Love theater?
Do you think theater is healing, helpful, fun, engaging and has a lot to offer all types of people?
Afraid of the struggle to make a living with theater?
Want to learn how you can use theater in tons of other industries?
Then come sign up for Applied Theatre: all about creating theatRE outside of the traditional theatER!
This course (THEA 497-4, Applied Theatre, 3 credits) covers principles and practices of theater outside of the traditional performance practicum. We will explore games and lessons focusing on areas like:
- Drama Therapy: Psychodrama and Sociodrama, Therapeutic Theatre
- Theatre for Education and Development: Interactive storytelling, Puppetry
- Theatre for Change: Theatre of the Oppressed, Guerilla Theatre
NO PREREQUISITE! (Must have some background with making theater.)
See Matt Romriell or Shannon Coltrane, or contact Shannon at shannoncoltrane@gmail.com to enroll!
Description and Goals
Description
For students who love theatre and want to learn how to use theatre in their lives, careers, and futures across a wide variety of fields and populations. Theatre is an incredible tool for healing, teaching, connecting people, and communicating big ideas. Join Shannon Coltrane MA (Drama Therapy – NYU), MFA candidate (Acting – NIU) to explore how to create theatRE outside of the traditional theatER!
This course covers principles and practices of theatre outside the traditional performance and technical practicum. Open to any and all students with some background in making theatre (high school, community, or other). We will explore games and lessons focusing on areas like:
- Drama Therapy: Psychodrama and Sociodrama, Therapeutic Theatre
- Theatre for Education and Development: Interactive Storytelling, Puppetry
- Theatre for Change: Theatre of the Oppressed, Guerilla Theatre
Goals
Goals include learning a wide variety of ways to incorporate active and interactive artistic methods of theatre into the outside world. We will understand how theatre can be used in fields such as teaching, healthcare, mental healthcare, the justice system, the political arena, community development, museums, social service and social work agencies, and business and industry. Utilizing interactive creative games as well as individual and group projects, this participatory course will explore theories on, and creative processes for, devising and employing various theatre forms with the intention of affecting personal, political, institutional, social, and/or community change.
Given the current high demand for creative and active thinkers throughout the workforce, students of applied theatre will be able to better fulfill the growing need in business and industry for employees who innovate, actively approach, think outside the box, and get others engaged with their important work. Countless professions, including law, business, healthcare, technology, education, and management at all levels are thirsty for creative thinkers who can solve problems in new ways and get teams involved in new ways; applied theatre gives you EXACTLY those tools and then some. Come join us!
