Mission and Goals:
The Department of Theatre believes its mission to be:
1. To create theatre generalists with knowledge, pratical skills, and problem-solving ability in all areas of theatre art. The department encourages a liberal arts approach to theatre training, even with the BFA degree. In addition to the required course work, students are expected to participate in every aspect of play production at some time during their education at McMurry.
2. To prepare students for professional careers in theatre through the pratical application of theory, analysis, design, and performance techniques. Along with classroom instruction in history and theory, the department provides a production oriented degree, designed to give the student a wide range of opportunities to learn experiently and to build a resume/portfolio for post graduate endeavors.
3. To provide entertainment and cultural enrichmentfor the McMurry community and the general public through the presentation of live theatrical performances.
4. To develope in students an appreciation for the arts as a tool and a representation of humankind's search for meaning in life.
Course Descriptions: (THRE)
2150 Make-up (0-2) No prerequisites. Required for all Theatre majors. An introduction to stage make-up design and application for actors and theatre technicians. Primary emphasis is on realistic applications but stylization, abstraction, and prosthetics are also examined. Laboratiry required. Suitable for non-majors.
2210 Production I No prerequisites.
3210 Production II (0-2) Prerequisites: THRE 2210. A continuation of Production I. Designed for interested students. The study, practice, and participation in every phase of dramatic production work and management. May be repeated for a maximum of 4 semester hours credit. Required of Theatre majors and minors.
2310 Oral Interpretation of Literature (3-0) No prerequisites. An introductory study of the concepts and techniques of literary analysis and oral performance. Emphasis is placed on the oral communication of prose, poetry, and drama, with the intention of giving the listner the meaning of the printed page.
2320 Improving Voice and Diction (3-0) No prerequisites. Designed for teachers, speech and hearing therapists, actors, readers, and public speakers. Required of all Theatre majors. An introductory study of the speech mechanism and the International Phonetic Alphabet with an emphasis upon improving articulation,pronunciation, and other components of vocal production.
2330 Acting I (3-0) No prerequisites. Required for all Theatre majors and minors. Also counts for Fine Arts credit in the General Education requirements. A study of fundamental techniques and theories of acting. An introduction to the art of acting as an integral part of the students' social and educational milieu and as a means for adequate self-expression and personal growth.
2340 Stagecraft (3-0) No prereauisites. Required for all Theatre majors and minors. A basic course in technical production for the stage. Emphasis placed on scenery construction, rigging, elements of scene painting, basic theatre lighting, and an understanding of the stage space and its functions.
2350 Costume Construction (3-0)no prerequisites. Required of BFA Design/Technical students, but open to anyone interested. An introduction to various aspects of costume construction, including sewing techniques, fabric selection, pattern selection, cutting, and garment alterations.
2355 Stage Movement (3-0) Prerequisite: THRE 2330. Required for BFA. Fundamentals of srage movement, alignment, centering, and body mechanics. Introduction to techniques involving pantomime, improvisation, and movement/sound relationships.
3310 Voice for the Actor (3-0) Prerequisite: THRE 2320 or COMM 2320. An advanced elective for majors and minors featuring the advanced study of voice and diction for the actor with emphasis upon dialects and classical texts. A portion of the class is devoted to singing with character.
3320 Directing I (3-0) Prerequiaitea: THRE 2330, 2340. A required course for all majors, minors, and theatre as a teaching field. A study of basic techniques of directing with emphasis on script analyasis, fundamentals of staging, and work with actors. Students must prepare a one-act play or approved cutting from a larger play for production.
3325 Theatre Management/Stage Management (3-0) Prerequisites: THRE 2330, THRE 2340. Upper level elective for Theatre majors. A study of the process involved in selecting a theatre space, raising funds, conducting public relations and publicity, selection of a season, contracting artistic personnel, and running a box office.
3330 Acting II (3-0) Prerequisite: THRE 2330. Upper level elective for Theatre majors and minors. An introduction to scene analysis and character development. Scenes from modern and contemporary plays are used to help the student understand the application of analysis to performance. Emphasis is placed on the process of creating a role.
3344 Fundamentals of Lighting Design (3-0) Prerequisite: THRE 2340. An upper level elective in technical theatre, required of BFA. An exploration of the theories and practices involved in the design of lighting for the theatre. Emphasis will be placed on equipment capabilities, functions and maintenance, script analysis, design thearies and application, and the role of the light designer.
3345 Fundamentals of Scenic Design (3-0) Prerequisite: THRE 2340. A required course for all Theatre majors. An exploration of the elements and principles of design as they relate to scenery and lighting. Emphasis will be placed on basic graphic skills, art and architectural research, play analysis in terms of spatial relationships on srage, and an introduction to drafting.
3350 Theatre History and Dramatic Literature: Greeks to Eighteenth Century (3-0) No prerequisites. Required for BFA. Two of the three history classes are required of all Theatre majors and those with Theatre as a teaching field. An advanced elective for minors. An historical investigation of early theatre and dramatic literature.
3355 Dance for the Stage (3-0) Prerequisite: THRE 2355, or permission of the instructor. An advanced elective for majors, minors, and teaching field students. An introduction to the types of dance commonly employed on the stage. The student learns dance routines in various styles including jazz, tap, and ballroom and is required to research and choreograph a routine appropriate for a stage production.
3360 Creative Drama (3-0) No prerequisites. Upper level elective for Theatre majors and teaching field Students. Designed for the student interested in working with children. A study of the goals and techniques of development drama with emphasis on pantomime, improvisation, and story dramatization for elementary school children.
3363 Theatre History and Dramatic Literature: Eighteenth Century to WWII (3-0) No prerequisites. Required of BFA. Two of the three history courses are required of all majors and teraching field students. An advanced elective for minors. An historical and critical study of theatre and dramatic literature from the Eighteenth century to the development of modern drama after World War II.
3365 Theatre History and Dramatic Literature: Since WWII (3-0) No prerequisites. Required for BFA. Two of the three history courses are required of all majors and teaching field students. An advanced elective for minors. An historical and critical study of theatre and dramatic literature since World War II.
3370 Playwriting (3-0) Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. An upper level elective for majors, minors, teaching field students, and students interested in creative writing. A study in the principles of dramatic construction and practice in the writing of one-act and full length plays. Emphasis is placed on process and skills developement in playwriting as well as analysis of the structures of some of the great works of dramatic literature.
4110 Audition Techniques (1-0) Prerequisite: THRE 2330 or permission of the instructor. Requirement for BFA Acting/Directing students. A practicum for developing audition techniques and examining guidelines for audition procedures, with emphasis on resume organization and audition material selection and performance.
4120 Designer's Portfolio (1-0) Prerequisites: THRE 3344, THRE 3345, THRE 4350. Required for BFA Desgn/Technology students. A course preparing the designer/technician to enter the job market. Emphasis is placed on preparation, presentation, and photographing of design materials, resume writing, and job interview skills.
4210 Repertory Theatre (0-2) No prerequisites. Practicum in all phases of production for public presentation. Work in the summer theatre program is expected. May be repeated for up to four semester hours in BFA.
4315 Children's Theatre (3-1) Prerequisite: Lower division theatre core, or permission of the instructor. Upper level elective for Theatre majors. A survey of children's theatre literature and a workshop in producing children's theatre. Students gain practical experience in choosing material, acting, directing, and designing children's theatre productions. Workshop required.
4330 Acting III (3-0) Prerequisite: THRE 3330 or permission of the instructor. Upper level elective for Theatre majors. An exploration of period style as it relates to acting. The continuation of experience in analyzing roles and discovering basic techniques as they apply to the performance of period plays. Scenes from Greek, Elizabethan, Restoration, and other theatrical periods will be used in the study of performance analysis and style.
4335 Musical Theatre Practicum (3-0) Prerequisite: students admitted by audition. An advanced elective for majors and minors devoted to the pratical application of theory to a musical theatre production. Students learn how to project character through singing and dancing. The production they develope will be toured for performance.
4340 Adavnced Sceneic Design (3-0) Prerequisite: THRE 3345. An upper level elective for majors and minors. The student will explore the various kinds of stage configurations. Emphasis will be placed on design presentation, including rendering techniques, model building, and conceptualization of design.
4350 Costume Design and History (3-0) Prererquisites: THRE 2150, THRE 2350. An upper level elective for majors and minors. An exploation of the elements and principles of design as they relate to costume design, and an examination of fashion and the history of costumes in the theatre. Special emphasis is placed on script analysis and historical research.
4355 Shakespeare in Performance (3-0) Prerequisite: THRE 4330 or permission of the instructor. Upper level elective for Theatre majors. A study through lecture, discussion, and scenework of various approaches to Shakespeare's plays, with emphasis on making the Shakespearean text accessible to the contemporary actor, director, and audience through performance.
4360 Directing II (3-0) Prerequisites: THRE 3320, THRE 3345. Required for BA degree with Theatre major and BS degree with Theatre as a teaching field. It is an advanced elective for minors and BFA students. The course is a continuation of the art and craft of directing with specific consideration of the problems related to the staging of major productions. It culminates in a more extensive project than THRE 3320.
4363 American Musical Theatre (3-0) No prerequisites. An advanced elective for majors and minors. An historical and critical study of the development of the American musical including the viewing and discussion of a wide range of musical theatre productions.
4365 Theatre Arts in the Secondary School (3-0) Prerequisite: THRE 3320. Required for teaching field students. A study of the essential elements in theatre, criteria for the evaluation of plays, criteria for the selection of materials, and techniques for teaching are included.
4389 Voices Unmasked: Teen Theatre for Prevention and Communication (3-0) Prerequisite: Auditions in April or August and by permission of the instructor only. Under the supervision of a director/manager, the members of the company write, rehearse, and perform message based programs for area schools on a regular basis throughout the school year. A cooperative effort between McMurry University and Region 14 Education Service Center.
4390 Senior Project in Theatre (3-0) Prereqiuisutes: Senior standing and the approval of the instructor. Required of BFA students. Upper level elective for majors. Individual study, under the guidance of the member of the faculty, of a specific problem of student's choice. Culmination in an extensive project for a major production: (1) Directing, (2) Acting, (3) Design.
4X95 Independent Studies (X-0) Prerequisites: Senior status, permission of the instructor, and of department Chairperson. Upper level elective for majors. A study program arranged between an advanced student and an instructor to provide intensive study in a particular area of interest. The course includes the definition of goals appropriate for the advanced student, ways of attaining those goals, a schedule for frequent consultation, and means of measuring progress.
XX99 Special Topics (X-0) Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. For majors and minors. A course of study offered occasionally to groups of students to broaden departmental curriculum, to meet student demand, or to observe special events. May be repeated for credit when topics vary.
Fine Arts: (FA)
2310 Survey of Fine Arts (3-0) No prerequisites. This course is aimed at all students interested in gaining a broad understanding of the fine arts disciplines and satisfies the fine arts component in the General Education requirements. A survey of the inter-relationship of fine arts disciplines (painting, sculpture, music, theatre, architecture, film, and photography) and their relationship to political and social change through the course of history. the course will provide a rudimentary knowledge of the fine arts disciplines, with specific emphasis on recognized artistic movements in their historical contexts.