SCHOOL OF LIBERAL ARTS
Theatre 200
Fall 2010
CREDIT COURSE
Introduction to Acting 1
Instructor:
Office:
Arlin McFarlane
Ask instructor
Class: Monday
Time: 7-10 pm
Room: C1330
Office hrs:
By appointment
Home:
E-mail:
633-4844 (before 9:00 PM unless urgent)
arlin@arlinmcfarlane.com
Course Description
‘If you’re going to be in the spotlight, you might as well shine.” Acting is a skill for
life as well as for the stage. This introductory practical course will introduce the
students to all the skills that are important for presentation in life and on stage.
Special emphasis will be put on the actors’ tools: relaxation, concentration,
observation, justification, sense-memory and text analysis. Voice, movement,
improvisation and centering activities will form a regular part of the course work.
Course Transfer
UBC
UVIC
UAS
UNBC
Thtr 160 (3)
Thea 120 (3)
Thr Elec (2)
No Equivalent Course
SFU
UAF
UR
Fpa Thtr Studio (3)
Thr 121 (3)
Thea 160 (3)
For further information about transferability contact the School of Liberal Arts.
Course Prerequisites
Admission to the School of Liberal Arts.
Course Format
Course content will be covered through participation in practical acting exercises and
supplemented by live theatre productions and assigned readings. Please wear
comfortable loose-fitting clothing as we will be sitting and lying on the floor.
Updated 4/26/2011
Changes may be made prior to the start of classes.
Learning Outcomes
The dedicated student will:
• gain personal awareness: physically, vocally and emotionally
• understand how to work as a team member
• open channels of awareness
• gain a deeper understanding of the nature of public presentation
• gain awareness of the job of the actor
Attendance
Attendance is mandatory. A student may be withdrawn from a course if more than
10% of the scheduled contact hours are missed in any one course. Withdrawal from a
course may result in loss of full-time status and loss of sponsorship funding.
Special considerations will only be made in exceptional circumstances and only in
advance.
As 40% of your final mark is based on class participation, students would be advised to
let the instructor know in advance when they might miss a class. Generally perfect
attendance is expected.
Attendance at two local theatre productions is required. The student is expected to
purchase tickets well in advance so the class can attend as a group.
Assignments
VERY IMPORTANT
Students is required to write two personal evaluations of their progress in the course,
the first due midterm and the second, one week following the final class. The student
is expected to keep a weekly log of exercises and activities and their responses to
them. This weekly log will provide material from which the student can construct a
specific evaluation of their journey through the course. The student is expected to
use specific examples of their experiences to exercises and not to make general
statements without support. For example: rather than: “The breathing exercises were
really great, I learned a lot”; I expect: “When we lay on our back and breathed
deeply and then softly I was amazed at how different the words could sound when
spoken softly, somehow I had never heard them that way.” I will speak more to this in
class and please ask questions.
Examinations
None
Updated 4/26/2011
Changes may be made prior to the start of classes.
Evaluation
Journal & Progress Report 1
Journal & Progress Report 2
*Scene
Attendance at play
required
Class Work
10
20
20
10
due midterm
due one week after final class
presented last class
on student’s own time, one page report
40
100
Optional: the student may elect to volunteer at a local theatre company and omit the
first Progress Report. This volunteer activity should consist of six hours work exclusive
of handing out programs or assisting with the bar.
•
The scene will be a short eight line scene given by the instructor to the
students and committed to memory. The student will be marked on their
commitment to task and their focus and attention
The final grade will be calculated as a letter grade based on the percentage mark.
Please be aware that absences and late submission of assignments will have an effect
on students' final grade.
Writing Centre
All students are encouraged to make the Writing Centre a regular part of the writing
process for coursework. Located in Room C2211 (in the College Library), the Writing
Centre offers writing coaching sessions to students of all writing abilities. For further
information or to book an appointment, visit the Centre's
website:dl1.yukoncollege.yk.ca/writingcentre
At the instructor’s discretion, students may be required to attend Writing Centre
coaching sessions during the composition process of their paper(s) as a condition of
assignment completion. The number of sessions required per assignment will be
specified on the assignment sheet, and the Writing Centre will issue written
confirmation of attendance, which should be attached to the written work being
submitted for evaluation.
Text
There is no text for the first semester.
Students with Disabilities or Chronic Conditions
Reasonable accommodations are available for students with a documented disability
or chronic condition. It is the student’s responsibility to seek these accommodations.
If a student has a disability or chronic condition and may need accommodation to fully
participate in this class, he/she should contact the Learning Assistance Centre (LAC)
at (867) 668-8785 or lassist@yukoncollege.yk.ca.
Updated 4/26/2011
Changes may be made prior to the start of classes.
Updated 4/26/2011
Changes may be made prior to the start of classes.