Catalog Description

Hours: 72 (36 lecture, 36 activity)
Description: Analysis and practice of acting techniques focusing on volume and diction, breathing, posture, stage movement and positioning, gestures and listening. Practice of character interpretation and expression through improvisation, selected scenes and monologues. (C-ID THTR 151) (CSU, UC)

Course Student Learning Outcomes

  • CSLO #1: Describe and practice the basic steps to create an Acting Objective.
  • CSLO #2: Analyze and practice the basic elements of incorporating stage movement, voice technique, posture and gesture to create and develop character.
  • CSLO #3: Reinforce learned acting techniques by rehearsing and performing developed characters in monologues and scenes.

Effective Term

Fall 2026

Course Type

Credit - Degree-applicable

Contact Hours

72

Outside of Class Hours

90

Total Student Learning Hours

162

Course Objectives

Lecture Objectives:
1. Describe and communicate the basic elements of acting technique, incorporating stage movement, posture, voice technique, imagination, creativity, and character expression
2. Describe, analyze and practice the basic steps toward creating a character, including using beats, building an acting objective, obstacle, tactic, Other, and back story

3. Analyze play performances for acting technique, character development and stage presentation

Activity Objectives:

3. Practice learned approaches of creating characters and reinforce through in-class performances of monologues and scenes;
4. Practice volume and voice diction in front of an audience

5. Practice and perform posture and gestures choices that meet the demands of the play text.

6. Practice in small groups work on blocking movement and stage positioning  techniques for performance.

General Education Information

  • Approved College Associate Degree GE Applicability
    • AA/AS - Oral Communication
    • AA/AS - Arts and Humanities
    • AA/AS - Fine Arts
    • AA/AS - Oral Comm Skills
  • CSU GE Applicability (Recommended-requires CSU approval)
    • CSUGE - C1 Arts
  • Cal-GETC Applicability (Recommended - Requires External Approval)
    • IGETC Applicability (Recommended-requires CSU/UC approval)

      Articulation Information

      • CSU Transferable
      • UC Transferable

      Methods of Evaluation

      • Classroom Discussions
        • Example: Instructor will prompt students with the question: "What makes an effective acting performance?" Students will break into small groups and come up with 3 things that make an effective acting performance citing examples from actors in plays or movies they have seen and share with the entire class. Students are assessed on rate of participation, creativity and early understanding of acting tools covered in class.
      • Reports
        • Example: After seeing two live plays, students will write an essay comparing and contrasting characters from each play that demonstrates understanding of their analysis of voice, movement, posture, gesture and character development in observed performances. Students are assessed on ability to follow format, descriptive examples detailing voice, movement, posture, gesture and character development contrasting actor work from both plays.
      • Skill Demonstrations
        • Example: Students present a practice run-through of their scenes and monologues incorporating what they have learned so far to slate (introduce scene/monologues) and utilize acting technique and approaches to character development in front of the class. Students who watch the scenes/monologues are instructed to take notes and give oral feedback on what was effective and what the actors who presented can build upon. Actors who ran their pieces are then taken through a stop-and-start process "workshopping" their scene incorporating comments they received.

      Repeatable

      No

      Methods of Instruction

      • Activity
      • Lecture/Discussion
      • Distance Learning

      Activity:

      1. The instructor will hand out a lengthy tongue twister and divide students into pairs in chat rooms evaluating one another's level of stage diction. Instructor will then lead the class in extensive vocal diction exercises to warm-up fully focusing on voiced and unvoiced popping of consonants. Instructor will then divide students back into same pairs to re-evaluate each other's stage diction utilizing same tongue-twister.
      2. The instructor will lead students in exercises to demonstrate how to strengthen breath support and increase stage volume. Instructor will demonstrate the difference between conversation voice and stage voice. Students will practice breathing exercises to generate increased stage volume and then demonstrate what they have learned in both diction and volume by introducing themselves in front of the class and class members will give feedback on the introductions in a positive and supporting atmosphere.

      Lecture:

      1. The instructor will utilize a lecture slide presentation to define and list examples of types of acting objectives and lead a discussion on strategies to build effective objectives for character work.

      Distance Learning

      1. Instructor will define a backstory, and explain how to examine and analyze the script for the purpose of creating their own character's backstory. Instructor will post and go over examples of how actor's utilize a backstory to follow the clues provided by the playwright in the text and to create character details themselves to fill-in the gaps leading up to when the play begins. Using their assigned scene characters, students will meet with their scene partners in chat rooms or communicate via message to discuss and complete a backstory assignment applying script analysis that answers detailed questions about their relationships, upbringing, defining moments before and during the play.

      Typical Out of Class Assignments

      Reading Assignments

      1. In Robert Cohen's ACTING ONE, Read the chapter on tactics and be prepared to perform exercises with your scene partner to practice these techniques. 2. Read David Auburn's play, PROOF and be prepared to discuss your Super-objective and through-line obstacle as well as rehearse your assigned scene objective for the character of Catherine.

      Writing, Problem Solving or Performance

      1. Read your assigned scene aloud with your partner and work together to solve what the scene objectives, tactics and obstacles are for each of your characters. Next, read the scene again implementing these aspects into your performance. 2. Read the play, A RAISIN IN THE SUN, and write a back story for Ruth Younger, and share the details of your story with the class. 3. Observe real-life characteristics among people you encounter, and write observations in your journal applying terms we learn in class such as vocal quality, movement and gesture. Discuss and apply your analysis of these qualities and relate to character traits. For example, the person I observed displayed a raspy voice and took slow short strides with shoulders hunched and eyes focused to the ground. This tells me she was a less-confident, smoker who is tired, stressed and perhaps having a bad day.

      Other (Term projects, research papers, portfolios, etc.)

      Required Materials

      • Monologues They’ll Remember You By
        • Author: Andrew Biss
        • Publisher: Entre Act Editions
        • Publication Date: 2017
        • Text Edition:
        • Classic Textbook?: No
        • OER Link:
        • OER:
      • Acting Power: The 21st Century Edition
        • Author: Robert Cohen
        • Publisher: McGraw-Hill
        • Publication Date: 2013
        • Text Edition: Revised Edition
        • Classic Textbook?: No
        • OER Link:
        • OER:
      • Duo!: The Best Scenes for Two for the 21st Century
        • Author: Rebecca Dunn Jaroff, Bob Shuman, and Joyce E. Henry, ed..
        • Publisher: Applause Theatre and Cinema Books
        • Publication Date: 2009
        • Text Edition: paperback
        • Classic Textbook?: No
        • OER Link:
        • OER:
      • Acting is Believing
        • Author: Kenneth L. Stilson, Larry D. Clark and Charles McGaw
        • Publisher: Cengage Learning
        • Publication Date: 2014
        • Text Edition: 12th
        • Classic Textbook?: No
        • OER Link:
        • OER:
      • Acting For Non-Actors: Applying Performance Techniques
        • Author: Frank Catalano
        • Publisher: Independently Published
        • Publication Date: 2023
        • Text Edition: 1
        • Classic Textbook?: No
        • OER Link:
        • OER:

      Other materials and-or supplies required of students that contribute to the cost of the course.