Musical Theatre Minor

The purpose of this course is the introduction to Stanislavski terminology and technique, developing character from self, beginning rehearsal techniques, and performance analysis. Meisner exercises are used to develop emotional honesty and reliance on impulse.

In this course text and dialogue are considered from the actor’s perspective. Scene work is explored, and students are instructed in text analysis (the study of the language within the script) and scene study (the study of the structure of the script) for performance.

This course is an exploration of building and performing characters that fall outside the student’s physical/ vocal type. The emphasis will be on creating characters based on the recognition of the student’s internal emotional life, demonstrating characters based on the establishment of external vocal/physical adjustments, and interpreting characters based on script analysis.

The course builds on “Introduction to Performing Techniques” with advanced explorations of the voice and speech techniques of Linklater, Berry and Skinner.

This course consists of rehearsal of scenes from classic and contemporary American playwrights including Miller, Williams, Shepard, Foote and others.

This course is an exploration of stage movement based on work of masters such as Suzuki, Alexander, Feldenkrais, and Bogart. It may include physical character development, Kabuki theatre physical techniques, Noh theatre physical techniques and mask work.

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Students develop fundamental skills to effectively perform musical theatre songs. Students work toward producing a free sound without constriction by focusing on singing basics like resonance, diction, clear tone, and the release of physical constrictions. An introduction is made to the three main styles of vocal production: head register, chest register, and the mixed voice. Individual assessments help establish vocal range and reinforce a healthy voice and breath management. Students develop aural skills and directly apply them to sightsinging. Interval and rhythm recognition is the initial focus, with an introduction to the Moveable Do Solfege and numerical sightsinging methods. Melodic and rhythmic dictation is also explored. Individual private training will focus on each individual student's acquired foundation and develop more refined and nuanced vocal skills, including breath control, expanded vocal range, purity in vowels, projection, vocal dynamics, and techniques for singing a variety of musical genres.

A continuation of the skills developed in Vocal Techniques I, this course will provide the student with the opportunity to explore their natural singing voice and find their vocal identity through a variety of musical genres. Utilizing healthy vocal technique, students will develop and practice skills to enhance solo vocal performance. Topics may include but are not limited to: body alignment, releasing tension, onset/offset, breathing, resonance, focus of tone, registration, articulation, and expressivity. Students continue to work on sightsinging techniques, further developing aural skills and melodic and rhythmic dictation and working with sightsing material with shifting meters. Individual private training will have continued focus on each individual student's abilities as well as development of more refined and nuanced vocal skills needed for singing a variety of musical genres.

Ballet classes are conducted to address the variety of skill levels present in each class. Training will be appropriate to each student’s individual skill, providing the most appropriate environment for learning and being challenged but without taxing the body beyond what it is prepared to handle in a safe and controlled manner. All training places an emphasis on spine and alignment while exploring vocabulary, technique, and traditional ballet positions while continuing through choreographic combinations of varying difficulty. Class content will include explorations of combinations including plier, tendu, degage, battement, por de bras, pirouettes, jetes, fuettes, adage, and petite allegro.

Students will continue to develop ballet skills and techniques as well as choreographic combinations of varying difficulty.

This course traces the roots and development of theater and dramatic literature from ancient times into the modern and contemporary era. Students will not only examine the historical evolution of theater and read representative plays from each era, they will perform speeches and scenes from each era in a style appropriate to the era. Among the eras to be examined are the Greeks, Medieval Liturgical drama, the Renaissance, Restoration and Georgian comedy, the melodrama, realism and naturalism, Expressionism, Absurdism, post-modernism, and contemporary social justice theater. Requires a research paper.

In this course students perform classical comic scenes which stress language, delivery, wit and style. The plays of Noel Coward, Oscar Wilde, William Congreve and Richard Sheridan will be utilized.

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