THEA 100The Art of the Theatre

3 credits · Theatre · Penn State

THEA 100 The Art of the Theatre (3) (GA;US;IL) (BA) This course meets the Bachelor of Arts degree requirements. This course is a survey of all aspects of the living art of the theatre. Throughout the semester, the in-class analysis of written scripts, performance contexts, dramatic structure, and theatrical genres will give insights into the imaginative impulses of theatre artists and their audiences. As a variety of individual texts are explored, scenes are used to illustrate the various topics under consideration. The course is concerned with the universality of the theatrical impulse, and includes a selection of international and multi-ethnic voices and performance techniques. Students will experience American theatre history as a conversation that parallels the country's struggle for identity in the 19th, 20th, and 21st Centuries. Students learn about Western performance traditions alongside traditions happening elsewhere in the world in the same time period within political contexts, to create a global perspective of theatre. This course provides the groundwork for all other theatre courses and is also designed to allow the general student to experience and understand the art of the theatre.