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Catalogue 2019-2020 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]
Course Descriptions
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Dance: III. Advanced |
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DANC 364 - Repertory Dance Theatre I Semester Offered: Fall and Spring
0.5 unit(s)
Performance in repertory of master choreographers. Works by students and faculty are also offered. In addition, several workshops in new student choreography are given throughout the year. Auditions for intermediate and advanced students are held the first week in September. John Meehan and the dance faculty.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of the instructor.
Tow 2-hour periods plus arranged rehearsals.
Course Format: OTH
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DANC 365 - Repertory Dance Theatre II Semester Offered: Fall and Spring
0.5 unit(s)
John Meehan and dance faculty.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of the instructor.
Two 2-hour periods plus arranged rehearsals.
Course Format: OTH
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DANC 366 - Repertory Dance Theatre III Semester Offered: Fall and Spring
0.5 unit(s)
John Meehan and dance faculty.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor.
Two 2-hour periods plus arranged rehearsals.
Course Format: OTH
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DANC 367 - Repertory Dance Theatre IV Semester Offered: Fall and Spring
0.5 unit(s)
John Meehan and dance faculty.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of the instructor.
Two 2-hour periods plus arranged rehearsals.
Course Format: OTH
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DANC 380 - Choreography/Performance Study Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)
This intensive is the development and production of an evening-length Dance work no less than 40 minutes in length. It is expressive of a self-contained story exploring Israeli social dance for youths in camp and a personal journey in self study. 10 dancers are featured in the storytelling. Movement exploration and compositional structure are directed by Hannah Littman and some physical collaborative work is investigated. A full theatrical production is facilitated and supported by David Ferri, our in-house light designer. This culminates in an evening length performance on Saturday April 18th. Leslie Sachs.
Course Format: INT
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DANC 394 - Advanced Modern Dance I Semester Offered: Fall and Spring
0.5 unit(s)
Continuation and enlargement of all previously taught material. In addition, advanced work in phrasing and musicality is combined with the development of a personal ‘voice’ or style in one’s dancing. Modern Dance faculty.
Prerequisite(s): DANC 294 and DANC 295 or equivalent.
Course Format: OTH
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DANC 395 - Advanced Modern Dance II Semester Offered: Fall and Spring
0.5 unit(s)
Modern Dance faculty.
Prerequisite(s): DANC 294 and DANC 295 or equivalent
Course Format: OTH
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DANC 396 - Advanced Modern Dance III Semester Offered: Fall and Spring
0.5 unit(s)
Modern Dance faculty.
Prerequisite(s): DANC 294 and DANC 295 or equivalent.
Course Format: OTH
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DANC 397 - Advanced Modern Dance IV Semester Offered: Fall and Spring
0.5 unit(s)
Modern Dance faculty.
Prerequisite(s): DANC 294 and DANC 295 or equivalent.
Course Format: OTH
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DANC 399 - Senior Independent Work Semester Offered: Fall and Spring
0.5 or 1 unit(s)
Study of a topic in depth at the Advanced level.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of the dance faculty sponsor.
Course Format: OTH
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Drama: I. Introductory |
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DRAM 102 - Introduction to Theater-Making: Theory and Practice Semester Offered: Fall and Spring
1 unit(s)
An exploration of the strategies theatre artists use to approach the realization of dramatic texts on the stage. Through weekly practical projects, the class examines the challenges posed by a variety of dramatic genres.
Two 75-minute periods, plus one 75-minute laboratory.
Course Format: CLS
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DRAM 103 - Introduction to Stagecraft Semester Offered: Fall and Spring
0.5 unit(s)
An introduction to the fundamentals of stagecraft, including the processes of flat and platform construction, scene painting, rigging, and theatrical safety. Paul O’Connor.
Two 75-minute periods, one 2 hour lab, and 16 hours of crew time are required.Six-week course.
Course Format: CLS
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DRAM 104 - The Acting Company Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)
Designed to provide an opportunity for undeclared acting students who have taken DRAM 102 to continue exploring their collaborate skills from the point of view of the actor. This includes script analysis, rehearsal preparation, historical research, and etiquette and traditions. The lab portion of the class facilitates the collaboration between acting and directing students who participate in a joint lab. Christopher Grabowski.
Prerequisite(s): DRAM 102 .
Two 2-hour periods; additional lab time required.
Course Format: CLS
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DRAM 143 - The Genius of Chekhov: Theatre and Tales
1 unit(s)
(Same as RUSS 143 ) Close reading of major plays and selected short stories by Anton Chekhov. Focus on the forms and themes of Chekhov’s works, as well as their historical contexts in terms of dramaturgy, reception and artistic legacy. Special attention is given to the spectrum of interpretations of Chekhov’s works in a transnational context. Accompanied by film screenings. In English.
Open to all classes. Readings and discussions are in English. Russian majors see RUSS 243 .
Two 75-minute periods.
Not offered in 2019/20.
Course Format: CLS
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DRAM 190 - Theater Production Participation Semester Offered: Fall and Spring
.5 or 1 unit(s)
This course provides the opportunity for students with declared majors other than Drama to participate in the performance, design, or technical aspects of department productions in the Experimental Theater of Vassar College. The department.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of the department.
May not be repeated.
One 3-hour period plus rehearsal and crew calls.
Course Format: CLS
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Drama: II. Intermediate |
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DRAM 200 - The Experimental Theater Semester Offered: Fall and Spring
0.5, 1 unit(s)
This course focuses on putting theory and technique into practice through participation in the performance, design, or technical aspects of department productions in the Experimental Theater of Vassar College. Recent and ongoing productions include: The Skin of Our Teeth, Miss Julie, Lysistrata, Euridice by Sarah Ruhl, The Cripple of Inishmaan, Rez Sisters, Ghosts, The Way of the World, Hub Crawl (an original musical), The Passion Play, Servant of Two Masters, Measure for Measure, Las Meninas (Lynn Nottage), A Little Night Music, Crimes of the Heart, The Cherry Orchard, The Importance of Being Earnest. The department.
May be repeated up to four times.
Prerequisite(s): DRAM 102 , DRAM 103 , and permission of the department.
One 3-hour period plus rehearsal and crew calls.
Course Format: CLS
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DRAM 202 - The Art of Theater Making Semester Offered: Fall
1 unit(s)
This course is a sequel to DRAM 102 . Students explore more deeply the complexities of interpretation and realization of texts on the stage. The source material includes poems, plays, and short stories, and culminates in the conceiving and staging of a non-dramatic text. Gabrielle Cody.
Prerequisite(s): DRAM 102 or special permission of the instructors.
One 2-hour period, plus one 2-hour lab.
Course Format: CLS
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DRAM 203 - The Actor’s Craft: The Study of Acting Semester Offered: Fall
1 unit(s)
The Actor’s Craft is a studio course designed to look at the initial psycho-physical, kin-esthetic process involved in developing the actor’s instrument. Because there is no “one way” of approaching acting, which is the definitive line on acting, we “sample” techniques of several theater masters during the course of the semester, i.e., Hagen, Bogart, Michael Checkov. Darrell James.
Prerequisite(s): DRAM 102 , DRAM 103 , DRAM 206 and permission of the department.
Two 2-hour periods.
Course Format: CLS
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DRAM 204 - Theatre Technologies: Stage Lighting
1 unit(s)
This course is an in-depth study of the technology and theories used in the theatrical production process for theatrical performance. Through readings and practicum, the history and evolution of stage lighting are explored. Stephen Jones.
Prerequisite(s): DRAM 102 .
One 2-hour period plus one 2-hour lab.
Not offered in 2019/20.
Course Format: CLS
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DRAM 205 - The Actor’s Voice Semester Offered: Fall
1 unit(s)
The Actor’s Voice is a practical introduction to the language, tools, and VOICE techniques used by actors. Through the use of diverse voice, breath, and body exercises, text analysis, and monolog work; we explore, develop, and strengthen your analytical skills, confidence, stage presence, general storytelling abilities, and of course… your natural voice. Darrell James.
Prerequisite(s): DRAM 102 , DRAM 206 and permission of the instructor.
One 3-hour period.
Course Format: CLS
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DRAM 206 - Movement for Actors Semester Offered: Fall and Spring
1 unit(s)
This course offers a rigorous training in stage movement for actors, which includes elements of yoga, butoh ,and movement improvisation. Students learn to understand neutral posture, alignment, and to explore dynamic and expressive qualities of movement, as well as the methods of developing a richly physical development of character. Concepts from the Laban Movement Analysis, experimental theatre, and post-modern dance are used. Leslie Sachs.
Prerequisite(s): DRAM 102 .
One 3-hour period.
Course Format: CLS
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DRAM 207 - Graphic Communications for Theater Semester Offered: Fall
1 unit(s)
This course considers the various techniques of hand and computer based communication used in presenting conceptual ideas in theatre design. Areas of study include drafting and rendering for scenic and lighting environments. Stephen Jones.
One 2-hour period plus one 2-hour lab.
Course Format: CLS
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DRAM 208 - Draping and Pattern-Development for Stage Production Semester Offered: Fall
1 unit(s)
This course focuses on developing a two-dimensional pattern into a three dimensional form. Students learn basic pattern-making, draping and sewing skills. Kenisha Kelly.
Prerequisite(s): DRAM 102 and permission of the instructor.
One 3-hour period; additional lab time required.
Course Format: CLS
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DRAM 209 - Introduction to Costume Design for the Stage
1 unit(s)
This course focuses on the study and practice of visual representation utilizing the principles and elements of design in conjunction with historical and conceptual research in order to build collaboration, design presentation and creative thinking skills. Students will create production design assignments through the use of the mediums practiced throughout this course. Kenisha Kelly.
Prerequisite(s): DRAM 102 .
Two 2-hour periods.
Not offered in 2019/20.
Course Format: CLS
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DRAM 210 - Introduction to Playwriting Semester Offered: Fall
1 unit(s)
This course emphasizes the student’s work through the craft of playwriting, theatrical storytelling and narrative. Reading of plays, discussion, writing and reading aloud of material with group feedback constitute the major portion of this course. Generative writing exercises are done in class or suggested for outside class time. The course ends with informal readings of students’ final plays. A communal workshop atmosphere prevails so that students engage in a collaborative approach to problem solving, through rewriting, which dramatic writing requires. The collaboration process between directors, actors and designers is also discussed.
Prerequisite(s): DRAM 102 .
One 3-hour period.
Course Format: CLS
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DRAM 214 - Italian Folklore: Goddesses, Muses, Saints, and Black Madonnas
1 unit(s)
(Same as ITAL 214 and RELI 214 ) This course focuses on Italian folk traditions revolving around women - saints and Madonnas. Rooted in Catholic tradition, many rituals have permeated everyday culture and social structures of belief and behavior. This course takes us on a journey through time and space, traveling through centuries and different Italian regions. The case studies vary in genre, from the literary to the visual, from the kinetic to the culinary, and include: the mysticism of Saint Catherine of Siena; Beatrice as a muse and guide in Dante’s Paradiso (The Divine Comedy); the tammuriata, a women’s drumming and dance tradition for the Black Madonna of Montevergine; the symbolism of the Virgin Mary in Siena’s Palio; women’s healing ritual of tarantismo; feminism and the Black Madonna of Trastevere in Rome. We approach the cases through the lenses of Italian Studies, Women’s Studies, Folklore, Performance Studies, and Contemplative Studies. The practical use of music, dance, drawing, journaling, and a variety of contemplative practices are part of the course. Conducted in English.
Open to sophomores, juniors, and seniors. May be counted towards the Italian major.
Two 75-minute periods.
Not offered in 2019/20.
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DRAM 221 - Sources of World Drama Semester Offered: Fall
1 unit(s)
Drama 221/DRAM 222 is a yearlong course that provides an introduction to dramatic literature and performance practice from around the world. In 221 students read an array of dramatic texts from the works of the ancient Greeks to English comedies of the seventeenth century, along with works from Japan, China, and India. The course balances an exploration of dramatic literature and staging with an investigation of the theories that have affected both the literature and practice of theater, such as Aristotle’s The Poetics, neoclassicism, and Bharata’s The Natyasastra. The course focuses on a series of critical periods and explores the relationship between the theater and the culture responsible for its creation. Denise Walen.
Prerequisite(s): DRAM 102 .
Yearlong course 221/DRAM 222 .
Two 75-minute periods.
Course Format: CLS
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DRAM 222 - Sources of World Drama Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)
Drama 222 is the second half of the yearlong DRAM 221 /222. This course provides an introduction to dramatic literature and performance practice from around the world. In 222 students read an array of dramatic texts from the eighteenth century through contemporary dramas such as August: Osage County and works by Sarah Ruhl and Martin McDonagh, along with works from Africa, the Carribean, and the Middle East. The course balances an exploration of dramatic literature and staging with an investigation of the theories that have affected both the literature and practice of theater, such as Realism, Epic Theater, Absurdism, and Theater of Cruelty. The course focuses on a series of critical periods and explores the relationship between the theater and the culture responsible for its creation.
Prerequisite(s): DRAM 102 and DRAM 221 .
Yearlong course DRAM 221 /222.
Two 75-minute periods.
Course Format: CLS
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DRAM 228 - African American Literature Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)
(Same as AFRS 228 and ENGL 228 ) Topic for 2019/20b: From the Page to the Stage: Turning Black Literature into Black Drama. This course will explore the expressive possibilities of 20th century black literature by means of critical reading, critical writing, and critical performance. Students will examine key works in their historical context, paying attention to the criticism and theory that have shaped their reception (Hayden, Giovanni, Brooks, Hurston, Baldwin, Morrison, Johnson, Whitehead). They will then attempt to transform parts of these texts into scenes as informed by past and present theories of performance and theatre making. Their work will culminate in a public performance of the pieces they have conceived. Tyrone Simpson
Two 75-minute periods and one 2-hour lab.
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DRAM 231 - History of Fashion for the Stage
1 unit(s)
This historical survey focuses on the transformation of dress from the ancient world to contemporary fashion.The course investigates how clothing influenced the cultural, economic, and political developments of Western Europe over time. Kenisha Kelly.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of the instructor.
Two 75-minute periods.
Not offered in 2019/20.
Course Format: CLS
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DRAM 232 - Dramaturgy Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)
This course is designed to introduce students to the art of dramatic structure, and the pleasures and challenges of production dramaturgy. Through serious historical and cultural research into how plays from various periods and genres were originally produced, we consider the dramaturg’s role in shaping how they might be realized today. In addition to weekly readings and writing assignments, the seminar include sstudent-led research projects and presentations, and culminates with the adaptation of a prose text into a short play. These adaptations are read in class during our final class meetings. Gabrielle Cody.
Prerequisite(s): DRAM 102
One 2-hour period.
Course Format: CLS
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DRAM 233 - Looking at Dance Theater
1 unit(s)
This course examines the roots of Dance Theater in the United States and Europe, and further examines its development and impact on both American Theater and Dance. Dance Theater embraces the worlds of the avant-garde, post modern, and modern expressionist genres and is responsible for the miasmic mixture and pure invention that we see in the 21st century. Through movement and dance we study economy of action, elements of butoh, dynamics, and physicality to create story and expression. Leslie Sachs.
Prerequisite(s): DRAM 102 or DANC 155 , and permission of the instructor.
Two 2-hour periods.
Not offered in 2019/20.
Course Format: CLS
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DRAM 234 - Women in American Musical Theater
1 unit(s)
(Same as WMST 234 ) This course focuses on the role of female characters in the American Musical Theater. The musical is both a populist and nonconventional form of drama, as such it both reflects contemporary assumptions of gendered behavior and has the potential to challenge conventional notions of normative behavior. Through an examination of librettos, music, and secondary sources covering shows from Show Boat to Spring Awakening the class will examine the way American Musicals have constructed and represented gendered identities. The class is organized thematically and will also consider issues of race, class, and sexuality as they intersect with issues of gender. Denise Walen.
Prerequisite(s): DRAM 221 /DRAM 222 or WMST 130 .
Two 75-minute periods.
Not offered in 2019/20.
Course Format: CLS
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DRAM 241 - Shakespeare
1 unit(s)
(Same as ENGL 241 ) Study of a substantial number of the plays, roughly in chronological order, to permit a detailed consideration of the range and variety of Shakespeare’s dramatic art. Zoltán Márkus.
Yearlong course 241-DRAM 242 .
Not offered in 2019/20.
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DRAM 242 - Shakespeare
1 unit(s)
(Same as ENGL 242 ) Study of a substantial number of the plays, roughly in chronological order, to permit a detailed consideration of the range and variety of Shakespeare’s dramatic art. Zoltán Márkus.
Yearlong course DRAM 241 -242.
Not offered in 2019/20.
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DRAM 290 - Community-Engaged Learning Semester Offered: Fall or Spring
0.5 to 2 unit(s)
To be elected in consultation with the adviser and the Office of Community-Engaged Learning.
Course Format: INT
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DRAM 297 - Reading Course
0.5 unit(s)
Course Format: OTH
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DRAM 298 - Independent Work Semester Offered: Fall or Spring
0.5 to 1 unit(s)
Independent work is the study of a topic in depth of a subject that is not already offered by the Drama Department. This means that credit cannot be given to proposed productions as this opportunity already exists in the Experimental Theatre within the department. Examples of possible independent works are: investigations in advanced technical theatre, dramaturgical research projects, and dialect work. If you are interested in electing to pursue an independent project, please consult the appropriate faculty member within the department.
Course Format: OTH
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Drama: III. Advanced |
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DRAM 304 - The Art of Acting
1 unit(s)
Advanced study of classical acting including Shakespeare, Chekhov, and Ibsen in which students examine the challenges of creating an entire acting role. Techniques explored include John Barton, Michael Chekhov, Viola Spolin, Anne Bogart, and Kristin Linklater. Christopher Grabowski.
Prerequisite(s): DRAM 203 , DRAM 205 , 1 unit in dance or movement analysis, and permission of the instructor.
Two 2-hour periods and one 4-hour laboratory.
Not offered in 2019/20.
Course Format: CLS
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DRAM 305 - The Director’s Art Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)
An exploration of the director’s work through the study of different genres of dramatic texts and through various methods of realizing an artistic vision, from auteurship to collaborative communities. Students work on several projects during in-class exercises, and a final project is developed outside of class. Christopher Grabowski.
Prerequisite(s): DRAM 202 or DRAM 203 , or DRAM 304 , and permission of the instructor.
One 3-hour period. One 75-minute laboratory.
Course Format: CLS
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DRAM 306 - The Art of Acting: Comedy Semester Offered: Fall
1 unit(s)
Advanced study of comic acting styles including clowning, Commedia Dell’arte, Restoration, High Comedy and Absurdism. The work of Lecoq, Suzuki, Wilde, Coward, Ionesco, Beckett and Callow are explored. Shona Tucker.
Prerequisite(s): DRAM 203 , DRAM 205 , one unit in dance or movement analysis, and permission of the instructor.
Two 2-hour periods and one 4-hour laboratory.
Course Format: CLS
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DRAM 307 - The Director at Work
1 unit(s)
This course presents the opportunity for advanced students to hone their personal style as stage directors. Students will explore text from Classical Greece, the Elizabethan period, and 20th century realism. While exploring the history and traditions of realizing works from these periods, students will be encouraged to explore strategies for taking their conceptual and philosophical ideas into a dynamic rehearsal and production process suited to their personal vision. Christopher Grabowski.
Prerequisite(s): DRAM 202 or DRAM 203 , DRAM 232 , or DRAM 304 , and permission of the instructor.
One 3-hour period plus one 4-hour lab.
Not offered in 2019/20.
Course Format: CLS
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DRAM 308 - Auditioning and Acting for the Camera
1 unit(s)
This course focuses on audition skills needed for the various arenas in the life of the actor: the classical and contemporary stage, commercial television, film, industrial film, etc., and provides the tools for sustaining work on the camera, including developing a reel by the end of the semester. Shona Tucker.
Prerequisite(s): DRAM 203 and permission of the instructor.
One 3-hour period; additional lab time required.
Not offered in 2019/20.
Course Format: CLS
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DRAM 309 - Advanced Draping and Costume Design
1 unit(s)
This course takes the study and practice of visual representation to a more advanced level. There will be a strong emphasis on collaboration, construction, design presentation and creative thinking. In order to build both design and draping skills simultaneously, students will design as well a construct a variety of projects in this course. Kenisha Kelly.
Prerequisite(s): DRAM 209 and DRAM 208 ; students must take both in order to take this course.
One 3-hour period; additional lab time required.
Not offered in 2019/20.
Course Format: CLS
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DRAM 310 - Advanced Playwriting Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)
Building on the skills developed in DRAM 210 , this course offers students the opportunity to continue their exploration of script analysis and play construction at an advanced level. Emphasis on developing each writer’s vision and voice while also focusing on craft, form and style as well as revision processes, all culminating in staged readings of selected student work.
Prerequisite(s): DRAM 102 and DRAM 210 , and permission of the instructor.
One 3-hour period; additional lab time required.
Course Format: CLS
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DRAM 312 - Advanced Costume Design Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)
Advanced Costume Design focuses on a more in-depth study and practice of the visual representation of costumes for the stage. Through various practical and theoretical projects, students explore and understand the process of design for a production including the principles and terminology used and how they can both support and enhance a theatrical experience. This course also includes experimentation with various design mediums as well as the creation of both craft and costume construction projects. Kenisha Kelly.
Prerequisite(s): DRAM 208 and DRAM 209 .
One 3-hour period; additional lab time required.
Course Format: CLS
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DRAM 313 - Historic Costume Collection and Exhibition Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)
This intensive is created to support both the research and study of clothing as artifacts. Students will have the opportunity to work with objects from the Vassar College Costume Collection and another community based historical collection. For the Spring of 2020, the Vassar College Costume Collection will collaborate with the historic collection of Locust Grove in Poughkeepsie, NY. Students will conduct research, examine garments, learn various preservation and stabilization techniques for textile preservation, and methods for mounting historic exhibitions. This will include visits to the Locust Grove collection along with a tour of the Morse family home. The intensive will be one unit and will meet once a week. The course will conclude with a full exhibit of the objects in the Palmer Gallery in May of 2020. Kenisha Kelly
1 2-hour period
Course Format: INT
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DRAM 320 - Scenography Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)
This course explores theatrical production design as a form of visual dramaturgy. Through a study of multiple performance theories throughout the history of theatre, students explore the impact that lighting, scenery, and sound have on the storytelling process. Stephen Jones.
One 3-hour period; additional lab time required.
Course Format: CLS
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DRAM 323 - Chekhov’s Short Stories and Plays
1 unit(s)
(Same as RUSS 323 ) Close reading of major plays and selected short stories by Anton Chekhov in a seminar format. Focus on the forms and themes of Chekhov’s works, as well as their historical contexts in terms of dramaturgy, reception and artistic legacy. Special attention is given to the spectrum of interpretations of Chekhov’s works in a transnational context. Accompanied by film screenings. Class discussions are in English but Russian Studies students are required to read part of the texts in the original. The department.
Prerequisite(s): RUSS 210 or above, or permission of the instructor.
One 3-hour period.
Not offered in 2019/20.
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DRAM 324 - European and American Drama Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)
Historical and critical study of European and American dramatic literature, theory and criticism, playwrights, and/or aesthetic movements.
Prerequisite(s): DRAM 221 /DRAM 222 .
One 2-hour period.
Course Format: CLS
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DRAM 336 - Seminar in Performance Studies Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)
Selected topics in Western and non-Western performance traditions and literatures. Weekly assignments include performative writing, and performance labs. The Department.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of the instructor.
One 2-hour period.
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DRAM 337 - Seminar in Para-theater
1 unit(s)
This course explores the theory of performance through an examination of para-theatrical genres and their relation to performance. What is a performance and who constitutes the performance event? Course readings cover street theatre, demonstrations, stand-up comedy, tourism, dance, performance art, terrorism, mediatized and virtual performance, and theories of liveness as well as the performativity of race, class, gender, and sexuality. Students participate in fieldwork investigations and empirical exercises.
Prerequisite(s): DRAM 221 -DRAM 222 and permission of the instructor.
One 2-hour period.
Not offered in 2019/20.
Course Format: CLS
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DRAM 338 - Contemporary Drama and Theater in the U.S.
1 unit(s)
The United States has a strong and vibrant history of regional theater production. Across the country theater companies are producing exciting work and reimagining classic plays for new audiences. This course will take a careful look at the regional theater scene in order to understand what plays and production methods have captured the imagination of the country. Together the class will read plays that have been popular at a number of regional theaters and the reviews of those productions. Students will also study individual regional theaters in depth by researching the plays produced over the last five years and the design concepts used in production. (Possible choices include but are not limited to Steppenwolf, The Arena Stage, The Studio Theater, The Goodman, The Guthrie, Milwaukee Repertory, Actors Theater of Louisville, Seattle Repertory, The Mark Taper Forum, La Jolla Playhouse, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Hartford Stage, the McCarter Theater, Manhattan Theater Club, Playwrights Horizons, American Repertory Theater.) Students will also examine audience demographics and ticket sales, the organizational structure of the theater and its staff, policies for guest artists, the theater’s mission statement, board of directors and financial operations, development practices, community and educational outreach methods, marketing strategy, facilities, resources, and history. Besides a comprehensive knowledge of contemporary theater in the United States, each student will also gain exhaustive knowledge of at least one regional theater.
Prerequisite(s): DRAM 221 /DRAM 222 .
Enrollment limited to Juniors and Seniors.
One 2-hour period
Not offered in 2019/20.
Course Format: CLS
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DRAM 339 - Shakespeare in Production Semester Offered: Fall
1 unit(s)
(Same as MRST 339 ) Students in the course study the physical circumstances of Elizabethan public and private theaters at the beginning of the semester. The remainder of the semester is spent in critical examination of the plays of Shakespeare and several of his contemporaries using original staging practices of the early modern theater. The course emphasizes the conditions under which the plays were written and performed and uses practice as an experiential tool to critically analyze the texts as performance scripts. Denise Walen.
Enrollment limited to Juniors and Seniors.
One 3-hour period.
Course Format: CLS
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DRAM 340 - Seminar in Performance Studies: Artaud and His Legacy Semester Offered: Fall
1 unit(s)
This course is designed to introduce students to one of the most influential thinkers about the theater through the lens of Performance Studies. We explore Artaud’s essays, poems, plays, films, radio texts, drawings and letters, and the ways in which his radical proposals have helped to form many of the great performance traditions of the late Twentieth and early Twenty-First Centuries. Some of the artists examined as part of Artaud’s legacy are Tadeusz Kantor, Tatsumi Hijikata, John Cage, Robert Kaprow, Augusto Boal, Robert Wilson, Carolee Schneeman, Meredith Monk, Yvonne Rainer, Richard Schechner, Linda Montano, and Ann Hamilton and Suzanne Lacy. Gabrielle Cody.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of the instructor.
One 2-hour period.
Course Format: CLS
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DRAM 342 - Studies in Shakespeare Semester Offered: Fall
1 unit(s)
(Same as ENGL 342 ) Advanced study of Shakespeare’s work and its cultural significance in various contexts from his time to today.
Topic for 2019/20a: After Shakespeare: The Poetics and Politics of Adaptation. While Shakespeare has long served as an icon of England and Englishness, he is also the most popular playwright in the non-Anglophone world, and his cultural currency circulates across nations, languages, and media. This course explores the theory and practice of adapting Shakespeare for worldwide audiences. We address issues of authenticity and authority, representations of difference, postcolonial appropriation, and cross-cultural translation. We also reflect critically on our own positions as contemporary readers, viewers, and consumers of Shakespeare. Each seminar member completes an original research or creative project. Leslie Dunn.
One 2-hour period.
Course Format: CLS
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DRAM 361 - Chinese and Japanese Drama and Theatre
1 unit(s)
(Same as CHJA 361 ) A study of Chinese and Japanese culture and society through well-known dramatic genres - zaju, chuanqi, kunqu, Beijing Opera, modern Spoken Drama, noh, kyogen, bunraku, kabuki, and New Drama; a close reading of selected plays in English translation. Scheduled films of performances convey Chinese and Japanese theatrical conventions and aesthetics. Discussions focus on major themes based on research presentations. All readings and discussions are in English. Wenwei Du.
Prerequisite(s): One 200-level course in language, literature, culture, drama or Asian Studies, or permission of the instructor.
Not offered in 2019/20.
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DRAM 390 - Senior Project in Drama Semester Offered: Fall and Spring
1 unit(s)
Students may propose to undertake a project in one of the following areas: research in dramatic literature, theater history, performance studies, acting, directing, design, or playwriting. Proposals can range from collaborative ensemble projects to solo work, to more conventional endeavors in specific areas such as research, acting, directing, or designing. The nature of this project is to be determined in consultation with the department. The Department.
Prerequisite(s): Senior standing and permission of the department.
Course Format: CLS
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DRAM 392 - Senior Project in Drama Semester Offered: Fall and Spring
1 unit(s)
Students interested in scenography, acting, directing, dramaturgy collaborate on a project with a faculty member for 6 weeks.
The Senior Project in Drama is an embodied thesis experience on the 300-level that asks students to deeply engage and realize either a pre-existing text, or devise a production. Both of these experiments are research and collaboration based and require intense mentorship. The Department.
Prerequisite(s): Senior standing and permission of the department.
Course Format: INT
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DRAM 399 - Senior Independent Work Semester Offered: Fall or Spring
0.5 to 1 unit(s)
To be elected in consultation with the adviser
Course Format: OTH
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Chinese: I. Introductory |
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CHIN 105 - Elementary Chinese Semester Offered: Fall
1.5 unit(s)
An introduction to Mandarin Chinese (putong hua or guo yu). While the approach is aural-lingual, reading and writing skills are introduced early in the program. The two semesters cover about 700 characters. Grammatical analysis, pattern drills, and conversational practices are stressed throughout. Haoming Liu.
Open to all students.
Yearlong course 105-CHIN 106 .
Five 50-minute periods.
Course Format: CLS
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CHIN 106 - Elementary Chinese Semester Offered: Spring
1.5 unit(s)
An introduction to Mandarin Chinese (putong hua or guo yu). While the approach is aural-lingual, reading and writing skills are introduced early in the program. The two semesters cover about 700 characters. Grammatical analysis, pattern drills, and conversational practices are stressed throughout. Li Liu.
Open to all students.
Yearlong course CHIN 105 -106.
Five 50-minute periods.
Course Format: CLS
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CHIN 107 - Advanced Elementary Chinese Semester Offered: Fall
1.5 unit(s)
An elementary Chinese language course designed for students who have acquired some oral Mandarin Chinese from home or other sources but did not reach the level of CHIN 205 . It capitalizes on sudents’ already acquired knowledge to further develop the skills of listening comprehension, speaking, reading and writing in Mandarin Chinese.
Prerequisite(s): Open to students who have previous exposure to Chinese.
Five 50-minute periods.
Course Format: CLS
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CHIN 108 - Advanced Elementary Chinese Semester Offered: Spring
1.5 unit(s)
An elementary Chinese language course designed for students who have acquired some oral Mandarin Chinese from home or other sources but did not reach the level of CHIN 205 . It capitalizes on students’ already acquired knowledge to further develop the skills of listening comprehension, speaking, reading, and writing in Mandarin Chinese. Li Liu.
Prerequisite(s): Open to students who have completed CHIN 107 or permission of the instructor.
Five 50-minute periods.
Course Format: CLS
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Chinese: II. Intermediate |
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CHIN 205 - Intermediate Chinese Semester Offered: Fall
1.5 unit(s)
Further practice in conversation and learned patterns; acquisition of new grammatical structures, vocabulary, and about 700 additional characters. Emphasis on communicative skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Wenwei Du.
Prerequisite(s): CHIN 105 -CHIN 106 or permission of the instructor.
Yearlong course 205-CHIN 206 .
Five 50-minute periods.
Course Format: CLS
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CHIN 206 - Intermediate Chinese Semester Offered: Spring
1.5 unit(s)
Further practice in conversation and learned patterns; acquisition of new grammatical structures, vocabulary, and about 700 additional characters. Emphasis on communicative skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Anne Parries.
Prerequisite(s): CHIN 105 -CHIN 106 or permission of the instructor.
Yearlong course CHIN 205 -206.
Five 50-minute periods.
Course Format: CLS
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CHIN 207 - Advanced Intermediate Chinese Semester Offered: Fall
1.5 unit(s)
A one-year sequential Intermediate Chinese language course designed for students who have completed CHIN 108 or acquired an equivalent level of oral and written proficiencies in Chinese from home or other sources but did not reach the level of CHIN 305 . It capitalizes on students’ already acquired knowledge to further develop the skills of listening comprehension, speaking, reading and writing in Mandarin Chinese. Wenwei Du.
Open to students who have completed CHIN 108 and its equivalent.
Course Format: CLS
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CHIN 208 - Advanced Intermediate Chinese Semester Offered: Spring
1.5 unit(s)
A one-year sequential Intermediate Chinese language course designed for students who have completed CHIN 207 or acquired an equivalent level of oral and written proficiencies in Chinese from home or other sources but did not reach the level of CHIN 305 . It capitalizes on students’ already acquired knowledge to further develop the skills of listening comprehension, speaking, reading and writing in Mandarin Chinese. Wenwei Du.
Open to students who have completed CHIN 207 and its equivalent.
Five 50-minute periods.
Course Format: CLS
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CHIN 214 - The Tumultuous Century: Twentieth-Century Chinese Literature Semester Offered: Fall
1 unit(s)
(Same as ASIA 214 ) This is a survey/introduction to the literature of China from the late Qing Dynasty through the present day. Texts are arranged according to trends and schools as well as to their chronological order. Authors include Wu Jianren, Lu Xun, Zhang Ailing, Ding Ling, Mo Yan and Gao Xingjian. All major genres are covered but the focus is on fiction. A few feature films are also included in association with some of the literary works and movements. No knowledge of the Chinese language, Chinese history, or culture is required for taking the course. All readings and class discussions are in English. Haoming Liu.
Prerequisite(s): One course in language, literature, culture or Asian Studies, or permission of the instructor.
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CHIN 218 - Chinese Popular Culture
1 unit(s)
(Same as MEDS 218 ) The course analyzes contemporary Chinese entertainment and popular culture. It provides both historical coverage and grounding in various theoretical and methodological problems. Topics focus on thematic contents and forms of entertainment through television, radio, newspaper, cinema, theatre, music, print and material culture. The course also examines the relations between the heritage of traditional Chinese entertainment and the influences of Western culture. All readings and class discussions are in English. Wenwei Du.
Prerequisite(s): One course in language, literature, culture, film, drama, or Asian Studies, or permission of the instructor.
Not offered in 2019/20.
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CHIN 220 - Chinese Film and Contemporary Fiction
1 unit(s)
(Same as FILM 220 ) An introduction to Chinese film through its adaptations of contemporary stories. Focus is on internationally well-known films by the fifth and sixth generation of directors since the late 1980s. Early Chinese films from the 1930s to the 1970s are also included in the screenings. The format of the course is to read a series of stories in English translations and to view their respective cinematic versions. The discussions concentrate on cultural and social aspects as well as on comparison of themes and viewpoints in the two genres. The interrelations between texts and visual images are also explored. Wenwei Du.
Prerequisite(s): One course in language, literature, culture, film, drama, or Asian Studies, or permission of the instructor.
Not offered in 2019/20.
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CHIN 276 - Experiencing the Other: Representation of China and the West
1 unit(s)
(Same as ASIA 276 ) This course examines representation of China in Western Literature and the West in Chinese Literature from the end of the 17th Century. Through such an examination, issues such as identity, perceptions of the other, self-consciousness, exoticism, and aesthetic diversity are discussed. Readings include Defoe, Goldsmith, Voltaire, Twain, Kafka, Malraux, Sax Rohmer, Pearl Buck, Brecht, and Duras on the Western side as well as Cao Xueqin, Shen Fu, Lao She, and Wang Shuo on the Chinese side. Some feature films are also included. All readings are in English or English translation, foreign films are subtitled. Haoming Liu.
Prerequisite(s): One course on Asia or One literature course.
Two 75-minute periods.
Not offered in 2019/20.
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CHIN 298 - Independent Study Semester Offered: Fall or Spring
0.5 to 1 unit(s)
One-half or one unit individual or group research project or reading course. May be elected during the academic year. Offered only pass/fail and permission of the chair is required. Open to all students. The Department.
Prerequisite(s): Two units of Chinese.
Course Format: INT
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Chinese: III. Advanced |
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CHIN 305 - Advanced Chinese Semester Offered: Fall
1 unit(s)
Intensive instruction in the reading of Chinese language materials, reflecting aspects of a changing China. Emphasis is on communicative skills. Anne Parries.
Prerequisite(s): CHIN 205 -CHIN 206 or permission of the instructor.
Course Format: CLS
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CHIN 306 - Advanced Chinese Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)
Intensive instruction in the reading of Chinese language materials, reflecting aspects of a changing China. Emphasis is on communicative skills. Li Liu.
Prerequisite(s): CHIN 205 -CHIN 206 and CHIN 305 or permission of the instructor.
Course Format: CLS
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CHIN 350 - Advanced Readings in Chinese: Genres and Themes Semester Offered: Fall
1 unit(s)
This course is equivalent to a fourth-year Chinese course or beyond, and may be repeated for credit if topic changes. The course aims to further develop the advanced students’ speaking, reading and writing proficiency. The course explores different genres of texts from various journalistic and literary writings. Readings are arranged according to thematic topics. Course discussions and lectures are conducted in Chinese. Anne Parries.
Prerequisite(s): CHIN 306 or permission of the instructor.
Course Format: CLS
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CHIN 351 - Advanced Readings of Original Literary Works Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)
This course is equivalent to a fourth-year Chinese course or beyond, and may be repeated for credit if topic changes. This course involves close reading of a single literary work of an extensive length, shorter texts of a single author, or texts which have a common thematic interest. Emphasis is on baihua literature while samples of semi-wenyan texts are introduced. Through close reading and classroom discussion of the material, students are trained to approach authentic texts with linguistic confidence and useful methods. Course discussions and lectures are conducted in Chinese. Anne Parries.
Prerequisite(s): CHIN 306 or permission of the instructor.
Course Format: CLS
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CHIN 355 - Special Topics in Chinese Semester Offered: Fall
1 unit(s)
Advanced study of Chinese Culture in Chinese; an examination of selected topics in recent culture or of a single topic across different time periods. Designed for students with sufficient knowledge of Chinese beyond the fourth-year level. May be taken more than once for credit when topic changes. Anne Parries.
Prerequisite(s): CHIN 351 , or permission of the instructor.
Two 75-minute periods.
Course Format: CLS
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CHIN 360 - Classical Chinese
1 unit(s)
This course is for students with at least two years of modern Chinese or the equivalent. It introduces students to the rudiments of reading Wenyan, or Classical Chinese (the Chinese equivalent of Latin), with an emphasis on early Chinese philosophical texts. In addition to learning Classical Chinese, students in this course work with and are tested on modern Chinese translations of the classical texts.
Prerequisite(s): CHIN 205 -CHIN 206 or equivalent.
Not offered in 2019/20.
Course Format: CLS
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CHIN 368 - The Court, Consorts, and Courtesans
1 unit(s)
(Same as ASIA 368 ) The course is designed to serve the increasing needs among students with very high or near native Chinese proficiency who want to read more sophisticated literary texts in the original and thereby to benefit their Chinese literary reading and writing as well as their knowledge of traditional Chinese literature and culture. The course chooses primary texts mainly from the Three Kingdoms, Six Dynasties and the Tang times in medieval China and frames them in historical and literary continuum. These texts include Cao Zhi, Xie Lingyun, Liu Yiqing, Gan Bao, Du Fu, Li Shangyin and Tang romances. Some relevant modern texts and criticisms such as Lu Xun, Chen Yinke, and Qian Zhongshu are also incorporated to make up such continuum. Students are required to submit a series of writing exercises in Chinese that analyse, discuss and rewrite the original texts. Students gain great familiarity with how meanings were generated in medieval Chinese poetry and fiction, acquire insights into more personal and intimate perspectives of historical events and social mores, and improve their own Chinese reading and writing. Haoming Liu.
Prerequisite(s): advanced Chinese or its equivalent, or permission of the instructor.
Most of the readings are in Chinese.
Two 75-minute periods.
Not offered in 2019/20.
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CHIN 370 - Early Chinese Literature: Spring and Autumn: Tradition According To Zuo and the Book of Odes Semester Offered: Fall
1 unit(s)
(Same as ASIA 370 ) This intensive course reads selections from early Chinese literature including the Book of Odes, and Spring and Autumn: The Tradition According to Zuo, two of the five Confucian classics whose composition dates between 11th and 6th centuries BCE. Poems of later ages which bear clear traces of influence and borrowings may also be added to complement the reading and discussions of the archaic works. Crucial secondary literature and reference works are introduced. Requirements: texts to be read in the original; students should have near native proficiency in modern Chinese, elementary knowledge of literary Chinese a plus. Students are required to do research on assigned texts by using reference books and secondary sources. Memorization, identification and parsing of assigned passages or odes are also required. Haoming Liu.
Prerequisite(s): Near native proficiency in modern Chinese. Basic knowledge of literary Chinese preferable.
One 3-hour period.
Course Format: INT
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CHIN 371 - Intensive and Focused Study of Chinese Performing Arts Semester Offered: Fall
1 unit(s)
Each student can choose one dramatic or performing genre for a historical survey or choose texts of various genres based on one thematic focus or one historical period for an in-depth study or research. Wenwei Du.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of the instructor.
Course Format: INT
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CHIN 372 - In-depth Study or Research on Aspects of Chinese Language
1 unit(s)
Each student can choose one or a cluster of related topics on phonetics, morphology, syntax, figures of speech, dialects, literary and vernacular language, or language policy for an intensive study or research. Wenwei Du.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of the instructor.
Not offered in 2019/20.
Course Format: INT
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CHIN 399 - Senior Independent Work Semester Offered: Fall or Spring
0.5 to 1 unit(s)
One-half or one unit of credit given only in exceptional cases and by permission of the chair. Offered only pass/fail. The department.
Prerequisite(s): Four units of Chinese.
Course Format: OTH
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Japanese: I. Introductory |
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JAPA 105 - Elementary Japanese Semester Offered: Fall
1.5 unit(s)
An introduction to modern Japanese. Students develop communicative skills based on the fundamentals of grammar, vocabulary and conversational expressions. Emphasis is placed on both oral and written proficiency. The course introduces hiragana and katakana syllabaries as well as approximately 150 kanji (Chinese characters). Yuko Matsubara.
Open to all students.
Yearlong course 105-JAPA 106 .
Five 50-minute periods.
Course Format: CLS
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JAPA 106 - Elementary Japanese Semester Offered: Spring
1.5 unit(s)
An introduction to modern Japanese. Students develop communicative skills based on the fundamentals of grammar, vocabulary and conversational expressions. Emphasis is placed on both oral and written proficiency. The course introduces hiragana and katakana syllabaries as well as approximately 150 kanji (Chinese characters). Hiromi Dollase.
Open to all students.
Yearlong course JAPA 105 -106.
Five 50-minute periods.
Course Format: CLS
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Japanese: II. Intermediate |
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JAPA 205 - Intermediate Japanese Semester Offered: Fall
1.5 unit(s)
This course puts equal emphasis on the further development of oral-aural proficiency and reading-writing skills with an intense review of basic grammar as well as an introduction of more advanced grammar, new vocabulary, expressions, and another 350 kanji (Chinese characters). Judit Kroo.
Prerequisite(s): JAPA 105 -JAPA 106 or permission of the instructor.
Yearlong course 205-JAPA 206 .
Five 50-minute periods.
Course Format: CLS
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JAPA 206 - Intermediate Japanese Semester Offered: Spring
1.5 unit(s)
This course puts equal emphasis on the further development of oral-aural proficiency and reading-writing skills with an intense review of basic grammar as well as an introduction of more advanced grammar, new vocabulary, expressions, and another 350 kanji (Chinese characters). Yuko Matsubara.
Prerequisite(s): JAPA 105 -JAPA 106 or permission of the instructor.
Yearlong course JAPA 205 -206.
Five 50-minute periods.
Course Format: CLS
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JAPA 220 - The Masterpieces of Japanese Literature
1 unit(s)
An exploration of Japanese literary and aesthetic traditions through the major works from the eighth century to the present. Works studied cover a wide range of genres, including Japan’s oldest extant myths, poetry, the tenth century lyrical prose, the earliest long novel in the world, the medieval prose, the dramatic theory and classical plays, and modern novels. Issues addressed include the cultural traditions, the aesthetic principles, and the characteristics of different literary forms and individual authorial/narrative voices.
Prerequisite(s): One course in literature, or Chinese/Japanese, or Asian Studies, or permission of the instructor.
Not offered in 2019/20.
Course Format: CLS
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