Faculty of Arts & Science 2016-2017 Calendar

Drama, Theatre and Performance Studies (Centre for)

• Drama Specialist | Drama Major | Drama Minor
• Drama Courses

Faculty

Our undergraduate program at the Centre for Drama, Theatre, and Performance Studies offers a unique set of critical and artistic skills through which students attending the University of Toronto may engage the broader social, political, and intellectual facets of a humanities curriculum. Undergraduate Drama (Specialist, Major, Minor) at the Drama Centre combines rich and rigorous scholarship with high standards of practical theatre training through courses in dramatic literature, dramaturgy, theatre and performance theory and history, as well as introductory and advanced studio courses in acting, production, design, directing, and playwriting. Students graduating from our programs have combined honours majors in such areas as Anthropology, Canadian Studies, Cinema Studies, Classics, Commerce, Art, History, Human Biology, Political Science, Psychology, Religion, Sexual Diversity Studies, Sociology, and Women and Gender Studies.

The Drama Centre’s undergraduate programs are housed in the Union Building at University College, which includes the Helen Gardiner Phelan Playhouse—one of three theatres and a number of related performance and rehearsal venues available to our students and faculty. More details, including application and ballot forms, can be found on the website at: http://dramacentre.utoronto.ca/.

The Centre’s Associate Director (Undergraduate) T. Nikki Cesare Schotzko and the Undergraduate Administrative Coordinator Colleen Osborn are also available for consultation. For enquiries or an appointment call the Undergraduate Drama Coordinator at 416-978-8099 or send an e-mail to c.osborn@utoronto.ca.

Please note: Certain courses are restricted to students in a Drama Specialist, Major or Minor program; others are open to all students of the University.  Several courses require audition, interview or the submission of a portfolio.  See below for details.

Drama, Theatre and Performance Studies Programs

General Enquiries: Room 300, 79 St. George Street (416-978-8099)

Enrolment in the Specialist and Major programs is, with few exceptions, contingent upon a personal interview, audition and/or portfolio submission. Students will be admitted to the Major only after they have been admitted to either DRM200Y1, DRM228H1 or DRM254Y1, and to the Specialist only after completing 8.0 full-course equivalents.

Auditions and interviews are held in April. Applications are due March 10th. There is a second round in August for applications to DRM200Y1 and DRM228H1. Register for a Drama Application: 
https://drama-apply.chass.utoronto.ca/login

Enrolment in the Minor program is unrestricted. Priority is reserved for Drama Majors and Specialists for studio courses (Group B).

Enrolment in the Specialist and Major programs is limited and selection is normally made after a personal interview, audition and/or portfolio submission. Students will be admitted to the Major only after they have been admitted to either DRM200Y1, DRM228H1 or DRM254Y1, and to the Specialist only after completing 8.0 full-course equivalents.

12 full courses or their equivalent (FCE), including at least 4.0 300+ series with at least 1.0 FCE at the 400 level.

1.    From Foundations 1 FCE: DRM100Y1/DRM101Y1/UNI102Y1
2.    From Group A: DRM220Y1/DRM230Y1 and 3 FCE
3.    From Group B: 2 FCE (entry points: DRM200Y1/DRM254Y1/DRM228H1)
4.    From Group A, B, C or other DRM: 5 FCE to make up the total of 12 full-course equivalents

Note: Students taking Group B Studio courses must take an academic co-requisite from Foundations or a course from Group A.
In 2016/17 1 FCE from Group C can count towards Group A. Consult the undergraduate drama office.

Enrolment in the Major program is limited and selection is normally made after a personal interview, audition and/or portfolio submission. Students will be admitted to the Major only after they have been admitted to either DRM200Y1, DRM228H1 or DRM254Y1.

8 full courses or their equivalent (FCE), including at least 2 FCE at the 300+ series courses with at least 0.5 FCE at the 400 level.

1.    From Foundations 1 FCE: DRM100Y1/DRM101Y1/UNI102Y1
2.    From Group A:  DRM220Y1/DRM230Y1 and 2 FCE
3.    From Group B: 2 FCE (entry points: DRM200Y1/DRM254Y1/DRM228H1)
4.    From Group A, B, C or other DRM: 2 FCE to make up the total of 8 full-course equivalents

Note: Students taking Group B Studio courses must take an academic co-requisite from Foundations or a course from Group A.
In 2016/17 1.0 FCE from Group C can count towards Group A. Consult the undergraduate drama office.

4 full courses or their equivalent (FCE) including at least 1 FCE at the 300+ level.

1.    From Foundations 1 FCE: DRM100Y1/DRM101Y1/UNI102Y1 
2.    From Group A: DRM220Y1/DRM230Y1 and 1 FCE
3.    From Groups A, B, C or other DRM (when eligible): 1 FCE to make up the total of 4 full-course equivalents

Note: Priority is reserved for Drama Majors and Specialists for Group B Studio courses. In 2016/17 1 FCE from Group C can count towards Group A. Consult the undergraduate drama office.

Foundations:
DRM100Y1, DRM101Y1; UNI102Y1

Group A: Drama, Theatre and Performance Studies
ABS341H1; DRM220Y1, DRM230Y1, DRM303H1, DRM331H1, DRM342H1, DRM362H1, DRM366H1, DRM385H1, DRM385Y1, DRM386H1, DRM388H1, DRM485Y1, DRM487H1, DRM488H1; JDC400Y1, JDC410H1

Group B: Studio 
DRM200Y1, DRM201H1, DRM211H1, DRM228H1, DRM254Y1, DRM300Y1, DRM301H1, DRM302H1, DRM311H1, DRM328H1, DRM354Y1, DRM368H1, DRM375H1, DRM375Y1, DRM376H1, DRM377H1, DRM378H1, DRM386H1, DRM400Y1, DRM401H1, DRM402H1, DRM403Y1, DRM411H1, DRM428H1, DRM454H1, DRM485Y1, DRM486H1

Note: Students taking a studio course (Group B) are required to take an academic co-requisite from Foundations or any course from Group A.

Group C: Related Courses in Other Departments
ABS300Y1, ABS302H1, ABS341H1; CLA382H1, CLA383H1; ENG220Y1, ENG330H1, ENG331H1, ENG335H1, ENG336H1, ENG337H1, ENG340H1, ENG341H1, ENG352H1; GER240H1; GRK351H1, GRK352H1; ITA315Y1, ITA390H1; MUS206H1, MUS209H1, MUS212H1,MUS215H1, MUS340H1; SLA267H1, SLA342H1, SLA367H1, SLA405H1, SLA406H1, SLA475H1; VIC304H1, VIC347H1

Note: Many Group C courses have pre-requisites. Check with the designated department prior to enrollment.

Special Topics & Independent Studies
DRM286H1, DRM299Y1, DRM387H1, DRM390Y1/DRM391H1, DRM399Y1, DRM485H1, DRM490Y1/DRM491H1 

Drama, Theatre and Performance Studies Courses

The 199Y1 and 199H1 seminars are designed to provide the opportunity to work closely with an instructor in a class of no more than twenty-four students. These interactive seminars are intended to stimulate the students’ curiosity and provide an opportunity to get to know a member of the professorial staff in a seminar environment during the first year of study. Details can be found at www.artsci.utoronto.ca/current/course/fyh-1/.

An introduction to performance practice with an emphasis on the historical development and contemporary work of playwrights, actors, and directors.  Key theorists, practitioners, and schools will be introduced and students will analyze them through rigorous hands-on, experiential work. This course combines weekly two-hour lectures with one-hour tutorials. 

A broad introduction to the canon of Western drama, the principles of theatre history as well as key artistic movements and notions of arts criticism through a range of dramatic texts, artistic movements, and performance practices, with particular reference to the relationship between dramatic texts and their larger contexts.  This course combines weekly two-hour lectures with one-hour tutorials.

Emphasis is initially placed on ensemble, non-verbal, and improvisational work. Students proceed to the application of their acquired skills to scripted material. Students may apply in their first or second year of University. The Application Deadline is March 10th for the first round of auditions; August 3rd for the second round. See Audition Guidelines for information on how to apply.

An introduction to the dynamics of voice and effective communication as they relate to the development of the actor.  Work brings theory into physical practice. Not offered in 2016/17.

An introduction to movement for the actor focusing on body awareness and skill development, ensemble sensibility and stagecraft as it pertains to actor training. Not offered in 2016/17.

An intensive study of a range of historical and cross-cultural dramatic and performance texts and practices that contextualize theatre and performance more broadly within the social, political, and cultural parameters in which they take place. Theatre history is necessarily inextricable from world history and this course considers the many ways theatre and performance interact with the globalized world.

A hands-on study of the craft of dramatic writing. The class examines the basic elements of playwriting such as plot, structure, theme, character, dialogue, setting, with an emphasis on story-making. Attention is given to the development of students own work through written assignments and in-class exercises. See Portfolio Guidelines for information on how to apply.

An introduction to the shifting landscapes of European theatre theory, history and practice in the late 19th century and their repercussions throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. The course focuses on the developments of modern and postdramatic theatre. It also includes critical analysis of the annual Drama Mainstage production and current Canadian theatre.

A practical introduction to various areas of theatre production and design. Working extensively in the Helen Gardiner Phelan Playhouse, the students form the core of the production team for Drama productions. The Application Deadline is March 10th for an interview in April.

Since the 1960s, actors, directors, and writers have been architects of Canadian identity. This course will study the history of Canadian theatre, with an emphasis on how Canadian playwrights and creators have been engaged with social and political issues. A survey of post-colonial theatre, cultural diversity, and gender politics on the Canadian stage.

Effective communication is a pivotal skill in work and other environments where public speaking, persuasive discourse, and personal presence are key to success. This introductory course is suited to students in professional programs or for those who would like to learn a full range of communication skills.

Credit course for supervised participation in faculty research project. Details at http://www.artsci.utoronto.ca/current/course/rop. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

Building upon the work of DRM200Y1, students concentrate on scene study, styles of acting, and the development of ensemble work with an intensive focus on voice and movement practices. The Application Deadline is March 10th. 

An experiential studio course that introduces and develops physical skills in contemporary theatre practice with particular attention on the relationship between voice and moment via the voice, breath, body, movement, emotion, character, text and personal imagery. Not offered in 2016/17.  

An introduction to major concepts and artistic practices in directing. The course focuses on different styles, ideas, and goals of theatre directors in their relations to actors, audiences, and broad cultural and political contexts. A major component will be the practical application of basic directing techniques.

An examination of the major writers who have influenced the art of the actor in the twentieth century, with a focus on theories of actor training and the preparation for performance, the ways in which audiences assess acting as an art form, and the rise of the actor as an artist of equal status in North American and European theatre.  Writers include Konstantin Stanislavsky, his followers and interpreters in America (including the Actors Studio and Lee Strasberg), along with alternatives to his 'System,' including Expressionism, Epic Theatre and the teachings of Michael Chekhov.

A continuation of previous training to develop a more expressive body and increase devising skills through a more concentrated study of the relationship between objective, impulse and action using the principles of Viewpoints, Laban and the Margolis Method. Not offered in 2016/17.  

A continuation of DRM228H1, concentrating on the in-depth knowledge and practice of playwriting with an emphasis on style and technique of writing for the stage. Students develop their own work through written assignments, in-class exercises, and the final public presentation. See Portfolio Guidelines for information on how to apply.

Study of dramaturgical theory and of interpretations of the dramaturge's function in the theatre. Using examples from Canada and beyond, students apply this knowledge to theatre practice. 

The turn of the 21st century advanced a social, political, and aesthetic shift reminiscent of that during the post-Industrial Revolution/pre-WWII epoch that launched the historical avant-garde.  This class, while exploring significant artistic and sociopolitical developments of the historical avant-garde, will primarily concentrate on the experimental theatre and performance of the past 15 years—a contemporary avant-garde that “hinge[s] on a networked spatiality, rather than on linear teleology” and reflects a growing collective investment on part of audiences and artists alike in the work of a work of art.  

Building on the work of DRM254Y1, students will continue their study of technical skills including lighting, sound, projections, stage management, and set construction, while also engaged in a detailed exploration of historical and contemporary theatrical stage and costume design. Working extensively in the Helen Gardiner Phelan Playhouse, the students form the core of the production team for Drama productions. The Application Deadline is March 10th. 

An intercultural, post-colonial and comparative analysis of innovative processes in the national and cross-cultural theatre around the world. Focusing on selected periods and cultures, the course explores the cultural backgrounds of key turning points in pre-modern and modern theatre and their impact on the developments of the post-modern theatre in a globalizing world. Not offered in 2016/17. 

A hands-on exploration of fundamental building blocks of collective creation, or ‘devised theatre,’ examining techniques and exercises by its leading practitioners. Combining research, improvisation and design elements, students define a topic of investigation and shape the resulting discoveries into a workshop presentation at the end of the course. Not offered in 2016/17. 

An in-depth examination of selected performance disciplines, styles, and genres within their historical and critical context. Content may vary depending on instructor.  Please consult the Undergraduate Drama office or check the website for more details. 

Prerequisite: DRM100Y1/DRM101Y1/UNI102Y1, DRM200Y1. Additional prerequisites may vary from year to year.
Corequisite: DRM300Y1
Recommended Preparation: DRM220Y1/DRM230Y1
Distribution Requirement Status: Humanities
Breadth Requirement: Creative and Cultural Representations (1)

DRM375H1    Special Topics in Studio Practice [36P]

An in-depth examination of selected performance disciplines, styles, and genres within their historical and critical context. Content may vary depending on instructor.  Please consult the Undergraduate Drama office or check the website for more details. 

2016-17 Topic: Acting - Clown

An in-depth examination of selected performance disciplines, styles, and genres within their historical and critical context. Content may vary depending on instructor.  Please consult the Undergraduate Drama office or check the website for more details.

2016-17 Topic: Practicum - Music Theatre

An in-depth examination of selected performance disciplines, styles, and genres within their historical and critical context. Content may vary depending on instructor.  Please consult the Undergraduate Drama office or check the website for more details.

2016-17 Topic: Vocal Presence in Performing

An in-depth examination of selected performance disciplines, styles, and genres within their historical and critical context. Content may vary depending on instructor.  Please consult the Undergraduate Drama office or check the website for more details. 

2016-17 Topic: Acting - Shakespeare

An in-depth examination of selected issues in drama, theatre and performance studies. Content may vary depending on instructor and is counted towards Group A.  Please consult the Undergraduate Drama office and check the website for more details.

An in-depth examination of selected issues in drama, theatre and performance studies. Content may vary depending on instructor and therefore may be counted towards Groups A or B.  Please consult the Undergraduate Drama office and check the website for more details. Not offered in 2016/17.

An in-depth examination of selected issues in drama, theatre and performance studies. Content may vary depending on instructor and therefore may be counted towards Groups A or B.  Please consult the Undergraduate Drama office and check the website for more details.

An in-depth examination of selected issues in drama, theatre and performance studies. Content may vary depending on instructor and is counted towards Group A .  Please consult the Undergraduate Drama office and check the website for more details.

2016-17 Topic: Staging Gender: The History of Cross-Dressing in Theatre and Performance

An in-depth examination of selected issues in drama, theatre and performance studies. Content may vary depending on instructor and therefore may be counted towards Groups A or B.  Please consult the Undergraduate Drama office and check the website for more details. Not offered in 2016/17.

A scholarly project at the 300 level proposed by the individual student in conversation with a member of faculty who is willing to act as supervisor. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

A scholarly project at the 300 level proposed by the individual student in conversation with a member of faculty who is willing to act as supervisor. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

Credit course for supervised participation in faculty research project. Details here. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

An in-depth study of devising theatre in a group context. This course offers an intensive exploration of the history and practice of devised theatre within the late 20th and early 21st centuries that will culminate in a number of in-class and public performances. This course is open to acting, directing, playwriting, and production and design students. The Application Deadline is April 11th.

Articulates a cultural approach to achieving Human Security. This course examines human security issues in which there is a significant cultural dimension to a security threat, and in which culture occupies an essential place in any realistic and effective solution. The work of artists to be analyzed include: Ariane Mnouchkine; Robert Lepage; Bertolt Brecht; John Greyson, Mohsen Makhmalbaf, Terry George and Daniel Barenboim. Not offered in 2016/17.

Advanced voice training to refine the skills and concepts developed thus far in DRM200Y1 and DRM300Y1, focusing on performance.  Techniques of articulation, speech, and rhetoric are studied. Taken in conjunction with DRM403Y1: Advanced Performance: Mainstage and DRM411H1: Advanced Concepts in Movement.

An exploration of advanced directing for the theatre. The class is centered on student directed productions, which are publically presented at the end of term. Emphasis is placed on the development of strong central concepts and realizing the production with imagination, collaboration and creativity. Priority is reserved for Drama Majors and Specialists. The Application Deadline is March 10th. 

This course, taught each year by a different visiting professional theatre director, offers upper-level theatre and performance studies students the opportunity to explore acting in a full-length production. Plays are selected to challenge students in a variety of diverse ways, exposing them to a full spectrum of theatre and performance genres and possibilities. The Application Deadline is March 10th.

Bertolt Brecht played a specific role in the paradigm shift of the art which began at the end of the 19th century. He advanced this change by trying to connect art to its social and political functions and structure with the positive acceptance of the industrial revolution and by trying to transform it with the help of the new technological media. Not offered in 2016/17.  

Advanced movement training to refine the skills and concepts developed thus far in DRM200Y1 and DRM300Y1, focusing on performance.  Techniques of personal physical awareness, movement as a tool for discovery in acting processes, movement as communication in performance, ensemble work, and movement generation are studied. Taken in conjunction with DRM403Y1: Advanced Performance: Mainstage and DRM401H1: Advanced Concepts in Voice.

A continuation of DRM328H1, concentrating upon the in-depth knowledge and practice of playwriting with an emphasis on advanced style and technique of writing for the stage. Students develop their own longer work through in-class exercises, one major written assignment, and the final public presentation. See Portfolio Guidelines for information on how to apply.

Continues the exploration of design and production techniques. Students are given an opportunity to use their knowledge and skills from previous production courses on an advanced level. Students are expected to participate in Drama Centre productions in senior creative and leadership roles. Focus also includes the integration of digital technology into theatrical performance.

An in-depth examination of selected issues in the theatre at the 400 level. Content may vary depending on instructor and therefore may be counted towards Groups A or B. Please consult the Undergraduate Drama office or check the program’s website for more details.

Research thesis, emphasizing topics and methods used in drama, theatre and performance studies. Students must obtain permission from the instructor by submitting a research project proposal. The project may engage creative practice, but the thesis itself will be a critical, written work engaging the research and dramaturgy involved in the performance or artwork. Not eligible for CR/NCR option. . Application Deadline is April 11th.

An in-depth examination of selected issues in the theatre at the 400 level. Content may vary depending on instructor and therefore may be counted towards Groups A or B. Please consult the Undergraduate Drama office or check the program’s website for more details.

An in-depth examination of selected issues in the theatre at the 400 level. Content may vary depending on instructor and therefore may be counted towards Groups A or B. Please consult the Undergraduate Drama office or check the program’s website for more details.

2016-17 Topic: Women in Theatre

An in-depth examination of selected issues in the theatre at the 400 level. Content may vary depending on instructor and therefore may be counted towards Groups A or B. Please consult the Undergraduate Drama office or check the program’s website for more details.

2016-17 Topic: Modern Drama's Environment

A scholarly project at the 400 level proposed by the individual student in conversation with a member of faculty who is willing to act as supervisor. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

A scholarly project at the 400 level proposed by the individual student in conversation with a member of faculty who is willing to act as supervisor. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.