Theatre Arts 1/2

The ultimate goal of this course is to expose students to all aspects of what the Theatre Arts has to offer and its myriad of roles to allow students to begin the process of determining a direction/desire for future theatrical experiences both in high school and in the professional world.  Therefore, the course is designed to function as an “overview;” beginning with theatre terminology, students will also learn: basic improvisation, voice and diction, lighting, costuming, set design, direction, stage management, theatrical make-up, audition technique, basic character development, writing, play structure, basic theatre history, and performance.  Students in this course will create a theatrical resume and will receive one headshot (free of charge) to be used as an original copy for auditions both within the program and outside of school.  Students will be expected to crew one SRVHS Theatre Arts production, and attend/critique one theatrical production by the end of the school year (which may include a production at SRVHS, a local community theater, or a professional theatre company).  Students will also be asked to purchase a basic theatrical make-up kit from Ben Nye prior to that unit.  
 
Culminating Performance: one (1) performance of published/student-devised monologues.
 

Theatre Arts 3/Production

With the combination of two disciplines (Production & Theatre Arts 3), the primary focus of the course will be the collaborative process, which means that students of this course will take the basic skills acquired in Theatre Arts 1/2 and apply them to the establishment of a “working” in-school theatre company.  While some students will chose to focus their attention on the technical aspects of the theatre industry and others focus on performance, all students will work together to bring both a published work, as well as a student-devised work, to fruition from inception to production.  In other words, the focus of the course will be: “Page-to-Stage.” Students will also utilize class-time to function as the support staff for the San Ramon Valley High School Performing Arts Center (PAC) by assuming such roles as: House Manager/Crew, Lighting Technician/Crew, Sound Technician/Crew, and Construction Manager/Crew (ultimately receiving certification making them eligible to receive stipends for services rendered when the PAC is rented by outside organizations).  Students of this class will also be asked to purchase a basic make-up kit from Ben Nye prior to his or her first public performance, will be required to attend one SRVHS Theatre Arts production, and will also be required to attend/critique one outside performance – focusing on a single aspect of the production (i.e., lights, sound, costume, sets, performance, or direction).  Finally, in addition to receiving headshots, students will also create resumes and/or portfolios of their work throughout the year to be submitted as their final project for the course.  
 
Culminating Performance: two (2) One-Act productions (one per semester).
 

Theatre Arts 4

Students in this course will further hone skills acquired in his or her previous theatrical coursework by focusing their attentions in both of the following areas: Advanced/College Preparatory Acting Technique, and the primary leadership roles of the San Ramon Valley High School’s Theatre Arts Production Season.  In between productions, through scene work, students will be asked to dig deeper into the relationship between acting partners on-stage (and off) in order to improve the most important skills of the acting profession: trust and surrender to “The Moment.”  Students will also explore a myriad of acting techniques throughout the year (i.e., Stanislavski, Meisner, Mamet, et al.) to assist in the process of developing the actor’s individual approach.  When in production, students will become the central figures in the production process throughout the year by assuming key positions for shows in which they have not been cast (e.g., Lighting Co-Designer, Sound Designer, Costume Designer, Scenic Co-Designer, Dramaturg [responsible for Lobby Display], Marketing Director [responsible for Posters & Ticketing], Press Director [responsible for Press Photos, Newspaper Submissions, and District Wide Announcements], Production Manager [responsible for Scheduling, Staff, and Parent Volunteers], Assistant Director, Props Director, Production Stage Manager, Assistant Stage Manager/Company Manager).  Students in this class will be required to keep and maintain an acting journal, which will be collected at random times throughout the year (and submitted as part of the final), will also receive headshots, create resumes/portfolios, and will be asked to purchase a make-up kit prior to his or her first public performance.
 
Culminating Performance: each student in this class will perform in, at least, one production.