Theater
Department Overview
The Skidmore Theater Department is a pre-professional program that offers students the opportunity to pursue the serious study of the theater arts within a liberal arts setting. Courses within the department afford training in the basic demands of the discipline-physical and vocal control, technique in acting and directing, technical and design skills-as well as the opportunity for advanced study, practical production experience, study abroad, and off-campus internships. The College liberal arts requirements help students to understand the moral, intellectual, and political context in which any artist practices. Theater has the potential to encourage difficult conversations, to ask important questions about cultural representation, to provide a place for interrogating power dynamics, and to give voice to marginalized populations. The Skidmore Theater Department is committed to exploring ways to engage in issues of culture, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic class, gender identity, sexual orientation, and disability, both on and off stage. We strive to create opportunities for students who have been historically underrepresented on our stages.
Chair of the Department of Theater: Lisa Jackson-Schebetta
Professor: Lisa Jackson-Schebetta
Associate Professor: Eunice Ferreira
Assistant Professors: Dennis Schebetta, Sara Lyons, Alicia J. Austin
Distinguished Artist-in-Residence: Garett E. Wilson
Senior Artist-in-Residence: Jared Klein
Artist-in-Residence: Teisha Duncan
Lecturers: Samantha Garwood, Marie Glotzbach, Susan Kessler, Laura Menzie, Genevieve Simon
Technical Director: Jared Klein
Assistant Technical Director: Brandon Sewall
Costume Shop Manager: Samantha Garwood
Scenic Charge and Paint and Props Shop Manager: Jess Goerold
Theater B.S.
Effective for those who entered Skidmore prior to Fall 2026:
Requirements for a major in theater are (minimum of 48 credits):
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| TH 103 | Introduction to Theater | 4 |
| TH 129 | Theater Production | 2 |
| TH 130 | Introduction to Design | 2 |
| TH 140 | Introduction to Directing | 3 |
| TH 229 | Theater and Culture I | 4 |
| TH 230 | Theater and Culture II | 4 |
| TH 235 | Theater Company | 1 |
| TH 250 | Production Seminar 2 | 3 |
| or TH 249 | Workshop Productions | |
| or TH 350 | Production Seminar | |
| TH 335 | Theater Company | 2 |
| Dramatic Literature | ||
| Select at least one of the following: 1 | 3 | |
| Special Studies in Theater History and Theory (as noted) | ||
| Black Theater | ||
| Climate Justice and Theater Action | ||
| Drama | ||
| Introduction To Shakespeare | ||
EN 228 | (Dramaturgy) | |
| Elizabethan and Jacobean Drama | ||
| Shakespeare | ||
| Special Studies in Early Modern Drama | ||
| Modernism and Drama | ||
| French Dramatic Literature | ||
WLG 356 | ||
| Greek Tragedy | ||
| Society on the Stage: Greek and Roman Comedy | ||
| Additional Requirements | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Advanced Directing | ||
| Special Studies in Theater History and Theory | ||
| Black Theater | ||
| Climate Justice and Theater Action | ||
| History of American Theater | ||
| Senior Coda | 3 | |
| Senior Project (Class of 2012 and beyond) | ||
| Select sixteen additional semester hours in the Theater Department | 16 | |
| Total Hours | 50 | |
Effective for those who entered Skidmore in Fall 2026 and beyond:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| TH 103 | Introduction to Theater | 4 |
| TH 129 | Theater Production | 2 |
| TH 130 | Introduction to Design | 2 |
| TH 140 | Introduction to Directing | 3 |
| TH 229 | Theater and Culture I | 4 |
| TH 230 | Theater and Culture II | 4 |
| TH 235 | Theater Company | 1 |
| TH 250 | Production Seminar 3 | 3 |
| or TH 249 | Workshop Productions | |
| or TH 350 | Production Seminar | |
| TH 335 | Theater Company | 2 |
| Dramatic Literature | ||
| Select at least one of the following: 1 | 3 | |
| Special Studies in Theater History and Theory (as noted) | ||
| Black Theater | ||
| Climate Justice and Theater Action | ||
| Additional Requirements | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Advanced Directing | ||
| Special Studies in Theater History and Theory | ||
| Black Theater | ||
| Climate Justice and Theater Action | ||
| History of American Theater | ||
| Senior Coda | 3 | |
| Senior Project (Class of 2012 and beyond) | ||
| Select sixteen additional semester hours in the Theater Department | 16 | |
| Total Hours | 50 | |
- 1
Other courses may be acceptable with permission of the department
- 2
TH 250 Production Seminar is a pre-req for TH 350 Production Seminar
Areas of Concentration
The following is a recommended sequence of study in each area.
Acting
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| TH 101 | Voice and Speech In The Theater | 3 |
| TH 104 | Introduction to Acting | 3 |
| TH 203 | Intermediate Acting | 3 |
| or TH 204 | Intermediate Acting | |
| TH 303 | Acting Styles | 3 |
| TH 304 | Special Studies in Acting | 3 |
| TH 307 | Advanced Acting: Film, TV and Media | 4 |
| TH 377 | Theater Career Development | 1 |
| Recommended: TH198 Movement of Actors, TH211 Voice for the Actor, TH242 Acting Shakespeare. Please see departmental website for additional detail concerning auditions and production opportunities. | ||
Directing
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| TH 140 | Introduction to Directing | 3 |
| TH 240 | Intermediate Directing | 4 |
| TH 249 | Workshop Productions | 1-3 |
| TH 333 | Advanced Directing | 3 |
| TH 377 | Theater Career Development | 1 |
| Recommended: Intro to Acting, Dramaturgy, Stage Management, Intermediate coursework in Design; TH 299 and/or TH 399 Internship in Theater. Please see departmental website for additional details concerning production opportunities. | ||
Design and Technical Theater
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| TH 129 | Theater Production | 2 |
| TH 130 | Introduction to Design | 2 |
| TH 377 | Theater Career Development | 1 |
Intermediate and Advanced coursework in one of the following areas: Costume, Scenic, Lighting. Intermediate coursework in at least one additional area. Note these courses are offered in rotation. Please meet with area faculty to plan your progression. | ||
| Options include: | ||
| Costumes: | ||
| TH 248 | Stage Lighting Practicum | 3 |
| TH 305C | Special Studies in Design and Technical Theater: Costume Design Construction | 3 |
| TH 305G | Adv Costume Design | 3 |
| Lighting: | ||
| TH 228 | Stage Lighting | 4 |
| TH 305F | (Advanced Stage Lighting) | |
| Scenic: | ||
| TH 216 | Theater Design: From Page to Stage | 4 |
| TH 305D | Special Studies in Design and Technical Theater: Advanced Scenic Painting | 3 |
| TH 337 | Scenic Design | 3 |
| History, Literature, and/or Dramaturgy: | ||
| TH 229 | Theater and Culture I | 4 |
| TH 230 | Theater and Culture II | 4 |
| TH 377 | Theater Career Development | 1 |
| Three upper level courses in history, literature, playwriting, or dramaturgy. | ||
| Options include: | ||
| TH 225 | Introduction to Playwriting | 3 |
| TH 325 | Advanced Playwriting | 3 |
| TH 334 | Special Studies in Theater History and Theory (rotating; recent topics have included Caribbean Theater, Theater of the Absurd, Queer Theater, Mixed Race on Stage and Film, Latinx Theater, Dramaturgy, Production Dramaturgy, Institutional Dramaturgy, Theater for Social Change) | 3 |
| TH 338 | Black Theater | 3 |
| TH 340 | Climate Justice and Theater Action | 3 |
| Recommended: Additional coursework in literature, history, and dramaturgy; TH249 Workshop Productions; TH225 Introduction to Playwriting; TH335 Advanced Playwriting; TH 252 - Production Seminar Bridge Experience: Power, Justice, Theater, and Community Engagement | ||
Writing Requirement in the Major
The development of excellent written communication skills is essential for all theater artists and all theater students are expected to be able to demonstrate these skills. Students in theater will fulfill the Department’s writing requirement by
- completing TH 103 Introduction to Theater and
- completion of the theater capstone course TH 376 Senior Project.
Through these requirements students will demonstrate the ability to think critically, organize arguments, and write clearly.
Theater Minor
A minor in theater is available for students interested in a general education in theater but not necessarily intensive training in a single concentration. Twenty-one to twenty-five semester hours are required:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| TH 103 | Introduction to Theater | 4 |
| TH 129 | Theater Production | 2 |
| or TH 130 | Introduction to Design | |
| TH 104 | Introduction to Acting | 3 |
| or TH 140 | Introduction to Directing | |
| TH 229 | Theater and Culture I | 3 |
| TH 230 | Theater and Culture II | 3 |
| TH 235 | Theater Company | 1 |
| TH 250 | Production Seminar | 3 |
| or TH 249 | Workshop Productions | |
| Select one 300-level course in theater | 3 | |
| Select one course in dramatic literature | 3 | |
| Total Hours | 25 | |
Those students interested in combining a study of theater with art, dance, literature, or music should consult with the Theater Department and their advisors in the formulation of a self-determined major.
Honors
Departmental honors are awarded to a senior major who has maintained the required college and department grade averages. In addition to the necessary grade averages, qualification requires work of exceptional merit in a Senior Project that will represent a culmination of the student’s work in the major. The student must also be recommended by the department. Please see the Theater website for details on departmental recommendation.
Course Listing
TH 101 - Voice and Speech In The Theater
Credits: 3
The student will learn voice production techniques and theories principally for the actor. This course seeks to develop a free and natural speaking voice in the student and will provide the fundamentals of natural voice placement. Extensive exercises in breathing, support, resonance, flexibility, and projection will be learned toward the development of a personal vocal warm-up.
Note(s): Fulfills Artistic Inquiry requirement.
TH 103 - Introduction to Theater
Credits: 4
An examination of plays, theories, and practices of theater and performance, this course focuses on foundational script analysis and theater production roles; processes through which theater is created in contemporary and historical contexts; and the unique research considerations theater demands. Fulfills Humanities requirement; fulfills Humanistic Inquiry.
Note(s): Partially fulfills the writing requirement in the major.
TH 104 - Introduction to Acting
Credits: 3
The student is exposed to exercises designed to free the imagination through improvisation and theater games. Secondarily, training is offered in the basic skills of physical and vocal mastery, analytical insight into the text, and the ability to synthesize techniques so the student may acquire discipline in each area.
TH 129 - Theater Production
Credits: 2
A studio course providing an introduction to the principles and techniques employed in mounting theatrical productions. Theater production is explored through studying: the structure and organization of the production staff of a theater company; the physical plant; types of scenery and scenic construction techniques; stage lighting; sound; stage management; and the reading and use of plans. Students will fulfill a two-hour lab requirement and will work on at least one Skidmore theater production.
Note(s): Theater majors are required to complete this course by the end of the sophomore year. Not for liberal arts credit.
TH 130 - Introduction to Design
Credits: 2
An introduction to script analysis and design theory. Students will learn to construct models and work as collaborative artists. The course will meet as a lecture and also use laboratory time to learn model-building skills, to research, and to learn and work with various building and painting materials. Students will fulfill a two-hour lab requirement and will work on at least one Skidmore theater production.
Prerequisites: TH 103.
Note(s): Theater majors are required to complete this course by the end of the sophomore year. Not for liberal arts credit.
TH 140 - Introduction to Directing
Credits: 3
An overview of the essential elements of direction. Students will analyze play texts and directing theories as well as engage in active lab work in understanding dramatic action, composition, and picturization in a variety of spaces, which will provide the foundation for working with actors. Students will also analyze the written analysis of plays, study the expression of directorial concepts, and communicate with actors through class exercises and scene work reinforcing the idea of the director as a collaborator as well as the primary leader and communicator about the play before and during the rehearsal process. Students will develop time-management strategies, enabling them to craft a rehearsal schedule by which to build the play and move the rehearsal process forward. Theoretical texts and articles about directors and play texts will provide one context for these analyses. In the studio, students will work as actors and directors and have the opportunity to direct actors from the intermediate acting class.
Prerequisites: TH 103.
TH 198 - Movement for Actors
Credits: 3
A movement class for actors. The course is grounded in conservatory-style practice contextualized by liberal arts inquiry. Students will engage in practice, exploration, and analysis with a view towards developing individual and collective corporeal and kinesthetic awareness, flexibility, risk-taking capacity, confidence, and responsiveness.
Note(s): Fulfills Artistic Inquiry requirement.
TH 203 - Intermediate Acting
Credits: 3
Emphasis on deepening of the actor's imagination, concentration, awareness, and presence through rigorous physical improvisation. Students experience the integration of physical improvisation with textual work as the semester progresses. Students are exposed to a variety of theatrical approaches.
Prerequisites: TH 101 or TH 198, and TH 104, or concurrent enrollment in TH 101 or TH 198, or permission of instructor.
Note(s): Fulfills Artistic Inquiry requirement.
TH 204 - Intermediate Acting
Credits: 3
Through textual analysis, object exercises, and scene work, students experience the development of a role through the exploration of text and its relationship to the body in space. Students will develop their ability to read theatrical texts as they plan for their spatial, rhythmic, and emotional work as performers. Students are exposed to a variety of theatrical approaches.
Prerequisites: TH 101 or TH 198, and TH 104, or concurrent enrollment in TH 101 or TH 198, or permission of instructor.
Note(s): Fulfills Artistic Inquiry requirement.
TH 211 - Voice for the Actor
Credits: 2
Students explore the power of language through the reading of prose and verse. Exercises learned in this course continue to move the student toward a centered, natural placement of the instrument, and the development of standard non-regional speech, articulation, and flexibility. Introductory tools are learned in the reading of verse and standard dialect work. Rehearsal-specific warm-up programs are developed with students and used regularly. Written evaluations, critiques, and observations by the student are assigned to increase awareness of the voice and use of vocal vocabulary.
Prerequisites: TH 101 or permission of instructor.
Note(s): Not for liberal arts credit.
TH 216 - Theater Design: From Page to Stage
Credits: 4
A study of scenic, lighting, and costume design for the theater. The history and theory of design will be explored, as well as the practical application of principles. Special attention will be given to the processes of research, play analysis, and conceptualization. Students will complete a series of projects involving drafting, drawing, painting, and model-making.
Note(s): Fulfills Artistic Inquiry requirement.
TH 225 - Introduction to Playwriting
Credits: 3
An introduction to the art of writing plays. Students will be exposed to the elements of playwriting and the basics of dramatic structure through writing assignments, in-class exercise and readings of contemporary plays and critical texts. Students work in a workshop format in order to experience the process of writing plays. Substantial class time is devoted to discussion of student writing.
Note(s): Fulfills Artistic Inquiry requirement.
TH 228 - Stage Lighting
Credits: 4
A study of the theory, equipment, and technique involved in stage lighting. Topics include optics, vision, electricity, color, aesthetics, and design procedures. This course consists of lectures, working labs, and assigned responsibilities on Skidmore Theater productions.
Note(s): Fulfills Artistic Inquiry requirement. Not for liberal arts credit.
TH 229 - Theater and Culture I
Credits: 4
A study of the relationships between theatre, performance, and culture across time and geography, from ritualistic beginnings to the 19th Century.
Note(s): Fulfills Humanistic Inquiry requirement.
TH 230 - Theater and Culture II
Credits: 4
A study of theater and its contexts from 1800 to the present. Students explore and analyze how theater's components- plays, acting, design, theory, and management- interact with aesthetic, socioeconomic, and political ideas and practices.
Note(s): Fulfills Humanistic Inquiry requirement.
TH 235 - Theater Company
Credits: 1
Participation for theater majors and non-majors interested in theater production. Each company member will acquire a breadth of training across all areas of theatrical production, as well as make essential contributions to the ongoing work of the company. All company members are a part of the production process from concept to design to execution and evaluation.
Note(s): This course may be repeated for credit at the discretion of the department for a maximum of six semester hours. Not for liberal arts credit.
TH 238 - Costume Design
Credits: 3
A studio course in the principles and practice of stage costume design, including a historical survey of clothes, moral conventions, and theatrical costume. The process of design development from concept to completed plates will be encountered through a series of assigned projects.
Prerequisites: TH 129.
Note(s): Offered every other fall semester. Alternates with TH 337 in fall semester.
TH 240 - Intermediate Directing
Credits: 4
A continuation of the work begun in TH 140 and the course deepens directors’ mastery of the craft of theatrical storytelling and how directors create compelling, complete and clear theatrical worlds on stage. Students will learn advanced text analysis techniques, visual research strategies, approaches to conceptualization, and approaches to collaboration with designers, actors, stage managers and producers. Students will direct a final, fully realized theatrical piece from an extant play in collaboration with both student actors and designers.
Note(s): Fulfills Artistic Inquiry requirement.
TH 242 - Acting Shakespeare
Credits: 3
An exploration of the ways in which Shakespeare himself effectively serves as a guide for the comprehension and performance of his verse in his plays and poetry. The emphasis will be on analysis of verse, techniques in speaking it, and the use of verse techniques to explore and develop character. During the course, students will study, prepare, and present soliloquies, monologues (including set speeches), and sonnets.
Prerequisites: TH 103.
TH 248 - Stage Lighting Practicum
Credits: 3
Students will learn to use computer programs to produce stage lighting plots. In addition to projects designed to explore and teach CADD programs, students will assist the faculty lighting designer on actual productions during the semester. Production work will include hanging and focusing lights, attending rehearsals and meetings, and the development of light cues.
Note(s): Fulfills Artistic Inquiry requirement. Not for liberal arts credit.
TH 249 - Workshop Productions
Credits: 1-3
A practical, experiential course which accompanies the theater department’s student-led lab show programming. The course meets once weekly for 90 minutes, during which students discuss their processes, collaborate on rehearsal strategies, and debate issues in the contemporary theater pertaining to their productions. Additionally, students can expect to spend significant time outside of class under instructor supervision executing their rehearsal process. Students in the class are are leading their own rehearsal processes during the semester, whether as directors, playwrights, dramaturgs, designers, stage managers, etc.
Note(s): Fulfills Artistic Inquiry and Humanistic Inquiry requirements. May be repeated up to 4 credits.
TH 250 - Production Seminar
Credits: 1-4
Students enrolled in TH 250 will have major responsibilities working on the main-stage production and on the black-box studio production. The main-stage production is usually presented at the end of the semester, and the studio production is usually presented mid-semester. In addition to production responsibilities, students will complete a portfolio of their experience. Students will meet with the faculty to determine the appropriate number of semester hours for each experience.
Prerequisites: Permission of department.
Note(s): This course may be repeated, but semester hours are limited to a maximum of 6. Fulfills Artistic Inquiry requirement.
TH 251 - Theater Topics
Credits: 1-2
Special topics in theory, history, and performance at the intermediate level. Coursework may include topics related to production and performance work in preparation for a specific production, coursework that focuses on certain playwrights, text and performance analysis, and writing about the theater, as well as short-term residences by guest artists. Topics may also include script analysis for actors, introduction to performance theory, stage management, stage combat, and audition preparation. The specific courses differ from year to year, depending on available guest artist opportunities and faculty and student research interests.
Prerequisites: Permission of instructor.
Note(s): Student may take this course more than once with the approval of the department.
TH 252 - Production Seminar Bridge Experience: Power, Justice, Theater, and Community Engagement
Credits: 2
An exploration of how the JKB theater Main Stage or Black Box presentations engage internal and external communities in an investigation of power, justice, and identity on campus, in Saratoga Springs, within our region, or nationwide. Students will study the play being produced from multiple dramaturgical and societal lenses. Students will also learn about the methods, theories, and practices of a number of community engaged theaters nationwide.
Note(s): Fulfills Bridge Experience and Artistic Inquiry requirements.
TH 299 - Professional Internship in Theater
Credits: 1-4
Internship opportunity for students whose curricular foundations and cocurricular experience have prepared them for professional work related to the major field. With faculty sponsorship and department approval, students may extend their educational experience into such areas as stage managing; lighting; scene design and construction; costume design, construction, and restoration; sound design and implementation; acting; directing; and theater management and promotion.
TH 303 - Acting Styles
Credits: 3
Concentrated scene study from major periods in theatrical history. Emphasis on the knowledge and discovery of each particular period through the study and use of masks, costumes, and props.
TH 304 - Special Studies in Acting
Credits: 3
An open series of acting studies capable of ranging from Shakespearean scene study to musical comedy, from Grotowski training to acting for the epic theater. The specific area of study could be determined by the opportunities of a particular production season, by the training of a visiting artist, or by the interests of faculty or a given group of students.
Note(s): May be repeated three times for credit.
TH 305C - Special Studies in Design and Technical Theater: Costume Construction
Credits: 3
A series of specialized and advanced level courses in design and technical theater. The opportunities offered in a particular production season, the expertise of available visiting artists, and the needs of qualified students will determine the offering(s) each term.
Prerequisites: Permission of instructor.
Note(s): This course may be repeated for credit at the discretion of the department. Not for liberal arts credit.
TH 305D - Special Studies in Design and Technical Theater: Advanced Scenic Painting
Credits: 3
A series of specialized and advanced level courses in design and technical theater. The opportunities offered in a particular production season, the expertise of available visiting artists, and the needs of qualified students will determine the offering(s) each term.
Prerequisites: Permission of instructor.
Note(s): This course may be repeated for credit at the discretion of the department. Not for liberal arts credit.
TH 305G - Adv Costume Design
Credits: 3
TH 306 - Special Studies in Design and Technical Theater
Credits: 3
A series of specialized and advanced level courses in design and technical theater. The opportunities offered in a particular production season, the expertise of available visiting artists, and the needs of qualified students will determine the offering(s) each term.
Prerequisites: Permission of instructor.
Note(s): This course may be repeated for credit at the discretion of the department. Not for liberal arts credit.
TH 306A-D - Special Studies in Design and Technical Theater: Scenic Painting
Credits: 3-3
A series of specialized and advanced level courses in design and technical theater. The opportunities offered in a particular production season, the expertise of available visiting artists, and the needs of qualified students will determine the offering(s) each term.
Prerequisites: Permission of instructor.
Note(s): This course may be repeated for credit at the discretion of the department. Not for liberal arts credit.
TH 307 - Advanced Acting: Film, TV and Media
Credits: 4
This course prepares students for the unique demands of auditioning and performing for film, television, commercials, and industrials. Students will identify the difference between acting for the stage and screen, examine types of screen performances from various genres and media, learn acting and technical terminology, and will apply basic acting techniques and tools such as script analysis, developing characters, given circumstances, actions, and improvisation to create a genuine, believable performance on-camera. Students will work hands-on with practical exercises on audition material, monologues, cold-reading and scenes on camera, and will review their work and others to incorporate feedback for further development.
Note(s): Fulfills Artistic Inquiry requirement.
TH 325 - Advanced Playwriting
Credits: 3
Intensive practice in the art of playwriting. In addition to exercises designed to deepen the playwright's grasp of dramatic structures, students will write full-length plays. Workshop format with substantial class time devoted to discussing student writing. Emphasis on developing each writer's unique, idiosyncratic vision and voice within a forum open to experimentation, while also focusing on issues of craft, form and style. Revision is an essential part of the writing process. Reading of contemporary plays and theory is aimed at broadening writers' concepts of what is theatrical.
Prerequisites: TH 225.
TH 333 - The Director as Collaborative Artist
Credits: 3
An advanced seminar course stressing the relationship of the director's insights to the insights and work of actors, designers, stage managers, composers, and musicians. Students examine a variety of directorial models and theories. Students also analyze their own collaborative efforts and directorial strategies in various workshop productions.
Prerequisites: TH 230 or permission of instructor.
TH 334 - Special Studies in Theater History and Theory
Credits: 3
An in-depth examination of a specific topic drawn from the related fields of history and theory. Topics might include a specific period or trend in theater history (for example, the avant-garde) or key artists (for example, women in the American theater) or exploration of theater in relationship to other arts or media (for example, from theater to film) or writing about performance and art.
Prerequisites: permission of instructor.
Note(s): This course may be repeated for credit at the discretion of the department.
TH 335 - Theater Company
Credits: 2
Participation for theater majors and non-majors interested in theater production. Advanced level work is usually working as a designer, as a director, performing in a substantial role, and/or in a leadership capacity or specialist on crews or management areas. All company members are a part of the production process from concept to design to execution and evaluation.
Prerequisites: TH 235 and one of the following, which may be taken concurrently: TH250, TH249.
Note(s): This course may be repeated for a maximum of 4 semester hours. Normally this course is only open to seniors. Not for liberal arts credit.
TH 336 - Advanced Theater Production
Credits: 3
This course, structured on an individual basis, provides leadership experience in the areas of stage management, properties, sound, and technical direction. Theories and strategies are studied, then applied to work on a major production assignment.
Prerequisites: TH 129 and permission of instructor.
Note(s): Not for liberal arts credit.
TH 337 - Scenic Design
Credits: 3
A studio course in advanced theories and practices of scenic design. Study and projects will involve the development of conceptual approaches, research, sketches, and preservation techniques. Students will serve as assistant designers on Skidmore Theater productions.
TH 338 - Black Theater
Credits: 3
An exploration of the history, literature, performance, and ongoing contributions of Black Theater. Students study performance practices, dramatic literature, and theoretical frameworks of Black intellectuals and artists from the mid-nineteenth century to the present. Students examine the reciprocal effects between the art of Black Theater and its historical, political, and cultural contexts in topics such as anti-lynching plays, pageantry, experimental dance and poetry, the Black Arts movement, Black Lives Matter, Hip Hop Theater, queer performance, musicals, and documentary theater. Although the primary focus is on theater in the U.S, the course also considers diasporic and global Black identities and issues. Creative research projects provide opportunities for students to practice, apply, and share their knowledge in and outside of the classroom. Students interrogate themes of power, justice, and identity throughout the course, including (but not limited to) the intersections of race, gender, sexuality, politics, representation, and activism. Notions of community and civic engagement will also be examined and put into practice as course topics intersect with other campus events, the life of the college, the local region, and the nation, including the celebration of National Black Theater Day.
Prerequisites: SSP 100.
Note(s): Fulfills Bridge Experience and Humanistic Inquiry Requirement.
TH 339 - Community-Based Theater
Credits: 3
A study of varied interpretations and manifestations of community-based theater ranging from theater pieces and institutions grounded in particular cultural traditions, to social and political work emerging from artist/community collaborations. Students will explore the work of institutions and artists who identify their target communities by age, race, location/region, and sexual orientation, while studying methodologies and underlying pedagogies for creating with and for community. Students will also examine discourse around cultural equity and the concept of arts for social change.
TH 340 - Climate Justice and Theater Action
Credits: 3
An exploration of the ways in which theater can be a vital part of climate justice in the United States. Students will examine the relationships between power, justice and identity through active participation in the biennial Climate Change Theatre Action global event. Students will research, prepare, plan, create, and implement performances for CCTA 2023, per the guidelines of CCTA 2023. The class and its event will be formally registered with CCTA. CCTA is global in scope; this class, as a Bridge class, will focus on climate justice in the United States. Any international play we choose will be directly linked to U.S. concerns and contexts. Methods of inquiry are grounded in praxis, an interweaving of practice and theory, across modalities, including but not limited to critical reading, original research, digital methods, and hands-on theater making.
Prerequisites: SSP 100.
Note(s): Fulfills Artistic Inquiry and Bridge Experience requirements.
TH 341 - History of American Theater
Credits: 3
A study of the significant sociopolitical events, theatrical innovations, and theater artists who helped shape the American Theater from the late eighteenth century to the current American avant-garde. Readings and studies will focus on the relationship of American society to the major currents in the production process, growth of American theater companies, artists, and critics, and the emergence of American genres such as urban comedy, melodramas, and musical comedy. Students will analyze primary resource materials such as reviews, journal entries, and plays, and will synthesize readings from historical events and theoretical perspectives.
TH 343A - Collaborations: Special Studies in Directing and Acting: Actors
Credits: 3
A laboratory class that provides advanced directors and advanced actors an opportunity to collaborate on a series of performance projects. These projects will focus on texts from various countries, genres, and eras. Directing students will define and refine their personal directing methodology by researching and working with various styles of theater literature. Script analysis, study of style, and working with a company of actors are core experiences of directors. Acting students will engage in a variety of performance styles. They will be required to apply their practice and research in fully rehearsed scenes and short plays. All students will research and write about topics relevant to the play texts (e.g., historical contexts, themes, the playwright, etc.). All students will also be involved in research presentations and critique sessions for each project.
TH 343D - Collaborations: Special Studies in Directing and Acting: Directors
Credits: 3
A laboratory class that provides advanced directors and advanced actors an opportunity to collaborate on a series of performance projects. These projects will focus on texts from various countries, genres, and eras. Directing students will define and refine their personal directing methodology by researching and working with various styles of theater literature. Script analysis, study of style, and working with a company of actors are core experiences of directors. Acting students will engage in a variety of performance styles. They will be required to apply their practice and research in fully rehearsed scenes and short plays. All students will research and write about topics relevant to the play texts (e.g., historical contexts, themes, the playwright, etc.). All students will also be involved in research presentations and critique sessions for each project.
TH 350 - Production Seminar
Credits: 1-4
Students enrolled in TH 350 will have advanced level responsibilities working on the main-stage production or on the black-box studio production. The main-stage production is usually presented at the end of the semester, and the studio production is usually presented mid-semester. In addition to production responsibilities, students will complete a portfolio of their experience. Students will meet with the faculty to determine the appropriate number of semester hours for each experience.
Note(s): Fulfills Artistic Inquiry requirement. Students may enroll in TH350 once they have completed TH250 and are ready for advanced and/or more significant responsibilities in production. Instructor permission required.
TH 371 - Independent Study in Theater
Credits: 1-3
Independent study and production projects under the guidance of the department. Hours to be arranged. (This course may or may not be credited in liberal arts, at the discretion of both the department chair and the Registrar and in exceptional instances, the College's Curriculum Committee).
TH 375 - Advanced Directing Practicum
Credits: 3
Independent work on a theatrical production. Under faculty supervision, the student will choose, cast, and mount a dramatic work which will be presented to the public.
Note(s): This course may be repeated for credit at the discretion of the department.
TH 376 - Senior Project
Credits: 3
A culminating integrative learning experience for the theater major in which students will reflect on their liberal arts education as the foundation for their current and future creative endeavors. The senior project will integrate each student’s previous experiences at Skidmore while simultaneously fostering new and creative ideas. The senior project requires a student demonstrate both knowledge and expertise. Through the senior project, the student generates questions, experiences, and experiments that will serve to launch them into their post graduate endeavors.
Prerequisites: TH 250 or TH249; senior status as a theater major; senior minors may participate with permission of department.
Note(s): Partially fulfills the writing requirement in the major. This course may be repeated for credit at the discretion of the department.
TH 377 - Theater Career Development
Credits: 1
An exploration of professional ethics, current issues in the theater, audition technique, portfolio preparation, and career planning.
Prerequisites: Senior class status as a declared theater major or minor.
TH 399 - Professional Internship in Theater
Credits: 1-4
Professional experience at an advanced level for juniors and seniors with substantial academic and cocurricular experience in the major field. With faculty sponsorship and department approval, students may extend their educational experience into such areas as stage managing; lighting; scenic design and construction; costume design, construction, and restoration; sound design and implementation; acting; directing; and theater management and promotion.
Prerequisites: Students must have completed all intermediate level theater courses appropriate to the area of the internship and be recommended by an instructor in the chosen area of study.