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.
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.
TS300
Theory and Practice of Acting 2
(Prerequisite: TS100)
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.
TS301
Text-based Production Workshop
(Prerequisite: TS100 & 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 & TS300)
This unit will examine and workshop elements of devised theatre. Through research, discussion, planning and construction a final ensemble piece will be performed in the last week of semester. Roles will be defined such as director, devisor, stage manager, publicity, costume coordinator etc. Group work is essential to recognise the collaborative nature of the theatre experience.
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 & Practice of Creative Writing
(Prerequisite: Completion of 1st Yr)
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.
TS306
Australian Theatre & Cinema
(Prerequisite: Completion of 1st Yr)
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.
TS307
Music Appreciation
This unit studies the basic elements of music - rhythm, melody, timbre, structure, metaphysical aspects and lyrics if applicable. Students will learn to identify and comment on the various ways in which these elements are used by composers and players to further aid the understanding and use of music in their projects and in the arts in general.
The history of both western classical music and contemporary (rock/pop) music is also examined. A consideration of how the elements of music compare and contrast throughout the various genres in music history is made, and key composers of each period are studied.
TS341
Drama in the Age of Shakespeare
(Prerequisite: Completion of 1st Yr)
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.
