Courses 2008-2009

Theater and Performance Studies (TAPS) is pleased to offer the following courses for the 2007/2008 academic year. All information subject to change.Autumn 2007 Courses:

TAPS 10100. Drama: Embodiment & Transformation.

All classes meet in the Bartlett Rehearsal Space unless otherwise noted.

ATTENDANCE AT THE FIRST CLASS SESSION IS MANDATORY. Course meets the General Education Requirement in the Dramatic, Musical, and Visual Arts.Attendance at first class meeting is mandatory. At least three sections are offered per quarter with enrollment limited to twenty. This course meets the general education requirement in the dramatic, musical, and visual arts. Students examine the performance and the aesthetics of two dramatic works in contrasting styles but with unifying themes. The goal of the course is to develop in the students an appreciation and understanding of a variety of techniques and of the processes by which they are theatrically realized. Rather than focus on the dramatic text itself, this course concentrates on the piece in performance, including the impact of cultural context on interpretation. To achieve this, students are required to act, direct, and design during the course.

TAPS 10200. Acting Fundamentals.

Time: M/W 3:00 - 4:20pmInstructor: Tiffany TrentLocation: Reynolds Club, First Floor TheaterATTENDANCE AT THE FIRST CLASS SESSION IS MANDATORY. Course meets the General Education Requirement in the Dramatic, Musical, and Visual Arts.PQ: Consent of instructor. Prior theater or acting training not required. This course introduces fundamental concepts of performance in the theater with emphasis on the development of creative faculties and techniques of observation, as well as vocal and physical interpretation. Concepts are introduced through directed reading, improvisation, and scene study.

TAPS 10500. Staging Terror.

Time: M 1:30 - 4:20pmInstructor: Heidi ColemanLocation: Reynolds Club, Design LabATTENDANCE AT THE FIRST CLASS SESSION IS MANDATORY. Course meets the General Education Requirement in the Dramatic, Musical, and Visual Arts.This course explores the interplay between horror, terror, and pleasure through in-class discussions of theoretical works and the possibilities of practical creative application. The paradox of the attraction to repulsion is considered as well as the values of shock, suspense, and subtlety. Texts include Grand Guignol, Shakespeare, Gothic Novels, and horror films.

TAPS 10700. Introduction to Stage Design. (=ARTV 26000/36300)

Time: M/W 3:00 - 4:20pmInstructor: Tom BurchLocation: Reynolds Club, Design LabThis course explores the application of the visual and aural arts to the varied forms of design for the stage (i.e., scenic, lighting, costume, sound). We pay particular attention to the development of a cogent and well-reasoned analysis of text and an articulate use of the elements of design through a set of guided practical projects. Lab fee required.

TAPS 12000. Improvisation for the Actor.

Time: Mondays 1:30 - 4:20pmInstructor: Susan MessingLocation: Bartlett Arts Rehearsal SpaceStructured around the idea that acting is doing, this class explores the foundations of the actor’s problem solving process. Emphasis is placed on developing the participants’ ability for strong communication on stage, through exercises, games, and physicalization, focus, and concentration.

TAPS 15000. Beginning Playwriting. (=CRWR 10500/30500)

Time: Tuesdays 1:30 - 4:20pmInstructor: Beau O’Reilly/Jenny MagnusLocation: TBAWriting is a physical activity. However, most writing uses limited amounts of body and mostly mind. This class is designed for students who want to try something new: risk moving around and getting a shove in an unpredictable direction. One half of the class is focused on writing from the body. Students spend the other part of the class preparing for a performance of the work that they have created by using the most basic instruments at their disposal: their bodies and their ideas.

TAPS 15500. Beginning Screenwriting. (=CRWR 27101/47101)

Time: Wednesday 3:00 - 5:50 pmInstructor: John PetrakisLocation: TBAThis course introduces the basic elements of a literate screenplay, including format, exposition, characterization, dialog, voice-over, adaptation, and the vagaries of the three-act structure. Weekly meetings include a brief lecture period, screenings of scenes from selected films, extended discussion, and assorted readings of class assignments. Because this is primarily a writing class, students write a four- to five-page weekly assignment related to the script topic of the week.

TAPS 21000. Dance Composition.

Time: Wednesdays 3:00 - 5:50pmInstructor: Sandra KaufmannLocation: Bartlett Arts Rehearsal SpaceWhen does movement become text? How do bodies combine with time, space, and energy to communicate ideas? In this workshop-formatted course, we explore these questions as we study and create dance. Students develop improvisational skills by exploring the dance principles of space, time, dynamics, and the process of abstraction. Through physical exercises, discussions, and readings, students learn how to initiate and develop movement ideas. Major dance works from many styles (e.g., ballet, modern, avant-garde) are viewed and analyzed, as students develop an understanding of choreographic forms. Students also develop a proficiency in the areas of observation and constructive criticism. The course culminates with a choreographic project.

TAPS 28400. History and Theory of Drama I. (=CLAS 31200, CLCV 21200, CMLT 20500/30500, ENGL 13800/31000)

Time: T/Th 12:00 - 1:20pmInstructor: David Bevington/Heidi ColemanLocation: TBAMay be taken in sequence with ENGL 13900/31100 or individually. This course is a survey of major trends and theatrical accomplishments in Western drama from the ancient Greeks through the Renaissance: Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, Aristophanes, medieval religious drama, Marlowe, Shakespeare, and Jonson, along with some consideration of dramatic theory by Aristotle, Horace, Sir Philip Sidney, and Dryden. The goal is not to develop acting skill but, rather, to discover what is at work in the scene and to write up that process in a somewhat informal report. Students have the option of writing essays or putting on short scenes in cooperation with other members of the class. End-of-week workshops, in which individual scenes are read aloud dramatically and discussed, are optional but highly recommended.

TAPS 29800. Theater and Performance Studies Colloquium. (=CRWR 27105/47105)

Time: TBAInstructor: TBALocation: TBAPQ: Consent of Director of Undergraduate Studies and Chair of Theater and Performance Studies Option. Required of fourth-year students who are majoring in TAPS. Creative Writing or MAPH students who are preparing theses for performance may participate with consent from their home department and the Director of Undergraduate Studies. NOTE: Students participate in both Autumn and Winter Quarters but register once and receive one grade.The following courses are offered as part of the Interdisciplinary Studies in the Humanities, Theater and Performance Studies Option (TAPS) during the Winter 2008 quarter. Check back soon for course descriptions and updates; all information subject to change.Jump to:


Winter 2008

The following courses are offered as part of the Interdisciplinary Studies in the Humanities, Theater and Performance Studies Option (TAPS) during the Winter 2008 quarter. Check back soon for course descriptions and updates; all information subject to change.


TAPS 10100. Drama: Embodiment & Transformation.

Section Days Times Instructor
Section 01 M/W 1:30-2:50 Tiffany Trent
Section 02 T/Th 1:30-2:50 Pamela Pascoe
Section 03 T/Th 10:30-11:50 Daniel Stearns
Section 04 T/Th 12:00-1:20 David New
Section 05 TBA TBA Sean Graney

All classes meet in the Bartlett Rehearsal Space unless otherwise noted.ATTENDANCE AT THE FIRST CLASS SESSION IS MANDATORY. Course meets the General Education Requirement in the Dramatic, Musical, and Visual Arts.Attendance at first class meeting is mandatory. At least three sections are offered per quarter with enrollment limited to twenty. This course meets the general education requirement in the dramatic, musical, and visual arts. Students examine the performance and the aesthetics of two dramatic works in contrasting styles but with unifying themes. The goal of the course is to develop in the students an appreciation and understanding of a variety of techniques and of the processes by which they are theatrically realized. Rather than focus on the dramatic text itself, this course concentrates on the piece in performance, including the impact of cultural context on interpretation. To achieve this, students are required to act, direct, and design during the course.

TAPS 12100. Improvisation Etc.

Time: TBAInstructor: John BolgerLocation: TBA

TAPS 12600. Shakespeare in Performance, Advanced Scene Work.

Time: Monday, 3:00 - 4:20pm; Wednesday, 3:00 - 5:50pmInstructor: Dan StearnsLocation: Monday, Design Lab; Wednesday, Bartlett Arts Rehearsal Space

TAPS 13000. Directing for the Theater.

Time: TBAInstructor: Sean GraneyLocation: TBAActing and directing experience helpful but not required. This course introduces students to fundamental skills of directing for the stage, from first contact with the script to final performance. After a preliminary examination of directing theory, the class offers practical experience in script analysis, composition work, blocking, and the rehearsal process. Students are expected to prepare a minimum of three assigned scenes ranging in style (e.g., Williams, Brecht, Shakespeare) with actors outside of class for critique, with final scenes performed publicly during tenth week.

TAPS 15100. Playwriting II.

Time: TBAInstructor: TBALocation: TBA

TAPS 15500. Beginning Screenwriting. (=CRWR 27101/47101)

Time: Wednesday 3:00 - 5:50pmInstructor: John PetrakisLocation:TBAThis course introduces the basic elements of a literate screenplay, including format, exposition, characterization, dialog, voice-over, adaptation, and the vagaries of the three-act structure. Weekly meetings include a brief lecture period, screenings of scenes from selected films, extended discussion, and assorted readings of class assignments. Because this is primarily a writing class, students write a four- to five-page weekly assignment related to the script topic of the week.

TAPS 15600. Advanced Screenwriting (=CRWR 27103/47103)

Time: TBAInstructor: John PetrakisLocation: TBAPQ: TAPS 27311 and consent of instructor based on eight-page writing sample in screenplay format. Class limited to eight students. This course requires students to complete the first draft of a feature-length screenplay (at least ninety pages), based on an original idea brought to the first or second class. No adaptations or partially completed scripts are allowed. Weekly class sessions include reading of script pages and critique by classmates and instructor.

TAPS 18000. Lighting Design for Stage.

Time: TBAInstructor: Brandon WardellLocation: Reynolds Club, Design LabPQ: Consent of instructor. This course focuses on the functions of light and how it manifests itself on the stage. Students are given tools to approach a script and a director with clear ideas of how light operates and influences: from script analysis, research, presentation, and drafting to actualizing a design in the air with scripted cues and settings.

TAPS 21200. Choreography for Solo Performance.

Time: TBAInstructor: TBALocation: Bartlett Arts Rehearsal Space

TAPS 23200. Visual Styles for the Twentieth Century.

Time: T/Th 10:30 - 11:50amInstructor: Tom BurchLocation: TBAThis lecture-based course is an overview of the major trends in the fine and applied arts during the last century. Working decade to decade, the course pays particular attention to the intersection and cross-pollination of ideas between fashion, architecture, commercial design, and the studio arts (e.g., painting sculpture, photography) in the Western tradition.

TAPS 23500. Arts in Education.

Time: TBAInstructor: Tiffany TrentLocation: TBAThis course examines the role of arts in the classroom, school structure, and school culture. With local arts outreach efforts as models, weekly seminars explore arts integration in curriculum planning as well as social, developmental, and economic contexts for co-curricular arts programming. To consider our particular community and environment in this context, readings in this course may include works by Jonathan Kozol, Augusto Boal, and Michael Rohd. Site visits to partner schools serve as field laboratories for this course. School visits required.

TAPS 28401. History and Theory of Drama II. (=CMLT 20600/30600, ENGL 13900/31100)

Time: T/Th 12:00 - 1:20pmInstructor: David Bevington/Heidi ColemanLocation: TBAMay be taken in sequence with CMLT 20500/30500 or individually.This course is a survey of major trends and theatrical accomplishments in Western drama from the late seventeenth century into the twentieth (i.e., Moli_re, Goldsmith, Ibsen, Chekhov, Strindberg, Wilde, Shaw, Brecht, Beckett, Stoppard). Attention is also paid to theorists of the drama (e.g., Stanislavsky, Artaud, Grotowski). The goal is not to develop acting skill but, rather, to discover what is at work in the scene and to write up that process in a somewhat informal report. Students have the option of writing essays or putting on short scenes in cooperation with other students. End-of-week workshops, in which individual scenes are read aloud dramatically and discussed, are optional but highly recommended.

TAPS 29800. Theater and Performance Studies Colloquium. (=CRWR 27105/47105)

Time: TBAInstructor: TBALocation: TBAPQ: Consent of Director of Undergraduate Studies and Chair of Theater and Performance Studies Option. Required of fourth-year students who are majoring in TAPS. Creative Writing or MAPH students who are preparing theses for performance may participate with consent from their home department and the Director of Undergraduate Studies. NOTE: Students participate in both Autumn and Winter Quarters but register once and receive one grade.

Spring 2008

The following courses are offered as part of the Interdisciplinary Studies in the Humanities, Theater and Performance Studies Option (TAPS) during the Spring 2008 quarter. Check back soon for course descriptions and updates; all information subject to change.Jump to:


TAPS 10100. Drama: Embodiment & Transformation.

Section Days Times Instructor
Section 01 T/Th 9-10:20 Daniel Stearns
Section 02 T/Th 12:00-1:20 Pamela Pascoe
Section 03 T/Th 10:30-11:50 Robert Goodwin
Section 04 T/Th 12:00-1:20 David New
Section 06 T/Th 1:30-2:50 Tiffany Trent

All classes meet in the Bartlett Rehearsal Space unless otherwise noted.ATTENDANCE AT THE FIRST CLASS SESSION IS MANDATORY. Course meets the General Education Requirement in the Dramatic, Musical, and Visual Arts.At least three sections are offered per quarter with enrollment limited to twenty. This course meets the general education requirement in the dramatic, musical, and visual arts. Students examine the performance and the aesthetics of two dramatic works in contrasting styles but with unifying themes. The goal of the course is to develop in the students an appreciation and understanding of a variety of techniques and of the processes by which they are theatrically realized. Rather than focus on the dramatic text itself, this course concentrates on the piece in performance, including the impact of cultural context on interpretation. To achieve this, students are required to act, direct, and design during the course.

TAPS 10200. Acting Fundamentals.

Section 1:Time: T/Th 10:30 - 11:50amInstructor: Tiffany TrentLocation: Reynolds Club, First Floor TheaterSection 2:Time: T/Th 1:30 - 2:50pmInstructor: Pamela PascoeLocation: Reynolds Club, First Floor TheaterRegistration Notes: No experience necessary for registration. This course meets general education requirements.Attendance at the first session is mandatory.Prior theater or acting training not required. This course introduces fundamental concepts of performance in the theater with emphasis on the development of creative faculties and techniques of observation, as well as vocal and physical interpretation. Concepts are introduced through directed reading, improvisation, and scene study.

TAPS 11500. Ensemble Creation.

Time: Tuesdays 3:00-5:50Instructor: Coya PazLocation: BG 109C (Bartlett Arts Rehearsal Space)What is an ensemble? What is the feeling of being part of one and why does it arise? In what way is the theater-making experience particular when it is ensemble based? How might the ensemble process impact production and performance differently than other models? This course examines the experience of creating and working with an ensemble through techniques for the building of collaborative group theater pieces, research into the history and context of ensemble creation, and discussion. We also explore specific companies and styles that Chicago has to offer in terms of ensemble-based theater.

TAPS 15100. Advanced Playwriting - Neo-Futurism Performance Workshop

Time: Mondays 3:00 - 5:50pmInstructor: Greg AllenLocation: BG 109C (Bartlett Arts Rehearsal Space)This course is a hands-on introduction to Neo-Futurism - a method of transforming your own thoughts, feelings, and experiences into creative, task-oriented, audience-participatory, non-illusory, unique theatrical events. Students will be encouraged to find their own voice as fully rounded theater artists by writing, directing and performing their own short performances using their own lives as source material. By pursuing the goal of absolute truth on stage, the class will focus on an alternative to narrative Realism by embracing such elements as deconstruction, found-text, collage, abstraction, sythesis, and chaos. Classes will consist of original group exercises as well as presentations of weekly performance assignments.

TAPS 15600. Advanced Screenwriting. (=CRWR 27103/47103)

Time: Wednesday 3:00 - 5:50pmInstructor: John PetrakisLocation: TBAPQ: Consent of instructor based on eight-page writing sample in screenplay format. Class limited to eight students. This course requires students to complete the first draft of a feature-length screenplay (at least ninety pages), based on an original idea brought to the first or second class. No adaptations or partially completed scripts are allowed. Weekly class sessions include reading of script pages and critique by classmates and instructor.

TAPS 18000. Lighting Design for the Stage.

Time: M/W 3:00-4:20Instructor: Brandon WardellLocation: Reynolds Club Design LabPQ: Consent of instructor. This course focuses on the functions of light and how it manifests itself on the stage. Students are given tools to approach a script and a director with clear ideas of how light operates and influences: from script analysis, research, presentation, and drafting to actualizing a design in the air with scripted cues and settings.

TAPS 18600. Introduction to Puppetry: History, Theory, and Performance.

Time: T/Th 10:30 - 11:50Instructor: Tom BurchLocation: Reynolds Club Design LabPQ: Consent of instructor. This course explores the basic history and theory of puppetry as a performance art (both Eastern and Western traditions). Lectures are included, but our focus is on construction and performance techniques of basic puppet forms (e.g., hand, shadow, rod, bunraku styles). Lab fee required.

TAPS 21100. Modern Dance.

Time: Wednesdays 3:00 - 5:50pmInstructor: Cameron JarrettLocation: Bartlett Arts Rehearsal SpaceThe revolutionary ideas behind modern dance created perceptual shifts in how dance performance and the body itself were viewed. In this class, students learn and develop physical skills specific to modern dance technique through the perspective of the artists who originated these ideas. Students physically embody the history of modern dance, perceiving how technique and the body became an agent of both aesthetic and cultural transformation. Major artists include Isadora Duncan, Martha Graham, Doris Humphrey, Merce Cunningham, Alvin Ailey, and the Judson Church artists, as well as contemporary artists such as Twyla Tharp and Mark Morris.

TAPS 28412. Performance Poetry. (=CRWR 26200/46200)

Time: Tuesdays 6:00 - 8:50pmInstructor: TBALocation: TBAPQ: Instructor Consent Required. Submit 3-5 poems AND a one-page statement about why you are interested in performance poetry and any performance experience (poetry or otherwise) you have had by 3/1/08. Performance experience of any kind is NOT a requirement. http://creativewriting.uchicago.edu/courses/08_spring.shtmlWhere do our poems live before we write them down? Where do we want them to go once we’ve written them? A good performance poem starts with a great written poem, and there are as many ways to perform a poem as there are to write one. In this course you will develop/reveal your voice on the page and on the stage. Through in-class writing and performance assignments, theatre and movement exercises, critique, discussion, field research and a guest or two, this course is designed to encourage you to produce and perform poetry of increasing quality in a safe, inspiring, challenging environment. And have as much fun as possible doing it.