Catalog

Academics > Catalog > 2004-2006 > Courses of Instruction > THRH

Theater and Rhetoric

Theater

The major in theater combines the study of dramatic literature from the Greeks to the present with work in acting, directing, dance, and design. Students thus acquire skills in production and performance while learning the history and literature of one of the world's major forms of artistic expression. Majors are prepared for graduate work in the humanities or for further professional training in theater. The theater major is also a valuable asset for a wide variety of careers—such as business, law, or teaching—requiring collaborative effort, public poise, imagination, and a broad background in the liberal arts.

In addition to its academic work, the department annually produces more than a dozen plays, dance concerts, and other performance events in its three theaters. These require the participation of large numbers of students, both majors and nonmajors. The department invites all members of the community to join in the creation of these events.

Majors in theater and rhetoric who are interested in secondary-school teaching should consult the Department of Education about requirements for teacher certification.

More information on the theater curriculum is available on the Web site (www.bates.edu/THEA.xml).

Cross-listed Courses

Note that unless otherwise specified, when a department/program references a course or unit in the department/program, it includes courses and units cross-listed with the department/program.

Major Requirements

The theater major is required to complete the following:

1) a) All of the following:
THEA 101. An Introduction to Drama: Theater and Film.
THEA 130. Introduction to Design.
THEA 200. The Classical Stage.
THEA 261. Beginning Acting.

b) One course required from among:
THEA 231. Scene Design.
THEA 232. Lighting Design: The Aesthetics of Light.
THEA 233. Costume Design.

c) One course required from among:
DANC 251. Dance Composition.
THEA 227. Seventies and Eighties Avant-Garde Theater and Performance Art.
THEA 370. Directing.

d) Two additional courses in theater.

2) One course or unit in the Department of Art and Visual Culture and one course or unit in the Department of Music, one of which must be in the history of the field.

3) A comprehensive examination in the senior year, except for those majors invited by the department to enroll in Theater 457 or 458.

Theater majors must also earn five production credits by the end of the senior year. Students considering a major should consult with the department chair early in their career for information on fulfilling this requirement. In addition, the theater major must enroll in one semester of dance or in a physical education activity course approved by the Department of Theater and Rhetoric.

Pass/Fail Grading Option

There are no restrictions on the use of the pass/fail option within the major.

Secondary Concentration in Theater

The secondary concentration in theater consists of six courses or units and 2.5 production credits. Students interested in pursuing a secondary concentration should consult with the department chair about specific course requirements.

Pass/Fail Grading Option

There are no restrictions on the use of the pass/fail option with the secondary concentration in theater.

General Education

Any one theater Short Term unit may serve as an option for the fifth humanities course.

Courses

THEA 101. An Introduction to Drama: Theater and Film.

A survey of the nature and history of drama on stage and in motion pictures. Beginning with a discussion of action, plot, and character, the course moves on to consider the elements of theatrical performance—including acting, directing, and design—as well as important plays from the Greeks to the present. These may include works by Sophocles, Shakespeare, Ibsen, Chekhov, Brecht, and Beckett. It then shifts focus to film, examining the elements of mise-en-scène, cinematography, editing, and sound, and concluding with a study of major films from the silent era to the twenty-first century. These may include works by Chaplin, Wells, Bergman, Hitchcock, Scorsese, and David Lynch. Normally offered every year. M. Andrucki.

THEA 130. Introduction to Design.

Theater is a live synthesis of spoken word and imagery. This course explores how stage imagery silently influences the way we perceive, feel, and respond to text and action. Students learn the controlled use of line, mass, color, and texture to communicate specific ideas related to metaphor and theme. They examine how various forms of art, architecture, and music use these tools to influence and transform us, and build on that experience to create a design vocabulary for theater. Beginning with poetry, students connect text with image and space. They discuss how clothing, body language, and adornment affect the way individuals perceive others and present themselves. Finally, they design the environment and clothing for a classic work of dramatic literature. Required of all majors. No previous art or theater training required. Enrollment limited to 14. Normally offered every year. M. Reidy.

THEA 132. Theater Technology.

This course provides a look "behind the curtain" to reveal the secrets of theater magic. Students learn the geography of the stage, how scenery is built, how lighting works, what hardware is right for the job, and how to handle tools safely. Many of the skills learned in this class are basic ones and will be useful in everyday life. This is a hands-on course; all students participate in preparing theater department productions. Enrollment limited to 14. Normally offered every other year. M. Reidy.

THEA 200. The Classical Stage.

According to the mad Frenchman Artaud, classical drama was the original "theater of cruelty." This course studies the aristocratic violence and punitive laughter of about a dozen tragedies and comedies from Aeschylus to Racine. Correlated readings in the theater history and dramatic theory of classical Greece and Rome, Elizabethan England, and seventeenth-century France establish the social and intellectual context for the most challenging and disturbing body of drama in the Western tradition. Required of all majors. Open to first-year students. Normally offered every other year. M. Andrucki.

THEA 210. The Revolutionary Stage.

From 1700 to 1900, Europe was transformed by the revolutionary currents of radical politics, industrialization, and Romantic individualism. This course studies the impact of these forces on the central dramatic ideas of character and action in plays by (among others) Beaumarchais, Goethe, Ibsen, Strindberg, Chekhov, and Shaw. Correlated readings in theater history and dramatic theory establish the cultural and intellectual context for these playwrights. Open to first-year students. Normally offered every other year. M. Andrucki.

THEA 220. The Modern Stage.

A visionary modern theorist of the stage wrote from his asylum cell, "We are not free and the sky can still fall on our heads. And the theater has been created to teach us that first of all." By examining the mirrors and masks of Pirandello and Genet, the incendiary rallying cries of Kaiser and Brecht, the erotic and violent silence of Pinter and Handke, and the surreal iconoclasms of Apollinaire and Shepard, this course surveys the ways the contemporary theater seeks to elucidate the baffling condition of humanity. Correlated readings in theater history and dramatic theory explore the cultural contexts of these works. Open to first-year students. Normally offered every other year. M. Andrucki.

AA/TH 225. The Grain of the Black Image.

A study of the African American figure as represented in images from theater, movies, and television. Using the metaphor of "the grain" reduced by Roland Barthes and Regis Durand to "the articulation of the body...not that of language," this course explores issues of progress, freedom, and improvement, as well as content versus discontent. Students read critical literature and the major classic plays by Hansberry, Baraka, Elder, and others, and view recent movies and television shows. Not open to students who have received credit for Theater 225. Open to first-year students. Normally offered every year. W. Pope.L.

AA/TH 226. Minority Images in Hollywood Film.

African American scholar Carolyn F. Gerald has remarked, "Image means self-concept and whoever is in control of our image has the power to shape our reality." This course investigates the ideological, social, and theoretical issues important in the representation of racial and ethnic minorities in American film from the Depression to the civil rights movement. It examines the genres, stereotypes, and gender formations associated with film images of Native Americans, Asian Americans, and African Americans. Not open to students who have received credit for Theater 226. Open to first-year students. Normally offered every year. W. Pope.L.

THEA 227. Seventies and Eighties Avant-Garde Theater and Performance Art.

This course is a hands-on poetic exploration of the binary territories of "language as object" and "subject as language" as they have been articulated in the work of contemporary performance-theater artists from Robert Wilson, Richard Foreman, and Fluxus to Holly Hughes, Karen Finley, and Jim Neu. Some background in performance is recommended. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 12. Instructor permission is required. Normally offered every year. W. Pope.L.

THEA 228. Puppet Theater Workshop Production I.

This course provides students an opportunity to participate in the development and production of a new play for puppet theater. Modified bunraku, rod, and shadow puppets, as well as object animation, may be used in conjunction with live actors as dictated by the script. Participants help develop the script and learn puppet history, design, construction, and manipulation. The course culminates in workshop presentations of the play, with students performing and managing the technical needs of the production. Acting experience is strongly recommended. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 14. Offered with varying frequency. Staff.

THEA 231. Scene Design.

A study of the dynamic use of stage space, from Renaissance masters to twentieth-century modernists, offering instruction in scale drawing, drafting, scene painting, model making, and set construction. Students may use scheduled departmental productions as laboratories in their progress from play analysis and research to the realization of the design. This course focuses on the use of visual imagery to articulate textual idea, and is recommended for students with an interest in any area of drama and performance. Prerequisite(s) or corequisite(s): Theater 101 or 130. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 14. Instructor permission is required. Normally offered every other year. Staff.

THEA 232. Lighting Design: The Aesthetics of Light.

This course provides an introduction to the unique aesthetic and technical decisions a lighting designer must make. Students examine the modern lighting aesthetic by studying popular culture and learning to translate these images to the stage. Students also are required to serve on a lighting crew for one of the department's productions and design part of the spring dance concert. Prerequisite(s) or corequisite(s): one of the following: Theater 101, 130, or 132. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 14. Instructor permission is required. Normally offered every other year. M. Reidy.

THEA 233. Costume Design.

An approach to costume design offering instruction in drawing the figure, color rendering, script and character analysis, and the various skills of costume construction from pattern making to tailoring. Work in fabric printing, mask making, and makeup is available to students with a special interest in these areas. Research in period styles informs the exploration of the design elements of line, shape, and color. The goals of the course are skill in the craft and the flair of creation. Prerequisite(s) or corequisite(s): Theater 101 or 130. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 14. Normally offered every other year. Staff.

THEA 240. Playwriting.

After reviewing the fundamentals of dramatic structure and characterization, students write one full-length or two one-act plays. Recommended background: two courses in theater or in dramatic literature. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 15. Instructor permission is required. Normally offered every year. W. Pope.L.

SP/TH 241. Spanish Theater of the Golden Age.

This course focuses on the study of Spanish classical drama of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Reading and critical analysis of selected dramatic works by Lope de Vega, Tirso de Molina, Calderón de la Barca, Miguel de Cervantes, Ana Caro, María de Zayas, and Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, among others, offer an insight into the totality of the dramatic spectacle of Spanish society during its imperial century. Prerequisite(s) or corequisite(s): Spanish 211, 215, or 216. Not open to students who have received credit for Spanish 241 or Theater 241. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 20. Normally offered every other year. B. Fra-Molinero.

THEA 242. Screenwriting.

This course presents the fundamentals of screenwriting: plot, act structure, character development, conflict, dialogue, and format. Lectures, writing exercises, and analyses of contemporary films, such as Happiness, American Beauty, and Sleepless in Seattle, provide the student with the tools to create a short screenplay. Prerequisite(s): Theater 240. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 12. Instructor permission is required. Normally offered every year. W. Pope.L.

THEA 261. Beginning Acting.

This course introduces the student to the physiological processes involved in creative acting. The student learns the Stanislavski approach to the analysis of realistic and naturalistic drama. Exercises leading to relaxation, concentration, and imagination are included in an improvisational context. Studies in motivation, sense perception, and emotion-memory recall lead the student to beginning work on scene performance. Not open to senior majors in theater. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 16. Normally offered every semester. P. Kuritz.

THEA 262. Acting for the Classical Repertory.

Students extend their basic acting technique to explore the classical dramas of the world's stages. The unique language of the dramas—verse—is explored as both an avenue to character study and to vocal and physical representation. Open to first-year students. Instructor permission is required. Normally offered every other year. P. Kuritz.

THEA 263. Voice and Speech.

Students examine the nature and working of the human voice. Students explore ways to develop the voice's potential for expressive communication with exercises and the analysis of breathing, vocal relaxation, pitch, resonance, articulation, audibility, dialect, and text performance. Recommended background: one course in acting, performance, or public speaking. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 20. Normally offered every year. K. Vecsey.

TH/WS 264. Voice and Gender.

This course focuses on the gender-related differences in voice from the beginning of language acquisition through learning and development of a human voice. A variety of interdisciplinary perspectives is examined according to the different determinants of voice production—physiological, psychological, social interactional, and cultural. Students explore how race, ethnicity, class, sexual orientation, and age affect vocal expression. Students also analyze "famous" and "attractive" human voices and discuss what makes them so. Recommended background: Theater 263 and/or Women and Gender Studies 100. Not open to students who have received credit for Theater 264 or Women's Studies 264. Open to first-year students. Normally offered every other year. K. Vecsey.

THEA 360. Independent Study.

Students, in consultation with a faculty advisor, individually design and plan a course of study or research not offered in the curriculum. Course work includes a reflective component, evaluation, and completion of an agreed-upon product. Sponsorship by a faculty member in the program/department, a course prospectus, and permission of the chair are required. Students may register for no more than one independent study per semester. Normally offered every semester. Staff.

THEA 363. Playing Comedy.

Students extend their basic acting technique to explore the peculiar nature of comic performance on stage. Concepts of normalcy, incongruity, ignorance, power, and situation are applied to comic traits, invention, and diction. Prerequisite(s) or corequisite(s): Theater 261. Open to first-year students. Instructor permission is required. Normally offered every other year. P. Kuritz.

THEA 364. Advanced Voice and Speech.

A study of vocal and physical techniques for the exploration of theatrical texts. Specialized topics for the vocal professional include: characterization as it relates to voice and speech; cold readings; assessing and preparing for the vocal demands of a role; working with the vocal coach. Recommended for students intending to focus on acting or performance art in the senior thesis. Enrollment limited to 12. Instructor permission is required. Normally offered every other year. K. Vecsey.

THEA 365. Special Topics.

Offered occasionally in selected subjects. Staff.

THEA 370. Directing.

An introduction to the art of directing, with an emphasis on creative and aesthetic problems and their solutions. Included is an examination of the director's relationship to the text, the design staff, and the actor. The approach is both theoretical and practical, involving readings, rehearsal observation, and the directing of scenes and short plays. Prerequisite(s) or corequisite(s): Theater 261. Open to first-year students. Instructor permission is required. Normally offered every year. P. Kuritz.

THEA 457. Senior Thesis.

By departmental invitation only. Students undertake a substantial academic or artistic project. Students register for Theater 457 in the fall semester and for Theater 458 in the winter semester. Majors writing an honors thesis register for both Theater 457 and 458. Normally offered every year. Staff.

THEA 457, 458. Senior Thesis.

THEA 458. Senior Thesis.

By departmental invitation only. Students undertake a substantial academic or artistic project. Students register for Theater 458 in the winter semester. Majors writing an honors thesis register for both Theater 457 and 458. Normally offered every year. Staff.

Short Term Courses

THEA s10. Bates Theater Abroad.

Bates students produce a play in a theater outside the United States. Enrollment limited to 15. Instructor permission is required. Offered with varying frequency. Staff.

THEA s21. Oral Interpretation.

In this unit, students learn the artistic process of studying literature through performance and sharing that study with an audience. Students analyze the language of prose fiction, drama, poetry, and minor literary forms; develop rehearsal strategies for performance; and perform the words for an audience. The unit culminates in a work of chamber or readers' theater. Enrollment limited to 20. Offered with varying frequency. P. Kuritz.

THEA s22. Contemporary Performance Poetry.

An investigation of poetry as a performance medium. Included is a historical overview comparing the European traditions of Dadaism, Futurism, and their proponents in America to the Afro-American tradition exemplified by Shange, Baraka, and present-day hip-hop rappers. The approach is theoretical and practical, utilizing readings, discussion, film, recordings, and texts created and performed by students. Enrollment limited to 15. Instructor permission is required. Offered with varying frequency. W. Pope.L.

THEA s26. Theater Production Workshop I.

Working under faculty supervision and with visiting professional artists, student actors, directors, designers, and technicians undertake the tasks necessary to produce a play. Readings and discussions explore various ways of understanding and producing a text. Instructor permission is required. Offered with varying frequency. Staff.

THEA s30. Theater Production Workshop II.

Experienced students, working under faculty supervision and occasionally with visiting professional artists, produce a play under strict time, financial, and material constraints. Readings and discussions explore various ways of understanding and producing a play. Prerequisite(s): Theater s26. Instructor permission is required. Offered with varying frequency. Staff.

THEA s32. Theater Production Workshop III.

The most experienced theater students work under faculty supervision and in leadership positions with other students in the production of a play. Readings and discussions challenge students' notions about acting, directing, and design for the theater. Prerequisite(s): Theater s26 and s30. Instructor permission is required. Offered with varying frequency. Staff.

THEA s33. Central European Theater and Film.

A study of Hungarian, Polish, and Czech theater and film focusing on the impact on these arts of the social and political changes of the last fifty years, from the Polish and Hungarian uprisings of 1956 to the rebuilding of culture in the region following the collapse of the Soviet Bloc in 1989. While in Budapest, students view films at the Hungarian National Film Archive and attend performances of central European theater at the International Contemporary Drama Festival and the Hungarian National Theater. Visits to theater and film centers in Prague are also included. Prerequisite(s): Some background in one of the following: theater; film; modern European history.New course beginning Short Term 2005. Enrollment limited to 18. Instructor permission is required. Offered with varying frequency. M. Andrucki, K. Vecsey.

THEA s36. Work-Study Internship in Theater.

Qualified students participate in the artistic and educational programs of professional theater companies. Each intern is supervised by a staff member. By specific arrangement and departmental approval only. Recommended background: two courses in acting, directing, design, or playwriting; participation in departmental productions. Open to first-year students. Instructor permission is required. Offered with varying frequency. Staff.

THEA s50. Independent Study.

Students, in consultation with a faculty advisor, individually design and plan a course of study or research not offered in the curriculum. Course work includes a reflective component, evaluation, and completion of an agreed-upon product. Sponsorship by a faculty member in the program/department, a course prospectus, and permission of the chair are required. Students may register for no more than one independent study during a Short Term. Normally offered every year. Staff.

Dance

Secondary Concentration in Dance

Bates offers a secondary concentration in dance rooted in the tradition of dance as an art form. Integrating both the theory and practice of dance within the framework of a liberal arts education, the Bates dance program emphasizes an inclusive approach to dance studies that develops a deep understanding of humanity, art, and culture. Original work is encouraged and students participate in up to five dance concerts a year. In addition to the secondary concentration, students can also incorporate dance into an interdisciplinary studies program with other departments and programs on campus.

The following courses or an equivalent are required:
Two theory courses, such as: DANC 250. History of Twentieth-Century Modern Dance I; DANC 251. Dance Composition; DANC 252. History of Twentieth-Century Modern Dance II; or DANC 290. Aesthetics and Dance.
DANC 253A. Dance Repertory Performance I.
DANC s29A. Dance as a Collaborative Art (or dance education equivalent) or DANC s30. Bates Dance Festival.

One course from among:
Any music history or analysis or history of art and visual culture course.

DANC 360. Independent Study.
DANC s29B. Dance as a Collaborative Art.
DANC s30. Bates Dance Festival.

THEA 132. Theater Technology.
THEA 227. Seventies and Eighties Avant-Garde Theater and Performance Art.
THEA 232. Lighting Design: The Aesthetics of Light.
THEA 261. Beginning Acting.

2.5 production credits.

Students are expected to take modern technique and/or ballet twice a week and perform in two productions a year for a minimum of two years.

Additional technique classes are listed with the physical education department's activity courses and may be taken to fulfill the physical education activity degree requirement. Participation in the three-week summer Bates Dance Festival is strongly recommended, but not required.

Pass/Fail Grading Option

The pass/fail option may not be used within the secondary concentration in dance except with written permission of the dance faculty.

General Education

Any one Short Term unit in dance may serve as an option for the fifth humanities course.

Courses

DANC 240. Technique: A Kinesthetic Approach.

This course presents the study and practice of contemporary dance focusing on the physicality of movement. Topics include techniques for safe dancing; anatomy; the mechanics of movement; the use of time, space, and energy; as well as the development of an integrated physical intelligence. Recommended background: previous dance training. Enrollment limited to 15. Normally offered every year. C. Dilley.

DANC 241. Dance Technique II: Art and Expression.

This course presents the study and practice of contemporary dance movement in terms of its artistry and expressive potential, focusing on the individual artistic expression of the dancer. Topics include the exploration of movement stimuli, performance quality, the humanity of dance as the substance and the means of expression, and the development of an integrated physical intelligence. Recommended background: previous dance training. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 15. Instructor permission is required. Normally offered every year. C. Dilley.

DANC 250. History of Twentieth-Century Modern Dance I.

At the turn of the twentieth century modern dance emerged as an exciting new possibility in dance performance. From Isadora Duncan to the collaborations of Cage and Cunningham, it has always been deeply rooted in innovative exploration. This course focuses on the early dance pioneers, the ideas and conditions that informed their work, and their subsequent influences on the ever-changing art world. Open to first-year students. Normally offered every other year. C. Dilley.

DANC 251. Dance Composition.

An exploration of the craft and the art of making meaning out of human gesture. Images, text, music, and improvisations as well as the elements of time, space, and energy become the sources for dance material leading to group choreography. Readings, critical analysis, and informal showings support the process of creating a finished movement-based piece for public performance at the end of the semester. Not open to students who have received credit for Theater 251. Open to first-year students. Normally offered every year. C. Dilley.

AA/DN 252. History of Twentieth-Century Modern Dance II.

This course focuses on current dance works and some of the issues that inform dance practices today. Discussions center on the ways in which choreographers, performers, and societies confront issues of political climate, cultural diversity, entertainment, globalization, and the politicized human body in dance. Not open to students who have received credit for Dance 252 or Theater 252. Open to first-year students. Normally offered every other year. C. Dilley, M. Plavin.

DANC 253A. Dance Repertory Performance I.

Modern dance encompasses a plethora of approaches to movement and dance making, with each artist and every piece offering a unique combination of ideas and practices. In this course, students experience some of these possibilities through working with guest artists. During an intensive choreographic residency, each visiting artist develops a dance piece with the students, combining the learning of particular movement skills with the experience of individual creative processes. The course culminates in a concert of the accumulated pieces at the end of the semester. Recommended background: previous dance experience. This course is offered every other fall, in even years. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 11. Instructor permission is required. Normally offered every other year. Staff.

DANC 253B. Dance Repertory Performance II.

Modern dance encompasses a plethora of approaches to movement and dance-making, with each artist and every piece offering a unique combination of ideas and practices. In this course, students experience some of these possibilities through working with guest artists. During an intensive choreographic residency, each visiting artist develops a dance piece with the students, combining the teaching of particular movement skills with the experience of individual creative processes. The course culminates in a concert of the accumulated pieces at the end of the semester. Prerequisite(s): Dance 253A. Recommended background: previous dance experience. This course is offered every other fall, in even years. Enrollment limited to 11. Instructor permission is required. Normally offered every other year. Staff.

DANC 270. Studio Dance.

An exploration of dance practice. Problems of performance, practice, style, and form are emphasized in order to build technique as well as enhance artistry and understanding. One credit is granted on completion of every two courses in the Dance 270 series. A maximum of four course credits may be earned in Dance 270. Students register for Dance 270 and the actual sequential course number (271-278) is recorded in the student's registration. Recommended background: experience in dance.New course beginning Fall 2005. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 25. Instructor permission is required. Normally offered every semester. C. Dilley.

DN/PL 290. Aesthetics and Dance.

What happens when the material of art is a living, breathing human body, subject to a complex array of cultural expectations? How do we pin down the fleeting moment of live performance for intellectual discourse? This course approaches issues of aesthetic theory in terms of dance and human performance. Using some of the pivotal texts that have advanced aesthetic understanding through time, students draw dance into the ongoing dialogue of the arts and their cultural significance, investigating the experience of art, the making of meaning, aesthetic perception, and the curse of beauty.New cross-listing beginning Winter 2005. Not open to students who have received credit for Dance 290. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 12. Offered with varying frequency. C. Dilley.

DN/MU 337. Atelier.

The atelier offers composers, performers, choreographers, and other artists the opportunity to collaborate using new technologies. Meeting in the Olin Computer Music Studio, students work together with interactive music and video software to create performances. Work in progress is shown weekly, then performed in public on and off campus. Recommended background for music majors: Music 233 and either 235 or 237.New course beginning Winter 2006. Enrollment limited to 16. Instructor permission is required. Normally offered every year. W. Matthews.

DANC 340. Technique: The Body in Motion.

Continued study and practice of contemporary dance, focusing on the physicality of movement and the structure of the human body. Prerequisite(s): Dance 241.New course beginning Fall 2005. Normally offered every year. C. Dilley.

DANC 341. Technique of Art's Sake.

Further study and practice of the artistry and expressive potential of contemporary dance movement.The course focuses on expanding the potential of each individual dancer to reach far beyond the mechanics of steps to the unique artistic performance of every movement. Prerequisite(s): Dance 241.New course beginning Winter 2005. Normally offered every year. C. Dilley.

DANC 360. Independent Study.

DANC 457. Senior Thesis.

A substantial dance-related project, usually in the form of choreography. Students register for Dance 457 in the fall and Dance 458 in the winter semester. Normally offered every year. C. Dilley.

DANC 457, 458. Senior Thesis.

A substantial dance-related project, usually in the form of choreography. Students register for Dance 457 in the fall and Dance 458 in the winter semester. Normally offered every year. C. Dilley.

DANC 458. Senior Thesis.

A substantial dance related project usually in the form of choreography. Students register for Dance 457 in the fall semester and Dance 458 in the winter semester. Normally offered every year. C. Dilley.

Short Term Courses

DANC s25. Ballroom Dance: Past to Present.

From 1875 through the turn of the twentieth century, social dancers in America rebelled against proper dance and the court dances of Northern Europe and Great Britain. This gave a new look to dance, introducing exotic, playful music and a new attitude of what social dance in America could be. In this unit, students learn the movements and study the cultures and histories of dances that were inspired by this new music. This unit begins with dances from the early 1900s and continues through ragtime, the Swing Era, the Latin invasion, jitterbug, and disco, to today's dancesport. The unit culminates with three performances based on swing, the tango, and Latin American rhythms. Not open to students who have received credit for Theater s25. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 30. Normally offered every year. Staff.

DANC s29A. Dance as a Collaborative Art I.

The integration of dance and other arts for the purpose of producing a performance piece for elementary school children. Bates students participate in all aspects of creating the performance, encompassing a wide variety of topics and movement-based performance styles, and developing a creative movement workshop to be taught in the classrooms. The performance piece and creative workshops are then taken to primary schools throughout southern Maine. Open to dancers and non-dancers. Not open to students who have received credit for Theater s29A. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 20. Normally offered every year. Staff.

DANC s29B. Dance as a Collaborative Art II.

Continued study of the integration of dance and other arts for the purpose of producing a performance piece for elementary school children. Students participate in all aspects of creating the performance, encompassing a wide variety of topics and movement-based performance styles, and developing a creative movement workshop to be taught in the classrooms. The performance piece and creative workshops are then taken to primary schools throughout southern Maine. Open to dancers and non-dancers. Prerequisite(s): Dance s29A. Not open to students who have received credit for Theater s29B. Enrollment limited to 6. Normally offered every year. Staff.

DANC s29C. Dance as a Collaborative Art III.

Further study of the integration of dance and other arts for the purpose of producing a performance piece for elementary school children. Students participate in all aspects of creating the performance, encompassing a wide variety of topics and movement-based performance styles, and developing a creative movement workshop to be taught in the classrooms. The performance piece and creative workshops are then taken to primary schools throughout southern Maine. Open to dancers and non-dancers. Prerequisite(s): Dance s29B. Not open to students who have received credit for Theater s29C. Enrollment limited to 4. Normally offered every year. Staff.

DANC s30. Bates Dance Festival.

This unit provides Bates dance students with the opportunity to participate in the Bates Dance Festival Professional Training Program. Full participation in the festival requires four daily courses including a technique course, a composition/creative process course or repertory course, an improvisation course, and an elective from among the festival's offering in anatomy, martial arts, business for dancers, music, film for dance, yoga, Pilates, somatic studies, issues in art, and criticism. Festival courses are taught by leading scholars, artists, and practitioners in their fields. Students attend concerts, informal showings, discussions, and video presentations in addition to their courses.New course beginning Short Term 2005. Enrollment limited to 10. Instructor permission is required. Normally offered every year. C. Dilley.

DANC s50. Independent Study.

Students, in consultation with a faculty advisor, individually design and plan a course of study or research not offered in the curriculum. Course work includes a reflective component, evaluation, and completion of an agreed-upon product. Sponsorship by a faculty member in the program/department, a course prospectus, and permission of the chair are required. Students may register for no more than one independent study during a Short Term. Normally offered every year. C. Dilley.

Rhetoric

The major in rhetoric offers an interdisciplinary approach to the study of human communication. Students complete a series of core courses in rhetorical theory and criticism, history of public address, and film and television studies, complemented by courses on language, media, and communication drawn from the curricula of other departments. All students complete a senior thesis. More information on the rhetoric curriculum is available on the Web site (www.bates.edu/RHET.xml).

Cross-listed Courses

Note that unless otherwise specified, when a department/program references a course or unit in the department/program, it includes courses and units cross-listed with the department/program.

Major Requirements

Students must choose a concentration in either rhetorical theory and criticism or in film and television studies. Each major consists of eleven courses distributed as follows:

Rhetorical Theory and Criticism

Required core courses:
1) RHET 155. What is Rhetoric?

2) One of the following:
RHET 185. Public Discourse.
RHET 291. Introduction to Argumentation.

3) One of the following:
RHET 257. Rhetorical Criticism.
RHET 276. Television Criticism.

4) One of the following:
RHET 260. Lesbian and Gay Images in Film.
RHET 265. The Rhetoric of Women's Rights.

5) One of the following:
AA/RH 162. White Redemption: Cinema and the Co-optation of African American History.
RHET 275. African American Public Address.

6) One of the following:
RHET 390. Contemporary Rhetoric.
RHET 391. Topics in Rhetorical Criticism.

7) RHET 457 and/or 458. Senior Thesis.

8) Students are also required to complete at least one course from each of the following areas. No single course may be used to complete more than one requirement. No more than one Short Term unit may be counted toward the major.

a) Theories of Communication:
ANTH 333. Culture and Interpretation.
CM/RH 160. Classical Rhetoric.
CM/HI 231. Litigation in Classical Athens.
PHIL 195. Introduction to Logic.
PHIL 235. Philosophy of Mind.
PSYC 380. Social Cognition.

b) Representation:
AA/TH 225. The Grain of the Black Image.
AA/TH 226. Minority Images in Hollywood Film.
AVC 225. Iconography: Meaning in the Visual Arts from Late Antiquity to the Renaissance.
AV/WS 287. Women, Gender, Visual Culture.
AVC 288. Visualizing Race.
AVC 375. Issues of Sexuality and the Study of Visual Culture.
AVC s32. The Photograph as Document.
INDS 235. The Politics of Pleasure and Desire: Women's Independent and Third Cinema and Video from the African Diaspora.
RHET 195. Documentary Production.
RHET s18. Goldberg's Canon: Makin' Whoopi.
RHET s31. Conspiracy Rhetoric.

c) Social and Political Movements:
HIST 261. American Protest in the Twentieth Century.
PL/RE 212. Contemporary Moral Disputes.
POLS 346. Power and Protest.
REL 247. City upon the Hill.

d) Critical Methods:
ENG 295. Critical Theory.
INDS 250. Interdisciplinary Studies: Methods and Modes of Inquiry.

Film and Television Studies

Required core courses:
1) RHET 155. What is Rhetoric?

2) AA/RH 162. White Redemption: Cinema and the Co-optation of African American History.

3) One of the following:
RHET 185. Public Discourse.
RHET 291. Introduction to Argumentation.

4) RHET 260. Lesbian and Gay Images in Film.

5) RHET 276. Television Criticism.

6) One of the following:
RHET 390. Contemporary Rhetoric.
RHET 391. Topics in Rhetorical Criticism.

7) RHET 457 and/or 458. Senior Thesis.

8) Students are required to complete three film and television studies courses from among the following. No more than one Short Term unit may be counted toward the major.
AA/TH 226. Minority Images in Hollywood Film.
ANTH 155. Cinematic Portraits of Africa.
AN/PS s22. Politics of Cultural Production: African Films and Filmmaking.
FRE s36. The Evolution of French Cinema.
GER s25. The German Cinema.
INDS 235. The Politics of Pleasure and Desire: Women's Independent and Third Cinema and Video from the African Diaspora.
MUS s29. American Musicals in Film.
REL 100. Religion and Film.
RHET s18. Goldberg's Canon: Makin' Whoopi.
SPAN 353. Un curso de cine.
THEA 242. Screenwriting.

9) Students are also required to complete one critical methods course from among the following:
ENG 294. Storytelling.
ENG 295. Critical Theory.
INDS 250. Interdisciplinary Studies: Methods and Modes of Inquiry.

Pass/Fail Grading Option

There are no restrictions on the use of the pass/fail option within the major.

Secondary Concentration in Rhetoric

The secondary concentration consists of six courses. A coherent program for each student's secondary concentration is designed in accord with the following guidelines and in consultation with a member of the rhetoric faculty who is chosen or appointed as the student's departmental advisor for the secondary concentration.

The courses or units required for the secondary concentration in rhetoric include:
1) RHET 155. What is Rhetoric?

2) One of the following:
RHET 255. Rhetorical Criticism.
RHET 276. Television Criticism.

3) One of the following:
AA/RH 162. White Redemption: Cinema and the Co-optation of African American History.
RHET 275. African American Public Address.

4) One of the following:
RHET 260. Lesbian and Gay Images in Film.
RHET 265. The Rhetoric of Women's Rights.

5) One of the following:
RHET 185. Public Discourse.
RHET 291. Introduction to Argumentation.

6) One of the following:
RHET 390. Contemporary Rhetoric.
RHET 391. Topics in Rhetorical Criticism.

General Education

Any one rhetoric Short Term unit may serve as an option for the fifth humanities course.

Courses

RHET 155. What is Rhetoric?.

Although the oldest discipline, rhetoric may be the least understood. Aristotle defined rhetoric as "the faculty of observing in any given case the available means of persuasion." In this course, students conduct a historical survey of rhetorical theory from classical times to the present. Rhetorical artifacts examined include political speeches, television programs, print advertisements, editorials, music, film, and Internet sites. Required of all majors. Enrollment limited to 30. Normally offered every year. S. Kelley-Romano.

CM/RH 160. Classical Rhetoric.

The Romans ran the ancient world by the sword, but also by the word. This course explores how they did the latter. Readings include classical works about rhetoric, examples of classical oratory, and the variety of exercises by which the practice of rhetoric was taught. Writing assignments include analyses of speeches by classical orators, as well as a range of ancient rhetorical exercises such as fables, speeches of praise and invective, persuasive speeches to historical figures, and mock courtroom speeches. The course concludes with an examination of the Gettysburg Address and consideration of its debt to classical rhetorical theory. All readings are in English. Not open to students who have received credit for Classical and Medieval Studies 160 or Rhetoric 160. Offered with varying frequency. M. Imber.

AA/RH 162. White Redemption: Cinema and the Co-optation of African American History.

Since its origins in the early twentieth century, film has debated how to represent black suffering. This course examines one aspect of that debate: the persistent themes of white goodness, innocence, and blamelessness in films that are allegedly about black history and culture. Historical and cultural topics examined in film include the enslavement of Africans, Reconstruction, and the civil rights movement. Particular attention is given to films in the interracial male-buddy genre. Not open to students who have received credit for African American Studies 160 or Rhetoric 160. Normally offered every year. C. Nero.

RHET 185. Public Discourse.

This course is designed to develop an awareness of and skill in the techniques needed by a speaker in varying situations, from the large gathering to the small group. Students analyze and compose public speeches on various political issues. Enrollment limited to 24. Normally offered every year. Staff.

RHET 195. Documentary Production.

This course provides an introduction to documentary production, including videography, sound, lighting, and editing. Students learn both to produce documentaries and to recognize the importance of production decisions in shaping the meanings and influence of documentaries. Students collaboratively produce short documentaries on subjects of their own design. Recommended background: prior production experience and course work in film criticism. Enrollment limited to 16. Instructor permission is required. Offered with varying frequency. Staff.

INDS 235. The Politics of Pleasure and Desire: Women's Independent and Third Cinema and Video from the African Diaspora.

This course examines independent and Third cinema, and some written texts by women of African descent using contemporary theories of female pleasure and desire. By viewing and reading these cultural productions drawn from "high" and "low" culture in the light of a variety of film theories (i.e., feminist, womanist/black feminist, postcolonial, diasporic) as well as race-critical, feminist, and cultural theories, students explore the "textual" strategies that construct black female representations, and Afra-diasporic authors/directors and audiences as subjects and as agents of political change. Recommended background: any of the following: African American Studies 140A, African American Studies/Theater 225, African American Studies/Women and Gender Studies 201, Theater 102 or 110. Cross-listed in African American studies, rhetoric, and women and gender studies. Open to first-year students. Normally offered every other year. S. Houchins.

RHET 257. Rhetorical Criticism.

In this course, students apply rhetorical theories to a variety of artifacts to understand the unique insights afforded by rhetorical studies. Students write, present, and discuss papers in which they apply and analyze different rhetorical perspectives. Rhetorical artifacts examined include political speeches, campaign advertising, television, print advertisements, editorials, music, film, Internet sites, and social movement rhetoric. Prerequisite(s): Rhetoric 155. Open to first-year students. Normally offered every other year. S. Kelley-Romano.

RHET 260. Lesbian and Gay Images in Film.

This course investigates the representation of lesbians and gays in film from the Golden Age of Hollywood to the contemporary independent filmmaking movement. Topics may include the effect of the "closet" on Hollywood film, homophobic imagery, international queer films, "camp" as a visual and narrative code for homosexuality, the independent filmmaking movement, and the debates about queer visibility in contemporary mass-market and independent films. Open to first-year students. Normally offered every other year. C. Nero.

RHET 265. The Rhetoric of Women's Rights.

Prior to the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920, women were almost totally without political, economic, or social power. Because of their situation, women necessarily employed rhetorical means to attain the goal of women's suffrage. This course is a study of the oratory of the women's suffrage movement. Specifically, it highlights the barriers women faced and how they dealt with those difficulties rhetorically. Students learn and apply the tools of rhetorical criticism in order to identify, describe, and evaluate the speakers of the movement and their ideas. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 30. Normally offered every other year. S. Kelley-Romano.

RHET 275. African American Public Address.

This course is a study of the history of oratory by African American women and men. Students examine religious, political, and ceremonial speeches. Historical topics include the abolition of slavery, Reconstruction, suffrage, the black women's club movement, Garveyism, and the civil rights and Black Power movements. Contemporary topics include affirmative action, gender politics, poverty, education, and racial identity. Open to first-year students. Normally offered every year. C. Nero.

RHET 276. Television Criticism.

This course examines the representational strategies employed by television to convey social messages. The goals of the course are twofold: first, to acquaint students with the basic theoretical premises of rhetorical approaches to television; and second, to provide students an opportunity for critical and original research. Possible televisual texts include prime-time dramas, situation comedies, soap operas, talk shows, news programming, and sporting events. Prerequisite(s): one of the following: Rhetoric 155, 185, or 291. Open to first-year students. Normally offered every other year. S. Kelley-Romano.

RHET 291. Introduction to Argumentation.

An examination of the theory and practice of argumentation. This course explores argument theory from antiquity to the present and gives students the opportunity to develop skills in structured academic debates. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 20. Normally offered every year. R. Brito.

RHET 360. Independent Study.

RHET 365. Special Topics.

Offered occasionally in selected subjects. Offered with varying frequency. Staff.

RHET 390. Contemporary Rhetoric.

A seminar devoted to the close textual analysis of recent and provocative political discourse. The texts for analysis are drawn from various media, including controversial political speeches, documentaries, music, and advertising. This course is designed to offer students extensive personal experience in criticism and to introduce key concepts in critical theory and practice. Enrollment limited to 15. Instructor permission is required. Offered with varying frequency. Staff.

RHET 391. Topics in Rhetorical Criticism.

The topic varies from semester to semester. The seminar relies largely upon individual student research, reports, and discussion. Enrollment limited to 15. Offered with varying frequency.

RHET 391A. The Rhetoric of Alien Abduction.

This seminar examines the discourse surrounding UFOs and alien abduction. Texts are drawn from various media including print, television, film, and the Internet. Topics for discussion revolve around issues of social influence and popular culture. The course examines conspiracy, narrative, television criticism, the Internet, the rhetoric of outer space, and intertextuality. Prerequisite(s): one course in rhetoric. Recommended background: Rhetoric 331 or a criticism course. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 15. Offered with varying frequency. S. Kelley-Romano.

RHET 391B. Presidential Campaign Rhetoric.

In this course, students explore the wide array of discourse surrounding presidential campaigns. Texts examined include political speeches, political advertisements, debates, and news reporting on the campaign. Special attention is paid to newspaper and television coverage of candidates and the development of image. Prerequisite(s): Rhetoric 155 or 185. Enrollment limited to 15. Instructor permission is required. Offered with varying frequency. S. Kelley-Romano.

AA/RH 391C. The Harlem Renaissance.

This course examines the New Negro Movement and the extraordinary creativity in the arts and in other aspects of intellectual life by African Americans in the 1920s and 1930s. Although this cultural phenomenon was national in scope, most scholars agree that New York City, and Harlem in particular, was its epicenter. Topics include racial, gender, and cultural identities in literature, theater, the performing and visual arts; the formation of black queer culture; and the role in promoting the arts by political organizations such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and Marcus Garvey's Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA). Prerequisite(s): one of the following: English 250, Rhetoric 275, or History 243. Not open to students who have received credit for African American Studies 390A. Enrollment limited to 15. Offered with varying frequency. C. Nero.

RHET 457. Senior Thesis.

A substantial academic or artistic project. Students register for Rhetoric 457 in the fall semester or for Rhetoric 458 in the winter semester. Majors writing an honors thesis register for both Rhetoric 457 and 458. Normally offered every year. Staff.

RHET 457, 458. Senior Thesis.

RHET 458. Senior Thesis.

A substantial academic or artistic project. Students register for Rhetoric 458 in the winter semester. Majors writing an honors thesis register for both Rhetoric 457 and 458. Normally offered every year. Staff.

Short Term Courses

RHET s18. Goldberg's Canon: Makin' Whoopi.

Whoopi Goldberg has been a locus of cultural contradictions since her arrival in the public's consciousness. Her dark skin and perennially nappy hair defy cultural standards about female beauty, yet she is one of a handful of actresses who can open big budget Hollywood films. The same Hollywood film industry acknowledges her as a "leading lady," yet it has seldom given her "leading lady" roles. This course examines Goldberg's film and television performances, her career as a humorist, and her controversial persona as an antagonistic public figure. Some of the social and cultural issues students address in this unit include skin color and hair texture chauvinism, the grotesque and the comical, racial and gender stereotypes, black lesbianism, and discourses about the black female body. Enrollment limited to 30. Offered with varying frequency. C. Nero.

INDS s25. Black Terror.

This unit explores Gothic fiction and film, works that create an atmosphere of brooding and unknown terror and represent race and gender as sources of dread, of "the Horror. The Horror" Students read works by such authors as Sheridan Le Fanu, Bram Stoker, Toni Morrison, Nalo Hopkinson, Tananarive Due, Thulani Davis, Reginald McKnight, Jean Rhys, and Harriet Wilson. The films include The Mark of Lillith, Dracula, Ganga and Hess, The Hunger, and Carmilla. Using psychoanalytic, film, race, queer, and gender theories as tools, students excavate deeply embedded discourses of race, sex, and sexuality. Recommended background: any of the following: African American Studies/Theater 225, African American Studies/Theater 226, or Theater 102. Cross-listed in African American studies, rhetoric, and women and gender studies. Offered with varying frequency. S. Houchins.

EN/RH s29. Place, Word, Sound: New Orleans.

This unit offers an interdisciplinary and experiential approach to the study of New Orleans, the most African city in continental North America. The goal of the unit is to understand the impact of place on culture and aesthetic practices, learn how institutions represent New World and creole transformations of Africanity, and introduce students to historical and contemporary debates about African influences in the United States. Students examine cultural memory, questions of power, and definitions of cultural terrain as expressed in literature, art, music, and architecture. In addition to attending the seven-day Jazz and Heritage Festival, students visit various sites of literary, cultural, and historical significance to New Orleans. Recommended background: a course in African American studies offered in English, music, rhetoric, or African American studies. Enrollment limited to 16. Instructor permission is required. Offered with varying frequency. K. Ruffin, C. Nero.

RHET s31. Conspiracy Rhetoric.

"Just because you're paranoid does not mean they're not out to get you." This unit examines the rhetoric that has surrounded conspiracy theories in American culture. Specifically students focus on the argumentative form as well as the social functions of conspiracy discourse. Particular attention is paid to those conspiracies that surround UFO and alien abductions discourse. Prerequisite: at least one rhetoric course. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 15. Instructor permission is required. Offered with varying frequency. S. Kelley-Romano.

RHET s50. Independent Study.

Students, in consultation with a faculty advisor, individually design and plan a course of study or research not offered in the curriculum. Course work includes a reflective component, evaluation, and completion of an agreed-upon product. Sponsorship by a faculty member in the program/department, a course prospectus, and permission of the chair are required. Students may register for no more than one independent study during a Short Term. Normally offered every year. Staff.