Senate Document Number 3299S

Date of Senate Approval 3/11/99

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Statement of Faculty Senate Action:

APC Document 20: Changes in Drama 244, 245, 334; Deletion of 246 and 326; Addition of 434 and 440

Effective Date: Fall 1999

Development of Western theater and drama from their origins through the Middle Ages:

Replace: with the following phrase

Development of theater and drama from their origins through 1642:

(2) Delete: on page 98 from the course description for DRAM 245, in the first line the following phrase

Continuation of Drama 244 covering the Renaissance through 1700.

Continuation of Drama 244 covering theater and drama from 1642 to 1900.

(3) Delete: on page 98 the title and course description for Drama 246

(4) Add: Page 98, after the course description for DRAM 124, the following

144 Playscript Analysis for Performance (3)

Introduction to the techniques of script analysis for the theater practitioner. Instruction will focus on plays drawn from a variety of eras. See Department Chair.

(5) Delete: on page 95 under the heading "Program in Drama" in section I, the following

246

Insert: on page 95 under the heading "Program in Drama" in section I, after the number "122" the following

144

(6) Delete: on page 96, under the heading "Program in Acting and Directing" in section I, the following

246.

144

(7) Delete: on page 96, under the heading "Program in Design and Production" in section I, the following

246

Insert: on page 96, under the heading "Program in Design and Production" in section I, after the number "122" the following

144

Impact: The consolidation of DRAM 244-245-246 into two courses and the addition of DRAM 144 will have no impact on the number of hours taken by any students. Licensure students, previously not required to take DRAM 246, will receive a complete overview of theater history without addition to the number of required hours in the major. There is currently no need for a change in staffing at this time, nor any additional resources.

Rationale: The rationale for "Playscript Analysis for Performance" is fairly straightforward. Actors, directors, and designers all must possess analytic skills in order to fully understand the play upon which they are working in production. They must understand it, not primarily as literature, but as the raw material of a theatrical performance. This necessitates the acquisition of analytic tools specific to theatrical production. By making this a 100-level course, and thus encouraging students to acquire these skills earlier in their program, we believe students will be more likely to excel in their other drama courses, such as Acting I and II and Elements of Production I and II, where understanding how a play works is necessary. In addition, through this class students will acquire a common vocabulary as well as receive a quick survey of dramatic literature, both of which will allow other drama instructors to draw from a common knowledge base.

The consolidation of the theater history sequence into two courses makes room for this new course in the students' program. The original rationale for creating a three-course sequence in theater history in addition to the Modern Drama course was to mirror the four-part Humanities sequence and allow sufficient time for the integration of history and dramatic literature. While this is a worthy goal, an examination of most undergraduate theater history sequences across the state reveals that goal can be effectively met using only two courses in conjunction with DRAM 355 Modern Drama. In addition, a two-course rotation will allow this sequence to be offered more frequently, which will allow students more flexibility in scheduling.

(8) Delete: On page 99 the title and course description for Drama 326.

Add: On page 99 after the course description for DRAMA 437, the following

440 Costume Design (3)

Theory and practice of costume design for the theater: history of costume, design concept, production styles, sketches and renderings. See Dept. Chair.

Impact: none

Rationale: Following prescribed course numbering for the Drama Department, all design classes are 400 level courses. It will bring the course up to the standard of the other design courses.

Replace: with the following

334 Stage Sound Application (3)

Emphasis on electronic reproduction of sound for the stage. Includes both digital and analog equipment and systems with concentrations on multitrack wave editors, minidisk, DAT, and CD-Rs. Prerequisite DRAM 121 and 122, or permission of instructor. See Department Chair.

Impact: No immediate Impact on resources. If the class should grow in student numbers, then investment in equipment may become necessary.

Rationale: When Stage Sound was originally designed as a class, it encompassed primarily analog playback and recording devices. Since the digital revolution, it has become necessary to teach both means of sound technology. This has put a tremendous strain in trying to include the sound design portion of the class. In order to better accommodate the amount of knowledge that the student sound designer must learn, the class has been divided into two separate classes: one with a concentration in the technical aspects of stage sound and one with focus on design and the art of stage sound.

(10) Add: page 99, after the course description for DRAM 432, the following

434 Stage Sound Design (3)

Theory and practice of sound design for theatrical productions. Includes play analysis for sound requirements, research, process, and application. Projects will focus on portfolio material in both analog and the digital domain. Prerequisites: DRAM 121, 122, 334, or permission of instructor. See Department Chair

Impact: No immediate Impact on resources. If the class should grow in student numbers, then investment in equipment may become necessary.

Rationale: This is the second part of the rationale for change 9.