THDA 350 - Directing and Devising: Making Meaning on the Stage

Whether the stage is a narrow room, an open field or a proper theatre, making nonhaphazard meaning there requires knowledge of performance history - “what came here before?” - compositional skill - “how and in what combinations do these visual/aural languages signtify?” - and collaborative expertise. Students in this course will research the international history of theatre directing and devising since the late nineteenth century, learning from a variety of documents about process, vocabulary, composition and production. They will collaborate on an original class devising project, establishing the new work’s aesthetic codes, communication practices, and production logistics. They will also conduct extensive research, script analyses and design prospectus of playwrights’ work for their final public directing assignments in the one-act play form. Enrollment limited to 12 students. Every spring. Prerequisite(s): THDA 120, THDA 125 and THDA 235 or permission of the instructor (4 Credits)