Course Syllabus

THEA 2443 Acting for Musical Theatre

Course Description

Five, six, seven, eight! Acting for musical theatre is a course offered which will let you explore the theatrical art form through song, dance, and character. Learn the history and the power of this theatrical genre through jazz steps while belting broadway's hits and obscure misses. Work as an ensemble to perform scenes and songs from the Great White Way, right here at Snow.This course offers students and opportunity to develop skills in merging three separate art forms into one (acting, singing and dancing). It provides opportunity for students to learn to communicate through musical theatre.

Justification

This course responds to the unique need of the Theatre Department to develop competent and qualified performers in musical theatre productions. Similar courses are taught at most other institutions in the state.

General Education Outcomes

1. A student who completes the GE curriculum can draw from multiple disciplines to address complex problems. Students will demonstrate a multiple disciplinary approach through studio work, in-class exercises, rehearsals, performances and critiques of the musical theatre genre. This ubiquitous form of theatre combines performative elements and practices from the stage as well as vocal music production/technique as well as various dance styles and genres. The class culminates in a production in which all students will demonstrate their proficiency and improvement by synthesizing these three aspects into a single performance.

Student Learning Outcomes

1. Improve proficiency in vocal work, dancing skill, and acting technique for performance, specifically the musical theatre genre.
2. Expand the ability to act while singing and dancing while maintaining a clear voice and good projection.
3. Build teamwork and collaboration skills in performance.
4. Reinforce the ability to give and receive constructive criticism.

Course Content

Course will include lectures, readings, demonstrations, studio work, group activities, discussions, rehearsal and performance techniques. Topics covered will include: vocal technique, dance technique, acting technique, dance styles (tap, jazz, ballet, contemporary), singing styles (legit, classical, contemporary, belt), acting while singing and dancing, and vocal projection.This course advocates for choices which open discourse and affect positive change, while supporting rigorous cultural specificity to remove generalizations, harmful appropriation, and divisive depictions. When approaching scene work (whether assigned or student-chosen) this class advocates for conscious casting, and a sensitivity toward portrayals of all individuals.