The Theatre Arts Department seeks to introduce and provide unique opportunities for well-rounded student development both onstage and backstage. Students can learn set building, costume making, makeup application, as well as acting and directing skills.
Intro to Acting I (College Prep)
C7530C 1 Semester 1 Credit
Prerequisite:
None.
Course Description:
Take a class where ‘chewing up the scenery’ is a good thing! This semester-long course starts by embodying “bad acting” and works toward what makes acting good! We will study monologues, scenes, and read plays together. We will explore script analysis and apply it to character work and different performance spaces. We will also play lots of games! Games teach body awareness and control, along with vocal technique. Please note: students are expected to attend two productions outside of class. This course is offered both fall and spring semesters and can be taken multiple times. This course can satisfy the Speech requirement for those enrolled in CP, A, or LSP English.
Technical Theatre I (College Prep)
C755CF/C756CS 1 Semester 1 Credit
Prerequisite:
None.
Course Description:
This is a basic stagecraft class. Students learn the basic processes of set and prop construction for theatre. Units include basic terminology, drafting, painting techniques, theatre safety, construction techniques of both scenery and properties, rigging, production sequence, and model making. This course concentrates on set design and implementation. This class, along with Technical Theatre II, handles the primary sets for all Cathedral Theatre productions.
Technical Theatre II (College Prep)
C7550CF/C755CS 1 Semester 1 Credit
Prerequisite:
Successful completion of Technical Theatre I.
Course Description:
This course builds on the knowledge and skills started in Technical Theatre I. Students further their understanding of the physical theatre technology and implementation of special effects, lighting, and sound. Students expand their experiences and activities with the addition of “whole production” techniques. This class, along with Technical Theatre I, does the primary set construction for all productions and also implements the lighting and sound plots for Cathedral Theatre productions.
Technical Theatre III (Academic)
C799AF/C799AS 1 Semester 1 Credit
Prerequisite:
Successful completion of Technical Theatre I and II and/or instructor’s approval.
Course Description:
This course continues the technical theatre track, focusing on design elements. The students learn elements of theatrical set design. For Set Design, the units include design styles, design movements, basic drafting, color usage, fabric and textures, painting techniques, and all other techniques relevant to set designing for the stage. The class focuses on production design, including perspective drawing, and scale drafting of all set elements. The class also learns basic Vectorworks (CAD) computer design program for set design. Theatre design portfolios are also designed and built for college and theatre job applications.
Technical Theatre IV (Academic)
C800AS 1 Semester 1 Credit
Prerequisite:
Successful completion of Technical Theatre I, II, and III and/or instructor’s approval.
Course Description:
This course continues the technical theatre track, focusing on lighting and sound design elements. For lighting and sound design, the units include design styles, design movements, color usage, light as texture, light and fabrics, light and paint, mood lighting, lighting instruments, automated lighting, lighting control, sound equipment, sound effects, sound editing, stage amplification, and all other techniques relevant to designing lighting and sound for the stage. The class also learns basic Vectorworks (CAD) computer design program for stage lighting. Theatre design portfolios are also designed and built for college and theatre job applications.
Independent Study: Set & Lighting Design for the Theatre (Honors)
C736XF/C736XS 1 Semester 1 Credit
Prerequisite:
Successful completion of Intro to Acting I, Technical Theatre I and II, and/or instructor’s approval.
Course Description:
This course covers advanced elements in set and lighting design and is geared towards those students who plan to study theatre design in college. Advanced Vectorworks and production planning are the focus. This course covers those elements of design not covered in Technical Theatre III and IV. Most design work is geared toward CHS productions or student portfolios.