Theatre Arts
Professor J. Blondell (chair)
Associate Professor E. Whiteman
Assistant Professor M. Thomas
Description of the Major. The study of Theatre Arts at Westmont blends traditional and contemporary approaches to the art of the stage, engaging students in a dynamic and lively exploration of theatre and/or dance. Majors participate in the interdisciplinary nature of the field through an integrated study of performance, dramatic literature and theory, and theatre history. The department’s many courses and projects provide a deep broad and deep understanding of the field, and create opportunities for the development of personal creativity and critical thinking skills.
Distinctive Features. The department’s two tracks – General Theatre Studies and Dance – are infused with international perspectives and methods, and are augmented by an international residency series. Entitled The Globe Series, residencies provide students classroom, workshop, and performance opportunities, led by artists from other cultures and countries. Led by faculty artists, students perform in compelling productions of scripted plays, adaptations of literature, and original performance pieces and choreography. The department’s wide array of courses allows students to fashion a portion of their major according to their particular interests and talents. The department’s holistic approach illuminates the aesthetic, social, and spiritual ramifications of the discipline, and develops wide-ranging perspectives of human experience, taught from a Christian perspective.
Career Choices. The field of theatre arts includes many opportunities for graduate training and professional work, including acting, directing, design, playwriting, stage management, promotion and publicity, and business management. In addition, the major develops skills that extend far beyond those connected with theatrical production. These include skills that are vital to a wide variety of careers: the confident presentation of self in the public area, self-knowledge, artistic creativity, sensitivity, and collaborative group dynamics.
Requirements for a Major in Theatre Arts: 54 units
Theatre Track
Required Lower-Division Core Courses: 12 units
- TA 1 Word and Action: Introduction to Performance (4)
- TA 10 Acting I (4)
- TA 20 Survey of Theatre Arts (4)
Required Applied Theatre Arts: 12 units
- TA 50/150 Rehearsal and Performance (6)
- TA 15, 16, 17 Stagecraft I, II, III (2, 2, 2)
Upper-Division Breadth Requirements: 14 units
- TA 120 or 121 Theatre History I or II (4)
- TA 125 Directing for the Theatre (4)
- TA 134 Design for Performance (4)
- TA 198 Senior Project (2)
Theatre Arts Electives: 16 units
- ART 131 Theory and Criticism in the Arts (4)
- ENG 117 Shakespeare (4)
- ENG 183 Twentieth-Century Drama (4)
- ENG 195 (4-8)
- TA 9 Voice and Speech (4)
- TA 11, 111 Acting II, III (4,4)
- TA 120 Theatre History I (4)
- TA 121 Theatre History II (4)
- TA 124 Survey of Dramatic Theory and Criticism (4)
- TA 126 Choreography and Composition (2)
- TA 127 Special Topics in Directing (4)
- TA 135 Design for the Theatre (4)
- TA 151 Acting IV (4)
- TA 152 Performance Art (4)
Minor in Theatre Arts: 24 units
Theatre
Required Lower-Division Courses: 12 units
- TA 10 Acting I (4)
- TA 15, 16 or 17 Stagecraft I, II or III (2)
- TA 20 Survey of Theatre Arts (4)
- TA 50/150 Rehearsal and Performance (2)
Required Upper-Division Courses: 8 units
- TA 120 or 121 History of Theatre I, II (4)
- TA 125 Directing for the Theatre (4) or TA 135 Design for the Theatre (4)
- One of the following: (4)
- ENG 117 Shakespeare (4)
- ENG 183 Twentieth-Century Drama (4)
- TA 11, 111 Acting II, III (4,4)
- TA 120, 121 Theatre History I, II (4,4)
- TA 122 Dramatic Theory and Criticism (4)
- TA 125 Directing for the Theatre (4)
- TA 135 Design for the Theatre (4)
- TA 136 Special Topics in Design (4)
- TA 137 Special Topics in Directing (4)
- TA 151 Acting IV (4)
- TA 152 Performance Art (4)
Requirements for a Major in Theatre Arts: 54 units
Dance Track
Required Lower-Division Core Courses: 12 units
- TA 1 Word and Action: Introduction to Performance Theory (4)
- TA 10 Acting I (4)
- TA 23 History of Sacred Dance (4)
Required Applied Theatre Arts: 12 units
- TA 15, 16, 17 Stagecraft I, II, III (4)
- TA 31/131 Dance Performance (8)
Required Lower-Division Technique Courses: 8 units
- TA 70 Ballet Basics (2)
- TA 71 Intermediate/Advanced Ballet (2)
- TA 72 Creative and Modern Dance (2)
- TA 73 Intermediate/Advanced Modern Dance (2)
- TA 74 Jazz Basics (2)
- TA 75 Intermediate/Advanced Jazz (2)
Required Upper-Division Breadth Courses: 12 units
- TA 122 Dance History, Philosophy, and Criticism (4)
- TA 126 Choreography and Composition (2)
- TA 135 Design for Performance (4)
- TA 198 Senior Integrated Project (2)
Theatre Arts and Dance Electives: 10 units
- ART 129 Special Topics in Art History (4)
- ART 131 Theory and Criticism in the Arts (4)
- ENG 183 Twentieth-Century Drama (4)
- KNS 153/TA 130 Dance Theory & Technique (2)
- TA 11, 111 Acting II, III (4,4)
- TA 20 Survey of Theatre Arts (4)
- TA 50/150 Rehearsal and Performance (1-2)
- TA 120 Theatre History I (4)
- TA 152 Performance Art (4)
Minor in Theatre Arts: 24 units
Dance
Required Lower-Division Courses: 8 units
- TA 1 Word and Action: Introduction to Performance Theory (4)
- TA 23 History of Sacred Dance (4)
Required Applied Theatre Arts: 6 units
- One of the following: (2)
- TA 15, 16, 17 Stagecraft I, II, III (2) (These include individual labs of 2 units each in scenery, lighting or costume design)
- TA 31/131 Dance Performance (4) (1-2 units possible/class)
Required Lower-Division Technique Courses: 4 units
- TA 70 Ballet Basics (2)
- TA 71 Intermediate/Advanced Ballet (2)
- TA 72 Creative and Modern Dance (2)
- TA 73 Intermediate/Advanced Modern Dance (2)
- TA 74 Jazz Basics (2)
- TA 75 Intermediate/Advanced Jazz (2)
Required Upper-Division Breadth Courses: 6 units
- TA 122 Dance History, Philosophy and Criticism (4)
- TA 126 Choreography and Composition (2)
Lower-Division Course Descriptions
TA 1 Word and Action: Introduction to Performance Theory (4) A foundational course for all majors that studies Chumash, Aboriginal Australian, and Celtic British oral tradition and rites of passage. The course places emphasis on the conflict between action and word in contemporary performance theory and practice, and examines the origins of theatre in prehistory, contemporary theatre and anthropology, and offers an introduction to the roots of postmodernism.
TA 9 Voice and Speech Through Performance (4) An introductory voice and speech class through performance of classical, modern, dramatic, and non-dramatic materials.
TA 10 Acting I (4) An introduction to the craft of the actor in preparing for performance. The process challenges students to begin developing technique in observation, sensory awareness, applied imagination, ensemble work, improvisation, and scene work.
TA 11 Acting II (4) Prerequisite: TA 10 or permission of instructor. Further investigation and exploration of the craft of acting. Focuses on developing the process of the actor, script analysis, and scene study.
TA 15, 16 & 17 Stagecraft I, II, III (2,2,2) Three foundation courses in the technology of the stage, centering on the collaborative process involved in realizing live theatrical production.
TA 20 Survey of Theatre Arts (4) A foundational course for all majors and minors that uses major classical and modern theory to explore the relationship between dramatic texts and the performance of those texts in the theatre.
TA 23 History of Sacred Dance (4) An exploration of Sacred Dance from primitive times to the present, with special emphasis on the place of dance within the Judeo-Christian tradition and how this influences current practice within the evangelical tradition.
TA 70 Ballet Basics (2) Warm-up and stretch will be taught along with a basic Barre, Adagio, and Allegro.
TA 71 Intermediate/Advanced Ballet (2) Intermediate or advanced level Barre, Adagio, Petit, and Grand Allegro. The class is geared toward students who have had previous training in ballet.
TA 72 Creative and Modern Dance (2) Creative and technical work based on Laban, Limon, and Graham styles.
TA 73 Intermediate/Advanced Modern Dance (2) Intermediate/advanced level modern dance based on Cunningham or Graham techniques. This class is geared toward students with previous modern training .
TA 74 Jazz Basics (2) Lyrical jazz dance based on Luigi and Giordano styles for beginners.
TA 75 Intermediate/Advanced Jazz (2) The intermediate/advanced level is fast-paced and based on New York and L.A. styles. This class is geared toward students with previous jazz training .
Upper-Division Course Descriptions
TA 111 Acting III (4) Prerequisite: TA 11. (Repeatable.) Advanced training in the acting craft, focusing on major acting styles such as Greek, Shakespearean, Restoration comedy, and farce.
TA 120 History of the Theatre I (4) A study of the history of theatre from the Greeks to the 17th century.
TA 121 History of the Theatre II (4) A study of theatre history from the 17th century to the present.
TA 122 History of Dance (4) A study of the historical development of dance as a theatrical and social form, and of the theoretical and critical works that have influenced how cultures have viewed their own and other culture’s dances.
TA 124 Survey of Dramatic Theory and Criticism (4) A survey of significant theoretical and critical writing, from Artistotle to the present.
TA 125 Directing for the Theatre (4) Prerequisite: TA 1. Consideration of aesthetic and technical aspects of stage directing. Focuses on script analysis and interpretation, conceptualization, and theatrical communication.
TA 126 Choreography and Composition (2) A study of the basic elements of choreography (the making of dances), based on sequential (theme and variation) and group composition. A basic understanding of the dynamics of stage space will be explored with a small studio recital as the ultimate goal.
TA 127 Special Topics in Directing (4) Advanced conceptual and practical approaches to directing, including scenes staged from dramatic and non-dramatic material, including Shakespeare, Greek Tragedy, Restoration Comedy, novels, and short stories.
TA 130 Dance Theory and Technique (2) Prerequisite: Junior standing. The process of learning the philosophical, theoretical, and technical aspects of dance in education covering Movement Fundamentals, Folk Forms, Ballet, Creative Modern, Jazz, and Children’s Dance.
TA 134 Design for Performance (4) A hands-on course in the practice of four-dimensional design including the processes of designing and making installations for performance events; the fundamentals and creative processes of 4D design; and a study of key practitioners in the field.
TA 135 Design for the Theatre (4) Prerequisite: TA 1, TA 15 and TA 16. An examination of the creative process of theatrical design covers theory, analysis, interpretation, and decision-making involving basic design elements and principles. Includes some design history, along with projects in design.
TA 151 Acting IV (4) Advanced approaches to acting, focusing both on the artistic and practical development of the performer.
TA 152 Performance Art (4) A study of the making of Performance Art including student creation of performance pieces.
TA 198 Senior Project (2) Research and preparation of an in-depth paper on a selected topic in theatre and drama generated from a major course taken during the senior year.
Applied Theatre Arts
TA 31/131 Dance Performance (1-2) Prerequisite: Audition. Performances with the Music Department are geared toward Sacred Dance; students are introduced to theoretical background in folk, world, modern, ballet, and jazz dance. Dancers prepare to perform in the annual Westmont Spring Dance Concert. Excerpts from the concert will be submitted to the Santa Barbara Dance Alliance for inclusion in their concerts, and to the Sacred Dance Guild.
TA 50/150 Rehearsal and Performance I, II (1-2) Prerequisite: permission of instructor. (Repeatable.) Active participation in a major dramatic production of Westmont theatre arts.
TA 60/160 Technical Production I, II (1-2) Prerequisite: permission of instructor. (Repeatable.) Active participation in technical support of a major dramatic production of Westmont theatre arts.