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Year Course ID Course
2026-2027 THTR 101

Production

Students must fulfil assigned technical crew responsibilities during the semester.

Course Credits: 1
NB: First course must be 100 level. 300 level repeatable for credit.
2026-2027 THTR 102

Production

Students must fulfil assigned technical crew responsibilities during the semester.

Course Credits: 1
NB: First course must be 100 level. 300 level repeatable for credit.
2026-2027 THTR 111

Stagecraft I

This course is an introduction to the basics of stage construction, costume construction, theatre technology, terminology, and common theatre practices

Course Credits: 2
2026-2027 THTR 112

Stagecraft II

This course is an introduction to the basics of stage lighting, sound, theatre technology, terminology, and common theatre practices

Course Credits: 2
2026-2027 THTR 130

Introduction to Theatre

This course is designed to spark (or increase) students' enthusiasm for the theatre arts, helping them to understand the roles of the many artists and practitioners involved in the creation of theatre. Students will gain an appreciation for dramatic literature and for the process required to move a play from the page to the stage, and will investigate the varied origins and boundaries of the art form. The class will take every opportunity to involve students in practical exploration of theatre-making.

Course Credits: 3
NB: Attendance at theatre performances is required.
2026-2027 THTR 151

Mainstage

Students must participate fully as an actor or stage manager in the semester's mainstage production.

Course Credits: 1
NB: First course must be 100 level. 300 level repeatable for credit.
2026-2027 THTR 152

Mainstage

Students must participate fully as an actor or stage manager in the semester's mainstage production.

Course Credits: 1
NB: First course must be 100 level. 300 level repeatable for credit.
2026-2027 THTR 153

Ensemble

Students must participate fully as an actor or stage manager in the semester's ensemble production.

Course Credits: 1
NB: First course must be 100 level. 300 level repeatable for credit.
2026-2027 THTR 154

Ensemble

Students must participate fully as an actor or stage manager in the semester's ensemble production.

Course Credits: 1
NB: First course must be 100 level. 300 level repeatable for credit.
2026-2027 THTR 161

Acting I: Foundations of Acting

An introductory course orienting students toward open and aggressive participation in performance. Utilizing theatre games, relaxation techniques, experiential exercises and improvisation, students build sensory knowledge of the human experience and create/interpret scripted scenes through imaginative inquiry into given circumstances, character, relationship, objectives, and actions. The insight and understanding students gain through building sensory knowledge of their own feelings, voices, and bodies and then translating that knowledge while constructing the experience of another human being builds an appreciation and empathy for the meaning and values of other people.

Course Credits: 3
NB: Attendance at theatre performances is required.
2026-2027 THTR 162

Acting I: The Actor's Process

Introduction to scene study and character development. Students learn the building blocks of effective acting by applying foundational acting theory to improvisation, scenes, and monologues. Students are expected to offer thoughtful critique of others' work, a vital part of the learning process.

Course Credits: 3
Prerequisite(s): THTR 161
NB: Attendance at theatre performances is required.
2026-2027 THTR 175

Voice & Movement I

The emphasis in this course is freeing the voice and body to communicate effectively. Students are encouraged to discover their own gifts and abilities, to become comfortable with their voice and body, and to establish a foundation for future growth and development. Both voice and movement work are based on discovering proper alignment and a neutral position from which to explore. Voice work is designed to teach proper vocal warm-up; voice care and support; and elements of resonance, articulation, and projection. Physical movement exercises include activities designed to increase body awareness, flexibility, emotional connection, and expressiveness. All voice and body work emphasizes the integration of the actor's instrument, the individuality of each person, and the necessity for authentic embodied communication. Discoveries will be applied to acting work in class and on stage, and to everyday life, as self-presentation affects both public perception and self-image.

Course Credits: 3
Prerequisite(s): THTR 161
2026-2027 THTR 180

Integration Forum

A seminar for students in all levels of the program, as well as students involved in productions. The class incorporates analysis and critique of productions viewed, as well as discussion of topical issues in theatre. Particular attention is given to integration of faith and art and preparation for a life in the theatre

Course Credits: 0
NB: Attendance at theatre performances is required.
2026-2027 THTR 261

Acting II: Scene Study

Students apply principles learned in THTR 161 and THTR 162 to the preparation and presentation of scenes from contemporary plays. Script analysis, character development, subtext, action, and objective are explored through personalized coaching.

Course Credits: 3
Prerequisite(s): THTR 161, 162
NB: Attendance at theatre performances is required.
2026-2027 THTR 262

Acting II: Advanced Scene Study

A continuation of THTR 261, students work to access and express the emotional lives of characters through natural, truthful behaviour.

Course Credits: 3
Prerequisite(s): THTR 161, 162, 261
NB: Attendance at theatre performances is required.
2026-2027 THTR 275

Voice & Movement II

A continuation of the work begun in THTR 175, this course encourages students to further develop their physical and vocal instruments, seeking deeper exploration and more creative expression.

Course Credits: 3
Prerequisite(s): THTR 161, THTR 175
NB: Attendance at theatre performances is required.
2026-2027 THTR 290

Introductory Special Topics in Theatre

Topics vary from year to year.

Course Credits: 3
Prerequisite(s): Vary depending on topic
2026-2027 THTR 301

Production

Students must fulfil assigned technical crew responsibilities during the semester.

Course Credits: 1
NB: Repeatable for credit
2026-2027 THTR 302

Production

Students must fulfil assigned technical crew responsibilities during the semester.

Course Credits: 1
NB: Repeatable for credit
2026-2027 THTR 314

Stage Lighting

The study of lighting theory and practice for the stage: fundamentals of light, basics of electricity, lighting equipment and its use, historical overview of lighting for theatre productions, examination of current lighting methodology, introduction to lighting design. This course is two hours of lecture and four hours of lab each week.

Course Credits: 3
Prerequisite(s): THTR 111, 112, 130, and instructor's consent
NB: Not offered every year. See department chair.
2026-2027 THTR 315

Theatrical Design

An introduction to the principles of design and their application for the theatre. Includes: (1) play analysis focusing on visual and spatial design requirements; (2) research into period styles as well as practise in adapting and recreating styles for the stage; and; (3) drawing, mechanical drafting, painting, and model making. Attendance at outside performances may be required.

Course Credits: 3
Prerequisite(s): THTR 111, 112, 130
NB: Not offered every year. See department chair.
2026-2027 THTR 321

Directing

A study of the art and practice of directing, this course begins with an understanding of the director's role and an appreciation for the traits of successful directors. Students read basic directing theory, analyze play scripts, direct scenes, and critique the work of other directors. Activities are designed to develop students' communication and conceptualization skills, aesthetic sense, and critical faculties. Students have opportunity to observe directors at work and to attend guest lectures by professional directors.

Course Credits: 3
Prerequisite(s): THTR 111, 112, 130, 162, and upper-level standing; or instructor's consent
NB: Attendance at theatre performances is required.
2026-2027 THTR 325

Playwriting

Playwriting is a workshop course designed for any student interested in developing their storytelling skills by writing for the stage. Students will study major components of playwriting, including dramatic formatting, structure, plot and character development, writing actionable dialogue, analysis, dramaturgy, and more. Students will deepen their understanding of these components and of the creative process through writing exercises, pitching ideas, reading work out loud, and respectfully providing and receiving feedback. By the end of the semester, students will have written one or more plays.

Course Credits: 3
Prerequisite(s): ENGL 103, 104
NB: Attendance at theatre performances is required.
Cross-listed: MCOM 362
2026-2027 THTR 331

Theatre History I: Origins to 1660

Theatre History I instils in students the knowledge that to understand the present and prepare for the future, they must first come to terms with the past by engaging in methodical research of archival documents and artifacts from the early years of European and Asian Theatre. In training students to grasp the intimate relation between past events, present circumstances, and future possibilities, this mode of inquiry equips them to apply that past to theatre practice and to become engaged, socially responsible citizens. It also teaches students that all accounts of past events are shaped by the interpretive practices of the historian, enabling them to detect and interrogate the ideological dimension of historiography.

Course Credits: 3
Prerequisite(s): THTR 130, SAMC 111 and 112
NB: Attendance at theatre performances is required. Not offered every year. See department chair.
2026-2027 THTR 332

Theatre History II: 1660 to Present

Theatre History II instils in students the knowledge that to understand the present and prepare for the future, they must first come to terms with the past by engaging in methodical research of archival documents and artifacts of the modern and contemporary eras. In training students to grasp the intimate relation between past events, present circumstances, and future possibilities, this mode of inquiry equips them to apply that past to theatre practice and to become engaged, socially responsible citizens. It also teaches students that all accounts of past events are shaped by the interpretive practices of the historian, enabling them to detect and interrogate the ideological dimension of historiography.

Course Credits: 3
Prerequisite(s): THTR 130, SAMC 111 and 112
NB: Attendance at theatre performances is required. Not offered every year. See department chair.
2026-2027 THTR 341

Shakespeare I

An intensive study of selected works by William Shakespeare situated in their Elizabethan and Jacobean contexts. Works studied may include the sonnets, the history plays, Henry IV(Parts 1 and 2) or Henry V; the comedies, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and As You Like It; the problem play, Measure for Measure; the tragedies, King Lear and Macbeth, and the romance Cymbeline.

Course Credits: 3
Prerequisite(s): 9 sem. hrs. of English and third- or fourth-year standing; or 6 sem. hrs. of English and 3 sem. hrs. of theatre and third- or fourth-year standing; or instructor's consent
NB: Not offered every semester. See department chair.
Cross-listed: ENGL 351
2026-2027 THTR 342

Shakespeare II

An intensive study of selected works by William Shakespeare situated in their Elizabethan and Jacobean contexts. Works studied may include Venus and Adonis, the history play, Richard III; the comedy, The Merchant of Venice; the tragedies Titus Andronicus, Hamlet, and Antony and Cleopatra; and the romances, The Winter's Tale and The Tempest.

Course Credits: 3
Prerequisite(s): 9 sem. hrs. of English and third- or fourth-year standing; or 6 sem. hrs. of English and 3 sem. hrs. of theatre and third- or fourth-year standing; or instructor's consent
NB: No overlap with ENGL 351/THTR 341.
Cross-listed: ENGL 352
2026-2027 THTR 343

Canadian Drama

A survey of Canadian plays, starting with the first official play written in North America (a seventeenth-century Canadian play) and progressing to twenty-first-century dramatists and their texts. Students will engage in detailed analyses of plays: their structures, historical/cultural contexts, and present-day relevance. The plays explore a variety of topics and themes, including but not limited to family life, social issues, class struggles, oppression, and marginalization. Students will also read plays about Indigenous culture and plays by Indigenous writers.

Course Credits: 3
Prerequisite(s): ENGL 103, 104; third- or fourth-year standing or instructor's consent
NB: Attendance at theatre performances is required. Not offered every year. See department chair.
Cross-listed: ENGL 393
2026-2027 THTR 344

Modern Drama

A study of eight to ten modern plays—British, American, and Canadian—representing different forms and approaches to drama in the last 100 years.

Course Credits: 3
Prerequisite(s): 9 sem. hrs. of English and third- or fourth-year standing; or 6 sem. hrs. of English and 3 sem. hrs. of theatre and third- or fourth-year standing; or instructor's consent
NB: Attendance at theatre performances is required. Not offered every year. See department chair.
Cross-listed: ENGL 394
2026-2027 THTR 345

Irish Drama

A survey of the dramatic literature of Ireland, focusing on twentieth century plays from Yeats to Beckett and Friel. After a quick review of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the course turns to the drama of Irish nationalism and follows its development into the international arena.

Course Credits: 3
Prerequisite(s): 9 sem. hrs. of English and third- or fourth-year standing; or 6 sem. hrs. of English and 3 sem. hrs. of theatre and third- or fourth-year standing; or instructor's consent
NB: Attendance at theatre performances is required. Not offered every year. See department chair.
Cross-listed: ENGL 395
2026-2027 THTR 346

American Drama

A survey of significant American dramatic literature. Beginning with a brief background of eighteenth and nineteenth century drama influenced by European styles, the course progresses to Eugene O’Neill, widely considered to be the dramatist to define a distinct American voice in the theatre. This course then examines the work of significant playwrights such as Arthur Miller, Lillian Hellman, Tennessee Williams, Tony Kushner, Lorraine Hansberry and others, and includes a component on “the book musical”.

Course Credits: 3
Prerequisite(s): 9 sem. hrs. of English and third- or fourth-year standing; or 6 sem. hrs. of English and 3 sem. hrs. of theatre and third- or fourth-year standing; or instructor's consent
NB: Attendance at theatre performances is required. Not offered every year. See department chair.
Cross-listed: ENGL 396
2026-2027 THTR 347

Drama of Japan

A survey of classical Japanese drama in English translation. The Noh drama of the fourteenth through sixteenth centuries and the Bunraku and Kabuki drama of the seventeenth through nineteenth centuries. An examination of the impact of these forms on film theory in the twentieth century.

Course Credits: 3
Prerequisite(s): ENGL 103, 104; upper-level standing
NB: Not offered every year. See department chair.
2026-2027 THTR 348

World Drama

World Drama is a survey course of the dramatic literature of the past 2500 years, from classic nationalist drama to the global contemporary drama of the twenty-first century. Students will explore social and global issues such as war, class struggle, gender inequality, dysfunctional family life, and more, from past times and today, in the context of the drama of different world cultures. World Drama is a course of reading, discussion, and audience response to live performances of global drama from differing cultures and times (in English translation). The course will entail both the reading of major plays and attendance of live performances of world dramatic masterpieces that are available at theatres in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia. Though designed for Theatre and English students, the course is of great value to any student who wishes a broader knowledge of world culture through its varied theatrical expressions. Play choices are made to avoid overlap with other dramatic literature currently taught in both the Theatre and English departments, where advisable.

Course Credits: 3
Prerequisite(s): ENGL 103, 104; upper-level standing
NB: Attendance at theatre performances is required. Not offered every year. See department chair.
Cross-listed: ENGL 348
2026-2027 THTR 352

Mainstage

Students must participate fully as an actor or stage manager in the semester's mainstage production.

Course Credits: 1
2026-2027 THTR 353

Ensemble

Students must participate fully as an actor or stage manager in the semester's ensemble production.

Course Credits: 1
2026-2027 THTR 354

Ensemble

Students must participate fully as an actor or stage manager in the semester's ensemble production.

Course Credits: 1
2026-2027 THTR 361

Acting III: Styles of Acting

An advanced scene-study class exploring acting styles of various historical periods with a view towards presentation to contemporary audiences.

Course Credits: 3
Prerequisite(s): THTR 161, 162, 261, 262, 275
NB: Attendance at theatre performances is required. Not offered every year. See department chair.
2026-2027 THTR 362

Acting III: Shakespeare

An advanced scene-study class exploring Shakespeare in performance. Students are expected to carefully analyze assigned Shakespearean texts as part of their preparation.

Course Credits: 3
Prerequisite(s): THTR 161, 162, 261, 262, 275
NB: Not offered every year.
2026-2027 THTR 375

Voice & Movement III

Building on previous voice and movement courses, this course encourages students to further develop their physical and vocal instruments, seeking deeper exploration and more creative expression.

Course Credits: 3
Prerequisite(s): THTR 261, 275
NB: Attendance at theatre performances is required.
2026-2027 THTR 383

Drama for Church Ministry

A study of the broad range of issues involved in leading a church drama ministry. The course focuses on writing and directing, and provides an overview of the various facets of production relevant to mounting dramatic works of various types in a church setting. Issues relating to staffing and leadership are also covered.

Course Credits: 3
Prerequisite(s): THTR 161, 130 or instructor's consent
NB: Not offered every year .See department chair.
2026-2027 THTR 390

Special Topics in Theatre

Topics vary from year to year.

Course Credits: 3
Prerequisite(s): Vary according to specifics of course
NB: Not offered every year .See department chair.
2026-2027 THTR 391

Developmental Drama

This course examines various modes of children's theatre: puppetry, mask, reader's theatre, storytelling, and plays that have been written for children and participators. This course is recommended for future educators.

Course Credits: 3
Prerequisite(s): ENGL 103, 104, third- or fourth-year standing and instructor's consent
2026-2027 THTR 392

Theatre with Children

An introduction to the use of drama in the classroom and for educational purposes. This course is recommended for future educators.

Course Credits: 3
Prerequisite(s): ENGL 103, 104, third- or fourth-year standing and instructor's consent
2026-2027 THTR 441

Drama to 1642

A study of English drama from its liturgical origins to the closing of the theatres in 1642, including medieval mystery cycles and morality plays, as well as works by Elizabethan, Jacobean, and Caroline playwrights.

Course Credits: 3
Prerequisite(s): 9 sem. hrs. of English and third- or fourth-year standing; or 6 sem. hrs. of English and 3 sem. hrs. of theatre and third- or fourth-year standing; or instructor's consent
NB: Not offered every year. See department chair.
Cross-listed: ENGL 451
2026-2027 THTR 442

18th Century Drama

A survey of the English drama of the eighteenth century. An examination of representative works of the London stage and comparative continental dramas, in transition and in cultural context.

Course Credits: 3
Prerequisite(s): 9 sem. hrs. of English and third- or fourth-year standing; or 6 sem. hrs. of English and 3 sem. hrs. of theatre and third -or fourth-year standing; or instructor's consent
NB: Not offered every year. See department chair.
Cross-listed: ENGL 462
2026-2027 THTR 461

Acting IV: Auditioning

An overview and exploration of the skills and resources needed to successfully audition for live theatre or graduate school. Students prepare monologues and songs, develop an acting resume, and improve improvisation and cold reading skills relevant to auditions.

Course Credits: 3
Prerequisite(s): THTR 161, 162, 261, 262, 175, 275
NB: Not offered every year. See department chair.
2026-2027 THTR 462

Acting IV: From Stage to Screen

Open to advanced acting students, this course requires an ability to understand and apply acting theory, a thorough knowledge of the language of the actor, and an ability to express oneself physically and vocally. Under the mentorship of a professional stage and screen actor, students learn to adapt their training to work for the camera. Scene work is performed on camera, increasing students' comfort level and providing a solid grounding in the technical considerations and language of the medium. Auditioning for film is also covered.

Course Credits: 3
Prerequisite(s): THTR 161, 162, 261, 262, 175, 275
NB: Not offered every year. See department chair.
2026-2027 THTR 475

Voice & Movement IV

This course encourages students to further develop their physical and vocal instruments, seeking deeper exploration and more creative expression.

Course Credits: 3
Prerequisite(s): THTR 175, 262, 275, 375
NB: Attendance at theatre performances is required.
2026-2027 THTR 480

Senior Seminar: Christianity & Theatre

This senior seminar course is a retrospective of the 2000-year relationship between the Christian church and the theatre as institutions. Students will explore the views of historical theoreticians such as Plato, Aristotle, St. Augustine of Hippo, Francis Schaeffer, and Dorothy Sayers as well as contemporary Christian thinkers about the role of the arts (especially theatre) in culture. Students will examine and develop their own perspectives on the role of theatre in culture as an agent of change, and explore how their callings as Christians and theatre artists will contribute to the theatre industry after graduation.

Course Credits: 3
Prerequisite(s): THTR 130, 231 or 232; third- or fourth-year standing
NB: Attendance at theatre performances is required.
2026-2027 THTR 498

Professional Orientation

This course is designed to prepare students for a career in the theatre. Topics include: resume and headshot preparation, financial management, interview skills, introduction to professional theatres, networking opportunities, self-production, creating a demo reel, getting an agent, establishing community, discipline and perseverance, and understanding Equity.

Course Credits: 3
Prerequisite(s): Upper-level standing