TH 542 Musical Theatre Directing(4cr )
Summer 2017 MTWRFS 9-12:00 and 1 – 4 July 1–July 18
MC 129 (The Tower Theatre and MC 119)
Instructor: Dr. Terri L. Brown and David M. Brown
Office:MC 105 (T) MC 115 (D)Phone:963-2020 (T), 963-3295 (D)Email: &
Catalogue/Course Description: Study of the director’s preparation and rehearsal practices for coordinating and mounting a full musical production.
Required Texts: None
Required Reading: Provided articles
Students with more musical theatre experience: All texts by Scott Miller
Required Supplies: Sense of humor, a supportive heart and a positive attitude!
Course Objectives:Assessments:
Students will be able to demonstrate competence in the areas of organization, focus, picturization, and stage directionof musically based theatre. / Students will plan, stage and perform assignments based upon both stage picturization and musical storytelling which will supersede textually based material.Students will be able to demonstrate competence in protective vocal performance techniques using Musical Theatre singing technique. / Students will participate in protective Musical Theatre vocal training sessions using both styles of singing technique.
Students will be able to demonstrate competence in the area of critical analysis and its application to contemporary musical theatre stylization and staging. / Oral discussions surrounding the review and analysis of several texts selected from the defined musical periods will be in seminar format, enabling critical thought and discussion, and allowing students to defend and support varying styles and choices.
Students will be able to demonstrate a working knowledge of terminology in the areas music, staging, and acting. / This knowledge will be evaluated through class discussions and participation in several student projects.
Students will be able to demonstrate their knowledge of staging techniques applied to a variety of venues. / Students will stage a song in both proscenium style and either arena or thrust venues.
Students will be able to demonstrate a working knowledge of various workshop techniques. / Oral discussions requiring review and analysis surrounding different successful workshopping techniques.
Teacher Certification Standards met in this course can be found at
Attendance Policy: You must participate in all class meetings. To participate, you must be present! You are expected to be here daily. If you are absent/late your grade will be affected.
Course Requirements: This is a hands-on directing and skills acquisition/polishing class. During this session each ofyou will be directing each other as well as performing as part of your education and evaluative process. The students in this class have vast and varied experience (or not!) in all aspects of musical theatre performance. We will be directing and performing small musical theatre numbers in various performance spaces, exploring presentational acting fundamentals, as well as mastering protective singing/vocal performance techniques and very basic musical theory. Please wear comfortable clothing in which you will be able to move easily and not worry about getting dirty. You will also need a positive attitude, a sense of humor and a willingness to explore beyond your comfort zone!
Assignments and grade weight:
Attendance/Participation 30%
Warm-up Assignments10%
Picturization Assignment10% (5 % each)
Musical Storytelling Assignment10%
Tower Theatre Direction of Duets10%
Director’s Notebook20%
Self Evaluation10%
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Total 100%
Grading Scale: 93-100=A
90-92=A-
87-89=B+
83-86=B
80-82=B-
77-79=C+
73-76=C
70-72=C-
60-69=D
0-59=F
Students With Disabilities
If you have a disability that may prevent you from meeting course requirements, contact the instructor immediately to file a Student Disability Statement and to develop an Accommodation Plan. Course requirements will not be waived but reasonable accommodations will be developed to help you meet the requirements. You are expected to work with the instructor and the CWU Disability Support Specialist to develop and implement a reasonable Accommodation Plan.
Writing Assistance Is Available
All student writers are invited to meet with consultants at the UniversityWritingCenter. Sessions typically last from 30 to 50 minutes and can include brainstorming ideas, developing research skills, organizing an essay, revising, and discussing writing and rhetoric in any discipline. The format is two writers talking about writing. It is helpful if the student brings the course syllabus, the assignment sheet, and related materials.
The center has two locations. The Hertz 103 and the he satellite center, in the Library’s second-floor Fish Bowl. Students may drop by and take a chance there is an opening, or they may call 963-1296 and make an appointment.
Theatre Arts Mission Statements
University Mission;
“DocendoDiscimus” (By Teaching We Learn)
Department Mission;
“The Theatre Arts Department provides an interactive program of academic and production experiences in preparing students for advanced training in graduate school, careers in education, professional theatre, and related fields. The theatre as a uniquely collaborative art form integrates curriculum and production elements in preparing students through study and participation; students are therefore expected to participate in academic research and investigation as applied through the department’s performance schedule. The theatre season presented by the department is the core of this learning philosophy. It provides the catalyst and the laboratory for the application of principles established through a thorough yet diverse academic program.“
Center for Teaching and Learning Theme; “facilitators of learning in a diverse world”
Department of Theatre Arts
The Department of Theatre Arts is an ensemble of artists, scholars, educators, and practitioners located in the heart of the Pacific Northwest who:
prepare students for advanced study and professional careers in theatre;
promote creativity and excellence in a diverse educational environment;
cultivate, educate, challenge and enrich audiences; and
train and prepare students from diverse backgrounds to link art and life through experiential learning;
in order to nurture skilled, thoughtful, and courageous citizens who will promote a peaceful and tolerant global community .
Teaching Philosophy:
The Theatre Arts Department supports and practices constructivism as a teaching philosophy. Indeed, it may be argued that it has used this philosophy in almost all of the diverse areas within the discipline since the art of theatre was created by human beings. Teachers of Theatre Arts practice tenets from the three forms of constructivism exhaustively covered in the Conceptual Framework; Developmental, Social, and Socio-cultural. As a result, we apply the views commonly and generally held by constructivist teachers;
Learning opportunities are best when accompanied by high levels of active engagement with tasks that characterize them.
Formal knowledge is valued and made available to the learner, but the learner is encouraged to reflect on it and be skeptical about it, rather than simply accept it.
Multiple examples and a variety of representations of content enable learners to derive meaning.
Critical thinking, reflection, and problem solving are prized and encouraged.
Interaction and conversation with others in the learning environment can improve the learner’s ability to state her case, can widen perspective, and can motivate learning.
Multiple and authentic measures of assessment provide richer insight into the learner’s construction of knowledge.
Verbal explanations can and should be supplemented by experiential learning.
It should be noted that each teacher applies these precepts in diverse ways, according to their particular area within the
discipline.
Tentative Schedule (you will have all Sundays and July 4 Off)-
Session 1 – Introduction, Review syllabus, Hand out questionnaire, Distribute and go over articles on Understanding the Adolescent Voice, and Embracing Your Type. Assign physical warm-up exercises, Basics of protective singing: Breathing, Lower abdominal support, Forward Placement, Ranges, Two “never” rules,Singing Class:Oh, What a Beautiful Morning. Differences between Bel Canto and SLS/MT protections,Sitzprobes, Staging singing “groups,” Using Ringers and keeping vocal balance on the stage. Assign emotional visual assignment.
Session 2 –Discuss articles. Physical warm-ups, More Deep Breathing exercises, More SLS, Music Theory for Actors (Practical Application), Time Signatures, Key signatures, Conducting Patterns, Musical and staging terminology. Proscenium staging techniques and “rules”.
Session 3– Continuation of Music Theory/Application/TerminologyPhysical Warm-ups, Vocal warm-ups, More SLS – Organization of Musical theatre, production meetings, rehearsal schedules, use of side coaching. Use of configuration, Give Picturization group assignments.Staging techniques for arena or thrust stages Rehearse.
Session 4– Physical Warm-ups, Vocal Warm-ups, Rhythm Warm-ups, Performpicturization assignments. Example of musical picturizations with CD. Assign Stories through Music. Begin Lyric Analysis. Assign Duets/Solos? Rehearsal day.
Session 5 – Work day. Rehearse your Stories through music scenes
Session 6 – All warm-ups, Perform Stories through music.Begin Lyric Analysis.
Session 7– Warm-ups, Workshops with MT students if they can come, 5 steps, Do’s and Don’ts, Rhythms (55 MPH train, phrasing). Choosing a musical that is right for your school/situation. Analysis. We will choose a musical to explore. Explain the Director’s/Producer’s Notebook
This will include (in order):
Justification (pros and cons/challenges) for the vehicle
Preparation of a budget w/explanation
Director’s Concept Statement
Publicity Plan
Collage of Design ideasand inspiration for 1) Scenery, 2) Costumes (lead characters) 3) Lighting, 4) Props5) Wigs/Make-up etc.
Identification of Casting Challenges (vocally, physically etc.)
Audition Form appropriate for the show
Choice of call back audition material
Rehearsal Schedule for a seven – nine week schedule (including plan for vocal protection)
Division of script into French/blocking scenes (charted).
List (with explanation and purpose)of exercises needed to discover the depth of the material
Pre-Blocking for the largest choral number of the show including stage pictures
Ground plan for the number blocked.
Session 8– (Learn your music!) Discuss challenges of directing small numbers - Rehearse
Session 9– How to direct numbers with 35 – 50 people - we will “stage” one in class. Rehearse
Session10– Work small numbers in class
Session 11– Work small numbers in class
Session 12 –Troubleshoot. Rehearse small groups with Dave
Session 13 –Rehearse small groups with Dave
Session 14 – TBA as needed. Director’s Book Due
Session 15–SEOI’s, Self evaluation due. Perform final scenes
YOU MADE IT! HAVE A GREAT SUMMER!!!