Theatre Courses

Course Offerings

Franciscan University offers a wide variety of courses designed to acquaint students with all aspects of the theatre. Each year, the faculty teaches beginning courses in Acting, Directing, Theatre History, Oral Interpretation, and Stagecraft, as well as upper division courses in Design, Theatre Literature, and special topics courses, according to the needs of the students in the program. A special course called Theatre Practicum allows students to earn academic credit for acting in University productions, or working backstage on set construction.

Graduating students complete their senior level studies with two capstone courses:

Theory of Theatre is a seminar-based course in which students discuss the role of the theatre in Western tradition, with a focus on how theatre can and should reflect Catholic-Christian truths.
Production encompasses the practical side of theatre. In this course, each senior produces and directs a one-act play of his or her choice. Students frequently find this to be a most educational and practical theatre experience.

Theatre Courses

ENG111
Theatre History I surveys the major developments of theatre history in Western civilization from its ancient beginnings to the Renaissance period. (Humanities Core).

ENG112
Theatre History II continues the study of the development of Western theatre from the Restoration to the present day. (Humanities Core).

ENG261
Introduction to the Theatre introduces the student to a wide range of theatrical information, including the basic elements and terminology of theatre in such areas as acting, directing, and stagecraft. Dramas of representative playwrights from major periods of Western theatre are studied in conjunction with the theatre of the time. (Humanities Core).

ENG266
Stagecraft is an introduction to the materials and tools used in the technical areas of the theatre including set building, painting, lighting, sound, costuming, makeup, stage management, house management, and publicity.
Lab. hours in which students will work on University productions are required. (Communications Core).

ENG281
Fundamentals of Acting I introduces the beginning student to the problems, theories, and techniques of acting, using the Stanislavski-based method, with improvisation and scene study as primary pedagogical tools. (Communications Core).

ENG282
Fundamentals of Acting II is a continuation of the study of fundamentals of acting with an emphasis on improvisation and the presentation of scenes from plays. Beginning work on characterization is also stressed. (Communications Core).
Prerequisite: ENG281.

ENG316
Oral Interpretation focuses on the art of presenting literature. Preparation will include the study of the form and the content of each work performed, including prose, poetry, and drama. (Communications Core).

ENG317
Advanced Oral Interpretation is a study of programming and performing literature for communication by groups: novel, short story, verse, and drama. Lab. experience in Readers' Theatre and Chamber Theatre is also included. (Communications Core).
Prerequisite: ENG316 or permission of the instructor.

ENG351
Design for the Theatre is an introduction to scenic, lighting, costume, props and sound design for the theatre. (Communications Core).
Prerequisite: ENG266.

ENG352
Theatre Practicum allows students to participate in technical support of performance roles for University-sponsored dramatic productions and other theatre-related projects. Drama concentration students are required to participate in at least two University productions during the completion of the degree in which they can earn a maximum of 6 credit hours. Individual responsibilities and academic objectives are to be arranged by the instructor and the student. This course is evaluated on a pass/fail system.

ENG385
Theatre Literature I analyzes the major theatrical literary works from antiquity to the Renaissance. Plays read and studied include Greek and Roman comedies and tragedies, Biblical dramas of the Medieval period, and theatre literature of the Spanish Golden Age, Elizabethan England, the Italian Renaissance, and Neoclassical France. (Humanities Core).

ENG386
Theatre Literature II continues the study of the major theatrical literary works from the English Restoration to the present day. Emphasis is placed on the works of the 18th and 19th centuries, early American plays and the contemporary playwrights. (Humanities Core).

ENG408
Playwriting is an introduction to the development of narrative line, character, and dialogue in an original dramatic text. By the end of the semester, the student will complete a text which will receive a staged reading and open critique.

ENG412
Priniciples of Directing provides an introduction to text analysis, blocking, mapping dramatic action, and other fundamental tasks of the stage director. (Communications Core).
Prerequisite: English 281 or permission of instructor.

ENG413
Advanced Directing addresses the student's directing skills on three primary levels: the directing process, communicating with actors, and the study of various directing methods. Lab. hours in which the student will direct scenes from plays are required.
Prerequisite: English 412.

ENG414
Advanced Acting: Characterization involves a study of the psychological process of creating a character. Using scenes from great dramas, students will do an in-depth study and analysis of the plays and the characters they choose to work on during the semester. (Communications Core).
Prerequisite: English 282 or permission of the instructor.

ENG431
Production serves as a capstone to the Drama student's work. During the course, the student will assume the role of director-designer, and prepare a one-act text (or an equivalent cutting from a longer play) for presentation before the University community. The student will meet for a regular class and will direct the one-act play in separate lab. time. (Communications Core).
For senior Drama concentration students only.

ENG434
Senior Thesis requires the student to research and write a thesis on an approved theatre-related topic. Guidance and supervision will be provided by one of the drama faculty.

ENG460
Theory of Theatre examines the works of theatre critics and practitioners from classical antiquity to the 20th century, including Plato, Aristotle, Hans Urs von Balthasar, Jean Cocteau, and Jerzy Grotowski. The course will challenge the student to formulate his/her own personal theatre aesthetic, as he/she develops a philosophical understanding of the role of theatre in society. (Humanities Core).
Prerequisite: Senior drama concentration status or permission of the instructor.