The following five courses taught foundational skills and information highly important to my development as a performer. The coursework provided a necessary and rich background in multiple performance and artistic mediums.
THEAT 180 Text and Performance (Spring 2018)
During this course I reevaluated how text stands as a map for production through analysis, interpretation, and the ever evolving art of performance. Text analysis is a fundamental skill that is required when participating in any part of production to showcase the vision, meaning, and purpose behind a text. Course reading requirements included 19 playscripts intended to inspire, encourage, and shock myself and my peers. The variety of subjects and styles allowed me to focus on playwriting and script analysis through many lenses.
MUSIC 212 Chromatic Musicianship (Fall 2018)
This is a foundational course for the music major at St. Olaf and gives students a strong background in a variety of music theory skills. The aural and sight singing components of this course are extremely useful to my success throughout any rehearsal and performance process. I gained an understanding of musical style, form, composition and proper voice leading in western classical music. Although this course didn’t focus on contemporary music, the skills and techniques learned are highly transferable to musical theater genres. Though I also completed the prerequisites MUSIC 112 and 114, I specifically selected this course because there was a greater emphasis on aural and sight singing skills.
THEAT 380 Intermediate Stage Direction (Spring 2020)
The primary purpose of this course was to direct and produce a one act play in the St. Olaf College Theater Department’s Spring One Act Festival. I took part in all aspects of production as an individual, from selecting a play text to artistic design, casting and costuming. Learning to direct allowed me to better comprehend stage instruction as an actor. Theater 232 Beginning Directing is a prerequisite for this course. (Due to Covid 19 this course took place online, meaning the 2020 One Act Festival was cancelled, however the same coursework was completed virtually. I shared my design choices and interests online with the class in place of the performance.)
THEAT 140 Introduction to Design: Perform (Spring 2021)
As a theater artist I must have a solid background in all aspects of theatrical performance. This course provided an introduction to performance space, scenic design, costuming, lighting and shadow, and sound design. Not only did this class increase my awareness of technical theater, but taught me to respect the technical theater artists around me. Many professional theater positions require technical theater skills, so understanding these aspects of production is necessary to be a more marketable performer.
MUSIC 298 Independent Study History of Musical Theater (Interim 2020)
Understanding the origins of musical theater and it’s history are imperative to be a successful and knowledgeable performer. I studied musical theater history from the 1700s to current day and focused on performers, composers, and productions that largely affected the advancement of this performance genre. I also looked into performance techniques and current performers lifestyles to better understand how to live a productive and healthy life as a vocalist, dancer, and actress. The final goal of this research course was to create a comprehensive list of songs for my musical theater audition book based on the research guidelines I explored.