SPD 141 - Theatre Appreciation

Course Description

In order to fully appreciate the theater it is essential to become acquainted with the nature of the theatrical event. The course will deal with the human impulses that prompted the creation of the theater, the general ways plays are composed, the five major forms of drama, and the role as well as the contributions of the major practitioners - the director, the actor, the playwright, the designer, and the audience. The differences and similarities of the world of the theater will be explored through readings and discussions of plays from different periods.

Introduction

The main objective of SPD 141 is to help the student:

• To know and understand the nature of the theatrical event
• To analyze the why of the theater
• To identify the forms of drama.
• To know and understand the role of the major practitioners
  

Specific Objectives

The student will:

• Investigate the elements of theater arts, identifying characteristics unique to theater and cheater's relationships to other fine art forms
• Trace the historical development of theater, including physical processes of production, performance styles, and playwriting.
• Examine masterworks of dramatic literature for a greater understanding of philosophy, structure, literary quality, and societal concerns
• Understand the contributions to the total production process made by the practitioners of the arts and crafts of the theater.
• Apply critical thinking skills through synthesis of theory and development of personal and artistic sensibility.