THET 102 Acting for Non-Theatre Majors

This course engages non-theatre majors in the art and craft of acting at a beginning level, focusing on the actor’s physical and vocal response, concentration, and imagination. Beginning-level work on character creation is introduced through theater games and exercises, performance, and script analysis. Students will also examine the creative process through observation and responses to live theatre events.

Credits

3

Prerequisite

ENGL 086 or ENGL 096 or higher

Hours Weekly

3 hours weekly

Course Objectives

1. Organize and articulate beat changes through elementary scoring of monologues and
   scenes based on the Stanislavsky system, incorporating director/actor vocabulary into the
   rehearsal process.
2. Communicate interpretations of stage literature to an audience through imaginative formal
   performances, releasing physical and vocal impulses that arise while playing an action or
   responding to another’s reaction, and demonstrating active listening.
3. Use spoken and symbolic forms of communication to convey character, plot, and general
   circumstances of a script, using a variety of formats and techniques.
4. Analyze one’s own communication style and choices, and those of others, through honest
   and constructive class critique of peer performances and live theater events and revise one’s
   own performance based on collaborative feedback.
5. Assess, reflect on, and critically analyze the role of theatre and performance in illuminating
   the human condition.
6. Identify and apply concepts and theories of enduring and contemporary issues of aesthetics
   and creativity, through ensemble trust, emotional commitment, character development,
   physical and mental readiness, imagination, and life observation.
7. Incorporate innovation, risk-taking, and creativity into performance choices through
   investigation of one’s own sense memory and emotional memory, on a basic level, as an
   interior source for character inspiration, by using analysis and
   problem-solving methods.
   
8. Pose and address questions related to the confluence of creative expression with social and
   cultural contexts of selected stage scripts, respecting diverse opinions and encouraging the
   participation of others.

Course Objectives

1. Organize and articulate beat changes through elementary scoring of monologues and
   scenes based on the Stanislavsky system, incorporating director/actor vocabulary into the
   rehearsal process.

   Learning Activity Artifact

   • Other (please fill out box below)
   • Completion of Beat Analysis Scoring for monologue and scene, Submission of Character Analysis Worksheet

   Procedure for Assessing Student Learning

   • Oral Communication Rubric

   Oral Communication

   • OC1
2. Communicate interpretations of stage literature to an audience through imaginative formal
   performances, releasing physical and vocal impulses that arise while playing an action or
   responding to another’s reaction, and demonstrating active listening.

   Learning Activity Artifact

   • Other (please fill out box below)
   • Performance of monologue and scene for class peers

   Procedure for Assessing Student Learning

   • Oral Communication Rubric

   Oral Communication

   • OC2
3. Use spoken and symbolic forms of communication to convey character, plot, and general
   circumstances of a script, using a variety of formats and techniques.

   Learning Activity Artifact

   • Other (please fill out box below)
   • Improvisational exercises, sense/memory exercise and performance of monologue/scene

   Procedure for Assessing Student Learning

   • Oral Communication Rubric

   Oral Communication

   • OC3
4. Analyze one’s own communication style and choices, and those of others, through honest
   and constructive class critique of peer performances and live theater events and revise one’s
   own performance based on collaborative feedback.

   Learning Activity Artifact

   • Other (please fill out box below)
   • Assessment of final performance, Submission of Response Paper for a live theatre event

   Procedure for Assessing Student Learning

   • Oral Communication Rubric

   Oral Communication

   • OC4
5. Assess, reflect on, and critically analyze the role of theatre and performance in illuminating
   the human condition.

   Learning Activity Artifact

   • Other (please fill out box below)
   • Written response paper

   Procedure for Assessing Student Learning

   • Creative Process and Humanistic Inquiry Rubric

   Creative Process

   • CP4
6. Identify and apply concepts and theories of enduring and contemporary issues of aesthetics
   and creativity, through ensemble trust, emotional commitment, character development,
   physical and mental readiness, imagination, and life observation.

   Learning Activity Artifact

   • Other (please fill out box below)
   • Performance of monologue/scene

   Procedure for Assessing Student Learning

   • Creative Process and Humanistic Inquiry Rubric

   Creative Process

   • CP1
7. Incorporate innovation, risk-taking, and creativity into performance choices through
   investigation of one’s own sense memory and emotional memory, on a basic level, as an
   interior source for character inspiration, by using analysis and
   problem-solving methods.
   

   Learning Activity Artifact

   • Other (please fill out box below)
   • Improvisational exercise

   Procedure for Assessing Student Learning

   • Creative Process and Humanistic Inquiry Rubric

   Creative Process

   • CP2
8. Pose and address questions related to the confluence of creative expression with social and
   cultural contexts of selected stage scripts, respecting diverse opinions and encouraging the
   participation of others.

   Learning Activity Artifact

   • Other (please fill out box below)
   • Scene proposal form

   Procedure for Assessing Student Learning

   • Creative Process and Humanistic Inquiry Rubric

   Creative Process

   • CP3