DTV3200 Theatre Directing - Amateur Actors Course description

Theatre Directing - Amateur Actors is the study of the director’s work in a theatre production. The director’s knowledge and know-how about all the practical and artistic options available are key elements of this course, with particular emphasis on dramaturgical and dramatic devices. The main emphasis is on the director’s artistic work seen in light of professional, ethical, aesthetic, historic, cultural and political considerations. Directing is an integral part of drama and theatre. The course provides a basis for working in theatre and instruction in educational contexts.

Applicants may be able to take this course as an individual course if there are vacant places.

Passed DT1000 Drama and Theatrecommunication or equivalent and DT2000 Dramaturgy or equivalent for students in bachelorprogramme.

After completing this course, the student has achieved the following learning outcomes, defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge

Students:

• has knowledge of the directing area's traditions, distinctive character and place in society
• has knowledge of theatre as an art form from the actor's and director's point of view
• has knowledge of key themes, theories, issues and methods within the directing area
• has broad knowledge of progress from production to finished performance by analysis
• can explore newer knowledge in the field of directing
• has knowledge of drama as a genre, text analysis and dramatic structures
• has insight into the amateur actor's technical processes and can explore and analyze a scenic process
• is familiar with the relationship between art and ethics under the auspices
• has knowledge of the director as an educator, his or her leadership role, and of problem identification and problem solving

Skills

Students:

• can facilitate and lead stagings for amateurs in school and leisure contexts
• can make conscious choices and integrate different techniques in role identification and role characterization
• can discuss the relationship between dramatic form and content in a performance
• can develop a personal, unique expression and style, and master reflection and assessment of their own work
• can evaluate an expression individually or in a group, and plan and carry out varied work tasks and projects that extend over time, and appear in accordance with ethical requirements and guidelines
• can master planning and obtaining relevant material for manuscript preparation and instruction
• can develop a comprehensive direction concept for different target groups
• can reflect on their own professional practice and adjust this under supervision
• can master written forms of documentation with analysis, discussion and assessment of artistic process and product
• can make an assessment of their own efforts as a director
• has insight into relevant professional and ethical issues

General competence

Students:

• can apply different techniques to direct defined target groups in different forms of expression from an artistic point of view
• can apply and integrate technical actors' skills in directing work
• can apply and evaluate idioms and instruments and design a comprehensive scenic concept

The course is largely based on learning together with others. This type of learning process requires togetherness and cooperation over time. The students are therefore expected to be present and actively participate in teaching activities and group work.

The course is highly process-oriented and based on the students’ own activities, practical as well as theoretical. Emphasis is placed on the students trying out different forms of theatre and methods and making independent choices regarding the material, concept and actors.

Attending theatre productions is an important part of the course. The students shall attend different productions and reflect on them.

Different work methods are used. Most of the teaching will take the form of practical workshops featuring discussion and testing of ideas, and related seminars and lectures. The students will be given great responsibility for their own learning and for organising and carrying out group work. Lectures, demonstrations and supervision will be provided as needed.

Directing practice is included in the course, linked to the director’s tasks and theatre project.

Here, the students practise different directing tasks with their fellow students and assess their own and their fellow students’ work. The students receive guidance from the lecturers in connection with the different instruction and directing tasks.

In the theatre project course, the students use the knowledge and skills they have acquired in directing in relation to the participants in the project. The theatre project course requires a long production period - normally two to three months in the spring semester. In this project, groups of two or three students will be responsible for developing a directing concept, and for leading the realisation of the concept up until the finished production in a selected drama or theatre group. This could be in a school, an after-school club, a youth club, a municipal music and arts school or in an amateur theatre group.

The following coursework is compulsory and must be approved before the student can sit the exam:

Written:

• attend at least three theatre productions and write a written report (1500 Words) on them - group work
• a written directing concept referring to a dialog performance. 900-1200 words.

Practical: 

• the students own monologue performance and take part in a fellow students monologue 
• the students own dialogue performance and observation of a fellow students dialogue
• receive supervision in relation to monologue and dialogue
• receive supervision during the exam

Compulsory attendance at teaching activities:

The students cannot be absent for more than 20% of teaching and supervision activities. 

The exam in the course is twofold:

Exam part 1. A theatre project performance with subsequent oral problematisation, discussion and assessment

The assessment is based on aesthetic, ethical and educational criteria. The student must have considered the theatrical style, adaptation to the participants, content of the piece and different framework factors. The students’ reflections and analysis of the performance, and the process up to the final performance, will also be assessed. The exams usually take place individually, but the exam can also be taken in smaller groups.

The performance and oral hearing counts for 60% of the final pass grade. The result of the exam cannot be appealed.

2. Exam part 2. Written assignment. 

An individuel assignment on a issue linked to exam part 1 connected to relevant theory. Ethical, aesthetic and educational considerations related to framework and formal factors are included in the exam. The scope of the assignment is between 3500 and 4000 words (table of contents and bibliography must be added).

The assignment counts for 40% of the final pass grade. The result of the exam cannot be appealed, because part exam 2 is connected to part exam 1, that cannot be shown again.

Assessment

A grade scale with grades from A to E for pass (with A being the highest grade and E being the lowest pass grade) and F for fail is used for the final assessment.

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In some cases, the practical/oral group exams can be held as individual exams.

Both parts of the exam must be awarded the grade E or better in order for the student to pass the course.

All aids are permitted, as long as the rules for source referencing are complied with.

 A to E for passed. F for failed.  

Exam part 1:The performance is assessed by one internal and one external examiners.

Exam part 2: assessed by two internal examiners. 

The exams may be selected for grading by external examiners.

Ingrid Vollan

There is a 100% overlap with the course ZREGI05 Theatre Directing - Amateur Actors.