Home > Academics > School of Drama Department of Acting  |  Department of Directing  |  Department of Playwriting  |  Department of Stage Design  |  Department of Theatre Studies  |  Course Description Course Description Theatre History I, II D101091-D101092, D101101-D101104 Theatre History I traces the history of theatre before the birth of Realism at the end of the 19th century, and Theatre History II traces the history of theatre since Realism. Critical reading and understanding of one drama according to its literary, theatrical, and socio-political contexts will be emphasized during the class. The class will consider all the cultural aspects in history that influenced the theatre. Korean Rhythm and Movement D101081-D101082, D112212 This is a physical exercising course that applies Korean sentiment and cognition to the theatrical gestures, languages, and styles. Through this exercising, Korean students can understand their own physical and psychological expressions in depth, and students from other countries can experience different methods of expressions that are not usually taught in classical acting theories and practices. Performing Arts Observation D101121-D101122 To be a theatre specialist, a student needs to have general understanding in performing arts besides his or her specific knowledge on the theatre. This course wants to treat the theatre in a broad sense, that is, theatre as dance, theatre as music, theatre as playing, theatre as folk art, and theatre as ritual. Students will discuss the live performance they have seen in the theatre, and for the better understanding of the performance, sometimes, a person from the theatre will participate in the class discussion. Adaptation of Traditional Performing Arts D122091-D122092 This course consists of two parts. In the first part, the course will survey how the Korean theatre have been embracing the traditional Korean performing arts such as mask dance (tal-chum), farmer's instruments playing (pung-mul), percussion instruments playing (samul-nori), and singing (pansori and chang). The second part of the course looks for a new way of adapting the traditional Korean performing arts based on modern theatrical aesthetics and audience response theories. Korean Theatre Tradition D101420 In this course, students will study about the general principle, method, history, and process of apprenticeship of traditional Korean performing arts. Students will understand the aesthetics of Korean theatre at the end of the course. Acting I D112031, D112171 This course focuses on the general understating of basic elements of acting and the improvements of one's inner resources as an actor or an actress. Various physical and psychological lessons will be given to expand the student's imagination and to encourage expression, interaction, and temperament of a student. Acting II, III D112032-D112033, D112172-D112173 Students will create characters in dramatic texts through their imagination and genuine expressions. The performance practice will be held scene by scene, and the students will have to start from things that they feel most familiar with. The creation of characters in some considerable modern plays like Ibsen and Chekhov will be especially considered. Acting IV, V D112034-D112035, D112174-D112175 Acting IV and V classes are provided in order to expand the student's acting ability. The method of acting can be varied according to different dramatic styles, and thus, students will be trained to act in different theatres such as Greek tragedy, Expressionism, Absurdity Theatre, Shakespeare Theatre, and Brecht Theatre. Movement I, II D112011-D112012 Students will recognize the new aspects of their body through trainings in Kalaripaiyatu (Traditional Indian Martial Arts), Tae-guk Geon (Chinese Martial Arts), and yoga. Movement III, IV D112013-D112014 In Movement III and IV classes, students will learn basic movements of traditional Korean dances like Chun-aeng Dance, Drum Dance, and Kyo-bang Dance. This will help students to expand their acting abilities with creative movements. Movement V, VI D112015-D112016 Mime and acrobatic trainings will be given to students. Korean Theatre Tradition D101420 Throughout performance observations and inquires in the field, students will examine the general elements of Korean exorcism. Voice I, II D112191-D112192 The Linklater voice technique and the Alexander movement will be introduced to students. Voice III, IV D112193-D112194 The acting principles and theories of Berry and McCollion will be compared. Also, classical and contemporary monologue training methods will be considered. Theory of Acting D112040 This course will investigate the interrelationship between major acting styles and practices. Stanislavki's realistic acting, Meyerhold's bio-mechanic exercises, Brecht's epic theory, and Michael Chekhov's technique theory will be especially investigated as they are the most central acting theories and practices in the Western theatre. Stylistic acting methods of the Eastern theatre will be also studied in a comparative manner. Young People Theatre D114030 To be qualified as a theatre teacher, students of the Department of Acting will participate in actual theatre productions in the elementary, junior high, or senior high schools. Western Singing D112071-D112072, D114051-D114053 Students will learn the basic singing skills of Italian and German lieder as well as musical vocalization. Score readings and ear-training will be also practiced. Introduction to Directing I: Discovery of Oneself D122141 Through self-observation and self-sensing practices, a student will realize the way he or she responds to the world, especially the beautiful. Sense, emotion, intuition, imagination, and reason are some of the important keywords to know the self, and the grasp of the relationship between these human behaviors is the mark to understand the world, the world in theatre or the theatre in the world. Introduction to Directing II: Discovery of Dramatic Sensation D122142 What is the emotional sensation that one gets when he or she reads a play? What is the process of this dramatic reaction? Students will search for the answers to these primary questions through the investigation of structural relationship between characters. This course will make a student a wise audience in theatre as well as a discreet reader of a dramatic text. Directing Practicum I: Structure of Scene D122022, D122101, D222012, D522042 Through practices and discussions, students will study the relationship between language, behavior, time and space in theatre. This is to understand the basic elements and principles of structure of a scene. Directing Practicum II: Style of Scene D122023, D122102, D222013, D522043 Students will do theoretical analysis and practical exercises of scenes, and understand the relationship between subject and object. Directing Practicum III: Structure and Character D122024, D122103, D222014, D522044 In this class, students will perform theoretical analysis and practical exercises according to the dramatic behaviors in one individual play. Students will present their analysis of a character on stage, and through this, students can get deeper understanding of the role. Students will learn the way stimulate an actor to behave as a character on stage. Students who finished all the low level requirements of the School of Drama are only allowed to take this course. Directing Practicum IV: Space and Stage Structure D122025, D122104, D222015, D522045 This course studies the interrelationship between the style of directing and the theatre space. Greek theatre, Shakespeare, Realistic theatre, and Experimental theatre can be characterized according to their different theatre spaces. Students will experience how a theatre space can influence the directing style through a series of directing works in different environments. Production Practicum I~IV D112081, D112162-D112169, D122031, D122071, D122221-D112228, D142311, D144071-D144075, D512052-D512053 Students who complete all the Directing Practicum courses are only qualified to take this course. The individual project can vary according to a student's own interest and concerns, and when a student decide what to direct (or where to participate), he or she should submit a project proposal to his or her academic adviser at least one semester before he or she actually takes this course. (KNUA holds several performing arts festivals in and out of campus every year, and a student of directing major can choose to participate in one of these performing arts activities as a director. For example, there are Drama Festival, Experimental Theatre Festival, Ong-al-ee Theatre Festival, and Young Festival at KNUA.) Directing Project I, II D122150, D122160, D522080, D522090 Students who complete all the required courses of master's level are only qualified to take this course. The individual project can vary according to a student's own interest and concerns, and the student should submit a project proposal to his or her academic adviser at least one semester before he or she takes this course. Students can choose to participate in on campus performance activities of higher level. Production Making D123012-D123013 This is a creative and collaborative production course, in which students of various majors will work together to make a short music theatre. Usually, students of the Department of Acting, Directing, Playwriting, Composition, Dance, and Vocal Music are strongly encouraged to participate in this course. Creative and Collaborative Scene Writing D132240 This course is provided in order to understand the theatre as a collaborative work of creative individuals. Students from all majors of the School of Drama will participate in this course and form several writing groups. Each team will represent a viewpoint of an actor, of a director or of a writer, and write a script according to its own understanding and approach to the theatre. Play Writing Workshop I D132092 This class especially pays attention to the meaning of 'setting' and creation of it in theatre. Play Writing Workshop II D132093 This course is provided in order to understand the most crucial element of playwriting, that is, a conflict between characters. Students will create several kinds of roles that have different goals and interest, and these characters will conflict each other in some points while living and playing in the world of theatre. Play Writing Workshop III D132094 The aim of this course is to complete a play. From selecting a motive from one's own vision and experience, making a story line, arranging main conflicts with the development of characters, outlining the scenes, and writing, students will have to consider all the important aspects of a drama as they have learned in the previous play writing classes. Students will have more freedom in the entire writing process (that is, from selecting a motive to actual writing) when they take the course Playwriting I~III. English I, II D103101-D103102, D154021-D154024 Students in the Department of Theatre Studies must reach the certain level of English before they graduate. For the English qualification, students must contact the department. Journal Workshop D544151-D544156, D555021-D552026 The Department of Theatre Studies publishes an annual theatre journal, and all the theatre studies students in graduate program are required to participate in this journal publication.