University of Wyoming - Department of Theatre and Dance

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Areas of Emphasis (Theatre)

	Theatre There are six areas of emphasis: Acting, Playwriting, Design/ Technology, Directing, Stage Movement & Stage Combat, and Voice, Speech, and Dialects.
	Acting Students UW student actors have gained both regional and national recognition in recent years, and the department boasts of an impressive list of successful alumni working in theatre, television, and film! We offer six levels of acting in the department, which range from: Beginning Acting: A fundamentals course covering given circumstance, fourth wall, sensory work, emotional work, improvisation, scoring (objective/obstacle), endowment, and basic scene work, generally concentrating on contemporary realism. Intermediate Acting: A "methods of characterization" course, utilizing various approaches to creating a character, including essence work, extensive character biography study, and script analysis. The course includes extensive scene work and also extended one-person monodramas. Acting Styles: A "genre" course, covering Farce, Comedy of Manners, Chekhov, Shakespeare, and contemporary classics using extensive scene work and monologues. This course can be extended through independant study, usually focusing on Shakespeare, (scansion, imagery, lingusitic individuation studies, etc.) Acting for the Camera: A course providing students with fundamental skills required to perform on camera. Includes single and three-camera set-ups, monologue and scene presentations utilizing industry scripts. Advanced Scene Study: A course which focuses on individual actor "problems and challenges". Students are assigned scene work and monologues that allow them to focus on a variety of obstacles, including movie scripts, teleplays, non-realistic pieces, original plays in development, and ensemble work. Auditioning and Professional Issues: A "business" course that focuses on the audition process, preparation for graduate training program auditions, TV commercial auditioning, as well as contracts, unions, internships, and resume/photo preparation. top of page
	Playwriting UW students have gained both regional and national recognition in playwriting. Not only does UW produce new student-written plays, but also UW playwrights have won numerous awards, including the national Mark Twain Prize for Comic Playwriting (twice), The David Cohen National Student Playwriting Award, and the National Student Written Musical Award. Three times in the last five years UW playwrights have been chosen to have their 10-minute plays produced at the Kennedy Center. Twice in the last decade UW playwrights have won top honors at the Kennedy Center during the National ACTF Festival. Plays written by UW playwrights have been published by Samuel French, Dramatists, and Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts "Best Student Written" play anthologies. Graduates have gone to study playwriting and screenwriting at USC, UNLV, NYU, and many other top film and theatre schools. UW student playwrights take a wide range of classes and often see their work performed during the department’s one-act play festival. top of page
	Design/ Technology Students can receive a BFA with concentrations in the areas of Scenic Design, Costuming, or Lighting Design. Basic film-making is also offered through independant study. Each year, talented undergraduate design students are offered main stage design opportunities in all areas, as well as additional experience in the busy studio season of student directed works. top of page
	Directing Two levels of directing are offered in the department: The first is a "tools" course, focusing on fundamentals of composition, picturization, and blocking skills of the director. In-class exercises cover structural and character analysis of playscripts, blocking annotation and prompt scripts, developing ground plans, creating compositions with emphasis, focus and balance, and employing movement as a dynamic tool. There are two outside directing projects, with verbal and written evaluations of all of the project work. The second level of directing focuses on the creative process of developing a directorial concept, establishing the world of the play, working with the actor, and functioning as a designer. Exercises include analyzing different directorial approaches and the audition and casting process. The culmination of the course is a fully-mounted, one-act production performed before an invited audience. top of page
	Stage Movement & Stage Combat The program offers two levels of movement training: The first level includes an introduction to the basics of the Alexander Technique and Bartenieff Fundamentals. There is also work focused on historical dance, period courtesies, and an introduction to unarmed combat. The second level focuses on armed combat, including units on rapier/dagger, quarter staff and small sword. top of page
	Voice, Speech, and Dialects Coming soon.