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Mercyhurst Theatre Program

Program Codes: THEA
Minor

The Mercyhurst Theatre Program trains students to become engaged artists, impactful leaders and compassionate members of a global community. The collaborative nature of theatre, which incorporates aspects of literature, music, dance, and the visual arts, advances Mercyhurst’s commitment to a liberal arts education. Experience in both classroom and practicum of theatre history, dramatic literature, performance, and technical areas of theatre encourages learning across disciplines, thereby broadening the range of student knowledge and activity.

Program Outcomes:
  • Demonstrate an understanding of theatre as a collaborative art form with a social impact
  • Analyze diverse texts with sensitivity for their aesthetic, sociopolitical, and historical dimensions as well as their contribution to cultural values
  • Demonstrate proficiency in the methods of creating artistic and scholarly work
  • Display abilities to synthesize the study and practice of theatre
Program Requirements:

The Theatre Minor is composed of six three-credit courses.

Required Courses

ACTING I
Course Code:
THEA 110
Course Group(s):
EXPRESSION
Active Term:
Fall Term
/ All Years
Course Description:

This course examines the development and evolution of the Stanislavski system of acting from its inception at the Moscow Art Theatre to modern times. Students will explore the elements of the actor's psychophysical technique - given circumstances, imagination, concentration of attention, relaxation of muscles, units and objectives, faith and a sense of truth, emotion memory, communion, and adamtation - and how they can be used to craft a believable performance onstage.

Credit:
3
Instruction methods:
Lecture
Total hours: 45
x
THEA 110
ACTING I
3
SCRIPT ANALYSIS
Course Code:
THEA 245
Course Group(s):
EXPRESSION
Active Term:
Spring
/ Even Years
Course Description:

This course is designed to introduce students to approaches to script analysis useful to actors, directors, designers, theater critics, playwrights, and other theatre practicioners. Students are given practice in the application of selected methods of analysis related to given circumstances, structure, characters, theme, motivational units, and production metaphors. These methods of analysis are designed to foster the development of critical thinking skills, including metaphorical thinking.

Credit:
3
Instruction methods:
Lecture
Total hours: 45
x
THEA 245
SCRIPT ANALYSIS
3
TOPICS IN THEATRE HISTORY
Course Code:
THEA 290
Course Group(s):
EXPRESSION
Active Term:
Fall Term
/ Odd Years
Course Description:

This course explores a theme, period, movement or genre in theatre history through the reading and discussion of representative plays and their production.

Credit:
3
Instruction methods:
Lecture
Total hours: 45
x
THEA 290
TOPICS IN THEATRE HISTORY
3
PRACTICUM
Course Code:
THEA 401
Active Term:
Randomly
/ All Years
Course Description:

Theatre minors must complete a practicum in conjunction with Mercyhurst theatre productions. Opportunities include, but are not limited to: dramaturgy, stage management, acting, scenic design, costume design, lighting design, property design, construction, and running crew. Students should register for the practicum course once. All projects require instructor approval and are critically assessed by the supervising faculty member.

Credit:
3
Instruction methods:
Project
Total hours: 45
x
THEA 401
PRACTICUM
3

Electives - Choose two (2) from the following:

DANCE APPRECIATION
Course Code:
DANC 100
Course Group(s):
EXPRESSION
Active Term:
Randomly
/ Randomly
Course Description:

This course is an introduction to dance as a creative discipline and cultural expression that reflects the pressures of the historical and sociopolitical context from which it emerges. Course work consists of lecture, discussion, films, papers, group assignments, presentations, and includes attendance at live concerts. Participation in movement experiences may include jazz, ballet, modern/contemporary, musical theater, social dance techniques and choreographic exploration. Intended for non-dance majors.

Credit:
3
Instruction methods:
Lecture, Studio
Total hours: 45
x
DANC 100
DANCE APPRECIATION
3
LITERARY STUDIES
Course Code:
ENG 200
Course Group(s):
EXPRESSION
Active Term:
All Terms
/ All Years
Course Description:

This course focuses on the analysis and interpretation of various literary genres, exploring how language is used to enlighten, influence, and entertain readers. This class will involve reading, writing, and researching, as well as analyzing the course themes of identity, gender and class in a number of texts.

Credit:
3
Instruction methods:
Lecture
Total hours: 45
x
ENG 200
LITERARY STUDIES
3
SHAKESPEARE
Course Code:
ENG 344
Active Term:
Randomly
/ Randomly
Course Description:

A study primarily of Shakespeare's dramas through a careful analysis of the great tragedies, comedies, and histories.

Credit:
3
Instruction methods:
Lecture
Total hours: 45
x
ENG 344
SHAKESPEARE
3
CONTEMPORARY DRAMA
Course Code:
ENG 356
Active Term:
Randomly
/ Randomly
Course Description:

Intensive study of major contemporary plays, paying particular attention to the theatrical, literary, and cultural contexts of individual works.

Credit:
3
Instruction methods:
Lecture
Total hours: 45
x
ENG 356
CONTEMPORARY DRAMA
3
PERSONAL STYLING ANALYSIS
Course Code:
FASH 120
Active Term:
Spring Term
/ All Years
Course Description:

This course is an analysis of the aesthetic components of apparel and accessories in relation to body and face shapes. Students will apply their new found knowledge to clients of their choice. Students will also build a vast style details vernacular.

Credit:
3
Instruction methods:
Lecture
Total hours: 45
x
FASH 120
PERSONAL STYLING ANALYSIS
3
FRENCH THEATER IN ENGLISH
Course Code:
FREN 132
Course Group(s):
HUMANS IN CONNECTION
Active Term:
Randomly
/ Randomly
Course Description:
Students will discover plays from the golden age of French (neo-) classical drama of the 17th century through the 20th century. The class will learn to appreciate how French drama has continued to observe its traditional mission of divertir et instruire ("to entertain and to instruct") while exploring the literary genres of comedy, tragedy, and tragicomedy and the literary movements such as neo-classicism, absurdism and existentialism. Through discussion and analysis of the works under consideration, students will explore drama as means of describing and critiquing society and the human condition. 3 credits.
Credit:
3
Instruction methods:
Lecture
Total hours: 45
x
FREN 132
FRENCH THEATER IN ENGLISH
3
DESIGN BASICS
Course Code:
IA 100
Active Term:
Fall Term
/ All Years
Course Description:

Students will explore the elements and principles of design in a studio format. Emphasis will be placed on the artistic creation and analysis of design composition that are grounded in design fundamentals. Two-dimensional and three-dimensional interpretations and expressions will be explored as they pertain to the elements of line, shape, form, mass, texture, space, light, color, and motion, the principles of emphasis, balance, scale, proportion, rhythm, unity, variety, harmony, and visual perception and design theory.

Credit:
3
Instruction methods:
Lecture, Studio
Total hours: 45
x
IA 100
DESIGN BASICS
3
HISTORY INTERIOR DESIGN&ARCHITECTURE I
Course Code:
IA 220
Active Term:
Fall Term
/ All Years
Course Description:

This course provides a study of the history of furniture, interior design and architectural design traced from antiquity to modern times. Socio-cultural, political and economic factors are considered in relation to their influence on design motifs, styles and trends.

Credit:
3
Instruction methods:
Lecture
Total hours: 45
x
IA 220
HISTORY INTERIOR DESIGN&ARCHITECTURE I
3
HISTORY INTERIOR DESIGN&ARCHITECTURE II
Course Code:
IA 221
Active Term:
Spring Term
/ All Years
Course Description:

This course provides a study contemporary interior design surveyed from the end of the 19th century to the present day. Specific designers and movements are studied and socio-cultural influences on motifs, styles and trends are considered.

Credit:
3
Instruction methods:
Lecture
Total hours: 45
x
IA 221
HISTORY INTERIOR DESIGN&ARCHITECTURE II
3
MUSIC HISTORY I
Course Code:
MUS 104
Active Term:
Fall Term
/ All Years
Course Description:

Chronological study of Western music from antiquity to the present.

Credit:
3
Instruction methods:
Lecture
Total hours: 37.5
x
MUS 104
MUSIC HISTORY I
3
MUSIC HISTORY II
Course Code:
MUS 105
Active Term:
Spring Term
/ All Years
Course Description:

Chronological study of Western music from antiquity to the present.

Credit:
3
Instruction methods:
Lecture
Total hours: 15
x
MUS 105
MUSIC HISTORY II
3
SPECIAL TOPICS
Course Code:
THEA 140
Active Term:
Randomly
/ Randomly
Course Description:

This course is designed to expose students to concepts or techniques not covered in established theatre courses. Topics for study may include voice and movement, playwriting, dramaturgy, stage management, improvisation, and study abroad opportunities. This course is repeatable for credit under a different topic.

Credit:
3
Instruction methods:
Lecture
Total hours: 45
x
THEA 140
SPECIAL TOPICS
3
ACTING II
Course Code:
THEA 220
Course Group(s):
EXPRESSION
Active Term:
Randomly
/ Randomly
Course Description:

This course is an in-depth exploration of the basic principles of acting and the creative process introduced in Acting I. These skills, including expansion of improvisational skills, action and text analysis, character analysis and transformation, communion, etc., will be focused toward advanced work in scene and monologue study, specifically dealing with early and contemporary realism. 

Credit:
3
Instruction methods:
Lecture
Total hours: 45
Prerequisites:

THEA 110

x
THEA 220
ACTING II
3
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