Previous Courses
Theatre
Directing, Devising, and Performance
Open, Component—Year
Through the creative reuse of mass media, this course is designed to introduce students to a performance strategy that synthesizes an experimental performance practice from existing material. By stripping found media materials from their original context and arranging them in new ways, participants will explore the methods and politics of appropriation in performance work. By then extending those techniques into embodied practices, students will experiment with various methods of extracting movement, text, and intention from those source materials. Biweekly workshops on text, sound, and video manipulation in a collaborative format will alternate with experiments in performance composition and lectures on the historical use of appropriation in a variety of art forms. Participants should have an interest in both performance and performance technology, though experience in either is not a prerequisite. The course culminates in a rehearsal and performance period.
Faculty
Directing, Devising, and Performance: Devising With Media
Open, Component—Year
Through the creative reuse of mass media, this course is designed to introduce students to a performance strategy based on sampling existing text, video, and sound. By stripping found media materials from their original context and arranging them in new ways, participants will explore the methods and politics of appropriation in performance work. By then extending those techniques into embodied practices, students will experiment with various methods of extracting movement, text, and intention from those source materials. Biweekly workshops on text, sound, and video manipulation in a collaborative format will alternate with experiments in performance composition and lectures on the historical use of appropriation in a variety of art forms. Participants should have an interest in both performance and performance technology, though experience in either is not a prerequisite. Each semester of the course culminates in a major performance project.
Faculty
Intro to Media Design
Open, Component—Year
This course serves as an introduction to theatrical sound and video design that explores the theory of sound, basic design principles, editing and playback software, content creation, and basic system design. The course examines the function and execution of video and sound in theatre, dance, and interdisciplinary forms. Exercises in sampling, nonlinear editing, and designing sequences in performance software will provide students with the basic tools needed to execute sound and projection designs in performance.
Faculty
Sound Design I: Intro to Sound Design
Open, Component—Year
This course serves as an introduction to theatrical sound design that explores the theory of sound, basic design principles, editing and playback software, content creation, and basic system design. The course examines the function and execution of sound in theatre, cinema, and interdisciplinary forms. Through field recording, sampling, nonlinear audio editing, and performance software, students will learn the basic tools needed to build and execute sound designs for theatre and audio installations. Students will be assigned to design a current theatrical production in the second semester of the course.
Faculty
MFA Theatre
Advanced Media Design
Component—Year
This course will prepare students to solve problems in video, sound, and multimedia design for live theatre and performance. We will look at the creative use of live video and audio playback and processing, multichannel sound, and interactive performance systems. By creating a cohort of designers committed to working on campus theatrical productions, the course will serve to mentor, troubleshoot, and critically analyze theatrical design. Students will be expected to be working on designs for theatre or dance productions or their own solo work.
Faculty
Grad Lab
Graduate Component—Year
Taught by a rotating series of Sarah Lawrence faculty and guest artists, this course focuses on developing the skills needed for a wide variety of techniques for the creation and development of new work in theatre. Ensemble acting, movement, design and fabrication, playwriting, devised work, and music performance are all explored. The class is a forum for workshops, master classes, and open rehearsals, with a focus on the development of critical skills. In addition, students in Grad Lab are expected to generate a new piece of theatre to be performed each month for the Sarah Lawrence community. These performances may include graduate and undergraduate students alike. Required for all Theatre graduate students. This class meets once a week.
Faculty
Graduate Lab
Component—Year
Taught by a rotating series of Sarah Lawrence faculty and guest artists, this course focuses on developing the skills needed for a wide variety of techniques for the creation and development of new work in theatre. Ensemble acting, movement, design and fabrication, playwriting, devised work, and music performance are all explored. The class is a forum for workshops, master classes, and open rehearsals, with a focus on the development of critical skills. In addition, students in Grad Lab are expected to generate a new piece of theatre to be performed each month for the Sarah Lawrence community. These performances may include graduate and undergraduate students alike.
Faculty
- Tei Blow
- Dan Hurlin
- Sibyl Kempson
Interactive Media MFA Studio
Graduate Component
This course is designed to introduce students to strategies for making performances and installations using contemporary media playback systems and existing materials sourced from popular culture. By rearranging found media materials in new ways, participants will explore the methods and politics of appropriation in performance work. Bi-weekly workshops on text, sound, and video manipulation in a collaborative format will alternate with experiments in performance, composition and lectures on the historical use of the remix in a variety of art forms. This course is designed to introduce students to strategies for making performances and installations using contemporary media playback systems and existing materials sourced from popular culture. By rearranging found media materials in new ways, participants will explore the methods and politics of appropriation in performance work. Bi-weekly workshops on text, sound, and video manipulation in a collaborative format will alternate with experiments in performance, composition and lectures on the historical use of the remix in a variety of art forms. The course takes the form of a weekly 4-hour lab format. Participants should have an interest in both performance and performance technology, though experience in either is not a prerequisite. Prerequisites: Open to Graduate Students and advanced Undergraduate students who have taken Sound Design or Video Design courses.
Faculty
Introduction to Projection Design
Component—Year
This course is an introduction to theatrical projection design that explores design principles, content creation, video editing, media server and playback software, basic projection system design, and digital show control. Through text analysis, visual research, and lab experiments, the course examines the role of video projection in theatre and interdisciplinary forms and prepares participants to create video designs for their own work and to integrate video with other media.
Faculty
LIVE MEDIA: Creating Hybrid Performance With Technology
Component—Year
This class will prepare students to solve problems in sound and multimedia production for live performance. We will look at the creative use of live video and audio playback and processing, multichannel sound, and interactive performance systems. The course is composed of technical demonstrations and short-form group performance assignments involving technology. The course is designed for theatre grads working with technology in Grad Solos but is suitable for any students working on independent performance work with technology. Participants interested in this course should be prepared to design and execute at least two short-form performance works or media installations over the course of the academic year. Participants interested in this course should be prepared to collaboratively design the projection elements for a performance or installation in the second semester.
Faculty
Performance Lab
Graduate Component—Year
Taught by a rotating series of Sarah Lawrence faculty and guest artists, this course focuses on developing the skills needed for a wide variety of techniques for the creation and development of new work in theatre. Ensemble acting, movement, design and fabrication, playwriting, devised work, and music performance are all explored. The class is a forum for workshops, master classes, and open rehearsals, with a focus on the development of critical skills. In addition, students in Grad Lab are expected to generate a new piece of theatre to be performed each month for the Sarah Lawrence community. These performances may include graduate and undergraduate students alike. Required for all Theatre graduate students. This class meets twice a week.
Faculty
Projection Design for Theatre
Component—Year
This course is an introduction to theatrical projection design that explores design principles, basic video editing, media server and playback software, content creation, basic projection system design, and show control. Through text analysis, visual research, and lab experiments, the course examines the role of video projection in theatre and interdisciplinary forms and prepares participants to create video designs for their own work.