Topics vary from year to year.

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.

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.

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

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

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).

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.

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”.

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.

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