The courses listed below are provided by Student Information Services (SIS). This listing provides a snapshot of immediately available courses within this department and may not be complete. Course registration information can be found at https://sis.jhu.edu/classes.
Please consult the online course catalog for cross-listed courses and full course information.
Column one has the course number and section. Other columns show the course title, days offered, instructor's name, room number, if the course is cross-referenced with another pogram, and a option to view additional course information in a pop-up window.
Course # (Section)
Title
Day/Times
Instructor
Room
PosTag(s)
Info
AS.225.330 (01)
Playwriting Strategies
W 3:00PM - 5:30PM
Martin, Joseph H
Krieger 304
Playwriting Strategies AS.225.330 (01)
A seminar and workshop in playwriting with Dr. Joe Martin, playwright and dramaturge. Student writers, developing their plays, will learn how to open up to the creative process, “brainstorm,” refine their work, and shape it toward an act of artistic communication. Writer’s techniques, such as attending to plot or “story,” delineation of character, creating effective “dialog,” even overcoming “writer’s block,” will be addressed. This course is designed to be complementary to – not a replacement for – playwriting classes in the Writing Seminars.
Credits: 3.00
Level: Upper Level Undergraduate
Status: Waitlist Only
Seats Available: 0/8
PosTag(s): n/a
AS.225.301 (02)
Acting I
TTh 12:00PM - 1:15PM
Astin, John
Merrick 105
Acting I AS.225.301 (02)
An introduction to the fundamentals of acting through exercises, improvisation, and work on scenes from established plays and Shakespearean sonnets, based on the teachings of Stanislavsky, Greet, Boleslavsky, Michael Chekhov, Clurman, and Meisner. This course also includes a brief survey of major playwrights. Plays will be read, analyzed, and employed in scene work.
Credits: 3.00
Level: Upper Level Undergraduate
Status: Waitlist Only
Seats Available: 0/12
PosTag(s): n/a
AS.225.212 (01)
Voice and Speech for the Actor
M 6:00PM - 8:30PM
Glossman, James
Merrick 200
Voice and Speech for the Actor AS.225.212 (01)
It has been said that 90% of what an actor does onstage is dependent on being effortlessly heard and understood by their audiences. This course is designed to establish the tools for the actor to begin to create this foundation. Using a combination of both the benchmark texts by Edith Skinner and Kristin Linklater, along with in-class exercises and monologues, we will begin the process of exploring both vocal power through breathing and breath control, and the fundamental tools of clarity in the speaking of a dramatic text onstage.
Credits: 3.00
Level: Lower Level Undergraduate
Status: Open
Seats Available: 1/15
PosTag(s): n/a
AS.225.345 (01)
History of Modern Theatre & Drama
T 3:00PM - 5:30PM
Denithorne, Margaret
Merrick 105
History of Modern Theatre & Drama AS.225.345 (01)
Designed to impart a deepened appreciation and understanding of today's theatre by surveying the major playwrights, historical movements, and theatre practices of the 20th century. The course also seeks to help students understand theatre's relationship to the societal and political power structure of each era and to introduce students to great dynamic literature in its intended form, which is performance.
Credits: 3.00
Level: Upper Level Undergraduate
Status: Open
Seats Available: 9/15
PosTag(s): n/a
AS.225.314 (01)
Theatre: Tech Direction
MW 12:00PM - 1:15PM
Roche, William C
Merrick 105
Theatre: Tech Direction AS.225.314 (01)
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.
Credits: 3.00
Level: Upper Level Undergraduate
Status: Closed
Seats Available: 0/14
PosTag(s): n/a
AS.225.301 (01)
Acting I
TTh 10:30AM - 11:45AM
Astin, John
Merrick 105
Acting I AS.225.301 (01)
An introduction to the fundamentals of acting through exercises, improvisation, and work on scenes from established plays and Shakespearean sonnets, based on the teachings of Stanislavsky, Greet, Boleslavsky, Michael Chekhov, Clurman, and Meisner. This course also includes a brief survey of major playwrights. Plays will be read, analyzed, and employed in scene work.
Credits: 3.00
Level: Upper Level Undergraduate
Status: Waitlist Only
Seats Available: 0/12
PosTag(s): n/a
AS.225.315 (01)
Scene Study 2
W 4:00PM - 6:30PM
Astin, John
Merrick 200
Scene Study 2 AS.225.315 (01)
Classes and scenes tailored to the needs of the actors. Some rehearsal will take place during school hours. It is expected that substantial out-of-class time be spent on rehearsals and exercises.
Credits: 3.00
Level: Upper Level Undergraduate
Status: Closed
Seats Available: 4/12
PosTag(s): n/a
AS.225.100 (01)
Introduction to Theatre
M 3:00PM - 5:30PM
Martin, Joseph H
Merrick 105
Introduction to Theatre AS.225.100 (01)
An introduction to the drama: how and why the theatre came into being; its role in human history; and how changing social structures in different regions and epochs have shaped different kinds of theatre, plays and performance. Also: how theatre “works” for us and on us, and the major plays of world drama.
Credits: 3.00
Level: Lower Level Undergraduate
Status: Open
Seats Available: 6/15
PosTag(s): n/a
AS.225.329 (01)
Acting and Directing Musical Theatre
T 6:00PM - 8:30PM
Denithorne, Margaret
Merrick 200
Acting and Directing Musical Theatre AS.225.329 (01)
Musical Theatre is a unique form of theatrical expression that requires special skills of its actors and directors. In this course, students will study the form and structure of musicals as they apply to acting and directing. Students will direct and perform musical numbers as well as book scenes from classic and contemporary American musicals.
Credits: 3.00
Level: Upper Level Undergraduate
Status: Closed
Seats Available: 0/12
PosTag(s): n/a
AS.225.310 (01)
Stagecraft
TTh 10:30AM - 11:45AM
Roche, William C
Merrick 101
Stagecraft AS.225.310 (01)
A hands-on approach to the technical and theoretical elements of production. Meets in the Merrick Barn Scene Shop. Permission Required.
Credits: 3.00
Level: Upper Level Undergraduate
Status: Closed
Seats Available: 0/6
PosTag(s): n/a
AS.225.350 (01)
Playwriting and Stage Adaptation II
Th 3:00PM - 5:30PM
Martin, Joseph H
Merrick 101
Playwriting and Stage Adaptation II AS.225.350 (01)
This seminar/tutorial is for intermediate students of both playwriting and theatrical adaptation. It provides an opportunity for committed playwrights to continue full-length works begun in Adaptations for Stage or Playwriting Strategies, or any other first-level playwriting course. Scripts begun in other classes or workshops can be brought in for revision work—but new scripts can be introduced during the semester. It is also designed to create a foundation for playwrights and adapters who might want to pursue work in the professional fields of dramaturgy and literary management, for which many theatre companies now maintain staff positions. Small group discussions on students’ continuing script projects, and individual mentoring, will be part of the process. Students are encouraged to come into the seminar with at least one project well underway.
Credits: 3.00
Level: Upper Level Undergraduate
Status: Canceled
Seats Available: 6/6
PosTag(s): n/a
Column one has the course number and section. Other columns show the course title, days offered, instructor's name, room number, if the course is cross-referenced with another pogram, and a option to view additional course information in a pop-up window.
Course # (Section)
Title
Day/Times
Instructor
Room
PosTag(s)
Info
AS.225.310 (01)
Stagecraft
TTh 10:30AM - 11:45AM
Roche, William C
Merrick 101
Stagecraft AS.225.310 (01)
A hands-on approach to the technical and theoretical elements of production. Meets in the Merrick Barn Scene Shop. Permission Required.
Credits: 3.00
Level: Upper Level Undergraduate
Status: Approval Required
Seats Available: 4/6
PosTag(s): n/a
AS.225.321 (01)
The Lab - The Actor/Director/Playwright Lab
T 6:00PM - 8:30PM
Denithorne, Margaret
Merrick 105
The Lab - The Actor/Director/Playwright Lab AS.225.321 (01)
Student actors, directors, and playwrights will explore their respective crafts with emphasis on process and individual artistic growth. Participants in the class will also collaborate on the creation of new material for the stage. Recommended Course Background: one course in Acting, Directing, or Playwriting.
Credits: 3.00
Level: Upper Level Undergraduate
Status: Approval Required
Seats Available: 0/12
PosTag(s): n/a
AS.225.346 (02)
Creative Improvisation: For Theatre and for Life
TTh 4:30PM - 5:45PM
Denithorne, Margaret
Mattin Center 101
Creative Improvisation: For Theatre and for Life AS.225.346 (02)
An exploration of the imagination and the senses using basic techniques of improvisation: exercises, conflict resolution, ensemble building, and theatre games. Texts: Spolin, Johnstone, LaBan and Feldencreis. Open to all students.
Credits: 3.00
Level: Upper Level Undergraduate
Status: Waitlist Only
Seats Available: 0/18
PosTag(s): n/a
AS.225.346 (01)
Creative Improvisation: For Theatre and for Life
TTh 3:00PM - 4:15PM
Denithorne, Margaret
Mattin Center 101
Creative Improvisation: For Theatre and for Life AS.225.346 (01)
An exploration of the imagination and the senses using basic techniques of improvisation: exercises, conflict resolution, ensemble building, and theatre games. Texts: Spolin, Johnstone, LaBan and Feldencreis. Open to all students.
Credits: 3.00
Level: Upper Level Undergraduate
Status: Waitlist Only
Seats Available: 0/18
PosTag(s): n/a
AS.225.324 (01)
Adaptation for the Stage
W 3:00PM - 5:30PM
Martin, Joseph H
Garland 97
Adaptation for the Stage AS.225.324 (01)
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.
Credits: 3.00
Level: Upper Level Undergraduate
Status: Open
Seats Available: 4/10
PosTag(s): n/a
AS.225.218 (01)
ANGELS IN AMERICA (The Play) The Millennium Shift in American Culture and Politics
Th 3:00PM - 5:30PM
Martin, Joseph H
Merrick 105
ANGELS IN AMERICA (The Play) The Millennium Shift in American Culture and Politics AS.225.218 (01)
Tony Kushner’s epoch-making play weaves together astonishingly diverse sides of America in a broad tapestry; a modern work that emerged at the end of the 20th Century, now being revived world wide: it provides keys to understanding the American zeitgeist and the coming transformations of the culture. In one pivotal work we find the emergence of LGBT rights, the Mormon Church, the AIDS epidemic, the new “spirituality,” the Reagan-era transformation of both government and business, and the looming figure of Roy Cohn whose influence in American politics “behind the scenes” ranged from the Rosenberg trial to his work as counsel for the McCarthy Committee in the 1950s: and even his legacy in the 2016 as primary political and business mentor of the current President of the United States.
Credits: 3.00
Level: Lower Level Undergraduate
Status: Open
Seats Available: 5/8
PosTag(s): n/a
AS.225.303 (01)
Acting III
W 4:30PM - 7:00PM
Astin, John
Merrick 200
Acting III AS.225.303 (01)
Special attention is given to the development of spontaneity and emotional freedom using the principles of Workshops I and II. Hands on work with John Astin’s “The Process” and the second Silverberg workbook are employed, along with the Uta Hagen text. Boleslavsky and Michael Chekhov are introduced. The Clurman, Meisner, Stanislavsky and Strasberg approaches are included. Substantial out of class time is required. Recommended Course Background: Two acting courses.
Credits: 3.00
Level: Upper Level Undergraduate
Status: Approval Required
Seats Available: 11/12
PosTag(s): n/a
AS.225.323 (01)
Design for the Stage
MW 12:00PM - 1:15PM
Roche, William C
Merrick 105
Design for the Stage AS.225.323 (01)
The fundamentals of stage design, with an emphasis on process, including script analysis, research, conceptualization, and implementation, from the first reading of the play to opening night, along with an overview of theatre architecture from the Greeks to the current day and into our imagined future.
Credits: 3.00
Level: Upper Level Undergraduate
Status: Approval Required
Seats Available: 11/14
PosTag(s): n/a
AS.225.308 (01)
Shakespeare in Performance
M 6:00PM - 8:30PM
Glossman, James
Merrick 200
Shakespeare in Performance AS.225.308 (01)
Students will work with a selection of Shakespeare’s plays --- TWELFTH NIGHT; MACBETH; and THE TEMPEST --- in exploring specific ways in which the power of the lines can be translated dynamically and immediately into vocal and physical performance. This course can be repeated for credit, because it covers different topics. (Some background in the acting sequence is encouraged).
Credits: 3.00
Level: Upper Level Undergraduate
Status: Open
Seats Available: 4/15
PosTag(s): n/a
AS.225.201 (01)
Acting II
TTh 12:00PM - 1:15PM
Astin, John
Merrick 105
Acting II AS.225.201 (01)
As in Workshop I, the principal classroom activities will consist of scene work, exercises, lectures, and discussion. Some rehearsal will also take place during school hours. It is expected that substantial out-of- class time be spent on rehearsals and exercises. Recommended Course Background: AS.225.301
Credits: 3.00
Level: Upper Level Undergraduate
Status: Approval Required
Seats Available: 1/12
PosTag(s): n/a
AS.225.328 (01)
The Existential Drama: Philosophy and Theatre of the Absurd
M 3:00PM - 5:30PM
Martin, Joseph H
Merrick 105
The Existential Drama: Philosophy and Theatre of the Absurd AS.225.328 (01)
Existentialism, a powerful movement in modern drama and theatre, has had a profound influence on contemporary political thought, ethics, and psychology, and has transformed our very notion of how to stage a play. Selected readings and lectures on the philosophy of Kierkegaard, Nietszche, Camus and Sartre -- and discussion of works for the stage by Sartre, Ionesco, Genet, Beckett, Albee, Pinter, Athol Fugard (with Nkani & Nshone), Heiner Müller and the late plays of Caryl Churchill. Opportunities for projects on Dürrenmatt, Frisch, Havel, Witkiewicz, and Mrozek.
Credits: 3.00
Level: Upper Level Undergraduate
Status: Waitlist Only
Seats Available: 0/15
PosTag(s): n/a
AS.225.300 (01)
Contemporary Theatre & Film
TTh 10:30AM - 11:45AM
Astin, John
Krieger Laverty
Contemporary Theatre & Film AS.225.300 (01)
An introduction to the performing arts, including an overview of theatre history, acting styles and the interaction of art and society. A personal view from inside.
