May 03, 2024  
ARCHIVED 2018-2019 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
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ARCHIVED 2018-2019 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Course Descriptions

The courses listed herein  have been approved by the faculty as authorized by the Board of Trustees.  Prerequisites (if any) and the General Education Requirement(s) which each course fulfills (if any) are noted following each course description.

If a course qualifies as an Illinois Articulation Initiative (IAI) General Education course, then an IAI code appears to the right of the course title.

Current course offerings are available in Merlin.
 

Theatre
  

  • THE 185 - Fundamentals of Theatrical Design

    3.00 credit hours
    This course covers the fundamentals of the process of designing for the theatre. Students will work on developing a fully realized design from the initial textual analysis through the collaborative process of working with the director and other designers. Students will explore basic theories and design principles including script analysis, research methodology, conceptual development, color theory, balance and proportion, visual composition and other elements of design. Students will also learn practical skills including drawing techniques, figure drawing, drafting and modeling.


    Click here for the schedule of classes.
  

  • THE 190 - Stage Management

    3.00 credit hours
    This course serves as an introduction to the administrative work of the stage manager, while exploring the relationship between the artistry and execution of producing plays and musicals. Students study production protocols, create a prompt book and learn the forms and formats needed to maintain professional standards while working with directors, actors and the technical crew.


    Click here for the schedule of classes.
  

  • THE 211 - Piano Lessons: Musical Theatre

    0.00, 0.50, 1.00 credit hours
    Available to all students. May be repeated. Students may take hour lessons for 1.0 credit with permission of the instructor. 1/2 hour lessons=0.5 credit; 1 hour lessons=1 credit; 0 credit option only for students who have reached 12 credit hour full time limit.

    Prerequisite(s): MUS 101 , MUS 108  and sophomore standing


    Click here for the schedule of classes.
  

  • THE 221 - Voice Lessons: Musical Theatre

    0.00, 0.50, 1.00 credit hours
    Available to all students. May be repeated. 1/2 hour lessons=0.50 credit; 1 hour lessons=1.00 credit; 0.00 credit option is only for students who have reached 12 credit hour full time limit.


    Click here for the schedule of classes.
  

  • THE 240 - Voice for the Actor

    3.00 credit hours
    This class focuses on the human voice as an instrument of communication both on stage and in everyday life. The main objective of the class is the learning and application of exercises to free the voice of habitual psychophysical tension and develop range, stamina, power and flexibility.

    Prerequisite(s): THE 182  or instructor consent.


    Click here for the schedule of classes.
  

  • THE 241 - Movement for the Actor

    3.00 credit hours

    Movement techniques and the actor’s use of body and mind to create character and achieve a higher level of expressiveness in the art of theatre. The course centers on training the actor to strengthen and free the body, enliven the imagination and enable the actor to create a character’s physical life. This class helps the student understand their use of space and rhythm as it relates to the body and the character. 

     


    Click here for the schedule of classes.
  

  • THE 242 - Somatics

    3.00 credit hours
    (Same as: KIN 242 .) The discipline of somatic studies emphasizes the unity of mind and body, and an integrated experience for increased self-awareness. The course will introduce students to a range of somatic modalities including yoga, tai chi, pilates and meditation. Additionally the course will focus on experiential learning including imagery based movement and hands-on re-patterning techniques. 


    Click here for the schedule of classes.
  

  • THE 245 - Musical Theatre Dance II

    1.50 credit hours
    (Same as: KIN 245 .) An extension of Musical Theatre Dance I . This course has its emphasis in jazz, tap and ballet techniques as applied to musical theatre at an intermediate level. This course also covers choreography in jazz and tap, and auditioning techniques. This course may be repeated for credit once.

    Prerequisite(s): THE 145 /KIN 145  or instructor consent.


    Click here for the schedule of classes.
  
  

  • THE 247 - Contemporary Modern Dance

    0.00-1.50 credit hours
    (Same as KIN 249 .) A study of classical modern dance techniques combined with modalities of yoga, pilates, taichi and post-modern techniques. Students will become equally proficient in traditional modern technique and the latest developments in contemporary dance. Repeatable course.

    Prerequisite(s): THE 245 /KIN 245  or instructor consent.


    Click here for the schedule of classes.
  
  

  • THE 250 - Acting for the Musical Stage

    3.00 credit hours

    Practical application of the actor’s craft to musical theatre performance, with emphasis on acting the song. Students explore the acting methods used specifically for the musical stage. Students combine script analysis, character analysis and acting through the song itself for the purposes of both auditions and performances. 

     

    Prerequisite(s): THE 182 . Must be taken concurrently with THE 211  or THE 221 .


    Click here for the schedule of classes.
  
  

  • THE 254 - Choreography

    1.50 credit hours
    A choreography workshop that explores the technique and skills required to create dance and movement for the stage. The course explores methods of approaching various types of work, from musical staging to dance numbers. Repeatable course.

    Prerequisite(s): THE 245 /KIN 245  or instructor consent.


    Click here for the schedule of classes.
  
  

  • THE 257 - Dance History

    3.00 credit hours
    A study of the history of Western theatrical dance from the first court ballets in the late 16th century through early 21st century Postmodernism. The course explores the dances, choreographers, dancers and theories in the cultural context of each period.

    Core: Humanities.


    Click here for the schedule of classes.
  

  • THE 265 - American Musical Theatre History

    3.00 credit hours
    A study of the American musical theatre from the 19th century to present. Composers and librettists covered include George M. Cohan, Victor Herbert, Jerome Kerr, Rodgers and Hammerstein and Stephen Sondheim. Field trip to an area production is required.

    Core: Humanities.


    Click here for the schedule of classes.
  

  • THE 270 - Directing

    3.00 credit hours
    An introduction to the art of directing plays for the theatre. It utilizes background information and experience with acting, stagecraft and dramatic literature to provide the groundwork for discussion of various approaches to, and techniques of, play production. The course culminates in the public performance of student-directed short scenes and one acts.

    Prerequisite(s): THE 182  and Sophomore standing.


    Click here for the schedule of classes.
  
  

  • THE 282 - Contemporary Acting Styles

    3.00 credit hours
    This course builds on the ideas and work of THE 182 . More advanced and intensive scene work is integrated with voice, movement and textual improvisation during the term.

    Prerequisite(s): THE 182 .


    Click here for the schedule of classes.
  

  • THE 285 - Costume Design

    3.00 credit hours
    The design and construction of costumes is an essential part of the creation of any theatrical production. It is critical that a costume designer be capable of understanding the needs and tone of a production and the characters that exist within that production. In addition, a designer must be able to clearly communicate his or her ideas in order to create a strong working relationship with the other members of a production team including the director and performers. This course aims to introduce students to the role of the costume designer in a production, as well as providing them with the basics knowledge and skills to be able to successful perform the tasks associated with that role.

    Prerequisite(s): THE 185  and ART 225 .


    Click here for the schedule of classes.
  

  • THE 290 - Scenic Design

    3.00 credit hours
    The scenic designer is the person charged with the responsibility of finding the form of the physical world of the play. In order to accomplish this task, the designer must develop and call upon a number of skills. In this course students work with some of the problems scenic designers encounter in their attempts to find and develop form, and learn the process of developing design solutions.

    Prerequisite(s): THE 185 .


    Click here for the schedule of classes.
  

  • THE 292 - Musical Theatre Scene Study

    3.00 credit hours
    This scene study course is a laboratory in American musical theatre. Students study the work of the actor/singer/dancer, pulling together knowledge and skills from prerequisite courses in acting, singing and dance. Vocal solos, duets, ensembles and choruses will be chosen from the musical theatre canon and performed, cabaret style, in Madden Theatre.  

    Prerequisite(s): THE 221  , THE 250  and Sophomore standing; THE 282  strongly recommended.


    Click here for the schedule of classes.
  

  • THE 343 - Improvisation

    3.00 credit hours
    This course builds on the improvisational skills introduced in THE 182  and THE 282 . More advanced and intensive improvisational work is integrated with performance theory, research and advanced critical thinking during the term.

    Prerequisite(s): THE 182  and Sophomore standing.


    Click here for the schedule of classes.
  

  • THE 346 - Advanced Jazz Dance

    0.00-1.50 credit hours
    A continued study of jazz technique including more complex steps and sequences. Emphasis on technique and styling. This course is repeatable once for credit.

    Prerequisite(s): THE 246 /KIN 246  or instructor consent.


    Click here for the schedule of classes.
  

  • THE 348 - Advanced Tap Dance

    0.00-1.50 credit hours
    A continued study of tap dance technique with more complex steps, variations, sequences, rhythmic patterns, increased tempo and duration. Emphasis is on technique, musicality and styling, including an introduction to improvisation. Tap shoes are required. This course is repeatable once for credit.

    Prerequisite(s): THE 248 /KIN 248  or instructor consent.


    Click here for the schedule of classes.
  

  • THE 350 - Musical Theatre Portfolio

    3.00 credit hours
    A study of the basic techniques required to give an effective musical theatre audition. This course gives each student the tools to perform 16-bar cuttings for at least two songs in each of the major musical theatre genres. Students leave this course with the standard audition material ready to begin their careers. 

    Prerequisite(s): Junior Standing, THE 250 , THE 282  and three terms of THE 221 .


    Click here for the schedule of classes.
  

  • THE 352 - Advanced Ballet

    0.00-1.50 credit hours
    This course continues the development of all beginning areas of ballet, and expands the ballet vocabulary. This course may be repeated for credit once.

    Prerequisite(s): THE 252 /KIN 252  or instructor consent.


    Click here for the schedule of classes.
  

  • THE 353 - Acting on Camera

    3.00 credit hours
    This course explores the acting methods used for film and television. Students are trained in camera techniques used for commercial, industrial, film and television auditions. Students work in front of the camera each week, utilizing actual copy from popular shows, commercials and movies. Students leave this course audition ready. The course includes extensive scene memorization, class discussions, performance critique writing and journal self-assessment writing.

    Prerequisite(s): THE 282 .


    Click here for the schedule of classes.
  

  • THE 355 - Business of Theatre

    3.00 credit hours
    This course explores the requirements for the business portion of theatre, from building a theatrical resume to selecting a head shot, to registering with an agent. The course includes several field trips to visit experts in specialized areas of theatrical business. The course includes establishing a small business for the actor.

    Prerequisite(s): Sophomore standing.


    Click here for the schedule of classes.
  

  • THE 359 - Theatre History and Literature I

    3.00 credit hours
    A study of the theatre and its literature from its ancient beginnings through the English Restoration. The course explores the drama, productions, theories, personages and physical theatre in the cultural context of each period.

    Prerequisite(s): THE 100 .


    Click here for the schedule of classes.
  

  • THE 361 - Theatre History and Literature II

    3.00 credit hours
    A study of the theatre and its literature from the 19th century Age of Romanticism to the present day. The course explores the drama, productions, theories, personages and physical theatre in the cultural context of each age.

    Prerequisite(s): THE 100 .


    Click here for the schedule of classes.
  

  • THE 363 - Classical Asian Theatre

    3.00 credit hours
    A survey of classical Asian theatre traditions, including the Noh, Kabuki and Bunraku theatres of Japan; Beijing Opera and Yuan drama of China; Sanskrit and Kathakali dance dramas of India; Korean p’ansori dramas and mask dances; and the Balinese Dancers of Indonesia. The course explores the ways in which these performance traditions reflect each country’s heritage, religion and culture.

    Prerequisite(s): Sophomore standing.
    ACR: Intercultural.


    Click here for the schedule of classes.
  

  • THE 365 - Design Skills - Drafting, Model Making and Rendering

    3.00 credit hours
    This course aims to develop the skills required for the communication of designs for a theatrical environment. One third of the class will be spent on hand drafting, focusing on the creation of 2D drawings that give detailed information regarding the layout and look of a scenic design. The second third will be spent on model making techniques, providing 3D information on the design. The final third will focus on rendering techniques such as linear perspective, shade and shadow and watercolor rendering.

    Prerequisite(s): THE 185 ; ART 107  strongly recommended.


    Click here for the schedule of classes.
  

  • THE 382 - Classical Acting Styles

    3.00 credit hours
    An advanced acting class focusing on period styles and an actor’s approach to the Classics. Scene study includes the plays of Ancient Greece, Shakespeare, Moliere and the Restoration.

    Prerequisite(s): THE 182  and Sophomore standing.


    Click here for the schedule of classes.
  
  
  
  
  

  • THE 450 - Senior Musical

    3.00 credit hours
    This is the capstone course for Musical Theatre majors. Graduating seniors work with the instructor to select the show, divide responsibilities for production and present a fully mounted production on the stage.

    Prerequisite(s): Musical Theatre major and Senior standing.
    ACR: Leadership, Ethics and Values.


    Click here for the schedule of classes.
  

  • THE 452 - Student Directed Series Practicum

    3.00 credit hours
    The culmination of the competitive process from which three student Directors are each chosen to mount their proposed play as part of the North Central College Theatre Department season. Student Directors are to demonstrate leadership in managing multiple individuals within the constraints of aesthetic goals, budget and timeline. Student Directors are responsible for the concept and execution of a fully staged theatrical piece, running their production from prep and auditions through final performance.

    Prerequisite(s): THE 270  and instructor consent.


    Click here for the schedule of classes.
  

  • THE 460 - Collaboration

    3.00 credit hours
    Designed to give students a clearer, more mature understanding of the way in which members of a production team can work together to create a theatrical production. Designers, directors, performers and writers will have the opportunity to work together while developing processes for utilizing each other’s strengths to create imaginative and powerful works of theater. While students will present and critique these final performances, the focus of this course is the process by which those performances came to be. The aim is that students will leave this course with developed leadership skills, cooperative working relationships and more sophisticated creative processes.

    Prerequisite(s): One of THE 270 , THE 280 , THE 282 , THE 285  or THE 290 .


    Click here for the schedule of classes.
  

  • THE 467 - Deviants and Divas: Gender, Sexuality and Ethnicity in Contemporary Performance

    3.00 credit hours
    This advanced seminar investigates artists and artistic work that are frequently underrepresented in traditional American studies of theatre history and drama. Discussions examine texts, performances, theories and figures that pushed the boundaries of conventional performance, or challenged desirable or “acceptable” theatrical content and practice. In studying notable works from the 20th Century to the present, a particular focus is given to cultures or groups that have been marginalized because of gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender identity.

    Prerequisite(s): THE 359  or THE 361 .


    Click here for the schedule of classes.
  

  • THE 470 - Devising Theatre: Radical and Community-Based Performance

    3.00 credit hours
    This course explores three overlapping subfields in theatre and performance studies: devised theatre (also referred to as collective creation), radical theatre and community-based theatre. The course begins with an exploration of the terms “devised,” “radical” and “community.” The remainder of the course proceeds with a case study model; it examines a variety of ways theatre practitioners have imagined relationships between radicality, community and performance. Students split their time equally between making performance and reading/writing about performance theory.


    Click here for the schedule of classes.
  

  • THE 482 - Period Styles

    3.00 credit hours
    An integration of body, mind and voice techniques for the purpose of developing a way to conventionalized period acting. For the intermediate and advanced student actor, this course places primary emphasis on the development of characterization techniques, participation in physical and vocal acting exercises, and practical performance application through stylistic scene and monologue work. Period/Styles covered in this course include the following: Ancient Greek, Commedia, Restoration Comedy and Absurdism.

    Prerequisite(s): THE 282  and THE 382 .


    Click here for the schedule of classes.
  

  • THE 490 - Portfolio Development

    3.00 credit hours
    An exploration of the components of a professional portfolio and resume for students interested in theatre design, technology and management. Students will develop portfolios of their own work as well as learn about the professional opportunities and career paths that are typically taken by theatre professionals. This course involves field trips to meet with experts in the industry. 

    Prerequisite(s): THE 185  and Sophomore standing.


    Click here for the schedule of classes.
  
  
  

Urban and Suburban Studies
  

  • USS 300 - Urban and Suburban Studies

    3.00 credit hours
    Interdisciplinary exploration of the cultural and sociological dimensions of metropolitan regions. The course is international in scope, explores both cities and their suburbs and provides the opportunity to examine leadership, ethics and values in a metropolitan context through the concept of social justice.

    ACR: Intercultural.


    Click here for the schedule of classes.
  

  • USS 325 - Leadership and Place

    3.00 credit hours
    (Same as: LEV 325 .) Leadership and Place traces the influence of home towns and home places on contemporary and historical leadership paradigms while considering such ethical questions as: What role does place play in forming a responsible and responsive leader? How does one lead responsibly and well far from home? How and where do rural, urban, and suburban ethical standards and value judgments converge and diverge? Where have the leaders of the past come from and where are they likely to be found in the future? Paying close attention to small communities and neighborhoods as key loci in the production of twentieth-century civic leaders and as ethical centers in a Jeffersonian republic, course texts, lectures and discussions feature real-life case studies designed to engage students in debates weighing ethical and moral positions viewed through the lens of place. Leadership and Place uniquely encourages students in the study of personal (inside-out) as well as cultural (outside-in) place-based, ethical perspectives while inviting them to consider the foundational role home communities play in ethical leadership on the local, regional and national level.

    Prerequisite(s): Junior Standing.
    ACR: Leadership, Ethics and Values.


    Click here for the schedule of classes.
  
  

Verandah
  

  • VER EXP - Verandah Experience

    0.00-1.00 credit hours
    This short-term, topics-based course supports unique opportunities for student and faculty engagement in a special inquiry, activity or other initiative that fosters connected learning. Repeatable course, with varying topics. A maximum of four credit hours may be applied towards the 120 credit hours required for graduation. The course is graded on a Pass/No Pass basis.


    Click here for the schedule of classes.
 

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