2013–14 Academic Catalog

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Theater [clear]

Title		Offering	Standing	Credits	Credits	When	F	W	S	Su	Description	Preparatory	Faculty	Days	Multiple Standings	Start Quarters	Open Quarters
The Business of Art: Earning a Living as an Artist Andrew Buchman, Doreen Swetkis and Zoe Van Schyndel business and management economics field studies music theater visual arts		Program	SO–SRSophomore–Senior	16	16	Day	F 13 Fall	W 14Winter			This program is a tour of social forces that shape our arts communities, including cultural, organizational, managerial, financial and historical. By examining art, music and theatre worlds, we will discover structures that help foster vibrant artistic communities. We will meet business and nonprofit leaders (often artists themselves) who bring artists and art lovers together. Artistic entrepreneurs with business savvy, as we will see, often make the art world go 'round.The program is designed for students with a strong interest in making a living as an artist, musician or performer, operating in the nonprofit art world, or making a career in creative industries, and bridging the conventional gaps between creativity, business sense and social engagement. Each quarter's work will include an optional week of travel and study an art center in the United States: to New York City during the fall and Los Angeles during the winter. Students unable to travel to these cities can pursue related studies in Seattle and Portland.The program will combine studies of the arts, business and nonprofit administration and management through a rich mix of critical and creative projects, such as analyzing a local arts business or nonprofit organization. An artist who understands the principles of a well-run business and can deal effectively with contracts, grants and negotiations, we'll find, is likely to gain more artistic and professional freedom. Business people who understand and care about the arts, we'll discover, can build careers that include doing good as well as doing well. Organizations built around art forms can help support local cultures and create sustainable manufacturing ventures, too.The nonprofit arts community encompasses a broad range of artistic endeavors such as summer arts camps and festivals, art and music therapy, community theaters, arts foundations and after-school arts programs. For-profit and nonprofit organizations are different, and we want to make sure students gain knowledge of the vast range of ways they can make a living in and around the arts.By the end of the program we expect you to be able to think creatively about ways to connect your own artistic and wage earning work, have an impact on organizations in communities you care about, acquire first-hand knowledge of a diversity of successful arts initiatives, and communicate effectively in the language of business and nonprofit administration.		Andrew Buchman Doreen Swetkis Zoe Van Schyndel		Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR	Fall	Fall Winter
China: A Success Story? Rose Jang and David Shaw business and management cultural studies economics literature theater		Program	FR–SRFreshmen–Senior	16	16	Day	F 13 Fall				In the fall of 2012, China’s 18th Communist Party Congress selected the current generation of Chinese political leaders, moving China into the next chapter of its 3,000-plus years of political history.Today, China’s economic power continues to grow, and its rise globally has drawn increasing attention. Many developing countries are viewing the China model as an alternative to the Western experience of economic growth and middle class prosperity. However, China is faced with many internal and external challenges. Challenges like these have repeatedly threatened China’s social stability in the past. In the extreme case, they might alter its current ideological foundations, potentially undercutting the premises of the China “success story.”This introductory China studies program will focus on China's present situation as a modern state and global power evolved from a lengthy and complicated cultural development over centuries. Within the time constraint of a quarter, we will examine China from selective angles and subject matters suggesting recurrent cultural patterns and distinct national characteristics. In the social sciences, we will touch on China’s geography, political structure and economic and business systems, including sustainability and environmental issues. From the humanities perspective, we will look at prominent examples of China’s religion, philosophy, arts and literature. All these issues are potentially interrelated, leading to a more coherent set of inquiries into the myth or reality of China’s current image of success.Students will be exposed to multiple topics and issues through weekly readings, lectures, discussions and workshops. They will also conduct a research project on a China-related topic of their own choice. This research project will provide them with opportunities to develop skills in research methods and academic writing. The program will introduce the fundamentals of Chinese language and linguistics through program studies but does not contain an independent Chinese language study component.		Rose Jang David Shaw		Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR	Fall	Fall
Dance of Life: Creative Process in Motion Robert Esposito aesthetics dance linguistics somatic studies theater visual arts		Program	FR–SRFreshmen–Senior	16	16	Day			S 14Spring		How can dance serve as a central metaphor for the holistic organization and transformation of personal life experience into aesthetic objects expressing the dynamic connectivity of self, world, and others? Using an expressive arts therapy model, movement study will be integrated with work in writing, drawing, and music in this multidimensional modern dance program exploring an integrative approach to choreography. It will involve disciplined physical and intellectual study, including weekly dance composition homework assignments.Studio activities will include progressive study in Nikolais/Louis dance technique, theory/improvisation, composition, and performance. Readings, self-inventories, and seminars in the philosophy and psychology of the creative process, designed to broaden and enhance the student’s palette of creative choice, will explore factors such as self-image, linguistics, cultural and educational conditioning, and multiple learning styles. In solo and group collaboration, students will workshop formal craft elements of composition, such as shape, space, time, and motion. Workshops will use various media to draw and integrate content from students’ life experiences and/or past interdisciplinary study in order to create original multimedia work. Compositions will be shared in weekly performance forums that include faculty and student-centered critique and analysis.Texts will be used to explore the development of dance and movement therapy, draw distinctions between art and psychology, and explore the creative and therapeutic effects of the expressive arts. Seminar discussions will emphasize critical analysis in order to situate texts, art, film, and student work in historical and sociocultural contexts. Writing assignments will balance creative, analytical, and research styles, with a comparative overview of linguistic and communications theory. The program culminates with a Week 10 studio recital of selected student work.		Robert Esposito	Mon Tue Wed Thu	Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR	Spring	Spring
Music & Theater: Exploring Form and Freedom Andrea Gullickson music theater		Program	FR–SRFreshmen–Senior	8	08	Day				Su 14 Session I Summer	Music & Theater: Exploring Form and Freedom " " Saint Augustine Albert Einstein This program will focus on the study of music and theater as powerful methods for exploring and expanding our understanding of the critical role of formal structures in providing access to freedom and creativity. Throughout the program we will examine fundamental concepts of music and theater and consider cultural and historical environments that influence the development of and give meaning to the arts. Our work with progressive skill development will require physical immersion into the practices of listening, moving, acting and making music. Theory and literature studies will require the development of a common working vocabulary, writing skills, quantitative reasoning, and critical thinking skills.Weekly activities will include readings, lectures, seminars and interactive workshops designed to encourage students to expand and meld their creative interests within an intellectual infrastructure. Daily performance workshops will provide opportunities to gain first-hand understanding of fundamental skills and concepts as well as the transformative possibilities that exist through honest confrontation of challenging experiences. Writing workshops and assignments will encourage thoughtful consideration of a broad range of program topics.This balanced approach to the development of physical craft, artistry and intellectual engagement is expected to culminate in a significant written and performance project.		Andrea Gullickson	Mon Wed Thu Thu	Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR	Summer	Summer
Performing the Text: Mixed-genre Writing and Dissent David Wolach cultural studies theater writing		Course	FR–SRFreshmen–Senior	4	04	Evening and Weekend			S 14Spring		What does it mean to perform the text? What happens when genres collide? This creative writing program will bring together several terms often thought to be well-defined—including "poetry," "prose," "theater," "politics," and "essay"—and, through experiments in writing, reading, and collaborating, re-narrate their meanings and implications. Along the way we’ll investigate key concepts and texts in poets theater, guerilla poetry, and other forms of performance-based text, mining them to create our own individual and collaborative writings. During the quarter, our meetings will consist of weekly seminars, lectures, and "language labs"—times for brainstorming, rehearsing, and trying out language experiments.		David Wolach	Wed Sat	Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR	Spring	Spring
Radical Acts: Cheap Art, Performance and Play in the Streets Cynthia Kennedy and Walter Grodzik aesthetics consciousness studies dance somatic studies theater		Program	FR–SRFreshmen–Senior	16	16	Day and Weekend			S 14Spring		This one-quarter long, introductory program is a ten-week examination of the role that cheap art, performance and play have fulfilled in society, not only historically, but also in more modern times. Because of the powerful role they can play in shaping human consciousness, we will explore ways of returning them to their popular roots where they can thrive outside the reign of corporate control, mainstream media, and money. Together we will investigate ways cheap art (such as masks, puppets and costumes made with everyday inexpensive materials) and performance can have meaning that is created by “regular” people and for “regular” people rather than fed us by the entertainment industry. We will explore the answers to many questions. What is it like for performance art to spring from our imaginations without the need for large amounts of money? What if performance art was accessible to all people, not just those with the means and education to consume it? What would it be like if performance art reflected deeply felt social truths that connected to our own lives? How does street theater interrupt everyday life in the public sphere in a way that helps us connect to our own humanity? How does the use of material objects (puppets, masks, signs, banners), as well as performers voices and bodies, connect performer and audience in ways that create meaning? Our program will approach these questions in two ways. On the one hand, we will have a strong academic component in which students will acquire knowledge about the history of performance and art in the hands of the people, looking at its aesthetics, theories, and controversies. We will examine the rich cultural heritage of performance in the streets and connect it to the people and places where it lives on today. Our exploration will be situated in an international context, and we will use film and text to examine performance throughout history and around the world, such as, but not limited to, political street theater, Carnival, Mardi Gras, the Bread and Butter Puppet Theater, Anna Halprin’s Planetary Dance and more. On the other hand, we will engage in large doses of experiential learning as we use simple materials like recycled fabrics, cardboard, scraps of wood, paper, reused items and other inexpensive materials to create our own cheap art and performance, which we will share with our friends and neighbors in the local streets of Olympia (or other surrounding areas) and the college campus. During the first half of the quarter we will participate in , Olympia's yearly one-of-a-kind celebration of the natural world, held in conjunction with Earth Day. 2014 will mark the 20th year of this community celebration, which often draws crowds of up to 30,000 and has serious creative intent. The Procession was designed to bring a deep love of life into the heart, and onto the streets, of Olympia. In preparation, students will work in one of the largest community art studios in the country where people of all ages create costumes, masks and puppets from inexpensive and recycled materials. Participation in this part of the program will require three Sunday evening rehearsals in the community, as well as the Saturday afternoon Procession. During the second half of the quarter we will continue to use the street as a live public space, a radical act in response to the privatization of such public space by radio, television and film. We will use unorthodox methods to create our own cheap art, performances, celebrations, protests, and social commentary, which we will develop in response to current events happening both locally and around the world. Throughout the quarter our work together will develop our visual imaginations, critical thinking and writing skills, all of which are essential to academic learning and readily transferable to any profession or vocation.No performance or art experience is necessary for this program.		Cynthia Kennedy Walter Grodzik		Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR	Spring	Spring
Speaking Out: vocal skills for speakers, readers, poets, and others Marla Elliott theater		Course	FR–SRFreshmen–Senior	2	02	Evening and Weekend				Su 14 Session I Summer	Oral eloquence still counts! This intensive weekend course will help you learn to use your voice, body, and personal presence with confidence when speaking or performing. You will learn to channel stage fright into creative energy; to develop habits of sustainable, resonant voice use; and to coordinate voice and body for maximum effectiveness. This course is especially useful for actors, poets, rappers, and other artists who communicate through speech.		Marla Elliott	Fri Sat Sun	Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR	Summer	Summer
Student-Originated Studies: Nonprofit Internships Doreen Swetkis business and management community studies field studies law and public policy leadership studies theater Signature Required: Spring		SOS	SO–SRSophomore–Senior	16	16	Day			S 14Spring		This program is intended for students who have completed work in community learning programs (such as ) and are prepared to complete an internship in a public or nonprofit agency. Prior to the beginning of spring quarter, interested students must consult with the faculty about their proposed internship and/or course of study. Contracts that are completed before the beginning of spring quarter will be given priority. All contracts must follow the college procedures for internships. While students are encouraged to seek out their own internship possibilities, we will work with campus resources and the faculty member's contacts to identify internship possibilities in public and nonprofit agencies.Students will hold 20-28 hour/week internships (depending upon amount of credits: 12-16 variable option) and will come together as a class on Fridays to study more about doing nonprofit work through seminars, lectures, guest speakers and/or films. There will be common readings and individual written assignments. The faculty member will work with the interning agencies, making at least one site-visit to each agency during the quarter and meeting regularly with students outside of scheduled class times as needed. Internships must be located in the Seattle/Portland I/5 corridor or on the Olympic Peninsula within a reasonable distance (i.e., Mason County). Participation in the weekly class meeting is required – no internships located nationally or internationally will be sponsored.		Doreen Swetkis	Fri	Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR	Spring	Spring
The Authentic Self: Becoming an Instrument of Change Marla Elliott and Marcella Benson-Quaziena communications music psychology theater		Program	JR–SRJunior–Senior	8	08	Weekend	F 13 Fall	W 14Winter	S 14Spring		You are the most powerful and versatile tool you have. Do you know who you are and what you stand for? Is that who you want to be? How can you use your presence as an instrument of change? How do you know what you evoke/provoke in others? How do you move in the world with awareness of your authentic self? The ability to communicate and influence is crucial to our effectiveness as we move through many systems. This program is designed for students who want to develop skills of self-knowledge and “use of self” as an instrument of social change.		Marla Elliott Marcella Benson-Quaziena	Sat Sun	Junior JR Senior SR	Fall	Fall Winter
Theatre of Fantasy: Performing Chinese Drama on the Western Stage Rose Jang and Mingxia Li cultural studies literature music theater		Program	FR–SRFreshmen–Senior	16	16	Day		W 14Winter	S 14Spring		Classical Chinese drama, as a literary genre, evolved from a long tradition of poetry writing and storytelling. In Chinese theatre, lyrics combine with dance, music, singing, acrobatics and martial arts. For centuries, the poetic and presentational style of Chinese drama and theatre has helped nurture and highlight the fantastic and imaginative side of Chinese culture: the magical beings and their boundless power in folk tales; dreams, fantasies, mysticism and otherworldliness of the Daoist realm of existence, and roaming spirits and ghosts of the underworld: these ever-popular Chinese archetypes have been repeatedly invoked and embodied in poetry and on stage. Many of these fantastic images and stories will form the core of our program study; they will also be absorbed and chained together into a final musical performance piece with a coherent plot and overriding theme—a symbolic, stylized production in the form and spirit of Chinese fantasy for the Western audience.The program will engage students in serious study of Chinese poetry and dramatic literature with a creative push. The program will also serve as an ideal training ground for students who are interested in acting, performance, singing, music performance and composition, kinetic and vocal training in physical theatre, and skill building and implementation in technical theatre including set, lighting, costume, sound and stage management. As the final performance is a meant to be an original and experimental piece bridging Chinese drama and Western theatrical sensitivities, and the performance style will reply on an innovative fusion of music and lyrics as well as creative collaboration between singing, movement and musical accompaniment on many different levels, the faculty of the program is seriously recruiting music students ready to engage in creative music composition and performance (including electronic music) to join the program.In winter quarter, we will study select dramas and stories of fantastic imagination from the Chinese tradition which bear direct relevance to our final performance piece. We will study their literary and creative qualities in general program meetings and workshops. We will also work through sequential theatre exercises in workshop and performance projects to bring these literary qualities into staging possibilities and physical realizations. A weekly music workshop will also be offered to prepare students for the unique musical creation and implementation for the final performance.In spring, we will focus on rehearsals and technical theatre work in order to mount a full-fledged theatrical production bringing all the previous experimentations and innovations together into a fantastic and coherent production. This end-of-program public presentation will put to the test our collective understanding of Chinese mythology, poetry and drama, and help us convey this understanding in a complex form of the theatre of fantasy.		Rose Jang Mingxia Li		Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR	Winter	Winter Spring