A theatre appreciation course for non-theatre majors who have
an interest in sports. This course will investigate
representations of athletes and/or athletic events and will
also discuss the ways in which sports are a form of live
performance/theatre.
Athena Title
Athletes and Artists
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Student learning Outcomes
Students will understand how to effectively write response papers to department production in which they demonstrate critical thinking.
Students will understand how to experience sports more critically as an important expression of American culture.
Students will understand their own study and learning habits and how to improve upon them.
Topical Outline
A. Theatre Spaces: A look at the theoretical aesthetic and physical architecture of both entertainment and sports
B. Dramatic structure: The Expectations of a Script, The Expectations of a Game, including thoughts on protagonists and antagonists and how these character “types” relate to favorite home teams vs. rivals
C. Writing on Theatre: How to write a basic theatrical review
D. Performance: From an Acting Standpoint: techniques, theories, and history of the primary dramatic agent. For the sports figure: this includes performance on the field, as well as behaviors in the public eye. We will also consider modes and definitions of performance using the performance studies paradigm(s).
E. Direction: Techniques, theories, and history of the director as an artist, in relation to those who execute the playbook
F. The Playwright: Methods, theories, and the people who write the script, in relation to those who create a playbook
G. Multimedia: The current trends involving live performers, live performances, and live theatre and sports events, and how technology shapes the reception of a performance
H. Lighting Design: The art of lighting in entertainment, including theatre spaces, nontraditional spaces, and sports venues (indoors and outdoors)
I. Costume Design: The aesthetics and practical aspects of what the performer wears – including both the actor as well as the team colors and jerseys that codify a home team.
J. Scenic Design: The physical environment of the sports and entertainment experience.
K. The Craftspeople: Technicians, trade unions, and the profession of the technical production of a live performance event (theatre, concerts, fashion shows, operas, and sports events)
L. Today's Athletes and Artists: Current trends in live theatre and how various sports are represented by twenty-first century plays and productions
