Theater and Dance
Dance Courses
DANC 105 Introduction to Performance Studies (1 Credit)
In this course students explore the question "what is performance?" and how this informs their understanding of an increasingly mediated and globalized world. They examine the broad spectrum of performance in its many forms including theater, dance, visual art, performance art, everyday life, folklore, rituals and celebrations, and protests as well as the processes of each. Students apply readings on performance theory to performance events and sites on campus and beyond. In addition, they engage in an in-depth exploration of both global and intercultural performances and the growing international importance of this field.
Modes of Inquiry: [AC], [HS]
Writing Credit: None
GEC(s): None
Department/Program Attribute(s): None
Class Restriction: None
Instructor: Amy Huang
DANC 151 Making Dances (1 Credit)
Students develop skills in inventing and structuring movement by creating solo and group studies. Reading, writing, and viewing assignments inform creative activities. No prior dance experience required. Open to first-year students.
Modes of Inquiry: [AC], [CP]
Writing Credit: None
GEC(s): GEC C011, GEC C029
Department/Program Attribute(s): None
Class Restriction: None
Cross-listed Course(s): None
DANC 202 Devising Performance (1 Credit)
Devising is a contemporary performance-making practice that declines the traditional single author/choreographer/director/script model of theater in favor of a collaborative approach to generating themes, content, forms, and aesthetics for creating performance. In this hybrid course students learn about devising practices, theories, and politics through the exploration of how performance companies work in this generative space, and explore devising techniques to practice these methodologies in action.
Modes of Inquiry: [AC], [CP]
Writing Credit: None
GEC(s): None
Department/Program Attribute(s): None
Class Restriction: None
Cross-listed Course(s): THEA 202
Instructor: Amy Huang
DANC 240 Embodied Anatomy and Kinesthetics (1 Credit)
This course develops an understanding of foundational human anatomy and kinesthetics as applied to bodies in motion. Topics include an introductory study of anatomy; the mechanics of movement; sustainable approaches to training in creative and athletic movement modalities. Recommended background: previous dance or movement training. Open to first-year students.
Modes of Inquiry: [SR]
Writing Credit: None
GEC(s): GEC C011, GEC C029
Department/Program Attribute(s): None
Class Restriction: None
Cross-listed Course(s): None
Instructor: Tristan Koepke
DANC 250 Dance Histories of the United States (1 Credit)
Dance Histories of the United States invites students into creative and critical engagement with history and historiography by examining dance and performance topics and theories. This course encourages students to research aesthetic and conceptual lineage and influence in concert and commercial dance forms in the United States by considering contemporary and historic choreographies and dance artists. In researching various histories of modern, jazz, street styles, ballet, and indigenous forms, students will gain insight into a multitude of embodied expressions in africanist, europeanist, and indigenous traditions. Students will be asked to engage their curiosity and question the role that dance history plays in developing collective and individual creativity and ingenuity, as well as in resisting and/or reifying notions of power, hierarchy, and privilege in contemporary societies. Course content will include regular reading, writing, personal reflection, viewing assignments, and presentations.
Modes of Inquiry: [AC], [HS]
Writing Credit: [W2]
GEC(s): GEC C011, GEC C041, GEC C061
Department/Program Attribute(s): (History: Modern)
Class Restriction: None
Cross-listed Course(s): HIST 253
DANC 251 Making Dances II (1 Credit)
An exploration of the craft and the art of making dance performance from human gesture. Readings, critical analysis, and informal showings support the complex process of creating a finished movement-based piece for public performance by the end of the semester. The course culminates in a Studio Concert presented in Plavin Studio 1 at the end of the semester. Prerequisite(s): DANC 151, 253, 270I, DN/TH 202, or significant Choreography for Bates performance clubs.
Modes of Inquiry: [AC], [CP]
Writing Credit: None
GEC(s): GEC C011, GEC C029
Department/Program Attribute(s): None
Class Restriction: None
Cross-listed Course(s): None
Instructor: Scott McPheeters
DANC 252 Contemporary Issues in Dance (1 Credit)
This course focuses on contemporary dance performance and practices that center, celebrate, and problematize theories of race, gender, sexuality, art, and politics. Course readings, discussions, and creative assignments center Black performance theories and methodologies, including dance, theater, poetry, music, and visual art. Students will also encounter concepts of transnational feminisms and queer fabulation across a variety of dance styles and practices. Course assignments develop students’ abilities in understanding and demonstrating their own positionality, as well as writing and researching across lines of cultural difference. Open to first-year students.
Modes of Inquiry: [AC], [HS]
Writing Credit: [W2]
GEC(s): GEC C009, GEC C011, GEC C041, GEC C061
Department/Program Attribute(s): None
Class Restriction: None
Cross-listed Course(s): AFR 252
Instructor: Tristan Koepke
DANC 253 Dance Repertory (1 Credit)
Students experience a variety of approaches to making and performing dance through intensive choreographic residencies with professional guest choreographers, all artists-in-residence at the Bates Dance Festival. The course culminates in the Marcy Plavin Dance Concert at the end of the semester. Recommended background: previous dance experience. This course may be repeated for credit. DANC 253 can be taken multiple times for credit, however can only be attributed to one major requirement per time taken. For example, if a student completes DANC 253 once, it will fulfill either the Creative Process or the Performance and Production requirement. If a student takes DANC 253 twice, one of the completed courses will fulfill Creative Process, and one will fulfill Performance and Production. Co-requisite(s): DANC 270D.
Modes of Inquiry: [AC], [CP]
Writing Credit: None
GEC(s): GEC C011
Department/Program Attribute(s): None
Class Restriction: None
Cross-listed Course(s): None
DANC 262 Embodying Activism: Performing a Living Definition (1 Credit)
A lecture and studio practice course intended to generate a living definition of embodying activism to be performatively personified. Through a series of social justice lensings, student artists determine for themselves what they consider activist and how they would engage that distinction throughout their creative process.
Modes of Inquiry: [AC], [CP]
Writing Credit: None
GEC(s): GEC C011
Department/Program Attribute(s): None
Class Restriction: None
Cross-listed Course(s): AMST 262
Instructor: Brian Evans
DANC 270 Studio (0.5 Credits)
This series of studio courses provides instruction in a variety of dance styles and performing practices. DANC 270 may be repeated for credit without limit. One-half credit is earned for each course completed.
Modes of Inquiry: [CP]
Writing Credit: None
GEC(s): None
Department/Program Attribute(s): None
Class Restriction: None
Cross-listed Course(s): None
DANC 270A Studio: Contemporary Modern (0.5 Credits)
In this entry and open level modern technique course, students address performance, practice, style, and form in order to build strong technique and enhanced artistry and understanding. No prior dance experience required. One-half credit is earned. Open to first-year students.
Modes of Inquiry: [CP]
Writing Credit: None
GEC(s): GEC C027
Department/Program Attribute(s): None
Class Restriction: None
Cross-listed Course(s): None
DANC 270B Studio: Ballet I (0.5 Credits)
In this beginner-level ballet technique course, students explore the traditional practice, style, vocabulary and form of classical ballet. No prior dance experience required. One-half credit is earned. Open to first-year students.
Modes of Inquiry: [CP]
Writing Credit: None
GEC(s): GEC C027
Department/Program Attribute(s): None
Class Restriction: None
Cross-listed Course(s): None
Instructor: Rachel Ganteaume-Richards
DANC 270C Studio: Modern Partnering (0.5 Credits)
Contemporary partnering skills, including contact improvisation skills, weight sharing, spatial and physical relationships, and personal responsibility, are combined with contemporary modern dance techniques. Recommended background: previous dance experience. Open to first-year students.
Modes of Inquiry: [CP]
Writing Credit: None
GEC(s): GEC C027
Department/Program Attribute(s): None
Class Restriction: None
Cross-listed Course(s): None
DANC 270D Studio: Repertory Styles (0.5 Credits)
This intermediate-advanced dance technique course explores various approaches to dance training and practice as experienced with different guest teachers throughout the semester. Students enrolled in this course (and not DANC253) have the option of performing in one piece in the Marcy Plavin Fall Dance Concert. One-half credit is earned. Open to first-year students. Recommended background: intermediate experience in dance and some contemporary modern training.
Modes of Inquiry: [AC], [CP]
Writing Credit: None
GEC(s): GEC C027
Department/Program Attribute(s): None
Class Restriction: None
Cross-listed Course(s): None
DANC 270E Studio: Jazz I (0.5 Credits)
In this mixed-level technique course, students address jazz dance performance, practice, style, and form in order to build strong technique as well as to enhance artistry and understanding. Recommended background: experience in dance. One-half credit is earned. Open to first-year students.
Modes of Inquiry: [CP]
Writing Credit: None
GEC(s): GEC C027
Department/Program Attribute(s): None
Class Restriction: None
Cross-listed Course(s): None
Instructor: Kate Marchessault
DANC 270G Studio: Dance Ensemble, Intermediate (0.5 Credits)
This intermediate-level course focuses on modern technique, clarity of intention, and general performance skills, in order to maintain a strong technique and develop one's personal contribution to ensemble dancing. Recommended background: intermediate experience in dance and some modern training. One-half credit is earned. Open to first-year students.
Modes of Inquiry: [CP]
Writing Credit: None
GEC(s): None
Department/Program Attribute(s): None
Class Restriction: None
Cross-listed Course(s): None
Instructor: Tristan Koepke
DANC 270H Studio: Ballet II (0.5 Credits)
In this intermediate-level ballet course, students strengthen their technique and enhance their artistry through the practice of classical ballet. This level is appropriate for returning beginner and/or intermediate dancers who are already at ease with the ballet vocabulary. Recommended background: DANC 270B or experience in ballet technique. One-half credit is earned. Open to first-year students.
Modes of Inquiry: [CP]
Writing Credit: None
GEC(s): None
Department/Program Attribute(s): None
Class Restriction: None
Cross-listed Course(s): None
Instructor: Rachel Ganteaume-Richards
DANC 270I Studio: Improvisation (0.5 Credits)
Students explore improvisational dance skills essential to any style of dance through the use of body weight, momentum, and physical contact. Some familiarity with any form of dance is helpful. One-half credit is earned. Open to first-year students.
Modes of Inquiry: [CP]
Writing Credit: None
GEC(s): GEC C027
Department/Program Attribute(s): None
Class Restriction: None
Cross-listed Course(s): None
DANC 270K Studio: Hip Hop (0.5 Credits)
In this mixed-level technique course, students address hip-hop dance performance, practice, style, and form in order to build strong technique as well as to enhance artistry and understanding. Recommended background: some experience in dance. One-half credit is earned. Open to first-year students.
Modes of Inquiry: [CP]
Writing Credit: None
GEC(s): GEC C027
Department/Program Attribute(s): None
Class Restriction: None
Cross-listed Course(s): None
DANC 270M Studio: Dance Ensemble, Advanced (0.5 Credits)
This advanced-level course focuses on modern technique, clarity of intention, and general performance skills, in order to maintain a strong technique and develop one's personal contribution to ensemble dancing in the studio and on the stage. Recommended background: advanced experience in dance and some modern training. One-half credit is earned.
Modes of Inquiry: [CP]
Writing Credit: None
GEC(s): None
Department/Program Attribute(s): None
Class Restriction: None
Cross-listed Course(s): None
Instructor: Tristan Koepke
DANC 270N Studio: Ballet III (0.5 Credits)
In this advanced-level ballet course, students strengthen their technique and enhance their artistry through the practice of classical ballet. This level is appropriate for the intermediate-advanced dancer who has prior training in classical ballet at the intermediate-advanced level. One-half credit is earned. Open to first-year students.
Modes of Inquiry: [CP]
Writing Credit: None
GEC(s): None
Department/Program Attribute(s): None
Class Restriction: None
Cross-listed Course(s): None
Instructor: Rachel Ganteaume-Richards
DANC 270Q Studio: West African Dance of Guinea (0.5 Credits)
Together, master drummer and djembe artist Sayon Camara, and devoted dance artist Marita Kennedy-Castro, bring to this class live rhythms and dances that celebrate the cycles of life and nature, and are the heartbeat of Guinean culture. Students will learn foundational movements, contemporary style and choreography, cultural relevance, and the regional and historical context of each rhythm and dance. This traditional art form continues to evolve in present day Guinea and is celebrated around the globe. No prior dance experience is required. One-half credit is earned. Open to first-year students.
Modes of Inquiry: [CP]
Writing Credit: None
GEC(s): GEC C027
Department/Program Attribute(s): None
Class Restriction: None
Cross-listed Course(s): None
Instructor: Marita Kennedy-Castro
DANC 270R Studio: Somatics (0.5 Credits)
This course will explore the principles of sensation-driven learning, the yoga and dance movements to awaken kinesthetic, proprioceptive, and interoceptive awareness. Focus shifts from achieving aesthetically pleasing movement to discovering greater movement efficiency, freedom of expression, self-agency, awareness, and creativity. No prior dance experience is required. One-half credit is earned. Open to first-year students.
Modes of Inquiry: [CP]
Writing Credit: None
GEC(s): GEC C027
Department/Program Attribute(s): None
Class Restriction: None
Cross-listed Course(s): None
Instructor: Kate Marchessault
DANC 270W Studio: Pilates (0.5 Credits)
An introduction to the exercises and principles of classical Pilates. This physical training course uses the Pilates method and complementary conditioning techniques to develop core strength, alignment, and flexibility. This course is designed for physical performers, but useful for bodies of all kinds. One-half credit is earned. Open to first-year students.
Modes of Inquiry: None
Writing Credit: None
GEC(s): GEC C027
Department/Program Attribute(s): None
Class Restriction: None
Cross-listed Course(s): THEA 270W
Instructor: Robin Vermilion
DANC 290 Practicum (0.5 Credits)
Working under faculty direction, students perform major roles in departmental productions as a performer (290A); stage manager, associate stage manager, technician (290B); designer, dramaturg, assistant director (290C). One-half credit is earned. May be repeated.
Modes of Inquiry: [AC], [CP]
Writing Credit: None
GEC(s): None
Department/Program Attribute(s): None
Class Restriction: None
Cross-listed Course(s): THEA 290
DANC 300 Bates Dance Festival (1 Credit)
For students with previous kinesthetic training who can demonstrate fluency and commitment to their practice, this course provides Bates students with the opportunity to participate in the Bates Dance Festival Professional Training Program. Full participation in this summer program requires 30 weekly hours of technical training across multiple dance disciplines and theoretical practices. Festival courses are taught by leading scholars, artists, and practitioners in their fields. An integral part of this course is attending festival concerts, informal showings, discussions, and video presentations. This course may be repeated for credit.
Modes of Inquiry: [AC], [CP]
Writing Credit: None
GEC(s): GEC C011, GEC C061
Department/Program Attribute(s): None
Class Restriction: None
Cross-listed Course(s): None
Instructor: Tristan Koepke
DANC 360 Independent Study (1 Credit)
Students, in consultation with a faculty advisor, individually design and plan a course of study or research not offered in the curriculum. Course work includes a reflective component, evaluation, and completion of an agreed-upon product. Sponsorship by a faculty member in the program/department, a course prospectus, and permission of the chair are required. Students may register for no more than one independent study per semester.
Modes of Inquiry: None
Writing Credit: None
GEC(s): None
Department/Program Attribute(s): None
Class Restriction: None
Cross-listed Course(s): None
DANC 457 Senior Thesis (1 Credit)
A substantial creative research project in dance, usually in the form of choreographic, performance, and/or written work. Student artists register for DANC 457 in the Fall semester. Successful completion of this course qualifies as a thesis credit toward the dance major.
Modes of Inquiry: None
Writing Credit: [W3]
GEC(s): None
Department/Program Attribute(s): None
Class Restriction: Not open to: First Year, Sophomore, or Junior students
Cross-listed Course(s): None
Instructor: Tristan Koepke
DANC 458 Senior Thesis (1 Credit)
A substantial creative research project in dance, usually in the form of choreographic, performance, and/or written work. Student artists register for DANC 458 in the Winter semester. Successful completion of this course qualifies as a thesis credit toward the dance major.
Modes of Inquiry: None
Writing Credit: [W3]
GEC(s): None
Department/Program Attribute(s): None
Class Restriction: Not open to: First Year, Sophomore, or Junior students
Cross-listed Course(s): None
DANC S32 Building a Dance Practice (0.5 Credits)
This course introduces students to applications of a dance practice both inside and outside the field of professional performance and helps them to create a model for a dance practice that they can carry with them beyond Bates. Students also take a daily contemporary modern dance-based movement class and develop an individual project in an area of dance research that models a dance practice for them. This course is part of the Purposeful Work Infusion Project, a programming element of the college’s Purposeful Work initiative. The Purposeful Work Infusion Project is a curricular opportunity that seeks to bridge the gap between course content and "purposeful work," which may include careers, identity, meaning, and purpose. All Purposeful Work Infusion courses include three elements: at least one reading assignment related to "purposeful work"; at least one reflective writing assignment on "purposeful work"; and at least the equivalent of one class session's discussion focused on bridging the gap between course content and "purposeful work.” Recommended background: At least one college-level dance course or intermediate level of proficiency in any dance form.
Modes of Inquiry: None
Writing Credit: None
GEC(s): None
Department/Program Attribute(s): None
Class Restriction: None
Cross-listed Course(s): None
Theater Courses
THEA 105 Introduction to Performance Studies (1 Credit)
In this course students explore the question "what is performance?" and how this informs their understanding of an increasingly mediated and globalized world. They examine the broad spectrum of performance in its many forms including theater, dance, visual art, performance art, everyday life, folklore, rituals and celebrations, and protests as well as the processes of each. Students apply readings on performance theory to performance events and sites on campus and beyond. In addition, they engage in an in-depth exploration of both global and intercultural performances and the growing international importance of this field.
Modes of Inquiry: [AC], [HS]
Writing Credit: None
GEC(s): None
Department/Program Attribute(s): None
Class Restriction: None
Instructor: Amy Huang
THEA 130 Introduction to Design (1 Credit)
The creation of theater is a synthesis of text, performance, and visual imagery. This course explores how the visual aspect of theatrical design affects the way an audience perceives, feels, and responds to text and action. Students learn to use line, mass, color, and texture to communicate metaphoric and thematic ideas as they relate to the overall theatrical experience. They examine how forms of art, architecture, and music use these tools to influence and transform the audience, and build on this foundation to create a design vocabulary for theater. Students discuss how clothing, adornment, and body language influence the way individuals perceive others and present themselves. As a culminating project, students learn the fundamentals of collaborative creation, and design scenery and costumes for a work of dramatic literature. Required of all majors. No previous art or theater training is required.
Modes of Inquiry: [AC], [CP]
Writing Credit: None
GEC(s): GEC C029
Department/Program Attribute(s): None
Class Restriction: None
Cross-listed Course(s): None
Instructor: B. Christine McDowell
THEA 132 Theater Technology (1 Credit)
An introduction to the technical aspects of live theater, exploring both traditional and modern approaches, this course provides a look "behind the curtain" to reveal the secrets of theater magic. Topics include the stage and its equipment, materials, and construction of scenic and property items, lighting, sound, projections, rigging, and backstage organization. All students participate in the preparation and presentation of theater and dance productions. Due to the hands-on nature of this course, 30 hours of outside class time are required and scheduled individually.
Modes of Inquiry: [CP]
Writing Credit: None
GEC(s): GEC C005, GEC C006, GEC C029
Department/Program Attribute(s): None
Class Restriction: None
Cross-listed Course(s): None
Instructor: Courtney Smith
THEA 170 Introduction to Digital Media (1 Credit)
This introductory course explores the ever-evolving world of digital media in the performing arts, where technology, creativity, and communities converge. Students will be trained on the holistic and collaborative process from storyboarding to technical execution, specifically as it relates to live entertainment. We’ll examine the history, current landscape, and emerging technologies in projection and video design.
Modes of Inquiry: [CP]
Writing Credit: None
GEC(s): None
Department/Program Attribute(s): (DCS: Human-Centered Design)
Class Restriction: None
Cross-listed Course(s): DCS 170
Instructor: Courtney Smith
THEA 202 Devising Performance (1 Credit)
Devising is a contemporary performance-making practice that declines the traditional single author/choreographer/director/script model of theater in favor of a collaborative approach to generating themes, content, forms, and aesthetics for creating performance. In this hybrid course students learn about devising practices, theories, and politics through the exploration of how performance companies work in this generative space, and explore devising techniques to practice these methodologies in action.
Modes of Inquiry: [AC], [CP]
Writing Credit: None
GEC(s): None
Department/Program Attribute(s): None
Class Restriction: None
Cross-listed Course(s): DANC 202
Instructor: Amy Huang
THEA 217 Theatrical Things: Material Culture and Performance (1 Credit)
This course considers the intertwining of theatre and performance with things. Theatre productions often rely on and make deft use of objects. Costumes and scenery can transform actors and stages, conjuring other times and places. Props can drive the action of the play or reveal the nuances of a character. Performances can also leave material traces as numerous theatre scrapbooks, souvenirs, fan mail, and reviews might attest. Objects can disclose their makers’ and users’ values, relationships, and the memories that haunt and hold onto them. We will explore how theatrical things – the material culture of theatre and performance -- can offer important perspectives on queerness, race, disability, migration, displacement, collectivity, care, and memory. We will also examine how theatre and performances can use objects to shape spectatorship, to recall histories of objectification and exhibition, and to work toward preservation, repair, and worldmaking.
Modes of Inquiry: [HS]
Writing Credit: [W2]
GEC(s): None
Department/Program Attribute(s): None
Class Restriction: None
Cross-listed Course(s): AMST 217
Instructor: Amy Huang
THEA 223 Dramaturgy: An Introduction (1 Credit)
A dramaturg contributes a wide variety of theatrical knowledge—literary, historical, critical, and practical—to the process of producing a play. The dramaturg’s function in a theater company is to ask and answer questions, small and large, about everything from the meaning of a single word in a text, to the meanings of the text as a whole. The dramaturg must also understand the requirements of production such as acting, directing, and design. This class will examine how dramaturgs can synthesize and communicate this knowledge and understanding to the artists producing the play and to the audiences watching it.
Modes of Inquiry: [AC], [HS]
Writing Credit: [W2]
GEC(s): None
Department/Program Attribute(s): None
Class Restriction: Not open to: First Year students
Cross-listed Course(s): None
Instructor: Amy Huang
THEA 231 Scene Design (1 Credit)
This course presents in-depth study of the creative and practical tools used by set designers to visually enrich and shape the theatrical experience. Students study a history of theatrical architecture and design, focusing on how they have shaped the uses of stage space and the vocabulary of modern scene design. Classes build on aesthetic fundamentals developed in THEA 130, and examine in greater depth the relationship between set designers and theatrical texts. Practically, students learn fundamentals of theatrical drafting, perspective and scale drawing, and model making. This course is recommended for students with an interest in the visual and emotional impact of effective scene design on drama and performance. Recommended background: Students are encouraged to contact Professor McDowell to discuss their previous art training and experience before registering for the course. Prerequisite(s): THEA 130, 132, or an individual portfolio review.
Modes of Inquiry: [AC], [CP]
Writing Credit: None
GEC(s): GEC C029, GEC C061
Department/Program Attribute(s): None
Class Restriction: None
Cross-listed Course(s): None
Instructor: B. Christine McDowell
THEA 232 Lighting Design (1 Credit)
This course introduces the practical and artistic elements of theatrical lighting design. Through hands-on experience, students will become familiar with the tools and equipment typically used in contemporary stage lighting. As they engage in the creative process, students will explore color theory, form, movement, and composition. Prerequisite(s) or corequisite(s): THEA 105, 130, or 132.
Modes of Inquiry: [CP]
Writing Credit: None
GEC(s): GEC C006, GEC C029
Department/Program Attribute(s): None
Class Restriction: None
Cross-listed Course(s): None
Instructor: Courtney Smith
THEA 233 Costume Design (1 Credit)
In theater, as in life, clothes often "make the man." This course focuses on the myriad aspects of personality, position, and state of mind created and enhanced for stage characters by the art of costume design. Emphasis is placed on analyzing play texts and bringing characters to life. The course builds on aesthetic fundamentals developed in THEA 130, and offers further instruction in costume research, figure drawing, and sketching and painting skills used to present costume design information. This course is recommended for students with an interest in the visual and emotional impact of effective design on drama and performance. Recommended background: Students are encouraged to contact Professor Mc Dowell to discuss their previous art training and experience before registering for the course. Prerequisite(s): THEA 130 or an individual portfolio review.
Modes of Inquiry: [AC], [CP]
Writing Credit: None
GEC(s): GEC C029, GEC C061
Department/Program Attribute(s): None
Class Restriction: None
Cross-listed Course(s): None
Instructor: B. Christine McDowell
THEA 235 Fashion: A Survey of Western Culture (1 Credit)
The history of dress and human adornment includes political, sexual, economic, and cultural factors, often entwined in subtle or ephemeral ways with the aesthetics of what we consider fashion. This course, which is conducted in a survey format, begins with early Greek culture and continues into the current era, examining not just physical appearance, but these other factors that have driven the myriad changes in the history of dress throughout Western culture.
Modes of Inquiry: [AC], [HS]
Writing Credit: None
GEC(s): GEC C027, GEC C083
Department/Program Attribute(s): None
Class Restriction: None
Cross-listed Course(s): None
Instructor: B. Christine McDowell
THEA 238 Race and Ethnicity in Modern and Contemporary American Drama (1 Credit)
This course looks at the significant and constitutive role of modern and contemporary American drama in American cultural history. The class will particularly focus on how these plays explore race and ethnicity. We will look at these plays in their cultural contexts, noting how they examine settler colonialism, immigration, and racism, while also working toward preservation, repair, and worldmaking. Playwrights whose work we will examine include James Ijames, Lorraine Hansberry, Mary Kathryn Nagle and Lloyd Suh.
Modes of Inquiry: [HS]
Writing Credit: [W2]
GEC(s): GEC C037
Department/Program Attribute(s): None
Class Restriction: None
Cross-listed Course(s): None
THEA 240 Introduction to Playwriting (1 Credit)
In this course, students will learn how to write plays by…writing plays. The goal is for students to write boldly, quickly, and theatrically, and to begin to understand and manage their creative process. Students will read and discuss contemporary plays to understand the choices playwrights make about character, setting, plot, and theme. Time will be spent on learning how to give and receive feedback following the Liz Lerman critical response process. Students will turn in new pages of dialogue nearly every week, and over the course of the semester will structure their own revision process, resulting in a written piece of dramatic work. Previous playwriting experience is not required.
Modes of Inquiry: [AC], [CP]
Writing Credit: None
GEC(s): None
Department/Program Attribute(s): None
Class Restriction: None
Cross-listed Course(s): ENG 248
Instructor: Callie Kimball
THEA 250 Introduction to Directing (1 Credit)
An introduction to the art of directing, with an emphasis on creative and aesthetic problems and their solutions. Students learn the essential processes used by a director and deepen their awareness of contemporary directors and practices. The course offers a basic understanding of fundamental directorial technique: script analysis, staging, collaboration with performers, and approaches to contemporary drama. The course is both theoretical and practical, involving readings, rehearsal observation, theater exercises and directing scenes.
Modes of Inquiry: [AC], [CP]
Writing Credit: None
GEC(s): None
Department/Program Attribute(s): None
Class Restriction: None
Cross-listed Course(s): None
Instructor: Timothy Dugan
THEA 261 Introduction to Acting (1 Credit)
This experiential course offers an in-depth exploration of the craft of acting. Using several different acting techniques, students undertake exercises to strengthen connection, relaxation, objective, emotional openness, and moment-to-moment availability. The course emphasizes ensemble-building techniques to deepen cooperative skills. Students explore various methodologies and apply them to the preparation of their contemporary scene work.
Modes of Inquiry: [AC], [CP]
Writing Credit: None
GEC(s): GEC C005, GEC C027, GEC C029
Department/Program Attribute(s): None
Class Restriction: None
Cross-listed Course(s): None
Instructor: Timothy Dugan, Sally Wood
THEA 262 Performing Musical Theater (1 Credit)
This course is a combination of theory and practice, which examines the history of musical theater, from the Golden Age of musicals to today, and emphasizes this American contribution to the social, literary and performing arts, while also introducing students to the process of embodying character while singing. The goal of this course is to help students better appreciate, analyze, and evaluate musical theatre and its performance practices through the use of required reading, videos of live performances as well as discussions of compositional and vocal techniques used for each work studied. The performance aspect of this course will be highlighted with a participation in a live or online final presentation at the end of the semester. No previous stage or singing experience necessary.
Modes of Inquiry: [AC], [CP]
Writing Credit: None
GEC(s): None
Department/Program Attribute(s): None
Class Restriction: Not open to: First Year students
Cross-listed Course(s): MUS 262
THEA 263 Introduction to Voice and Speech (1 Credit)
Students examine the nature and working of the human voice. They explore ways to develop the voice's potential for expressive communication with exercises and the analysis of breathing, vocal relaxation, pitch, resonance, articulation, audibility, and text performance. This is a dynamic and highly experimental performance-based course. No previous experience is required. Recommended background: one course in acting, performance, or public speaking.
Modes of Inquiry: [CP]
Writing Credit: None
GEC(s): GEC C005, GEC C027
Department/Program Attribute(s): None
Class Restriction: None
Cross-listed Course(s): None
Instructor: Kati Vecsey
THEA 270W Studio: Pilates (0.5 Credits)
An introduction to the exercises and principles of classical Pilates. This physical training course uses the Pilates method and complementary conditioning techniques to develop core strength, alignment, and flexibility. This course is designed for physical performers, but useful for bodies of all kinds. One-half credit is earned.
Modes of Inquiry: None
Writing Credit: None
GEC(s): None
Department/Program Attribute(s): None
Class Restriction: None
Cross-listed Course(s): DANC 270W
Instructor: Robin Vermilion
THEA 290 Practicum (0.5 Credits)
Working under faculty direction, students perform major roles in departmental productions as a performer (290A); stage manager, associate stage manager, technician (290B); designer, dramaturg, assistant director (290C). One-half credit is earned. May be repeated.
Modes of Inquiry: [AC], [CP]
Writing Credit: None
GEC(s): None
Department/Program Attribute(s): None
Class Restriction: None
Cross-listed Course(s): DANC 290
THEA 295 Stage Management for the Performing Arts (1 Credit)
A stage manager’s role and responsibility is to ensure clear communications, logistics, and safety throughout the entire production process, from pre-rehearsal preparation to post-performance breakdown. This fundamental course investigates theater making from the point of view of a stage manager while focusing on three essential roles: communication within a production team, facilitating a space that allows for creative exploration, and maintaining the artistic integrity of the show. Students will explore the best practice strategies or the “how to” lead an authentic equitable theatrical process. Recommended background: DANC/THEA 105, THEA 130, or 132.
Modes of Inquiry: [AC], [CP]
Writing Credit: None
GEC(s): None
Department/Program Attribute(s): None
Class Restriction: None
Cross-listed Course(s): None
Instructor: Courtney Smith
THEA 299 Process & Production (1 Credit)
Process & Production is an experiential course that offers an in-depth exploration into the process of creating departmental productions directed by faculty or guest artists which occur each semester. Students will deepen their understanding of collaboration and have the opportunity to participate in a variety of theater-making roles such as acting, choreography, design, devising, directing, dramaturgy, stage management or technical theater. This course allows students to learn about innovative theater practices and to apply techniques from other curricular work. In addition to daily rehearsals the creative team of students will meet weekly to discuss their process, reflect on readings and participate in workshops on topics related to the field such as intimacy/consent-based practices, anti-racist practices, safety and cultural competency. Students will complete a written reflection and portfolio about their process and production experience.
Modes of Inquiry: [AC], [CP]
Writing Credit: None
GEC(s): None
Department/Program Attribute(s): None
Class Restriction: None
Cross-listed Course(s): None
THEA 310 Immersive Media Installation (1 Credit)
Immersive Media Installation is an advanced interdisciplinary creative production course that guides students through theoretical and technical frameworks for combining sound, video, and live performance in the conceptualization of an artwork. Students will exhibit their work in Bates’ new Immersive Media Studio (“IMStudio”) located in Coram. This studio allows for artwork to be exhibited utilizing multiple projections and speakers to create immersive media architectures. Readings/viewings and discussion support students' understanding of intermedia creative practices in varied contexts. Weekly workshops support technical learning. Students will create two major creative projects through the term: one as a class collaboration, and one in small teams. Students will also learn about the process of media installation, media exhibition, will document their work and write a short artist statement, offering tools for professional artistic development.
Modes of Inquiry: [CP]
Writing Credit: None
GEC(s): None
Department/Program Attribute(s): (AVC: Studio)
Class Restriction: None
Instructor: Asha Tamirisa
THEA 339 Advanced Playwriting (1 Credit)
In Advanced Playwriting, students will refine their writing and revision skills, offer and receive feedback through the Liz Lerman critical response process, read and respond to critical essays, and begin the transition to live performance. This writing- and discussion-driven course will also deepen students’ understanding of Aristotelian plot structure and its derivatives, as well as non-Western narrative structures by challenging students to explore and create bold, imaginative work. The basic elements of playwriting will be supplemented by explorations of form, language, character, structure, and space as innovated by contemporary playwrights. Students will complete a written body of dramatic work. Recommended background: THEA 240.
Modes of Inquiry: [AC], [CP]
Writing Credit: [W2]
GEC(s): None
Department/Program Attribute(s): None
Class Restriction: Not open to: First Year students
Cross-listed Course(s): ENG 339
Instructor: Callie Kimball
THEA 350 Advanced Directing (1 Credit)
Students deepen their craft of directing by experimenting with a variety of storytelling techniques for the stage. Class work focuses on the study and practice of the directing process, in which students expand their ability to develop an approach to a dramatic text, work with designers and actors, and explore generative theater making. Throughout the course there is a sustained focus on the collaborative process and examination of contemporary directors and their work. Students direct a ten-minute play to conclude the semester. Recommended background: THEA 250.
Modes of Inquiry: [AC], [CP]
Writing Credit: None
GEC(s): None
Department/Program Attribute(s): None
Class Restriction: Not open to: First Year students
Cross-listed Course(s): None
Instructor: Timothy Dugan
THEA 360 Independent Study (1 Credit)
Students, in consultation with a faculty advisor, individually design and plan a course of study or research not offered in the curriculum. Course work includes a reflective component, evaluation, and completion of an agreed-upon product. Sponsorship by a faculty member in the program/department and permission of the chair are required. Working under faculty direction, students may select: THEA 360 A Stage Management; THEA 360 B Assistant Director; THEA 360 C Dramaturgy; THEA 360 D Directing; THEA 360 E Assistant Design in the Area of Focus; THEA 360 F Design.
Modes of Inquiry: None
Writing Credit: None
GEC(s): None
Department/Program Attribute(s): None
Class Restriction: None
Cross-listed Course(s): None
THEA 362 Advanced Acting (1 Credit)
Students deepen their craft of acting by exploring the techniques of Constantin Stanislavski, Michael Chekhov, Lloyd Richards and various other acting practitioners. Class work focuses on a psycho-physical acting approach, in which students expand their imagination, explore their impulses, and creatively integrate their bodies and voices. The course emphasizes ensemble-building techniques to strengthen cooperative skills. Throughout the course there is a sustained focus on text analysis; this practice is used to identify actions, given circumstances and objectives, ultimately leading to options and choices for the actor. Learned techniques are to be applied in all studio performances: an assigned scene and a student chosen monologue. Prerequisite(s): THEA 261.
Modes of Inquiry: [AC], [CP]
Writing Credit: None
GEC(s): None
Department/Program Attribute(s): None
Class Restriction: Not open to: First Year students
Cross-listed Course(s): None
Instructor: Timothy Dugan
THEA 457 Senior Thesis (1 Credit)
Theater Makers students who elect this option structure their written work around a creative project designated by the department in acting, design, directing, dramaturgy, playwriting, stage management or technical theater. Theater Studies/Dramaturgy students who elect this option focus on scholarly research and writing. It offers them the opportunity to explore topics in theater and performance studies, dramatic literature, theater history, the theoretical and social dimensions of performance, or other appropriate areas of scholarly interest.
Modes of Inquiry: None
Writing Credit: [W3]
GEC(s): None
Department/Program Attribute(s): None
Class Restriction: Not open to: First Year, Sophomore, or Junior students
Cross-listed Course(s): None
THEA 458 Senior Thesis (1 Credit)
Theater Makers students who elect this option structure their written work around a creative project designated by the department in acting, design, directing, dramaturgy, playwriting, stage management or technical theater. Theater Studies/Dramaturgy students who elect this option, focus on scholarly research and writing. It offers them the opportunity to explore topics in theater and performance studies, dramatic literature, theater history, the theoretical and social dimensions of performance, or other appropriate areas of scholarly interest.
Modes of Inquiry: None
Writing Credit: [W3]
GEC(s): None
Department/Program Attribute(s): None
Class Restriction: Not open to: First Year, Sophomore, or Junior students
Cross-listed Course(s): None
THEA S19 From Kimono to Indigo: Japanese Textiles, Cultural Appropriation, and Sustainability (0.5 Credits)
The course will cover historical dress, (cross)gendered dressing, the levels of formality and seasonal patterns using a selection of vintage kimono. We will engage in kimono dressing, the visible mending technique sashiko, and the practice of preserving textiles with indigo dye. In addition, the course will address the issues related to Orientalism, cultural appropriation, and sustainability.
Modes of Inquiry: [AC], [CP]
Writing Credit: None
GEC(s): GEC C046
Department/Program Attribute(s): (AVC: History and Criticism)
Class Restriction: None
Instructor: Hanna McGaughey
THEA S21 Puppets: Theory, Practice, and Play (0.5 Credits)
This interdisciplinary course examines the questions, concepts, and potential surrounding puppets through a combination of hands-on work and play with puppets, discussion, readings, and viewings of puppet performances. Readings and other materials offer perspectives on what puppets are, how they interact with audiences, and what makes puppet performance a distinct forum for exploring questions about bodies and identities. Students test these ideas together using actual puppets to see how theory and practice collide. The course concludes with a collective project using puppets to engage with the community at Bates and beyond. Conducted in English.
Modes of Inquiry: None
Writing Credit: None
GEC(s): None
Department/Program Attribute(s): None
Class Restriction: None
Instructor: Cheryl Stephenson
THEA S27 Scenic Painting (0.5 Credits)
Scene painting relies on visual illusion to achieve realism, and scenic painters must master creating two-dimensional works on a large scale that are seen at great distances. In this course students are introduced to a broad array of tools and techniques to turn paint and canvas visually into wood, marble, ornate stone carving, trompe l'oeil-virtually anything that exists in three dimensions. Projects are designed to be cumulative, building skills that can be incorporated into individually chosen final projects.
Modes of Inquiry: None
Writing Credit: None
GEC(s): GEC C029
Department/Program Attribute(s): (AVC: Studio)
Class Restriction: None
Cross-listed Course(s): AVC S27
Instructor: B. Christine McDowell
THEA S33 Central European Theater and Film (0.5 Credits)
A study of Hungarian and Czech history, politics, and theater since about 1945. Our focus is on the impact on theater of the cataclysmic social and political changes in Central Europe since the Hungarian uprisings of 1956. Other seminal events bearing on this study are the Prague Spring of 1968, the collapse of the Soviet bloc in 1989, and the subsequent rebuilding of politics and culture in the region up until today. In conjunction with our study of history, politics, and drama, students read an array of secondary sources on the social and cultural history of post-war Central Europe. Classes will be conducted as discussions, led by the Bates instructors and Hungarian, Czech, and other Central European artists and scholars. Students maintain a journal describing and analyzing the plays, readings and other academic materials studied. Recommended background: one course in European studies, theater, or politics.
Modes of Inquiry: [AC], [HS]
Writing Credit: None
GEC(s): GEC C019
Department/Program Attribute(s): None
Class Restriction: None
Instructor: Kati Vecsey, Jakub Kazecki
THEA S50 Independent Study (0.5 Credits)
Students, in consultation with a faculty advisor, individually design and plan a course of study or research not offered in the curriculum. Course work includes a reflective component, evaluation, and completion of an agreed-upon product. Sponsorship by a faculty member in the program/department, a course prospectus, and permission of the chair are required. Students may register for no more than one independent study during a Short Term.
Modes of Inquiry: None
Writing Credit: None
GEC(s): None
Department/Program Attribute(s): None
Class Restriction: None
Cross-listed Course(s): None