Units: TS Theatre Studies

TS 100 Theory and Practice of Acting 1 (No Prerequisite: Essential for Major)
The unit is an introduction to acting skills, with a practical emphasis on movement skills and vocal technique. Through improvisation and scripted work, students will learn how to communicate non-verbally with an audience and effectively employ the mechanics of voice. Students will also practically discover and examine the work and theories of practitioners such as Stanislavski (method acting), Brecht (alienation).
This unit will be conducted as a 3 hour workshop which will involve instruction, discussion and practical exercises.

TS300 Theory and Practice of Acting 2
TS100 (Theory and Practice of Acting 1) is a pre-requisite for this unit.
This unit is designed to extend the students understanding of contemporary performance theory and practice. There will be continual emphasis on voice and movement as well as textual interpretation and improvisation. Students will research and explore the surrealist approach of Artraud, Grotowski's "poor theatre" and Hagen's "non artificial " acting. A variety of texts will be introduced for individual and ensemble performance. This unit will be conducted as a 3 hour workshop which will involve instruction, discussion and practical exercises.

TS105 Theory and Practice of Modern Theatre (No Prerequisite: Essential for Major)
This unit will examine popular dramatic forms from the mid nineteenth century to the more contemporary plays of the early twentieth century. It will examine realism and naturalism and the audience reaction to it. How social change and pressure lead on to Expressionism, Surrealism, Absurdism and Epic Theatre. There will be a focus on critical analysis of texts as well as opportunities to further enhance understanding through performance. Teaching mode will comprise of lectures, tutorials and performance workshops.

TS306 Australian Theatre and Cinema (Prerequisite: Completion of 1st year)
The course is really divided into two distinct areas, though there will be major areas of comparison. In studying Australian film, students will examine both historical and contemporary films with an emphasis on their expression of Australian history and culture and how they reflect our society. Australian plays from the mid nineteenth century to the present day will be examined within a cultural and dramatic context. Texts will be selected to illustrate Australian themes as well as for differing dramatic styles. They will be explored from both a literary and performance perspective. Films will be viewed in class, so lectures will be 3 hours to accommodate viewing time.

TS301 Text-based Performance Workshop (Prerequisite: TS100 and TS300)
Through this unit students will explore the way meaning is communicated in the theatre. They will understand how play scripts can only be fully appreciated through performance. After initial work on selected pieces, students will be involved in planning and rehearsing an ensemble production for a public performance

TS302 Devised Production Workshop (Prerequisite: TS100 and TS301)
This unit will examine in a practical way the various processes involved in "devising" for contemporary theatre performance. Firstly students will study the different approaches to devised theatre by examining community theatres and drama in education groups. In moving on to devise their own ensemble piece students will research, discuss, plan, construct and workshop the piece as a group. Roles can de defined such as director, deviser and/or performer. Group work is essential to recognise the collaborative nature of the theatre experience.

TS341 Drama in the Age of Shakespeare (Prerequisite: Completion of 1st year)
This unit involves a close study of a significant number of Shakespeare’s histories, tragedies and comedies. These plays are considered in the context of the variety of Elizabethan and Jacobean stages for which they were written, and on which they were performed. The plays of Shakespeare are studied in the context of the comedies and tragedies of some of his contemporaries – Christopher Marlowe, John Webster, Cyril Tourneur and Ben Jonson.

TS303 Theatre Studies Internship (Prerequisite: last Theatre Studies unit to be completed)
This unit will operate somewhat like work experience, whereby once a week students will spend time working within a Theatre Company. They will be exposed to both the practical and commercial side of Theatre. They will experience auditions, rehearsals, marketing, sales, stage management etc. They will be required to write a report on what they encounter and what they learn. Their intern supervisor will also be required too assess the students on different components of their experience.

TS304 The Theory and Practice of Creative Writing (Prerequisite: Completion of 1st year)
In a theoretical, practical and experimental way The Theory and Practice of Creative Writing aims to develop students' appreciation of the workings and rapidly changing conventions of the written word, as well as stimulating their imagination and cultivating a more comprehensive understanding of the art of communication. This unit focuses on the writer's craft as exemplified by a selection of Australian, American and English fiction, ranging from prose and poetry to performance texts. Students will be required to present, discuss and analyse their own and each other's creative writing. In doing so, they will be required to illustrate a knowledge of both theoretical and non-theoretical works. It is hoped that they will develop a better appreciation of the disciplined nature of 'literary' work, in a unit which is designed to make them better creative writers, better literary scholars and more effective communicators.