical production styles, and the relationship of dramatic form and structure to production styles. The creative process of making theatre productions for an audience, focusing on the skills and artistic creativity of crafts people in the modern theatre. Familiarization with contemporary technology, working procedures and materials.

2600 TECHNICAL THEATRE (3 credits) Methods and materials. Drafting and stagecraft. Emphasis on pre-production planning. (May not be offered every year)

2720 CHILDREN'S THEATRE (2 credits) Resources of theatre for children. Acting, directing, designing, and writing. (May not be offered every year)

2800 LISTENING (2 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)

3010 JUNIOR THEATRE PRACTICUM (0 credits) Applied course for Theatre majors and minors. Students are required to be involved with each University Theatre production during each term of their junior year (or until they complete 97 credits). Opportunity to apply what is learned in classes as well as identify areas that need further study. Students confer with department chair to determine what assignments to take on and which faculty will supervise them. Department chair assigns a grade of “S” or “U” in consultation with supervisor. Prerequisite: 65 semester credits of university-level work.

3030 ADVANCED SCRIPTWRITING (2 credits) Advanced study and experience in writing radio, television, screen, and theatre scripts. Prerequisites: ENGL 2130 or THSP 2030 or consent of instructor. (May not be offered every year)

3220 STAGE ACTING STYLES (3 credits) Styles, techniques and characterization. Examination of theories of acting. Scene presentations of period plays. (May not be offered every year)

3550 STAGE DIRECTING (3 credits) Scripts, techniques of auditions, rehearsals, performances. Director's book preparation. Public presentation of one-act plays. (May not be offered every year)

3640 SCENOGRAPHY (4 credits) Elements and theory of stage design. Watercolor rendering and model building. 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. (May not be offered every year)

3650 STAGE LIGHTING AND SOUND (3 credits) Design and operation of lighting and sound equipment. (May not be offered every year)

3660 STAGE COSTUMING (3 credits) Elements of stage costume design and construction; includes rendering techniques and various lab activities. (May not be offered every year)

3705 THEATRE HISTORY TO 1700 (3 credits) Drama and Theatre from origins to Neo-classical. Prerequisite: Advanced standing. (May not be offered every year)

3706 THEATRE HISTORY FROM 1700 (3 credits) Drama and Theatre from 1700 to Present. Prerequisite: Advanced standing. (May not be offered every year)

3707 THEATRE HISTORY: ASIAN (3 credits) Survey of the major theatrical and dramatic forms of India, China, Japan and Southeast Asia. (May not be offered every year)

4000 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 36 to submit plan for approval.

4010 SENIOR THEATRE PRACTICUM (0 credits) Applied course for Theatre majors and minors. Students are required to be involved with each University Theatre production during each term of their senior year (after completing 97 credits). Opportunity to apply what is learned in classes as well as identify areas that need further study. Students confer with department chair to determine what assignments to take on and which faculty will supervise them. Department chair assigns a grade of “S” or “U” in consultation with supervisor. Prerequisite: 97 semester credits of university-level work.

4020 PORTFOLIO (1 credit) 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 22 credits in theatre and/or related courses.

4050 THEATRE WORKSHOP (2-4 credits) Technical Theatre production with a summer stock company. May be repeated.

4300 THE THEATRE OF SHAKESPEARE (3 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 powerful dramatic effects of the plays themselves. Prerequisite: Junior status. (May not be offered every year)

4550 ADVANCED DIRECTION OF PLAYS (2 credits) Period styles. Experimental direction, script adaptations. Prerequisite: THSP 3550. (May not be offered every year)

4660 CREATIVE DRAMATICS IN THE SCHOOL (2 credits) Self-expression for children through improvisational drama. Prerequisite: Advanced standing. (May not be offered every year)

4740 DRAMATIC CRITICISM (3 credits) Study of the theories and techniques of dramatic criticism in the theatre with plays form ancient Greece to the present. Prerequisite: Advanced standing. (May not be offered every year)

4820 SEMINAR IN THEATRE/SPEECH (2 credits) Advanced study in a seminar format with limited enrollment. Prerequisite: Advanced standing or consent of instructor.