The South High Theater Arts program introduces and explores theater from page to stage as a live performing art. Topics include the relationship between theater and society (historical and contemporary), dramatic structure, theatrical representation, and the crafts of theater artists such as directors, designers, playwrights, and actors.
THEATER ARTS 1
This course exposes students to the various elements of Theater. Students will be introduced to the craft of acting through the performance of improvisation, pantomime and mine, monologues, scenes, and ensemble projects. The fundamental elements of staging a play (set design, lighting and sound, costuming, makeup, and the role of the director/producer) will be addressed. Lastly, students will gain an understanding of the history of theatre as well as the varieties of drama.
THEATER ARTS 2
This course is recommended for students interested in improving their acting skills. Students develop their acting and character development techniques through scene, monologue and ensemble work. Students also explore classical styles and work together on either an original or published one act play.
THEATER ARTS 3
This course provides critical and theoretical opportunities for the student of theater. Students focus on production elements including directing skills, playwriting, and stage management as well as acting technique using the students enrolled in Theater 2 as the acting ensemble. This course integrates theater skills for the career-oriented student featuring extensive amount of work in play/script analysis and the evolution of theatrical art, as well as the study of advanced acting techniques, character analysis, and auditioning methods. Rehearsals for class projects and productions extend beyond the class, and students are expected to work outside of class time on a semi-regular basis.
THEATER ARTS 4
The majority of students’ instructional time will be in a laboratory setting (theatre) working individually as well as part of a cast and/or crew. The students will work on a combination of short term and long-term projects. All students will take part in two main stage productions. The students will analyze artistic expression from various perspectives. The students will acquire knowledge of the theatre through both practical means and traditional academic methods. The students will use higher thinking skills to comprehend and contextualize performance pieces, technical cues, and theatre’s effect on society. The course emphasizes daily co-curricular hours after school and on weekends.