Thea 115  Fall 2014
Contacts: Randall - r.r.eames8@gmail.com/801.725.2145
Jessica - jmhumphre@rohan.sdsu.edu
Course Description
This course is designed to equip the student with better sensory awareness, observation skills, concentration skills, listening and response skills and beginning acting improvisational skill. Students will learn how to apply these skills in other fields, allowing students to present and speak with more confidence, clearer objectives and insight to public performance. This will empower the individual with stronger presentation techniques for theatre performance as well as other disciplines.
Student Learning Outcomes
• Exhibit a basic understanding of theatre as a dramatic art form by dramatic presentation and written analysis
• Perform comfortably as an ensemble as well as individually in front of an audience
• Physicalize dramatic action
• Connect voice and movement to build three-dimensional characters
• Work cooperatively within group settings
• Call upon concepts of theatre in everyday life to use in the demands of a variety of disciplines
Class Expectations
• Participate in a POSITIVE manner in warm-ups, class discussions, and group work.
Participation includes:
• Arriving prepared and on time with all necessary materials/assignments in hand and/or memorization prepared in advance.
• Answering questions orally and share thoughtful analysis and observation voluntarily.
• Participating not only in performance and experimentation in class, but also in the work as audience and spectators. Support and promote the development of classmates.
• Acting respectfully toward classmates and instructors.
Absence/Tardy policy
• Allotted two unexcused absences with no penalty
• Excessive absence will result in additional make-up assignments
• Excused absences will only be validated by doctor’s note, documentation of curricular activities, or extenuating circumstances
• Any tardy exceeding 15 minutes will be considered an absence
Everyday Class Requirements:
Please wear comfortable clothes and shoes you can move in.

Come prepared. Memorization ready and/or papers in hand at the start of class.
Production Responses (written assignments):
Rabbit Hole Due 10/7
Water by the Spoonful Due 11/13
Les Miserables Due 12/9
You are required to attend and write a 1-page analysis on three SDSU productions:
Rabbit Hole (September 26 – October 5), Water by the Spoonful ( October 31 -
November 11 ) , and Les Miserables (December 4 – 7) . Each paper will due on the first class after the respective shows final performance with your ticket stub stapled to your paper.
Showtimes, tickets prices, and other details are available online at http://theatre.sdsu.edu or via telephone at 619.594.6884
A summary is not an acceptable production response. They should address the given circumstances, objectives, and obstacles of th e play/musical. Don’t give opinions without supporting them. To say that someone is good, bad, moving, or funny is not constructive argument. WHAT made the actor good? WHY was his/her performance truthful? HOW was he/she funny? How did the actors achieve a positive or negative result?
Academic Dishonesty
Cases of academic dishonesty such as plagiarism will be addressed in strict accordance with university policy. Consequences include, but are not limited to an automatic “F” on that assignment. For more information on what constitutes plagiarism, please visit http://infotutor.sdsu.edu/plagiarism/index.cfm
Appropriate Contact
This course will involve human contact, which may raise issues for some people. On occasion, instructors use kinesthetic feedback as a teaching tool. Students may be asked to make safe physical contact with each other during the semester. Feel free to step out of any exercise that is significantly discomforting to you. If you have problems with touch or individuals in class, please discuss the issue with course instructors outside of class.
Important Dates:
9/8
9/26 - 10/5
10/7
10/31 - 11/9
11/11
11/13
11/26 - 11/28
12/4 - 12/7
Last day to Add/Drop
Rabbit Hole
Rabbit Hole production response paper due
Water by the Spoonful
Veteran’s Day - No class
Water by the Spoonful production response paper due
Thanksgiving break - No class
Les Miserables

12/11
12/11
Weekly Breakdown
Les Miserables production response paper due
Final Presentations (10:30-12:30)
Week 1
8/26 – Class Introduction, Name Games (two truths one lie), assign Object Game
8/28
– Observe General Auditions
Week 2
9/2 – Discussion & General Auditions Observation, Object Game
9/4
– Warm-up, Focus exercises, One Word Stories, Reaction exercises, assign
Observation Activity
Week 3
9/9 – Warm up, Observation Activity due & Observation performances
9/11
– Warm-up, Intro to “The Big Hitters”
Week 4
9/16 – Warm-up, Intro “The Big Hitters”
9/18
– Warm-up, Assign A/B scene one
Week 5
9/23 – Warm-up, A/B scene one #1
9/25 – Warm-up, A/B scene one #2, Assign A/B scene two
Week 6
9/30 –Warm-up, A/B scene two #1
10/2 – Warm-up, A/B scene two #2, Intro to Improv
Week 7
10/7 – Rabbit Hole discussion & papers due , Viewpoints
10/9 – Viewpoints
Week 8
10/14
– Warm-up, Improv
10/16 – Warm-up, improv, assign monologues
Week 9
10/21
– Warm-up, Vocal Exploration and Jam
10/23 – Warm-up, discuss monologue purpose, monologue selection due
Week 10
10/28
–Warm-up, work monologues memorized
10/30 – Warm-up, work monologues memorized, Assign Scene Partners
Week 11
11/4 — Warm-up, show Monologues
11/6
—Warm-up, Character Analysis discussion, Scene selection due
Week 12
11/11 – Veterans Day - No Class
11/13
–
Water by the Spoonful discussion & papers due, Character Analysis due, scene rehearsal
Week 13
11/18
– Warm-up, Scene rehearsal
11/20 – Warm-up, Work scenes

Week 14
11/25
– Works scenes
11/27 – Thanksgiving break
Week 15
12/2
– Work scenes (Buffer day
)
12/4 – Final Performances Scenes
Week 16
12/11
– Final Performances Scenes,
Les Miserables discussion & papers due
Students With Disabilities
If you are a student with a disability and believe you will need accommodations for this class, it is your responsibility to contact Student Disability Services at (619) 594-6473 . To avoid any delay in the receipt of your accommodations, you should contact Student Disability Services as soon as possible. Please note that accommodations are not retroactive, and that accommodations based upon disability cannot be provided until you have presented your instructor with an accommodation letter from Student Disability
Services. Your cooperation is appreciated.