Dance and Performance Studies

University of California, Berkeley

This is an archived copy of the 2014-15 guide. To access the most recent version of the guide, please visit http://guide.berkeley.edu/.

About the Program

Bachelor of Arts (BA)

The flexibility and integration of the major program in Dance and Performance Studies makes the majors excellent candidates for a variety of professions in the social, corporate, legal, and arts sectors, as well as for admission to graduate programs in the arts and in professional schools. The curriculum ranges from the classics to the contemporary; it cuts across theatrical, dance, and visual art forms; it spans all corners of the globe, using the site of performance to deepen UC Berkeley’s critical education in the humanities. Indeed, at a time when scholars and educators call for more cross-disciplinary intellectual collaboration and project-based learning in higher education, the program takes pride in its daily commitment to collaboration and to the kind of rigorously critical, team-based projects the program develops with their students, staff, and faculty both in the classroom and in their production season. Undergraduate majors and minors are well-prepared for the future, both as artists and as engaged citizens of the world.

The Department is proud of the ways graduates have used their critical and expressive skills toward successful careers as professional artists in dance, theatre, and experimental performance as well as in law, advertising, human resources, publishing, radio, technology, social work, and in all aspects of profit and nonprofit administration. Through the course of their studies, students pursue intensive work in acting, design, directing, technical production, dance technique, and choreography. At the same time, they take critical and cultural studies courses that set the literary, historical, political, theoretical, and aesthetic concerns of performance in dialogue with other disciplines in the arts, humanities, and the social sciences.

In the Department of Theater, Dance and Performance Studies (TDPS), you will find small class sizes, inspiring faculty, engaged staff, talented colleague students, and multiple opportunities to purse your artistic and intellectual creative in ways that are both challenging and fulfilling.

Declaring the Major

For further information regarding the pre-requisites required before declaring the major, please see the Major Requirements tab on this page.

Honors Program

Majors in Dance and Performance Studies with an overall GPA of 3.3 in the University and in the major may, with the approval of the department, apply for admission to the honors program. Students should apply through the undergraduate academic adviser no later than the 13th week of the spring semester of their junior year. If you wish to have your honors project culminate in a stage production, apply by February of the spring semester of your junior year. Students accepted in the Honors Program will include in their programs: THEATER H195A, an intensive, critical study of problems of dramatic literature, performance studies, acting, playwriting, directing, dance, choreography, or design; and THEATER H195B, development of studies begun in THEATER H195A, either as a stage production or a written thesis.

Minor Program

The Department of Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies offers a minor in Dance and Performance Studies. For for further information regarding the minor requirements, please see the Minor Requirements tab on this page.

Confirm your intention to minor after enrolling in one course in the Department. Transfer students can determine transferability of coursework into the minor by bringing unofficial transcripts and course descriptions to Michael Mansfield, the Undergraduate Adviser. A course equivalent to THEATER 10 transfers from other institutions into the minor. It is rare that another course will transfer from a junior college will transfer into the minor because equivalent coursework is seldom found. Since your minor will be from the Department of Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies, it is likely you will do most of your minor coursework here.

Other Major and Minor Program Offered by TDPS

Theater and Performance Studies

Visit Department Website

Major Requirements

In addition to the University, campus, and college requirements, listed on the College Requirements tab, students must fulfill the below requirements specific to their major program.

General Guidelines

  1. All courses taken to fulfill the major requirements below must be taken for graded credit, other than courses listed which are offered on a Pass/No Pass basis only. Other exceptions to this requirement are noted as applicable.
  2. No more than one upper-division course may be used to simultaneously fulfill requirements for a student's major and minor programs, with the exception of minors offered outside of the College of Letters and Science.
  3. A minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 must be maintained in both upper- and lower-division courses used to fulfill the major requirements.

For information regarding residence requirements and unit requirements, please see the College Requirements tab.

Lower-division Requirements

Students may declare the major after passing two of the following four lower-division courses. One of the courses must be a Modern Dance Technique course (THEATER 40, THEATER 60, or a technique course at any level); and one of the courses must be a Performance Studies course (THEATER 25AC, THEATER 26, or THEATER 52AC).

THEATER 25ACThe Drama of American Cultures: An Introduction to Our Theater4
or THEATER 52AC Dance in American Cultures
THEATER 26Introduction to Performance Studies4
THEATER 40Introduction to Modern Dance Technique2
THEATER 60Introduction to Technical Theater and Production3-4


​Upper-division Requirements (Minimum 24 units total)

Performance Studies: Select three courses from the following areas, one course from each area:
Performance Theory:
Performance Theory
Performance and History:
Performance and History
Performance Literature:
Performance Literatures
International Performance and Literature: Irish Theater: Origins and the Contemporary Scene
Performance and Culture:
Performance and Culture
African Theater and Performance
Technique Requirement: After declaring the major, students are required to take one technique course every semester, selected from the following:
Introduction to Modern Dance Technique
Intermediate Modern Dance Technique
Advanced Modern Dance Technique
Advanced Modern Dance Technique
Choreography Requirement: Select one course from each category below (two courses total):
Preparing to Choreograph:
Performance Workshop
Sources of Movement
Choreography:
Choreography: Solo and Duet Forms
Choreography: Group Forms
Technical Theater Requirement: Select one course from each of the following technical areas:
Production or Design:
Advanced Production Study
Scenography: Scenic Design for the Theatre
Scenography: Scenic Design for the Theatre
Scenography: Costume Design for the Theatre
Scenography: Costume Design for the Theatre
Scenography: Lighting Design for the Theatre
Scenography: Lighting Design for the Theatre
Sound Design and Media Theater
Theater Practicum:
Technical Theater: Performance Practice
Technical Theater: Shop Practice
Electives:
Most majors need four or more electives to complete the upper-division units for the major (24 units minimum). Students are encouraged to create a focus for additional elective courses in acting technique, dramatic writing, design, stage management, directing, performance studies, stage performance, or some combination of these areas taken in the Department. Independent Studies, teaching a DeCal Course, Honors Projects, Internships, 196 Projects, and Education Abroad Programs count as part of the elective coursework. However, taking DeCal courses do not count toward your major.

Transferring Units

A maximum of 8 units of equivalent upper division coursework transfer into the major from EAP or other 4-year colleges as electives upon departmental approval. All L&S-approved units from other colleges transfer into your degree, but rarely into the major. We remind transfer students to bring a copy of previous transcripts/course descriptions to Michael Mansfield for evaluation. Because DPS Majors require no additional electives for their major, this will probably not be an issue.

Minor Requirements

Students who have a strong interest in an area of study outside their major often decide to complete a minor program. These programs have set requirements and are noted officially on the transcript in the memoranda section, but are not noted on diplomas.

General Guidelines

  1. All courses taken to fulfill the minor requirements below must be taken for graded credit.
  2. A minimum of three of the upper-division courses taken to fulfill the minor requirements must be completed at UC Berkeley.
  3. A minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 is required for courses used to fulfill the minor requirements.
  4. Courses used to fulfill the minor requirements may be applied toward the Seven-Course Breadth Requirement, for Letters and Science students.
  5. No more than one upper-division course may be used to simultaneously fulfill requirements for a student's major and minor programs.
  6. All minor requirements must be completed prior to the last day of finals during the semester in which you plan to graduate. If you cannot finish all courses required for the minor by that time, please see a College of Letters and Science adviser.
  7. All minor requirements must be completed within the unit ceiling. (For further information regarding the unit ceiling, please see the College Requirements tab.)

Requirements

Lower-division
Select one from the following:
The Drama of American Cultures: An Introduction to Our Theater
Introduction to Performance Studies
Introduction to Modern Dance Technique (may fulfill Minor Technique Requirement - see below)
Dance in American Cultures
Introduction to Technical Theater and Production
Upper-division (5 courses):
Select one upper-division Performance Studies course from the following:
International Performance and Literature: Irish Theater: Origins and the Contemporary Scene
Performance Theory
Performance and Culture
Performance and History
Performance Literatures
Select one Modern Dance Technique course from the following: 1
Intermediate Modern Dance Technique
Advanced Modern Dance Technique
Practicum for Advanced Modern Dancers
Select one Choreography course from the following:
Performance Workshop
Sources of Movement
Choreography: Solo and Duet Forms 2
Choreography: Group Forms 2
Electives:
Select two or more courses to build a focus in the minor. (For example of a focus, please see the department's website.)
1

 If THEATER 40 Introduction to Modern Dance Technique is chosen as a prerequisite, this course can be used to fulfill the upper-division Modern Dance Technique requirement. If THEATER 40 is used to fulfill this requirement, the student must substitute an additional upper-division elective course, for a total of three upper-division electives, in order to fulfill the requirement of five total upper-division courses.

2

 THEATER 146A and THEATER 146B have two types of enrollment:

  1. Dancers enroll for 1 unit in the course and must be enrolled concurrently in a technique class, and
  2. Choreographers enroll for 3 units in the course and must complete the pre-requisite of THEATER 114 or THEATER 144 in advance or concurrently. 
 

College Requirements

Undergraduate students in the College of Letters and Science must fulfill the following requirements in addition to those required by their major program.

For detailed lists of courses that fulfill college requirements, please see the College of Letters and Sciences  page in this bulletin. 

Entry Level Writing

All students who will enter the University of California as freshmen must demonstrate their command of the English language by fulfilling the Entry Level Writing Requirement. Fulfillment of this requirement is also a prerequisite to enrollment in all reading and composition courses at UC Berkeley. 

American History and American Institutions

The American History and Institutions requirements are based on the principle that a U.S. resident graduated from an American university should have an understanding of the history and governmental institutions of the United States.

American Cultures

American Cultures is the one requirement that all undergraduate students at Cal need to take and pass in order to graduate. The requirement offers an exciting intellectual environment centered on the study of race, ethnicity and culture of the United States. AC courses offer students opportunities to be part of research-led, highly accomplished teaching environments, grappling with the complexity of American Culture.

Quantitative Reasoning

The Quantitative Reasoning requirement is designed to ensure that students graduate with basic understanding and competency in math, statistics, or computer science. The requirement may be satisfied by exam or by taking an approved course.

Foreign Language

The Foreign Language requirement may be satisfied by demonstrating proficiency in reading comprehension, writing, and conversation in a foreign language equivalent to the second semester college level, either by passing an exam or by completing approved course work.

Reading and Composition

In order to provide a solid foundation in reading, writing and critical thinking the College requires two semesters of lower division work in composition. Students must complete a first-level reading and composition course by the end of their second semester and a second-level course by the end of their fourth semester.

Breadth Requirements

The undergraduate breadth requirements provide Berkeley students with a rich and varied educational experience outside of their major program. As the foundation of a liberal arts education, breadth courses give students a view into the intellectual life of the University while introducing them to a multitude of perspectives and approaches to research and scholarship.  Engaging students in new disciplines and with peers from other majors, the breadth experience strengthens interdisciplinary connections and context that prepares Berkeley graduates to understand and solve the complex issues of their day.

Unit Requirements

  • 120 total units, including at least 60 L&S units

  • Of the 120 units, 36 must be upper division units

  • Of the 36 upper division units, 6 must be taken in courses offered outside your major department

Residence Requirements

For units to be considered in "residence," you must be registered in courses on the Berkeley campus as a student in the College of Letters and Science. Most students automatically fulfill the residence requirement by attending classes here for four years. In general, there is no need to be concerned about this requirement, unless you go abroad for a semester or year or want to take courses at another institution or through University Extension during your senior year. In these cases, you should make an appointment to see an adviser to determine how you can meet the Senior Residence Requirement.

Note: Courses taken through UC Extension do not count toward residence.

Senior Residence Requirement

After you become a senior (with 90 semester units earned toward your B.A. degree), you must complete at least 24 of the remaining 30 units in residence in at least two semesters. To count as residence, a semester must consist of at least 6 passed units. Intercampus Visitor, EAP, and UC Berkeley-Washington Program (UCDC) units are excluded.

You may use a Berkeley summer session to satisfy one semester of the Senior Residence Requirement, provided that you successfully complete 6 units of course work in the Summer Session and that you have been enrolled previously in the College.

Modified Senior Residence Requirement

Participants in the UC Education Abroad Program (EAP) or the UC Berkeley-Washington Program (UCDC) may meet a Modified Senior Residence Requirement by completing 24 (excluding EAP) of their final 60 semester units in residence. At least 12 of these 24 units must be completed after you have completed 90 units.

Upper Division Residence Requirement

You must complete in residence a minimum of 18 units of upper division courses (excluding EAP units), 12 of which must satisfy the requirements for your major.

Student Learning Goals

Mission

The Department of Theater, Dance and Performance Studies (TDPS) teaches performance as a mode of critical inquiry, creative expression and public engagement. Through performance training and research, the Department creates liberal arts graduates with expanded analytical, technical and imaginative capacities. As a public institution, diversity and inclusion is a key part of teaching, art making and public programming.

Undergraduate majors and minors are well prepared for the future, both as artists and engaged citizens of the world.  At a time when scholars and practitioners across a variety of fields call for more cross-disciplinary intellectual collaboration and project-based learning in higher education, the Department takes pride in its daily commitment to collaboration and to the kind of rigorously critical, team-based projects the Department develops with its students, staff, and faculty both in the classroom and in its production season.

Learning Goals for the Major

By the end of their time in D&PS, beyond TDPS goals, students should possess the following:

  1. Ability to synthesize a well-organized argument from textual or other evidence and to express it in formal, written form
  2. Proficiency in research methods (i.e. utilization of public and private archives, libraries, electronic databases, oral histories; textual and performance analysis)
  3. Collaborative skills
  4. Foundational stagecraft and production skills and knowledge (design, craft and technology, stage management, new media)
  5. Literacy in foundational dramatic texts and fundamental concepts of performance theory
  6. Basic History of Euro-American dance practice, including issues of race, ethnicity, and multiculturalism in the performing arts.
  7. Basic modern/contemporary dance technique in the Western concert dance tradition
  8. Understanding of the choreographic process and the tools necessary for this process.

Skills

Through upper-division course work, electives, and capstone experiences students should also possess advanced training in at least one of the following:

  1. Choreography
  2. Advanced Dance Technique
  3. History & Theory of Dance

Courses

Dance and Performance Studies

THEATER R1A Performance: Writing and Research 4 Units

Reading and composition in connection with the study of dramatic literature. R1A satisfies the first half of the Reading and Composition requirement, and R1B satisfies the second half.

THEATER R1B Performance: Writing and Research 4 Units

Reading and composition in connection with the study of dramatic literature. R1A satisfies the first half of the Reading and Composition requirement, and R1B satisfies the second half.

THEATER 5 Public Speaking and Presentation Skills 4 Units

Students will learn to present themselves and material clearly, confidently, and persuasively, using age-old arts of oral communication. They will learn techniques for overcoming stage fright, developing clear enunciation, finding and using their natural, unaffected vocal register, varying tone and intonation to hold audience interest, controlling pacing, moving with assurance and purpose, using appropriate gestures, and eye contact as well as exploring methods to change behaviors that bar effective communication and structure speeches to maximize persuasiveness.

THEATER 10 Introduction to Acting 3 Units

This is a theory and performance course that provides an overview of the actor's creative process. Basic acting techniques are presented in conjunction with exercises, improvisation, and text work, designed to enhance concentration, imagination, vocal resonance, clarity of speech, self confidence, and communication skills.

THEATER N10 Introduction to Acting 3 Units

Instruction of elementary acting.

THEATER 11 Scene Study and Characterization 3 Units

In this course the emphasis of the students' studies shifts from the development of basic skills to the development of skills necessary to the character actor. Students develop characterizations which lie outside their personal experience by performing characters who are not close to themselves in age or background. Students continue to employ the basic acting and vocal techniques introduced in 10.

THEATER N11 Scene Study and Character Development 3 Units

Instruction in study of scenes and character development in dramatic productions.

THEATER N12 Speech and Vocal Communication Skills 3 Units

The study of the principles of speech and voice production. The course will focus on the interpretation and communication of both dramatic and non-dramatic material.

THEATER 15 Improvisation for Performance 3 Units

This course will introduce students to the basic skills involved in creating characters, scenes, and stories for performance using only their bodies, voices, and imaginations. Attention will be paid to the challenges of creating and maintaining ensemble pieces as well as solo performances. Bridging the gap between these two modes of improvisation will be an overall focus on bringing students to a liberating yet critical appropriation of their own creativity. The course aims not only to prepare students for strictly improvisational theatre but also to free up a creative approach to the challenges of "conventional" theatre and performance.

THEATER 20U London: Theater Capital 3 Units

Course provides a critical introduction to both London and its theatre for first year undergraduate students. The course, which is part of a university study abroad program, examines the production of current theatre and performance in the city with an emphasis on staged performance backed up by selected critical and creative texts. Alongside these artistic acts students will be introduced to ways in which the city of London itself is a landscape of continuous performances, ceremonies and events with institutions such as the Royal Courts of Justice, the Lord Mayor’s Show, and the Houses of Parliament, all worthy of close attention for the way they operate through means of performance.

THEATER 24 Freshman Seminar 1 Unit

The Berkeley Seminar Program has been designed to provide new students with the opportunity to explore an intellectual topic with a faculty member in a small-seminar setting. Berkeley Seminars are offered in all campus departments, and topics vary from department to department and semester to semester.

THEATER 25AC The Drama of American Cultures: An Introduction to Our Theater 4 Units

This course provides an introduction to theater through the study of values and issues fundamental to cultural identity, the comparison of selected cultural groups and their relationship to American society as a whole, and the study of drama as an instrument for understanding and expressing cultural identity. Theater of specific cultural groups to be included will be determined by the availability of live theater productions offered on campus and in the Bay Area.

THEATER 26 Introduction to Performance Studies 4 Units

This course introduces the critical terms and practices of the contemporary study of performance. Several key terms and important genres of artistic and social performance will be engaged; the course will draw critical and disciplinary methods from anthropology and ethnography, from the theory of dance and theater, from literary and cultural theory. Critical and theoretical concepts will be used to analyze a wide range of live and recorded performances, as well as performance texts.

THEATER 39 Freshman/Sophomore Seminar 1.5 - 2 Units

Freshman and sophomore seminars offer lower division students the opportunity to explore an intellectual topic with a faculty member and a group of peers in a small-seminar setting. These seminars are offered in all campus departments; topics vary from department to department and from semester to semester.

THEATER 40 Introduction to Modern Dance Technique 2 Units

Introduction to modern dance from a Western concert dance perspective. Study of foundational concepts of movement such as: principles of alignment, locomotion, dance terminology, and musicality.

THEATER 52AC Dance in American Cultures 4 Units

Dance as a meaning-making expressive form. Develop the tools necessary for looking at dance, analyzing it, writing about it, and understanding its place in larger social, cultural, political structures. We will look at a variety of U.S. American dance genres, understanding them through their historical and cultural contexts, to explore how issues of race, gender, sexuality and class affect the practice and the reception of different dance forms, and how dance might help shape representations of these identities. Ethnic groups that the course studies include African, Asian, and European Americans, indigenous peoples of the U.S., and Chicanos/Latinos. Accessible to students with no dance experience. Not a studio-based class.

THEATER 60 Introduction to Technical Theater and Production 3 - 4 Units

A practical introduction to the terminology, theories, approaches, and techniques of technical theater and production. The course will cover theatrical terminology, stage equipment and architecture, production personnel and processes, and design departments, including scenery, properties, costumes, lighting, sound, and video. The course has a laboratory component. Based on student preference and availability, assignments for work on departmental productions will be made to one of two types of lab: department shops on a regular weekly schedule throughout the semester, or as run crew for a production fulfilling all required hours during a three week period including evening and weekend calls.

THEATER 84 Sophomore Seminar 1 or 2 Units

Sophomore seminars are small interactive courses offered by faculty members in departments all across the campus. Sophomore seminars offer opportunity for close, regular intellectual contact between faculty members and students in the crucial second year. The topics vary from department to department and semester to semester. Enrollment limited to 15 sophomores.

THEATER 98 Directed Group Study 0.5 - 5 Units

Group study of a topic not included in the regular department curriculum. Topics may be initiated by students.

THEATER 99 Independent Study 1 - 5 Units

Study of a topic not included in the regular department curriculum.

THEATER 100 Collaborative Innovation 4 Units

This is a project-based class in collaborative innovation where students experience group creativity and team-based design by using techniques from across the disciplines of business, theatre, design, and art practice. They will leverage problem framing and solving techniques derived from critical thinking, systems thinking, and creative problem solving (popularly known today as design thinking). The course is grounded in a brief weekly lecture that sets out the theoretical, historical, and cultural contexts for particular innovation practices, but the majority of the class involves hands-on studio-based learning guided by an interdisciplinary team of teachers leading small group collaborative projects.


THEATER C107 Plays of Ibsen 4 Units

Reading and discussion of Ibsen's major plays. Readings and discussion in English.

THEATER C108 Strindberg 4 Units

Reading and discussion of Strindberg's major works; emphasis on his dramas and their significance. Readings and discussion in English.

THEATER 109 Scene Study and Characterization 3 Units

In this course the emphasis of the students' studies shifts from the development of basic skills to the development of skills necessary to the character actor. Students develop characterizations which lie outside their personal experience by performing characters who are not close to themselves in age or background. Students continue to employ the basic acting and vocal techniques introduced in THEATER 10.

THEATER 110A Intermediate Acting 3 Units

THEATER 110B Intermediate Acting 3 Units

THEATER 111 Advanced Acting 3 Units

THEATER 112 Speech and Vocal Communication Skills 3 Units

The objective of this course is to foster the finest sound of spoken English through work on basic vocal relaxation techniques, breath, resonance, articulation, and projection practice. The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA-narrow transcription) is used for purity and clarity of speech sounds. Also work on pitch, rate, quality, and inflection through a variety of material.

THEATER 113A International Performance and Literature: Irish Theater: Origins and the Contemporary Scene 6 Units

This course will explore what is involved in the performer's art through class participation, writing, discussion, and final exam. It includes lectures on classical and contemporary theater, acting training, literature study, and attendance at many professional theater performances. Enrollment is open to all applicants without audition, and the performance aspects of the class will be responsive to the skill level of the students who enroll.

THEATER 114 Performance Workshop 3 Units

Workshop involving advanced actors, dancers, and spoken-word performers in collaborative development of new performance; topics include cross-disciplinary arts, solo performance, language, and movement.

THEATER 115 Advanced Acting: Company Class 3 Units

Intensive group study, rehearsal, and performance of a play or selected dramatic pieces.

THEATER 118AC Performance, Television, and Social Media 4 Units

This course examines the intersections of performance and media--specifically the media forms of television and social media in the U.S.--with a focus on how various types of difference (race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and socioeconomic class) are enacted, articulated, represented, and played on TV and social media platforms.

THEATER 119 Performance Theory 4 Units

An examination of a theoretical topic or perspective on performance, with specific attention to the interface between theoretical endeavor and dramatic, nondramatic, and nontheatrical modes of performance; may involve visiting artists. Topics vary from semester to semester.

THEATER 121 Performance and Culture 4 Units

An examination of performance as an aspect of cultural production, ranging from everyday-life enactment to more formal or aesthetic activities associated with "artistic" production; may involve visiting artists. Specific attention to the methods of ethnography, cultural studies, and intercultural performance analysis. Topics vary from semester to semester.

THEATER 122 African Theater and Performance 4 Units

African performance includes a wide range of vibrant forms: from scripted drama, theatre, dance, and music to oral traditions, storytelling, masquerading, and ritual. Using source materials that are neither "traditional" nor "modern," "African" nor "European," but a complex amalgamation of influences, African performances defy these limited but nevertheless tenacious dichotomies. In the performing arts, one sees the resilience and tenacity of African cultural forms as respositories of memory, sites of intercultural negotiation, and potent forums for political resistance.

THEATER 125 Performance and History 4 Units

An examination of the historical conditions of performance, either given in a historical period or comparatively, with specific attention to the relationship between methods of historical studies and performance; may involve visiting artists. Topics vary from semester to semester.

THEATER 126 Performance Literatures 4 Units

An examination of the formal, ideological, and cultural dynamics of drama, with specific attention to the relationship between methods of literary studies and performance; may involve visiting artists. Topics vary from semester to semester.

THEATER C131B Contemporary African American Drama 4 Units

Survey of contemporary plays by African American writers and the portrayal of the black experience in American theatre. Emphasis on predominant themes, structural tendencies, socio-historical context.

THEATER 139A Fundamentals of Playwriting 3 Units

A practical course for beginning playwrights. Through lecture, exercises, in class readings and group discussion, the class will explore the practical craft elements of playwriting along with the function of personal voice in one’s work. Students will write one short and one longer form play during the semester.

THEATER 139B Playwriting 3 Units

This course will focus on the writing of a full-length theatrical work. A more critical analysis of the playwriting process with particular emphasis on how a playwright’s aesthetic and intellectual point of view inform the work. Instructor approval is a requirement for the course.

THEATER 140 Pedagogy for Movement Based Classes - Undergraduate Level 3 Units

Introduces students to foundational principles necessary to teach practice-based courses that involve movement, dance, and/or physical activity and expression. Designed for undergraduate students interested in pursuing teaching. Students should be prepared to engage in practical exercises as well as the study pedagogical theories and methods.

THEATER 141 Intermediate Modern Dance Technique 2 Units

Development of body articulation and control utilizing modern dance concepts of time, space, and dynamics.

THEATER N141 Intermediate Modern Dance 3 Units

Modern dance technique. The class will concentrate on physical coordination, rhythmic and spatial exploration.

THEATER 142 Advanced Modern Dance Technique 2 Units

Refinement of movement techniques as well as qualitative analysis and demonstration of movement with regard to rhythm, dynamics, and style.

THEATER N142 Advanced Modern Dance Technique 3 Units

Refinement of movement techniques and qualitative analysis of movement with regard to rhythm, dynamics, and style.

THEATER 143 Practicum for Advanced Modern Dancers 2 Units

Practical application of previously studied theory and techniques of modern dance with an emphasis on development of individual movement style.

THEATER 144 Sources of Movement 3 Units

Beginning application of dance technique as a means of communication in the theatre. Use of basic technical fundamentals as a means of extending natural movement in rhythm, energy, and space with emphasis on style and qualitative analysis.

THEATER 145 Music Resources for Performance 3 Units

This course is an introduction to the sonic poetry of gesture. Studying historical Eurocentric precedents and current trends in theatrical/dance music, we will examine the work of composers for early royal theater like Rameau; move to the program of music of composers like Tchaikovsky; look at pre-electronic composers like Varese, Berio, and Stockhausen; shift into the avant-garde with Cage; and study contemporary composers like Anderson. Discussions will be based on lectures and readings. An important aspect of this course is the practical experience and analysis of sonic experimentation in performance.

THEATER 146A Choreography: Solo and Duet Forms 1 - 3 Units

Analysis of theories of form and structure and their practical application in relation to content.

THEATER 146B Choreography: Group Forms 1 - 3 Units

Analysis of theories of form and structure and their practical application in relation to content.

THEATER 147A Beginning Ballet Technique 2 Units

This course is designed for contemporary/modern dancers interested in learning ballet vocabulary, technique, and alignment principles in order to support their contemporary/modern training. The course is intended to be taken in conjunction with one of the modern/contemporary dance technique courses offered by TDPS (40, 141, or 142). Beginning level. Audition first day of class.

THEATER 147B Intermediate Ballet Technique 2 Units

This course is designed for contemporary/modern dancers interested in expanding their ballet vocabulary, improving ballet technique, and learning new approaches to taking ballet class. The course is intended to be taken in conjunction with one of the modern/contemporary dance technique courses offered by TDPS (40, 141, or 142) and requires that students have intermediate (or above) proficiency with ballet technique. Audition first day of class.

THEATER 151A Theater History 3 Units

A chronological survey of world theater to 1800, this course begins with an investigation of "performance behavior"--the human impulse to organize complex games, rituals, and other display activities. It explores the mythological and historical origins of theater in various cultures as well as the derivation of the first dramatic scripts. A heavy emphasis is placed on the analysis of the "promptbooks" and visual sources of early European and Asian theaters for a practical understanding of their scenic and acting styles.

THEATER 151B Theater History 3 Units

A chronological survey of Western theater from 1800 to the present, this course begins with the dismantling of Neoclassical thought in the European theater and the rise of avant-garde and popular forms. Rapidly changing social conditions, cultural tastes, and technological advances in the 19th and 20th centuries are studied in tandem with the development of theatrical productions and movements, playmaking, and acting styles.

THEATER 153B Changing Forms in 20th-Century Dance 3 Units

A chronological study of a large selection of works by 20th-century ballet, modern, and postmodern choreographers. We emphasize how dance reflects and affects political climate, social values, religious beliefs, and cultural constructions of gender by examining a variety of dance themes, movement vocabularies, and styles.

THEATER 162 Fundamentals of Stage Directing 3 Units

Beginning study of principles of stage composition, blocking, and analysis of dramatic texts for the director.

THEATER 163 Stage Directing 3 Units

Study of principles and practice of stage directing.

THEATER 166 Special Topics: Theater Arts 1 - 4 Units

Topics vary from semester to semester and have included The Power of Music and Poetry in the Theater; Modern Drama and Theater, 1940 to the Present; Theaters, Tricksters, and Cultural Exchange; Art as Social Action; and The Invisible World (Process Seminar).

THEATER 167 Technical Theater: Performance Practice 1 - 3 Units

Participation in technical theater practice associated with department theater and dance productions to include technical run crew for live performance in one of: lighting, sound, video, properties, costumes, make-up, scenery, deck, and rail.

THEATER 168 Technical Theater: Shop Practice 1 - 3 Units

Participation in technical theater practice associated with department theater and dance productions to include workshop activities (fabrication, treatment, and installation) in one or more of: costumes, hair, make-up, scenery, properties, lighting, video, and sound for live performance.

THEATER 169 Advanced Technical Theater Practice 1 - 3 Units

Participation in advanced technical theater practice associated with department theater and dance productions to include lead, head, or coordinator position with technical run crew for live performance in one of: lighting, sound, video, properties, costumes, make-up, scenery, deck, rail, or advanced application of workshop activities (fabrication, treatment, and installation) in one or more of: costumes, hair, make-up, scenery, properties, lighting, video, and sound for live performance. Intended for a student who has completed introductory level application of theater practice and is training in advanced techniques and applications and/or assuming additional responsibilities in relation to production.

THEATER 170 Theatre Laboratory 1 - 3 Units

Non-performing participation in the University Theatre to include: Stage managements; crew assistance in lighting, sound, properties, costumes, make-up, backstage; technical assistance in scene or costume shop.

THEATER 171 Theatre Performance 1 - 3 Units

Practice in acting and/or dance in Dramatic Art productions.

THEATER 172 Advanced Production Study 2 - 6 Units

Study of production techniques and procedures related to production management, stage management, and theater administration.

THEATER 173A Scenography: Scenic Design for the Theatre 3 Units

THEATER 173B Scenography: Scenic Design for the Theatre 3 Units

THEATER 174A Scenography: Costume Design for the Theatre 3 Units

THEATER 174B Scenography: Costume Design for the Theatre 3 Units

THEATER 175A Scenography: Lighting Design for the Theatre 4 Units

An introduction to theatrical lighting, including practical application through Dramatic Art productions.

THEATER 175B Scenography: Lighting Design for the Theatre 4 Units

An introduction to theatrical lighting, including practical application through Dramatic Art productions.

THEATER 176 Applied Theatrical Design 1 - 4 Units

Students of set, costume, and lighting design are provided experience, structure, and support in the practical application of design to the stage in departmental productions. Interaction and team approach of the designers will be promoted from the earliest stages of conceptualization through the opening night and the run of the production(s).

THEATER 177 Sound Design and Media Theater 4 Units

In this course, undergraduate students will learn to construct sound cues and soundtracks for theater performances and videos using industry standard software, and will learn fundamental principles of incorporating video and sound into stage productions. Students will be exposed to the writings and works of prominent sound theorists, designers, and engineers and multimedia performance artists. The most successful students may be invited to participate in UC Berkeley theater productions as sound designers.

THEATER 178 Video Production for Performance 3 Units

Video Production for Performance is a workshop class in which students will explore a broad range of video applications to performance. Through a series of exercise video shoots students learn the fundamentals of video production, including basic optics, camera angles and movement, sound recording, and editing. With an additional emphasis on concept and planning, students prepare for and execute a sustained video project—a detailed documentation of a staged performance, the development of a video component for a production, a documentary study of aspects of performance, or the generation of a freestanding video program. There is a lab fee of $60 for use of equipment and editing lab.

THEATER 179 Supervised Theatrical Design 1 - 4 Units

Students are trained in the working methods of set or costume design; supervised preparation and implementation of designs in the department's production season, from initial discussions through opening night.

THEATER 180 Theatrical Realization of Dance 1 - 3 Units

This course relates choreography to theatrical presentation. Laboratory hours are spent in attendance at rehearsal, coaching sessions, and the performance of the dance concert. The course is taught by faculty choreographing the major dance production in the departmental season.

THEATER 181 Theatrical Realization of Dramatic Texts 1 - 4 Units

This course relates dramatic texts or choreography to theatrical presentation. The lectures are based on the analysis of the work being presented. Laboratory hours are spent in attendance at rehearsal, coaching sessions, and the performance of the play or concert. The course will be taught by faculty involved in the major productions.

THEATER 182 Summer Theatre Laboratory and Performance 1 - 3 Units

Supervised instruction and labs to be arranged, variable 1-3 units. Supervised participation in summer stock season in one or more of the following capacities: acting, dancing, design, directing, choreography, stage management, backstage/scene shop and costume shop work, crew assistance in lighting, sound, properties, costumes, or make-up. Students should enroll in course in accordance with Summer Session deadlines, all casting and technical assignments will be arranged on the first day of class. Students interested in acting should contact the department for audition information.

THEATER C183A Performance: An African American Perspective 3 Units

Introduction to the Research-to Performance Method, African American aesthetics and dramatic performance techniques. Course will survey wide range of writings on performance and investigate applications through exercises and improvisations. Students will also assist in information gathering for works in progress.

THEATER C183B Research-to-Performance Laboratory 3 Units

Development of scholarly material for theatrical presentation and enhancement of dramatic performance techniques through discussions, improvisations and readings of work conceived by the class and/or writers in other African American Studies courses. All source material will be based on the research of scholars in the field of African American Studies.

THEATER C183C Black Theatre Workshop 3 Units

Study and production of a play by an African American writer. The play will be studied within its social and historical context. Students will be introduced to the various aspects of theatre production.

THEATER H195A Honors Course 1 - 4 Units

Independent study and conferences with faculty sponsor leading to preparation of a major research paper on a single aspect of theater, dance, or performance studies. May include a performance component.

THEATER H195B Honors Course 1 - 4 Units

Development of subject studied in H195A, either as a bachelor's thesis or a laboratory project in acting, directing, playwriting, design, or dance.

THEATER 196 University Theatre Workshop 4 Units

Individual directorial projects for advanced undergraduates. Research, tryout, callbacks, and rehearsals which result in performing for the public will average 20 hours per week.

THEATER 197 Field Studies in Technical Theatre 1 - 4 Units

Supervised experience, in connection with theatrical production in field of: scenic construction; costume construction and conservation; theatrical lighting; stage management; publicity; theatre management; production management.

THEATER 198 Directed Group Study for Undergraduates 0.5 - 5 Units

Supervised group study of special topics, subject to approval by the chair.

THEATER 199 Supervised Independent Study and Research 1 - 3 Units

Reading and conference with an instructor in an area not corresponding with any regular course.

Faculty

Professors

Catherine M. Cole, Professor. Ethnography, higher education, performance studies, disability studies, African studies, transitional justice, Ghana and South Africa.
Research Profile

Joe A Goode, Professor.

Mel Gordon, Professor.

Philip Kan Gotanda, JD, Professor.

Shannon Jackson, Professor. Rhetoric, performance studies, American studies, 20th century art movements and critical theory, local culture and intercultural citizenship in turn-of-the-century United States, history and theory of theatre and performance art.
Research Profile

Associate Professors

Brandi Wilkins Catanese, Associate Professor. Critical race theory, African American theater, non-traditional casting, racial performativity, gender studies, sexuality studies, American popular culture.
Research Profile

Peter R Glazer, Associate Professor. Theater, commemorative practices, 20th century American theater and culture, political performance, directing and directing theory.
Research Profile

Sansan Kwan, PhD, Associate Professor.

Shannon Steen, Associate Professor.

Lisa Wymore, MFA, Associate Professor.

Assistant Professors

Abigail T. De Kosnik, Assistant Professor.

Angela Marino, Assistant Professor.

Lecturers

Lura Dolas, Lecturer.

Christopher Terrence Herold, PhD, Lecturer.

Jenefer Johnson, Lecturer.

Ms. Carol Ann Smart, Ba, Lecturer.

Contact Information

Department of Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies

D-33 Hearst Field Annex

Phone: 510-664-9012

Fax: 510-643-9956

tdps@berkeley.edu

Visit Department Website

Department Chair

Catherine Cole, PhD

128 Dwinelle Hall

colecat@berkeley.edu

Department Vice-Chair

Brandi Wilkins Catanese, PhD

692 Barrows Hall

catanese@berkeley.edu

Student Academic Adviser

Michael Mansfield, MFA, DMin

D-33 Hearst Field Annex

Phone: 510-643-4050

mikemans@berkeley.edu

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