From the rise of machine consciousness to the ethics of automation, artificial intelligence has captured the human imagination. This First-Year Seminar explores how playwrights and theater artists engage with AI as a dramatic subject, a creative tool, and a lens for examining the human condition. Through an interdisciplinary approach, and co-taught by faculty in Psychological and Brain Sciences and Theatre, students will analyze plays and performances that grapple with the hopes and anxieties surrounding AI. Works such as Karel Čapek’s R.U.R. (which introduced the word “robot”), Jordan Harrison’s Marjorie Prime, Jennifer Haley’s The Nether, and Nick Payne’s Constellations will serve as key texts alongside contemporary plays such as Julia Cho’s The Language, Rolin Jone’s The Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow, The Effect by Lucy Prebble, and Photograph 51 by Anna Ziegler. We will also discuss experimental performances that integrate AI technologies.

• Days/Times: TTh 1:30PM - 2:45PM
• Instructor: Flombaum, Jonathan; Gruenhut, Johanna
• Room: Gilman 413
• Status: Closed
• Seats Available: 0/12
• PosTag(s): n/a

We will read a selection of Greek tragedies in translation and explore the visual arts that appear in, shaped, and respond to them.

• Days/Times: TTh 10:30AM - 11:45AM
• Instructor: Stager, Jennifer
• Room: Gilman 177
• Status: Closed
• Seats Available: 2/20
• PosTag(s): HART-ANC, ARCH-ARCH, ARCH-RELATE

Investigations into some of the many histories in the development of the drama, from Greek origins to today's global theatre. An introduction to interpretive concepts, as well as to practical elements of playmaking. This course is a good way to explore and appreciate the art of theatre, and is required for the minor.

• Days/Times: TTh 1:30PM - 2:45PM
• Instructor: Stoll, Abraham D
• Room: Merrick 105
• Status: Closed
• Seats Available: 1/14
• PosTag(s): n/a

An exploration of foundational exercises and techniques in the art of acting. Practice in voice, movement, listening, and improvisation. Students will read plays and develop interpretive and storytelling skills, building toward scene work. This class is for both new and experienced actors, and offers preparation for advanced acting and performance classes.

• Days/Times: MW 1:30PM - 2:45PM
• Instructor: McClendon, Forrest
• Room: Krieger 103
• Status: Closed
• Seats Available: 0/12
• PosTag(s): n/a

An exploration of foundational exercises and techniques in the art of acting. Practice in voice, movement, listening, and improvisation. Students will read plays and develop interpretive and storytelling skills, building toward scene work. This class is for both new and experienced actors, and offers preparation for advanced acting and performance classes.

• Days/Times: TTh 3:00PM - 4:15PM
• Instructor: Moores, Molly J
• Room: Krieger 103
• Status: Closed
• Seats Available: 0/12
• PosTag(s): n/a

Effective performance in musical theatre demands a committed analysis of the musical and dramatic values of the song and the libretto from which it springs, in order to develop a fresh, organic interpretation. This course will provide you with the training to both analyze and interpret musical theatre scenes and songs and to make the most of them in performance. Instructor Permission Only.

• Days/Times: M 4:30PM - 7:00PM
• Instructor: McClendon, Forrest
• Room: Merrick 200
• Status: Closed
• Seats Available: 4/12
• PosTag(s): n/a

A hands-on approach to the technical and theoretical elements of production. Meets in the Merrick Barn Scene Shop. Permission Required.

• Days/Times: TTh 10:30AM - 11:45AM
• Instructor: Roche, William C
• Room: Levering Arellano
• Status: Closed
• Seats Available: 0/8
• PosTag(s): n/a

An introduction to Technical Direction including pre-production and production with an overview of materials, tools, rigging and safety, together with design and its implementation.

• Days/Times: MW 12:00PM - 1:15PM
• Instructor: Roche, William C
• Room: Merrick 105
• Status: Closed
• Seats Available: 0/12
• PosTag(s): n/a

This course explores the rich and diverse landscape of modern Jewish theater, examining how playwrights have used the stage to navigate questions of identity, history, faith, and cultural memory. From Yiddish theater traditions to contemporary works on Broadway and beyond, students will analyze plays that grapple with themes of exile, assimilation, trauma, resistance, and renewal. The course involves close readings of key texts, performance analysis, and historical context. Students will engage with the plays through discussion, creative projects, and critical writing, considering how theater serves as a space for storytelling, cultural preservation, and social commentary.

• Days/Times: TTh 9:00AM - 10:15AM
• Instructor: Gruenhut, Johanna
• Room: Smokler Center 301
• Status: Canceled
• Seats Available: 12/12
• PosTag(s): n/a

An introduction to Shakespeare, in which every play we read we will also see performed. Close textual work and a focus on historical context will be accompanied by visits to local theatres, recordings of live performances, and Shakespeare films.

• Days/Times: TTh 4:30PM - 5:45PM
• Instructor: Stoll, Abraham D
• Room: Merrick 105
• Status: Closed
• Seats Available: 5/12
• PosTag(s): n/a

A workshop in playwriting, designed for both experienced playmakers and those first exploring the art. Students will investigate the creative process, from the initial imaginative impetus, to drafts and revisions, to presentation of the work. The course will explore fundamental playwriting techniques, such as writing effective dialogue, attending to story, and delineating character.

• Days/Times: MW 1:30PM - 2:45PM
• Instructor: Wilder, Joshua E
• Room: Merrick 105
• Status: Closed
• Seats Available: 1/8
• PosTag(s): n/a

We will create a short but dense piece of theatre for invited performance using Moment Work, the method of devising used by Tectonic Theater Project. By removing text as the focus of creating theatre, we will utilize the theatrical elements to produce unique theatrical forms while cultivating a sense of play and active engagement. Class will feature a guest appearance by a Tectonic Theater Project Member. Actors, designers, directors and playwrights are welcome, as well as those who are curious with little to no theatre experience.

• Days/Times: W 3:00PM - 5:30PM
• Instructor: Vincent, Michael P
• Room: Krieger 103
• Status: Canceled
• Seats Available: 12/12
• PosTag(s): n/a

In this cutting-edge course, an acting class designed for pre-med students who are interested in a career in either clinical work or research, we will explore ways in which collaboration, curiosity, and connection can enhance your understanding and ability to be an effective medical professional. Empathy, perspective-taking, analysis of dramatic literature with medical themes, and devising a piece around medical ethics will be the focus of the activities. No acting experience is required, just a willingness to explore your creativity in an inclusive environment.

• Days/Times: TTh 10:30AM - 11:45AM
• Instructor: Rome, Susan R
• Room: Krieger 103
• Status: Closed
• Seats Available: 0/12
• PosTag(s): MSCH-HUM

Permission only.

• Days/Times:
• Instructor: Stoll, Abraham D
• Room:  
• Status: Closed
• Seats Available: 5/5
• PosTag(s): n/a

Permission only.

• Days/Times:
• Instructor: McClendon, Forrest
• Room:  
• Status: Closed
• Seats Available: 4/4
• PosTag(s): n/a

Permission only.

• Days/Times:
• Instructor: Vincent, Michael P
• Room:  
• Status: Closed
• Seats Available: 4/4
• PosTag(s): n/a

Academic credit for in-depth contributions to a JHU Theatre production. Actors, designers, members of the creative team in a Mainstage or Playshop production may choose to register for Practicum credit. Student will develop an independent syllabus in collaboration with Practicum instructor. Students may register for 1, 2, or 3 credits.

• Days/Times:
• Instructor: Gruenhut, Johanna
• Room:  
• Status: Closed
• Seats Available: 4/8
• PosTag(s): n/a

William Shakespeare and Henrik Ibsen are the two most frequently performed playwrights in history, and both have been credited with reinventing drama: Shakespeare for the Elizabethan stage and Ibsen for the modern. In this course we will pair plays by each author – those that stand in an explicit relation of influence as well as those that share a significant set of concerns – in order to investigate how each takes up and transform key problems in Updated description: the literary, political, and philosophical tradition for their own historical moment. Plays to be studied by Shakespeare: Hamlet, King Lear, Coriolanus, The Tempest; by Ibsen: Hedda Gabler, The Wild Duck, An Enemy of the People, The Master Builder. As part of the course, we will try to organize at least one excursion to a Shakespeare or Ibsen performance in the Baltimore-D.C. area. This class counts towards the requirement of text-based courses for the minor in comparative thought and literature.

• Days/Times: Th 1:30PM - 4:00PM
• Instructor: Lisi, Leonardo
• Room: Gilman 208
• Status: Closed
• Seats Available: 11/12
• PosTag(s): n/a

Investigations into some of the many histories in the development of the drama, from Greek origins to today's global theatre. An introduction to interpretive concepts, as well as to practical elements of playmaking. This course is a good way to explore and appreciate the art of theatre, and is required for the minor.

• Days/Times: TTh 9:00AM - 10:15AM
• Instructor: Gruenhut, Johanna
• Room: Merrick 105
• Status: Open
• Seats Available: 8/14
• PosTag(s): n/a

An exploration of foundational exercises and techniques in the art of acting. Practice in voice, movement, listening, and improvisation. Students will read plays and develop interpretive and storytelling skills, building toward scene work. This class is for both new and experienced actors, and offers preparation for advanced acting and performance classes.

• Days/Times: TTh 3:00PM - 4:15PM
• Instructor: Moores, Molly J
• Room: Krieger 103
• Status: Waitlist Only
• Seats Available: 0/12
• PosTag(s): n/a

Effective performance in musical theatre demands a committed analysis of the musical and dramatic values of the song and the libretto from which it springs, in order to develop a fresh, organic interpretation. This course will provide you with the training to both analyze and interpret musical theatre scenes and songs and to make the most of them in performance. Instructor Permission Only.

• Days/Times: M 1:30PM - 4:00PM
• Instructor: McClendon, Forrest
• Room: Merrick 200
• Status: Approval Required
• Seats Available: 7/12
• PosTag(s): n/a

Students will survey theatrical design through various projects. We will develop moments based on sound, costume, space, and light, focusing on how these elements help to tell a story. Students will develop artistic statements and arguments that justify their creative choices, while practicing constructive criticism in an environment that encourages exploration and play.

• Days/Times: W 1:30PM - 4:00PM
• Instructor: Vincent, Michael P
• Room: Merrick 105
• Status: Waitlist Only
• Seats Available: 0/12
• PosTag(s): n/a

A hands-on approach to the technical and theoretical elements of production. Meets in the Merrick Barn Scene Shop. Permission Required.

• Days/Times: TTh 10:30AM - 11:45AM
• Instructor: Roche, William C
• Room: Levering Arellano
• Status: Closed
• Seats Available: 0/8
• PosTag(s): n/a

A team-taught course on investigating and playing Shakespeare, with Hamlet as primary text. We will travel the actor’s process, from reading and contextualizing, through rehearsal, to performance. Diving into the world of the play and its sources in life, we will stage several scenes from the play across the semester, giving every student the opportunity to play the part of Hamlet, to discover, re-invent, and make this classic character their own.

• Days/Times: MW 5:00PM - 6:15PM
• Instructor: Glossman, James; Stoll, Abraham D
• Room: Merrick 105
• Status: Waitlist Only
• Seats Available: 0/14
• PosTag(s): n/a

For aspiring playwrights, dramaturgs, and literary translators, this course is a workshop opportunity in learning to adapt both dramatic and non-dramatic works into fresh versions for the stage. Students with ability in foreign languages and literatures are encouraged to explore translation of drama as well as adaptation of foreign language fiction in English. Fiction, classical dramas, folk and fairy tales, independent interviews, or versions of plays from foreign languages are covered.

• Days/Times: F 1:30PM - 4:00PM
• Instructor: Wilder, Joshua E
• Room: Merrick 105
• Status: Open
• Seats Available: 3/8
• PosTag(s): n/a

An exploration of the imagination and the senses using basic techniques of improvisation: exercises, conflict resolution, ensemble building, and theatre games. No previous acting experience is required.

• Days/Times: TTh 4:30PM - 5:45PM
• Instructor: Moores, Molly J
• Room: Krieger 103
• Status: Waitlist Only
• Seats Available: 0/12
• PosTag(s): n/a

In this cutting-edge course, an acting class designed for pre-med students who are interested in a career in either clinical work or research, we will explore ways in which collaboration, curiosity, and connection can enhance your understanding and ability to be an effective medical professional. Empathy, perspective-taking, analysis of dramatic literature with medical themes, and devising a piece around medical ethics will be the focus of the activities. No acting experience is required, just a willingness to explore your creativity in an inclusive environment.

• Days/Times: TTh 9:00AM - 10:15AM
• Instructor: Rome, Susan R
• Room: Krieger 103
• Status: Waitlist Only
• Seats Available: 0/12
• PosTag(s): MSCH-HUM

Creativity in Arts Management is designed for those involved or passionate about the arts, offering a comprehensive exploration of arts management and the transferable skills that apply across various career paths. This practitioner-focused course delves into a wide array of arts disciplines, including theater, orchestra, visual arts, literary arts, and more. By examining different artistic genres, the professionals within these fields, and the strategies and systems of arts management, students will gain not only a deeper understanding of these specific areas but also the ability to apply these insights beyond the arts.

• Days/Times: TTh 4:30PM - 5:45PM
• Instructor: Willson, Nicoleen
• Room: Merrick 105
• Status: Open
• Seats Available: 10/12
• PosTag(s): n/a

This course focuses on a powerful current in theater and thought from ancient works to the modern day: plays that self-consciously use the means of theater, such as a play-within-the-play, to represent the world. This type of play, along with its close relative, the Dream Play, traces its origin more to Plato and his motif of the Theatrum Mundi (the theater of the world/the world as theater) than to Aristotelian mimesis (the imitation of reality), and poses an alternative to the realist tradition. An ancient, alternate modality, this non-realistic line is also a modern one, recurring throughout history. By the 20th century, this “secret smuggler’s path” becomes a dominant language for theater itself, posing an alternate dialectics, an alternate metaphysics, an alternate hermeneutics for our ability to understand reality as well as illusion. This course—which lies at the intersection of both disciplines—will be cross listed between Theatre Arts and Philosophy. We will read plays from across histories as well as philosophical and theoretical texts, unearthing surprising correspondences in the two overlapping (Shakespeare would say "undistinguishable") fields.

• Days/Times: T 1:30PM - 4:00PM
• Instructor: Lichtenberg, Drew
• Room: Krieger Laverty
• Status: Open
• Seats Available: 3/10
• PosTag(s): n/a

• Days/Times:
• Instructor: Stoll, Abraham D
• Room:  
• Status: Approval Required
• Seats Available: 5/5
• PosTag(s): n/a

• Days/Times:
• Instructor: McClendon, Forrest
• Room:  
• Status: Approval Required
• Seats Available: 5/5
• PosTag(s): n/a

• Days/Times:
• Instructor: Glossman, James
• Room:  
• Status: Approval Required
• Seats Available: 4/4
• PosTag(s): n/a

• Days/Times:
• Instructor: Denithorne, Margaret
• Room:  
• Status: Canceled
• Seats Available: 4/4
• PosTag(s): n/a

• Days/Times:
• Instructor: Vincent, Michael P
• Room:  
• Status: Approval Required
• Seats Available: 4/4
• PosTag(s): n/a

Academic credit for in-depth contributions to a JHU Theatre production. Actors, designers, members of the creative team in a Mainstage or Playshop production may choose to register for Practicum credit. Student will develop an independent syllabus in collaboration with Practicum instructor. Students may register for 1, 2, or 3 credits.

• Days/Times:
• Instructor: McClendon, Forrest
• Room:  
• Status: Approval Required
• Seats Available: 8/8
• PosTag(s): n/a

The years 1880-1930 constitutes one of the most intense periods of experimentation in Western drama. We will look closely at texts and performance practices from this time to trace how dramatists upended the conventions that had governed the theatre since the time of Shakespeare and imposed a completely new understanding of the artform. Authors to be read will include August Strindberg, Maurice Maeterlinck, Hugo von Hofmannsthal, W. B. Yeats, Sophie Treadwell, Luigi Pirandello, Federico García Lorca.

• Days/Times: TTh 10:30AM - 11:45AM
• Instructor: Lisi, Leonardo
• Room: Gilman 208
• Status: Open
• Seats Available: 7/12
• PosTag(s): n/a