TH 141 Introduction to Theatre

Overview of Course

Theatre is one of the oldest artistic practices through which communities make sense of themselves, their histories, and their changing identities. This course introduces students to the fundamental elements of theatre making while using travel and cultural encounter as the primary source of creative inspiration.
The course begins with an introduction to theatre through a Western theatrical framework, examining the collaborative roles of the playwright, director, actor, and designer. Students will learn the foundational principles of how plays are created, rehearsed, and performed, gaining a working understanding of the essential components that shape theatrical storytelling.
The majority of the course will focus on the practice of devised theatre. Rather than beginning with a scripted text, students will learn techniques for generating original performance material through improvisation, collaboration, and research. Each port of call will serve as both a creative prompt and a site of reflection. Prior to arriving in a country, students will create short devised pieces based on their expectations, assumptions, and research about the culture they are about to encounter. After visiting the country, students will revisit and revise those works, examining how lived experience complicates or reshapes their initial perceptions.
In the final portion of the course, students will synthesize their four-month voyage through a larger devised performance project. Drawing on the people, places, and ideas encountered during the journey, students will collaboratively create an original theatrical work that reflects on the cultural discoveries and personal transformations of the Semester at Sea experience. The course will culminate in a public performance for the shipboard community.