Meeting Times, Location, & Course Delivery Details
Course Format:
In-person: The class will meet in-person every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday as outlined in the schedule.
Emergency Format:
In the event that the college is required to transition to online at any point during the semester, this course would function primarily as a SYNCHRONOUS ONLINE course with required Zoom meeting dates during our regularly scheduled class meeting time each week. Should that situation arise, you would need to set aside our class time to have Zoom meetings, written communication with your classmates and instructor, and online lessons.
Contact Information
Upon successful completion of this course…
1. The student will be able to explore the freedom found through expressiveness, the discipline of the actor
in acting theories and the relationship between freedom and discipline.
2. The student will be able to demonstrate movement and vocal awareness as well as stage terminology.
3. The student will be able to coordinate the body, voice, mind and emotion; will begin the life long
examinations of the theories of stage technique as such apply to acting.
4. The student will be able to analyze and develop character and practice discipline as it pertains to a role
and the entire production.
5. The student will be able to explore and analyze skills and techniques required for effective acting.
6. The student will be able to evaluate the in-class presentations of their classmates.
7. The student will be able to develop control to the greatest degree, experience performance before a live
audience, and give and take criticism gracefully and constructively.
All course materials will be provided.
Upon successful completion of this course, each student will be able to:
- Apply a common vocabulary to the acting process and theories, showing understanding of meaning of terms.
- Utilize observation, concentration, sense recollection, imagination, and emotional recall to craft a believable original character.
- Analyze scripts and connect textual analysis to the emotional, physical, and vocal portrayal of a role.
- Use verbal and written communication to give clear and specific quality feedback when evaluating the work of others and to reflect on their own processes and products.
- Build a personal toolkit of warmups, improvisations, and exercises to access emotional, physical, and vocal freedom and control.
- Establish trust and communication when working as a member of an artistic ensemble through being present, expressing needs clearly, balancing leading with contributing, and working to find creative solutions.
Tentative Schedule
Subject to change during the semester. Adequate notice of changes will be given.
| Week 1 | Syllabus, Classroom Community, Assignment explanation, 2 Minute Daily event presented, DNA Play assignment explained. “Where do we begin? First, you must learn who you are.”-Uta Hagen Goal & Obstacle exercises. Homework: Work on DNA Play |
Improv workshop (Bryan). Acting with the Other Homework: Work on DNA Play | |
| Week 2 | Beginning to Act, Share DNA Plays |
| Tactics & Expectations, Share DNA Plays | |
Improv workshop (Bryan). GOTE: Putting it all together. HOMEWORK: Monologue selection | |
| Week 3 | Bring monologue to class. Preparing a Role & Rehearsing, working with Beats. PPT on scoring a script. |
Staging the Scene & Choices Homework: Create a character collage | |
| Week 4 | EC for attending Auditions for Fall Show. Monologue work, Share character collages. |
| Monologue work with feedback. Evaluation & Improvement | |
| Contemporary MONOLOGUES DUE | |
| Week 5 | The Actor’s Voice, Stage Speech, Using the Voice |
| The Actor’s Body | |
Improv workshop. Voice & Body Integration, Assign theorist HOMEWORK: Research & Quote of Acting Theorist | |
| Week 6 | Share homework. Imagination/Emotion & Acting Theory |
| Videos of Theory & Continued discussion | |
| Improv workshop. Continued Theory if needed. Prep groups for selecting scenes | |
| Week 7 | Final Theory discussion & videos Follow-Through & Line Linkage. Scene Structure & Building a Scene. Work on scenes |
| Improv workshop. Work on scenes with partners: Unmemorized improv | |
| Week 8 | Work on scenes with Partners. Feedback from group. |
| Scenes presented to class for Feedback | |
| PRESENTATION OF SCENES. Improv workshop. | |
| Week 9 | MIDTERM REFLECTIONS DUE. Respect for Acting: The Play & the Role. Uta’s 9 Questions Homework; Reading from Respect for Acting |
Discuss reading and relate to other theorists. Respect for Acting: The Play & the Role Homework: Reading from Respect for Acting. | |
| Week 10 | Discuss Reading. Acting Professionally: Headshots & Resumes. Homework: Work on Resume. Bring draft to class on Wednesday. |
Resume feedback & Acting professionally continued Homework: Share a good and a bad Headshot, share on Blackboard | |
Improv workshop. Rasa Boxes and movement to Character Work Homework: Resumes due in tangible form | |
| Week 11 | Classical Monologue selection. Homework: Find a Classical monologue to bring to class next week. |
| Scoring and research on classical pieces. What am I saying? | |
| Improv workshop. Classical Monologue Work. | |
| Week 12 | Classical monologue style & approach. Work on monologues. Present monologues for feedback. |
| CLASSICAL MONOLOGUES DUE | |
| Improv workshop. Classical Monologues continued. | |
| Week 13 | Flex Day. Working with Directing class. *Schedule TBA |
| Flex Day. Working with Directing class. * Schedule TBA | |
| NO CLASS: Reciprocal time for attending the WC Fall Theatre Production on Wednesday (11/18), Thursday (11/19), Friday (11/20), or Saturday (11/21) | |
| Week 14 | Discuss Fall Show. Work on 10-Minute Plays |
| NO CLASS: THANKSGIVING BREAK | |
| NO CLASS: THANKSGIVING BREAK | |
| Week 15 | Work on 10-Minute Plays. Peer & Instructor feedback. Homework: Complete character analysis sheet. |
Work on10-Minute Plays. Peer & Instructor feedback. Homework: Complete character analysis sheet. | |
| Week 16 | Present 10-Minute Plays for an invited audience: Time TBA Final Exam. Character Analysis Sheet & Paper Exam. |
Course Assessments: TOTAL: 500 points possible
Class Activities & Exercises (50 points total): Throughout the semester, students will engage in discussing and experimenting with some of the acting techniques and theories. This can include, but is not limited to, homework, pantomime, group work, discussions, and reading/researching.
DNA Play (50 points): Students are tasked with telling an authentic story that shares an aspect of their authentic personal lives. Before crafting characters and telling the stories of other people, actors must first find their true selves and be comfortable in their own skins. This assignment asks actors to be the main character in their own story. Presented in class.
Improv Workshop Leader (25 points): Throughout the course, students will be responsible for researching an improv exercise/activity and working through it with the class. Students will sign up for their selected day and list the exercise they will introduce.
Monologues (50 points each =100 points): Students will analyze, prepare, and present two major monologues (one contemporary, one classical) during this course. Emphasis will be placed on research, scoring, use of objectives and tactics, physical/emotional/ vocal properties, and memorization. 2-3 minutes in length.
Scene with Partner (50 points): Students will work with a partner to create a believable presentation of a scene. The scene may be comedic or dramatic, but it must be contemporary. Emphasis will be placed on research, scoring, use of objectives and tactics, physical/emotional/ vocal properties, and memorization. The piece should be 4-6 minutes in length.
Midterm Reflection (25 points): This reflection may take the form of an essay, a video, a presentation, an interview, a survey, a meeting…you decide. The most important thing is to find a way to express how you are feeling in and about the class. This reflection will be shared with Bryan. Be specific…what have you learned? What do you still hope to learn? How could this class be improved in the near and far? What have you enjoyed doing/learning? What assignments would you change? Anything that you want to say about the class and your involvement in it is valued here.
Final 10-Minute Play/Scene (100 points): Working with students from the directing class as facilitators, students are to perform scenes that could allow them to showcase what they have learned throughout the semester. Shared during the final exam time.
Participation & Engagement (25 points each =50 points total): This category will cover, but is not limited to, participation in group discussions, warmups, improv, homework, assignments, brief readings—mainly, contributing as an active and positive member of this classroom community. These grades will go in at midterm and again at finals.
Attendance (50 points): Attending class is an expectation of the course. This course works best when all members are present and prepared for class. Attendance will be taken each day of class. Absences, tardiness, and leaving early will impact this grade.
Grading Scale:
| Percentage | Letter Grade |
| 94.5-100 | A |
| 90.5-94.4 | A- |
| 87.5-90.4 | B+ |
| 84.5-87.4 | B |
| 80.5-84.4 | B- |
| 77.5-80.4 | C+ |
| 74.5-77.4 | C |
| 70.5-74.4 | C- |
| 67.5-70.4 | D+ |
| 60.5-67.4 | D |
| 0-60.4 | F |
Instructor Course Policies
Course Participation and Attendance:
Along with the WC approved excused absences, each student will be allowed 2 personal days. Any additional absences beyond these will negatively affect the attendance grade. Participation in course exercises and activities is a daily expectation. Not participating is as serious a concern as not attending class.
Students with academic integrity violations may not be eligible for academic awards and honors (i.e., Academic Honors, Dean’s List/Merit List, Green Key Honor Society, Quaker Impact Award, and other Honorary Societies). See the current Student Handbook for the college’s Academic Integrity policies as they pertain to examinations, classroom behavior, and the process for handling academic misconduct charges. See the separate policy dealing with plagiarism and AI use below.
All work (essays, test answers, homework answers, etc) thatyou submit in this course mustbe originally produced by you and not by artificial intelligence. Failure to comply with this policy will result in penalties for academic dishonesty.
Late Work Policy
Each late assignment will incur a 10% grade reduction for every day it is late. After five days past the due date, the assignment cannot be submitted for credit. If a student misses an assignment due to absence, it will be due the next class meeting.
Classroom Etiquette
When students are meeting face-to-face for class, they are to silence and refrain from using their phones/laptops unless phone/laptop use is helpful to the lesson objectives. This is also true for any other electronic device that may distract students from the lesson at hand. Students should also refrain from wearing headphones, AirPods, or other audio devices during class.
Students who engage in chronic phone or headphone use may be asked to leave and that day will be counted against them for attendance/participation. Should class move to an online format, students should be sure their synchronous Zoom behavior, dress, and consideration of others matches what would be expected if they were meeting face-to-face. In order to be sure students are physically a part of synchronous Zoom, they should have their video on (but audio muted until time to speak).
Institutional and Program-Level Policies
All exams will follow the Final Exam Schedule. Students scheduled to take three or more final examinations on one day may request to arrange their examination schedule, so no more than two exams occur on one day.
Requests for early or late exams are considered only under extreme circumstances. Prior to the exam period, the student must file a written request on the Early/Late Exam Form available in the Student One Stop Center, Academic Records, and on the WC portal. The form must be signed by the Instructor and the Academic Dean, approving the alternate exam time. This process must be completed prior to the scheduled exam period.
Undergraduate: FA26 Final Exam Schedule
Out-of-class Work Expectation A minimum of 2 hours of out-of-class student work is expected for each hour of in-class time for traditional face-to-face courses. For online and hybrid courses, the combination of face-to-face time and out-of-class work should be equal to 3 hours per credit hour per week. |
Instructional Course Delivery Definition of Courses |
Academic Integrity Policy The use of generative AI is prohibited except where expressly allowed in assignment instructions. Academic Integrity Policy |
Class Attendance Policy Institutional Class Attendance Policy |