AVAILABLE CLASSES
Introduction to Theatre
This course introduces students to the theatrical arts. We emphasize creativity, collaboration, and perseverance. Areas covered in depth include: theater vocabulary, roles in the theater, movement, acting, the reading of plays, theater design and tech, and viewing theater performances. Students will be creating projects throughout the year in groups just as they would encounter in the professional theater world. This course should count as a fine arts requirement. Students are required to attend at least one outside production at the high school level or higher
Beginning Acting
This course will build on basic acting skills learned in theater through improvisational acting, text analysis, and scripted acting. Students will be required to memorize dialogue for presentation during class. Additional topics include character analysis, criticism, and dramaturgy. Students are required to attend at least one outside production at the high school level or higher. This course fulfills the speech or fine arts requirement.
Advanced Acting
Prerequisite: Freshmen may enroll with special permission.
Prerequisite: Successful completion of Beginning Acting
This course will build on improvisational and scripted acting skills learned in Beginning Acting by exploring a variety of acting techniques from various acting teachers. Students will be required to memorize dialogue for presentation during class, and may also explore additional performance opportunities. Additional topics include character analysis, dramatic criticism, and dramaturgy. Students are required to attend at least one outside production at the high school level or higher. This course fulfills the speech or fine arts requirement.
Technical Theater
This course trains students in basic stagecraft techniques in a project based class surveying a variety of backstage areas including but not limited to script analysis, the process of design and construction of props, costumes, stage makeup, lighting, sound, scenery, painting techniques, and shop safety and maintenance. Students are required to attend at least one outside production at the high school level or higher. This class serves as a fine arts credit.
Technical Theater Design and Construction
Prerequisite: Technical Theater (1391) or instructor’s approval.
This course trains students in advanced stagecraft techniques in a project based class that serves the season productions. From page to stage, students will have opportunities to explore areas of technical theater in-depth by designing and creating work intended for a staged production. Students are required to attend at least one outside production at the high school level or higher. This class serves as a fine arts credit.
Advanced Technical Theater
Prerequisite: Technical Theater (1391) or Technical Theater Design and Construction (1392)
This course trains students in advanced shop safety, construction, and painting techniques in a practical lab & project based class that serves the season productions. Students will have the opportunity to hone skills in construction and painting techniques for scenery. Students are required to attend at least one outside production at the high school level or higher. This class serves as a fine arts credit.
Advanced Theatre Ensemble
Prerequisite: Successful completion of Beginning Acting or Advanced Acting
Take a show from page to stage. Improv, act, tech & design your way through the world of theater. This course provides further training for those students interested in extending training from Theatre Productions and Acting classes. These topics include auditioning, ensemble production, directing, technical theater, and script analysis. Students are required to attend at least one outside production at the high school level or higher
This is a production course for specialization in an end of the semester performance. Some out-of-class time is required for production experience.
Diversity Theater
This course is an acting class focused on plays by and about people of color. It will include a survey of plays by African-American, Mexican-American, Native-American, Asian, and other minority authors; acting exercises; confidence-building exercises; off-stage responsibilities; script analysis and notation; rehearsal expectations and techniques; and public performance of a class play. Attendance at two field trips and all school plays is compulsory.
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The Great Plays
This reading course is designed to acquaint the student with well-known dramatic literature through reading aloud, silent reading, listening to recordings, and seeing both live and filmed productions; no acting will occur. Although a chronological sequence starting with Greek tragedy will be followed, the emphasis will be on modern theater.
Topeka West Players
Prerequisite: Audition
This ensemble of upperclassmen is selected by audition in the preceding spring. The year-long course is performance-oriented and intended for those students with a serious interest in the theater who wish to pursue the theater arts beyond the classroom and most likely beyond high school as well. This course may satisfy either the Fine Arts or the Speech requirement, but not both.