M.F.A. and Ph.D. students complete required course work for their degrees from an array of advanced-level seminars and work experiences on a range of theoretical and practical skills. Catch a glimpse of the graduate-level courses being offered below.
A daily program of physical, vocal, and speech exercises designed to prepare the student to move in a focused way into specific class areas with minimum amount of warm-up time. The exercises work on development of flexibility, strength, and coordination throughout the body. Strong emphasis is placed on physical and mental centering within a structured and disciplined approach to preparation.
Prerequisites: admission to the MFA theatre program.
A study of the dramatic elements of stage violence, and practical work in developing the physical skills necessary to fully realize violent moments on the stage. At the core of the study is the process from text to convincing theatrical action. Physical work revolves around basic principles of energy, focus, and center inherent in unarmed and weapons combat.
Prerequisites: admission to the MFA theatre program.
The actors focus on the nature of the acting process, using various exercises to stimulate imagination and to inspire instinctual choices. Later work includes improvisational and imaginative experiences to explore character and text. The class culminates in intensive scene work chosen for the particular actor to meld the improvisational approach with scripted material. The class is a combination of both actors and directors so that a common language is developed.
Prerequisites: admission to the MFA program or consent of instructor.
Intensive studio examination of realistic texts using improvisational and imaginative techniques to realistically based texts commonly from American theatre. Second course in a three-course sequence.
Prerequisites: TDGR 210A and admission to the MFA program or consent of instructor.
The intensive study of the dramatic and fictional work of Anton Chekhov and an actor’s approach to that work. This course includes many of the techniques begun in earlier classes and applies them to this material. Also included is a study of Chekhov’s short stories and plays, and the course involves adapting and staging these works. Third course of a three-course sequence.
Prerequisites: TDGR 210B and admission to the MFA program or consent of instructor.
Continued introduction of the principle of phonetics and articulation. Constant study and drill to prepare the actor for standard speech and flexibility. Second course in a three-course series.
Prerequisites: TDGR 211A and admission to the MFA program or consent of instructor.
Continued introduction of the principle of phonetics and articulation. Constant study and drill to prepare the actor for standard speech and flexibility. Third course in a three-course series.
Prerequisites: TDGR 211B and admission to the MFA program or consent of instructor.
One-on-one laboratory workshop that examines practical applications of accents, speech and voice work, dialect, movement and combat work specific and ancillary to the productions in which the students have been cast.
Prerequisites: admission to the MFA theatre program.
An intensive studio course in the art of movement as a basis for theatre performance. Theory and practice of energy flow, weight, spatial focus, time consumption, and the shape factor. (S/U grades only.)
Prerequisites: THGR or TDGR 213A for B, THGR or TDGR 213B for C; admission to the MFA theatre program.
Voice exercises designed to “free the voice” with emphasis on diaphragmatic breathing, articulation exercises, and singing exercises. Course designed to broaden pitch, range, projection, and to expand the full range of potential characterizations.
Prerequisites: admission to the MFA program or consent of instructor.
Voice exercises designed to “free the voice” with emphasis on diaphragmatic breathing, articulation exercises, and singing exercises. Course designed to broaden pitch, range, projection, and to expand the full range of potential characterizations. Second course in a three-course sequence.
Prerequisites: TDGR 214Aand admission to the MFA program or consent of instructor.
Voice exercises designed to “free the voice” with emphasis on diaphragmatic breathing, articulation exercises, and singing exercises. Course designed to broaden pitch, range, projection, and to expand the full range of potential characterizations. Third course in a three-course series.
Prerequisites: TDGR 214B and admission to the MFA theatre program or consent of instructor.
Advanced work in phonetics and articulation. Intensive study of stage dialects to prepare actor for variety of roles.
Prerequisites: graduate standing; THGR or TDGR 221A prerequisite for THGR or TDGR 221B; admission to the MFA theatre program.
An advanced course in the art of movement for the theatre, building on the knowledge gained in Theatre 213. (S/U grades only.)
Prerequisites: THGR or TDGR 223A for B; admission to the MFA theatre program.
Advanced voice training designed to help the actor fuse voice, emotion, and body into a fully realized reflection of the text. (S/U grades only.)
Prerequisites:THGR or TDGR 224A for B; admission to the MFA theatre program.
Continuing vocal technique for the musical theatre. More complicated musical material investigated and prepared.
Prerequisites: admission to the MFA theatre program.
An advanced studio for graduate actors and directors, this work will explore a single text from the modern theatre under the direction of a master teacher-artist. Concentration will be on multiple possible modes of encountering a text, varieties of interpretation and performance realization, and the development of a theatre ensemble.
Prerequisites: admission to the MFA theatre program.
A twice-weekly seminar focusing on the actor’s confrontation with the industry, including in-depth preparation for auditions; cold readings; and meetings/interviews with producers, casting directors, agents, and managers. Actors will also begin to create material that could be crafted into solo performances.
Prerequisites: admission to MFA theatre program or consent of instructor.
This course is designed to aid the actor in the transition from stage to film work. Examination of film production and its physical characteristics and the acting style needed for work in film and television. Students will rehearse and perform in simulated studio setting.
Prerequisites: admission to the MFA theatre program.
Continuing vocal technique for the musical theatre. More complicated musical material investigated and prepared.
Prerequisites: admission to the MFA theatre program.
A unifying approach to acting skills (voice, movement, and speech) designed to result in providing the graduating actor with a daily regimen appropriate for professional work.
Prerequisites: admission to the MFA theatre program.
This course covers the artistic, aesthetic, and practical aspects of the actors’ work as they develop and execute the character/role toward a fully realized production.
Prerequisites: admission to the MFA theatre program.
This course serves as a laboratory for experimentation in the choreographic strategies and structures of contemporary dance making. S/U grades only. May be taken for credit eight times.
Prerequisites: admission to the MFA theatre program or consent of instructor.
This seminar focuses on concepts that inform creation, performance, research, and critical analysis of current and emerging dance making practices with varying content by faculty. S/U grades only. May be taken for credit eight times.
Prerequisites: admittance to the MFA dance program or consent of instructor required.
This course is designed to enhance dance practitioners’ understanding of pedagogical processes. Candidates will develop strategies to generate course material that functions in multiple contexts. These contexts may include university teaching, professional workshops, master classes, and artist residencies. S/U grades only.
Prerequisites: admittance to the MFA dance program or consent of instructor required.
This seminar focuses on the specific considerations that support and sustain a professional career as a contemporary dance maker and performer. S/U grades only.
Prerequisites: admittance to the MFA dance program or consent of instructor required.
Develops movement practices with a view to supporting and sustaining varied dance making interests. The emphasis includes somatic and experiential movement modalities and incorporates physiological principles of human anatomy.
Prerequisites: admission to the MFA theatre program or consent of instructor.
Conceiving interactive designs. A project/performance-based course, concentrating on the conception of designs adaptable to improvisatory contexts, in which technological strategies such as real-time processing and control of sound and light are encouraged and discussed.
Prerequisites: admission to MFA theatre program or consent of instructor.
Course will introduce the basic functions and applications of Photoshop as they may be applied to theatrical design. Emphasis on using Photoshop as an artistic tool.
Prerequisites: admission to MFA theatre program or consent of instructor.
Advanced Photoshop techniques will be explored and applied to the creation of multimedia projects.
Prerequisites: admission to MFA theatre program or consent of instructor.
This course will focus on beginning-level problems in theatre design, including text analysis, research, conceptualization, and visual expression. Students will work on individual projects in lighting, costume, and scenic design. The course will include group critiques of completed designs and works in progress. 270A, Scenic Design (fall); 270B, Costume Design (winter); 270C, Lighting Design (spring).
Prerequisites: admission to the MFA theatre program.
This course will focus on beginning-level problems in theatre design, including text analysis, research, conceptualization, and visual expression. Students will work on individual projects in lighting, costume, and scenic design. The course will include group critiques of completed design and works in progress. 270A, Scenic Design (fall); 270B, Costume Design (winter); 270C, Lighting Design (spring).
Prerequisites: THGR 270A, graduate standing, consent of instructor.
This course will focus on beginning-level problems in theatre design, including text analysis, research, conceptualization, and visual expression. Students will work on individual projects in lighting, costume, and scenic design. The course will include group critiques of completed design and works in progress. 270A, Scenic Design (fall); 270B, Costume Design (winter); 270C, Lighting Design (spring).
Prerequisites: THGR 270A or TDGR 270A, THGR 270B or TDGR 270B, graduate standing, and consent of instructor.
This course will focus on beginning-level problems in theatre design, including text analysis, research, conceptualization, and visual/auditory expression. Students will work on individual projects in sound, lighting, costume, and scenic design. This course will include group critiques of completed design and works in progress. 270A, Scenic Design (fall); 270B, Costume Design (winter); 270C, Lighting Design (spring).
Prerequisites: THGR 270A, THGR 270B, graduate standing, consent of instructor.
A seminar focusing on all aspects of the design profession, including current projects of graduate design students. The work may also include portfolio presentations, research presentations, and guest lecturers.
Prerequisites: admission to the MFA theatre program.
A survey/history of artistic and cultural stylistic change as embodied in clothing from early Western civilization to the contemporary period.
Prerequisites:admission to the MFA theatre program.
This course explores advanced problems in scenic design through development and critique of creative class projects and production works-in-progress.
Prerequisites: admission to the MFA theatre program.
Creative projects and topics in lighting design to develop the student’s techniques and professional practices. Work to include studies in design research, concepts, psychophysical considerations, collaboration, professional procedures and systems, paperwork, and organization. Various scales of production projects will be addressed by the student for presentation and critique and may be theoretical or productions in the departmental calendar.
Prerequisites: second- or third-year design students only; admission to the MFA theatre program.
Projects in costume design, emphasizing script analysis, research, conceptualization, and visual expression. Studio work includes costume rendering in various media for specific plays.
Prerequisites: admission to the MFA theatre program.
A course designed to expose the theatre design student to a variety of specialized topics, including millinery, pattern drafting and draping, scenic painting, model making, figure drawing, drafting, fitting, rendering. Topics will vary from quarter to quarter.
Prerequisites: admission to the MFA theatre program.
This course covers the artistic, aesthetic, and practical aspects of the designers’ work as they develop and execute the design toward a fully realized production.
Prerequisites: admission to the MFA theatre program.
Creative projects to develop student’s techniques and professional practices. Studies include research, concepts, collaboration, professional procedures, systems and organization. Various scales of projects will be addressed for presentation and critique; may be theoretical or productions in the Department calendar.
Prerequisites: admission to the MFA program or consent of instructor.
Preparation, presentation, and discussion of representative scenes from various periods of dramatic literature.
Prerequisites: admission to the MFA theatre program or consent of instructor.
A seminar focusing on the current directing projects of all graduate directing students. Depending upon individual student needs, the work may include play selection, historical or sociological research, and discussion of emerging directorial concepts, the rehearsal process, and postproduction evaluation.
Prerequisites: admission to the MFA theatre program.
Students enrolled in this course will work on productions in the function of a director. This will include staging, creative interpretation, blocking, etc.
Prerequisites: admission to the MFA theatre program.
A seminar focusing on the current playwriting project of all graduate playwriting students. Work for each quarter is individually determined according to student needs, but may include exploration of an inceptive idea, development of a scenario or other structural work, and writing dialogue. Students present work to be discussed in class. May include group or individual playwriting exercises.
Prerequisites: admission to the MFA theatre program.
Creative writing project developing original scripts from outline to the final play. Plays may vary depending on the quarter but will include writing of a realistic one-act, a nonrealistic one-act, a one-act documentary or dramatization of fiction, a full-length play.
Prerequisites: admission to the MFA theatre program.
A one-quarter course covering the hour-long format (five weeks) and situation comedies (five weeks). Includes study and discussion of television script format and structure. Students will create the concept and structure for spec scripts in each genre.
Prerequisites: admission to MFA theatre program or consent of instructor.
This course is open to any graduate student who wants to expand their knowledge and experience of writing for performance. Open to graduate students who wish to incorporate writing into their creative and research practice. S/U grades only. May be taken for credit two times.
Prerequisites: graduate standing and consent of instructor.
Students will develop the concept for an original piece for television or film and will write the screenplay. Student work will be discussed in seminar at each phase of the development.
Prerequisites: admission to the MFA theatre program and THGR or TDGR 250.
Course will cover multiple applications of storyboarding as a tool of communication and expression; comic books, theatre, opera, film, TV, and commercial applications will be explored. Individual and team assignments will be given to develop the basic vocabulary and techniques.
Prerequisites: admission to MFA theatre program or consent of instructor.
Assisting faculty with productions off-campus. Perform research necessary for project. Assist with preproduction meetings and other work. Observe and participate in any or all phases of the production process from preproduction through closing.
Prerequisites: MFA students or consent of instructor.
Discussion and research into the duties, responsibilities, and roles of a stage manager. Work to include studies in script analysis, communication, conflict resolution, rehearsal procedures, performance skills, style, and conceptual approach to stage management.
Prerequisites: admission to MFA theatre program or consent of instructor.
The second of the three-part introductory stage management series, this course further explores the stage manager’s process, focusing on the technical rehearsal period through the opening of a production.
Prerequisites: TDGR 280A; admission to MFA theatre program or consent of instructor.
The final course in the three-part introductory stage management series focuses on the stage manager’s role once a production has opened. The course will also address topics such as new plays, touring, dance, multimedia productions, and music.
Prerequisites: TDGR 280A and TDGR 280B; admission to MFA theatre program or consent of instructor.
A course for MFA students in stage management. Topics will focus on various aspects of theatre administration, and advanced stage management, including nonprofit theatre, commercial theatre, advanced problems, venues, musicals/dance, production management, theatre development, business problems, and theatre marketing.
Prerequisites: admission to the MFA theatre program.
A weekly seminar in which all graduate stage managers participate. Includes discussions of problems encountered on current productions, paperwork, methodology, and production approaches.
Prerequisites: admission to the MFA theatre program.
Taken each term by all graduate stage management students. The class focuses on the development of knowledge and skills necessary for the contemporary stage manager. Seminar format is augmented by lab work that may include departmental productions.
Prerequisites: admission to the MFA theatre program.
Seminar acquaints doctoral students of all levels with research methods, theoretical models, publishing protocol, professional preparation, and pedagogical approaches particular to theatre and performance studies. Course assignments are tailored to students’ scholarly interests and progress toward degree.
Prerequisites: admission to PhD program in theatre or consent of instructor.
Selected material from following topics: Classical Drama, Asian Drama, Medieval and Early Modern Drama, Shakespeare, European Drama 1600–1900. May be taken eight times as content varies.
Prerequisites: admission to PhD program in theatre.
Selected material from following topics: European Theatre 1900–Present, American Theatre 1900–Present, Contemporary Theatre and Performance. May be taken eight times as content varies.
Prerequisites: admission to PhD program in theatre.
Selected material from following topics: Performance Theory, Dramatic Theory, Critical Theory, Cultural Studies. May be taken eight times as content varies.
Prerequisites: admission to PhD program in theatre.
Individual or small group directed study.
Research and preparation of doctoral dissertation.
Topics to be covered will include (1) concept of poetic language; lexical and syntactic analysis of dialogue; (2) the semantic context of dialogue; (3) thematic structure, from motive to themes; (4) the concept of dramatic character or hero; (5) dramatic narrative; (6) the material of drama; the relationship of myth and ritual to drama; (7) analysis versus interpretation; (8) practical applications.
Prerequisites: admission to the MFA theatre program.
An investigation of contemporary theories of theatre with an emphasis on structural and poststructural perspectives on text and textuality. The seminar will focus on adapting contemporary techniques of close reading to the interpretive and creative process in the theatre.
Prerequisites: TDGR 204A; admission to MFA theatre program or consent of instructor.
The culmination of the TDGR 204 sequence, in which students in all disciplines create and perform publicly presented original theatre pieces.
Prerequisites:TDGR 204B; admission to MFA theatre program or consent of instructor.
Faculty directed production, from the rehearsal process through public performance. All participants will enroll in the same section, the number of units depending upon degree of involvement.
Prerequisites: admission to the MFA theatre program.
The collaborative process from the rehearsal process through public performance. All participants will enroll in the same section, the same number of units.
Prerequisites: admission to the MFA theatre program.
This seminar explores the interaction of new media and technologies for collaboration, research, and creation in dance making and performance.
Prerequisites: admission to the MFA theatre program or consent of instructor.
An intensive studio examination of problems and potentials associated with the theatrical realization of the classical text.
Prerequisites: admission to the MFA theatre program or consent of instructor.
An intensive studio examination of problems and potentials associated with the theatrical realization of the classical text. This course is a continuation of TDGR 220A.
Prerequisites: TDGR 220A and admission to the MFA theatre program or consent of instructor.
An intensive studio examination of problems and potentials associated with the theatrical realization of the classical text. This course is a continuation of TDGR 220B.
Prerequisites: TDGR 220B and admission to the MFA theatre program or consent of instructor.
Taken each term by all graduate contemporary dance making and performance students. The class supports candidates in their ongoing research in the development of performance work for all three years from in-studio showings through thesis presentation. S/U grades only. May be taken for credit eight times.
Prerequisites: admittance to the MFA dance program or consent of instructor required.
Selected professional opportunities in repertory and commercial theatre, designed to engage the student in particular creative responsibilities under the guidance of master artist-teachers. Student is expected to give biweekly reports detailing his/her experience with the professional company.
Prerequisites:admission to the MFA theatre program, or consent of instructor.
Collaborative process between directing and playwriting students providing a focused exploration of a broad range of directing and writing methodologies.Students work in teams to develop and create pieces based on the methodology of guest directors.
Prerequisites: admission to MFA theatre program or consent of instructor.
A course where playwrights and actors work together to develop new plays-in-progress.
Prerequisites: admission to the MFA theatre program or consent of instructor.
The seminar will deal with all dramaturgical issues pertaining to departmental productions: production research, textual and analysis, translation, adaptation, rehearsal process, and critique. Concurrently with the dramaturgy issues of the given year, the seminar will discuss possible choices of plays for future production seasons.
Prerequisites: admission to the MFA theatre program.
Students enrolled in this course will work on productions in the function of a dramaturg. This will entail preparation of texts, research, participation at rehearsals, etc.
Prerequisites: admission to the MFA theatre program.
A guided reading course focusing exclusively on very recent plays in an attempt to become aware of what is being written now. Course may be repeated for credit.
Prerequisites: admission to the MFA theatre program.
Seminar will deal with dramatization and adaptation of literary texts for the purpose of theatrical production. The class will study some significant examples of such practice from the past and, subsequently, students will develop their own projects of dramatization, adaptation, or modernization of texts.
Prerequisites:admission to the MFA theatre program.
The collaborative process of new-play development through readings, rehearsals, and public performance. MFA actors, designers, directors, playwrights, and stage managers enroll in one section and collaborate in creating the annual festival of full-length and one-act plays.
Prerequisites: admission to MFA theatre program or consent of instructor.
Thesis research for MFA. (S/U grades only.)
Prerequisites: admission to the MFA theatre program.
Specific projects in theatre individually determined to meet the developing needs, interests, and abilities of MFA candidates. (S/U grades only.)
Prerequisites:admission to the MFA theatre program.
This course, designed to meet the needs of the graduate students who serve as teaching assistants, includes analysis of texts and materials, discussion of teaching techniques, conducting discussion sections, formulation of topics and questions for papers, and examinations and grading. Two units = twenty-five percent TAship. Four units = fifty percent TAship.
Prerequisites: graduate standing and consent of the instructor.
If you have questions or would like more information about our Graduate programs, email the Graduate Coordinator at tdgradcoord@ucsd.edu.