Theater Studies (B.A.)

Core Curriculum in Theater Studies

THST 110a and THST 111b, Survey of Theater and Drama  Shilarna Stokes

An introduction to theater history, plays, aesthetic theories, and performance techniques. From antiquity to the Restoration period in the fall and continuing through to the present in the spring.  HU
TTh 10:30am-11:20am

* THST 210a, Introduction to Performance Concepts  Staff

A studio introduction to the basic techniques of acting, including the actor's vocabulary and performance tools. Improvisation, performance exercises, and scene work based on Stanislavsky, Vakhtangov, Michael Chekhov, Strasberg, Adler, Meisner, and Hagen. Admission by audition. Open to Theater Studies majors only. Required for Theater Studies majors in the year immediately following THST 110, 111.  RP
HTBA

* THST 097b, Anatomy in Motion  Bronwen MacArthur

The connection between advances in human anatomy and kinesiology—the science of human movement—and dance practices from the early 1900s to the present. Study of seminal texts and practical exercises that drove the research of Frederick M. Alexander, Mabel Elsworth Todd, Barbara Clark, and Lulu Sweigard and the application of their ideas in contemporary movement practices today. Topics include the synthesis of dance and science; the reeducation of alignment, posture and balance; the use of imagery; and the unification of mind and body. No prior dance experience required. Enrollment limited to freshmen. Preregistration required; see under Freshman Seminar Program.  HU
TTh 9am-10:15am

* THST 098a, Composing and Performing the One Person Play  Hal Brooks

First-year actors, playwrights, directors, and even students who have never considered taking a theater class, create their own work through a combination of reading, analysis, writing, and on-your-feet exercises. Students read texts and view performances that are generated by one actor in an attempt to discover the methodology that works best for their own creations. The course culminates with a midterm and final presentation created and performed by the student. Enrollment limited to freshmen. Preregistration required; see under Freshman Seminar Program.
M 3:30pm-5:20pm

* THST 215a / ENGL 434a, Writing Dance  Brian Seibert

The esteemed choreographer Merce Cunningham once compared writing about dance to trying to nail Jello-O to the wall. This seminar and workshop takes on the challenge. Taught by a dance critic for the New York Times, the course uses a close reading of exemplary dance writing to introduce approaches that students then try themselves, in response to filmed dance and live performances in New York City, in the widest possible variety of genres. No previous knowledge of dance is required.  WR, HU
M 3:30pm-5:20pm

* THST 236a / MUSI 185a, American Musical Theater History  Daniel Egan

Critical examination of relevance and context in the history of the American musical theater. Historical survey, including nonmusical trends, combined with text and musical analysis.  WR, HU
W 1:30pm-3:20pm

* THST 330b / HUMS 320 / LITR 324b, Representations of the Underworld  Toni Dorfman

What is the underworld? What questions have different ideas about the underworld posed about mortality, freedom, and goodness? Topics include dreams, hell, ghosts, the unconscious, and string theory. Sophomore standing required.  HU
M 9:25am-11:15am

* THST 338b, Current Trends in Musical Theater  Daniel Egan

Exploration of musical theater created in the last ten years, with consideration of works conceived as commercial vs. those produced in non-commercial venues or developmental readings. Texts include librettos, scripts, recordings, videotapes, published essays, and analyses. These multiple approaches to understanding scores incorporate questions of how best to access multi-genre work. Attendance at selected performances in and around New York City. Music reading ability is assumed. Permission of instructor required.  HU  RP
W 1:30pm-3:20pm

* THST 347b, Stanislavski and his Rebellious Protégés: Foundations of Modern Acting and Directing  David Chambers

We begin in Moscow with a deep study of the radical stage innovations of Konstantin Stanislavski, and explore America’s insufficient knowledge of his lifetime of research. Of equal value for theatre-makers today will our active examination of the artistic rebellions of Stanislavski’s most brilliant proteges of the revolutionary era: Vsevolod Meyerhold (biomechanics), Evgeny Vakhtangov (fantastic realism), and Mikhail Chekhov (psychological gesture). Through reading, video research, student presentations, and on-the-floor physical exercises, we engage in lively conversations with these foundational masters, always seeking inspiration and revelation for our own theatrical work in today’s world.
F 1:30pm-5:20pm

* THST 370b / PLSH 248b, Polish Theater and Its Traditions  Krystyna Illakowicz

Exploration of the rebellious, defiant, and explosive nature of Polish theater, including ways in which theater has challenged, ridiculed, dissected, and disabled oppressive political power. Polish experimental and absurdist traditions that resulted from a merger of the artistic and the political; environmental and community traditions of the Reduta Theatre; Polish-American theater connections. Includes attendance at live theater events as well as meetings with Polish theater groups and actors.  HU  Tr
MW 1pm-2:15pm

* THST 380b / AMST 370b, The History of Dance  Brian Seibert

An examination of major movements in the history of concert and social dance from the late nineteenth century to the present, including ballet, tap, jazz, modern, musical theater, and different cultural forms. Topics include tradition versus innovation, the influence of the African diaspora, and interculturalism. Exercises are used to illuminate analysis of the body in motion.  WR, HU
M 3:30pm-5:20pm

* THST 390a / ENGL 222a, Modern European Drama  Marc Robinson

Intensive study of the major playwrights of modern European drama—Ibsen, Chekhov, Strindberg, Shaw, Brecht, and Beckett—along with pertinent theater theory.  WR, HU
HTBA

* THST 416a / ENGL 384a / FILM 461a / LITR 364a, British Cinema  Katie Trumpener

Survey of the British film tradition, emphasizing overlap with literature, drama, and art; visual modernism; documentary's role in defining national identity; "heritage" filmmaking and alternative approaches to tradition; and auteur and actors' cinema.  HU  RP
M 1:30pm-3:20pm, U 7pm-10pm

* THST 098a, Composing and Performing the One Person Play  Hal Brooks

First-year actors, playwrights, directors, and even students who have never considered taking a theater class, create their own work through a combination of reading, analysis, writing, and on-your-feet exercises. Students read texts and view performances that are generated by one actor in an attempt to discover the methodology that works best for their own creations. The course culminates with a midterm and final presentation created and performed by the student. Enrollment limited to freshmen. Preregistration required; see under Freshman Seminar Program.
M 3:30pm-5:20pm

* THST 200b, Introduction to Theatrical Violence  Michael Rossmy

Engagement in a theoretical and practical exploration of depicting violence in theater. Actors learn to execute the illusions of violence on stage both safely and effectively, and the skills of collaboration, partner awareness, concentration, and impulse response. Preference given to Theater Studies majors.
MW 10:30am-12:20pm

* THST 207b / ENGL 214b, Introduction to Dramaturgy  Lynda Paul

Introduction to the discipline of dramaturgy. Study of dramatic literature from the ancient world to the contemporary, developing the core skills of a dramaturg. Students analyze plays for structure and logic; work with a director on production of a classical text; work with a playwright on a new play; and work with an ensemble on a devised piece.  WR, HU
HTBA

* THST 211b, Intermediate Acting  Joan MacIntosh

Continued study of acting as an art, building on performance concepts introduced in THST 210. Various approaches to the actor's task, requiring deeper understanding of conceptual issues and increasing freedom and individuality in building a character. Exercises, monologues, and scene work. Admission by audition. Prerequisite: THST 210.  HU  RP
MW 10:30am-12:20pm

* THST 212b, Community Engaged Theater: US Companies, Productions, and Practices  Shilarna Stokes

This seminar introduces students to the contemporary art and practice of community engaged theater, which connect professional artists to people from various walks of life who have stories to tell and ideas to express, and who want to explore performance as a medium of communication. Alongside readings that introduce students to the historical, theoretical, ethical, and artistic contexts of community-engaged theater in the United States, students learn about several major companies currently producing work in this field: Theatre of the Oppressed-NYC, Cornerstone Theater Company, Roadside Theater, Sojourn Theatre, Albany Park Theatre Project, and Urban Bush Women. In addition to studying their productions and processes through readings and visual materials, students have regular opportunities to acquire "on-your-feet" practice with techniques used by these companies as well as opportunities to converse with artists in the field.  HU
HTBA

* THST 226b / MUSI 229b, Musical Theater Performance II  Staff

The collaborative process and its effect on musical theater performance. Choreography, music direction, and origination of new works. Analysis of texts, scripts, and taped or filmed performances; applications in students' own performance. May be repeated for credit. For audition information e-mail  RP
F 1:30pm-3:20pm

* THST 230b, Advanced Acting and Scene Study  Joan MacIntosh

Combination of exercises and scene study to deepen the understanding and playing of action. Admission by audition. Open to junior and senior Theater Studies majors only. May be taken more than once. Prerequisite: THST 211.
MW 1:30pm-3:20pm

* THST 235b / ART 235b, Dance Theater  Irene Hultman Monti

A studio-based introduction to movement vocabularies, physical techniques, and choreographic repertoire from post-1950 modern and postmodern dance theater to the present. Through a historical survey of major aesthetic shifts in dance, the course focuses on building the essential skills of a dance artist: the heightened awareness of time and space, the ability to read and translate diverse choreographic ideas, and the ability to question in motion. Open to students of all levels and majors.    HU
TTh 1:30pm-3:20pm

* THST 300a, The Director and the Text I  Toni Dorfman

Basic exercises in approaching dramatic or other literary texts from the director's perspective. Particular attention to the many roles and functions of the director in production. Rehearsal and production of workshop scenes. Open to junior and senior Theater Studies majors, and to nonmajors with permission of the instructor. Prerequisite: THST 210.  HU  RP
TTh 10:30am-12:20pm

* THST 308b, Performing Design  Nathan Roberts and Deborah Margolin

Exploration of the theatrical design and production process in a devised theater setting. Study and application of collaborative strategies of experimental theater groups (Living Theater, Split Britches) for the generation of design and production elements. Consideration of the elements that shape theatrical experiences; generative exercises leading to weekly design-performance pieces in response to textual, imagistic, and aural prompts; and technologies and techniques for adaptive, flexible design. Development of a devised theatrical work that culminates in a public performance.
MW 1:30pm-3:20pm

* THST 314a, Creation of a Musical: Rumspringa  Annette Jolles

Dramaturgy, production preparation, research, and exploration of a new musical theater piece, Rumspringa, by Scott Feiner and Walker Caplan, both Yale class of 2020. Course combines production specific research and rehearsal with new musical development. Parallel lines of inquiry merge in December 2019 performances in the Whitney Theater. Course intended for actors, designers, directors, music directors, producers, and dramaturgs. Permission of instructor.  RP
F 1:30pm-5:20pm

* THST 315a / ENGL 211a, Acting Shakespeare  James Bundy

A practicum in acting verse drama, focusing on tools to mine the printed text for given circumstances, character, objective, and action; noting the opportunities and limitations that the printed play script presents; and promoting both the expressive freedom and responsibility of the actor as an interpretive and collaborative artist in rehearsal. The course will include work on sonnets, monologues, and scenes. Admission by audition. Preference to seniors and juniors; open to nonmajors.  HU  RP
F 1:30pm-5:20pm

* THST 318b / MUSI 340b, Analyzing, Directing, and Performing Early Opera  Grant Herreid

Study of a seventeenth-century Venetian opera, with attention to structural analysis of text and music. Exploration of period performance practice, including rhetorical expression, musical style, gesture, dance, Italian elocution, and visual design. Production of the opera in conjunction with the Yale Baroque Opera Project. Open to all students, but designed especially for singers, instrumentalists, and directors. Admission by audition only. May be repeated for credit. For audition information e-mail  HU  RP
Th 3:30pm-5:20pm

* THST 319a / AFAM 313a, Embodying Story  Renee Robinson

The intersection of storytelling and movement as seen through historical case studies, cross-disciplinary inquiry, and studio practice. Drawing on eclectic source materials from different artistic disciplines, ranging from the repertory of Alvin Ailey to journalism, architectural studies, cartoon animation, and creative processes, students develop the critical, creative, and technical skills through which to tell their own stories in movement. No prior dance experience necessary.  HU
TTh 1:30pm-3:20pm

* THST 320a / ENGL 453a, Playwriting  Donald Margulies

A seminar and workshop on reading for craft and writing for the stage. In addition to weekly prompts and exercises, readings include modern American and British plays by Pinter, Mamet, Churchill, Kushner, Nottage, Williams, Hansberry, Hwang, Vogel, and Wilder. Emphasis on play structure, character, and conflict.  RP
T 2:30pm-5pm

* THST 321a / ENGL 477a, Production Seminar: Playwriting  Deborah Margolin

A seminar and workshop in playwriting. Emphasis on developing an individual voice. Scenes read and critiqued in class. Admission by application, with priority to Theater Studies majors. A writing sample and statement of purpose should be submitted to the instructor before the first class meeting.
MW 3:30pm-5:20pm

* THST 322b / ENGL 481b, Advanced Playwriting  Deborah Margolin

A seminar and workshop in advanced playwriting that furthers the development of an individual voice. Study of contemporary and classical plays to understand new and traditional forms. Students write two drafts of an original one-act play or adaptation for critique in workshop sessions. Familiarity with basic playwriting tools is assumed. Open to juniors and seniors, nonmajors as well as majors, on the basis of their work; priority to Theater Studies majors. Writing samples should be submitted to the instructor before the first class meeting. Prerequisite: THST 320 or 321, or a college seminar in playwriting, or equivalent experience.  RP
TTh 3:30pm-5:20pm

* THST 335a / AFST 435a, West African Dance: Traditional to Contemporary  Lacina Coulibaly

A practical and theoretical study of the traditional dances of Africa, focusing on those of Burkina Faso and their contemporary manifestations. Emphasis on rhythm, kinesthetic form, and gestural expression. The fusion of modern European dance and traditional African dance. Admission by audition during the first class meeting.  HU  RP
TTh 10:30am-12:20pm

* THST 340a, Ballet Now  Daniel Ulbricht

. A practical investigation of seminal ballets in the repertory of New York City Ballet. Tracing a sweeping history of artistic innovation from the early twentieth century to the present, this course covers the technique and aesthetic details that constitute New York City Ballet’s style and follow the ways that these stylistic strengths are applied and transformed in the contemporary ballets of the 21st century. Repertory excerpts move through foundational works by George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins to ballets created in the past fifteen years by some of the most prominent ballet choreographers working today. Prior dance training required. Admission is by audition