2013-14 Guide for Academics and Student Life - Tampa Preparatory ...

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS - ENGLISHof theatre arts, culminating in the creation of a productionbooklet for a one-act play. The student is introduced tothe process of theatre through on-stage and backstagecomponents. Areas covered include theatre terminology,organizational structure of professional theatres, andthe production process. Artistic components includedirecting, acting, and stage management, with an emphasison development through composition, blocking, and actorplacement. Technical aspects are included as conceptualvisions and their impact on the production, and includescenic, lighting, and costume design. Theatre history is alsocovered through the use of period scripts and adaptation ofstyles to class projects.Acting Studio 1 (9-12)The process of acting is the emphasis of this semester-longcourse. Student actors are introduced to a wide array of actingschools and approaches to a role. The history and developmentof the acting craft are also included. Exercises are based onthe following techniques: Stanislavsky, Strasberg, Adler,Meisner, and the New School. Improvisational exercises andcharacter analysis round out the work. The course concludeswith a presentation of monologues from different historicalperiods. Prerequisite: Introduction to Theatre ArtsActing Studio 2 (9 - 12)This course shifts the focus from the actor as an individualperformer to that of the ensemble member in thissemester-long course. More techniques are covered ingreater depth, including the approach of Uta Hagen and CircleRep. Exercises include small group projects with a focus onconnections with fellow actors, script analysis, performanceanalysis, and the rehearsal process. The final project is apresentation of a one-act play. Prerequisite: Acting Studio 1Musical Theatre (9-12)This semester course combines an historical study withpractical application of the skills required for this uniquegenre. Areas of study include composers, early developmentof the art form, the business of musical theatre, lyricists,playwrights, and influence of musical styles and tastes. Thedevelopment of a musical theatre piece will also be analyzed,from concept to final staging. During the study of the artisticprocess students will create their own lyrics, work on vocaltechnique, interpretation of text, and acting within a song.The final presentation will include solo and ensemble workto be performed at the end of the semester. Permission ofinstructor required.Theatre Workshop (10-12)This advanced theatre arts semester-long course builds onwork completed in Acting Studio 1 and 2. Theatre Workshoputilizes skills and knowledge in the areas of directing andacting, with a focus on the rehearsal process and performance.Works are selected from various historical periods. There aresmall group projects along with a class-wide assignment. Allstudents keep a journal detailing their approach to the workas well as an analysis of the script. The course concludes witha performance at the end of the semester.Technical Theatre (9-12)Technical Theater students learn all aspects of stagecraft inthis year-long course. Topics may include set construction,painting, properties, costuming, stage lighting, sounddesign, and stage management. Students are required toparticipate as tech crew for all Tampa Prep Arts Productionsand are assessed on daily effort, attention to detail, projectcompletion and production participation. May be repeated. ENGLISH English 6Sixth grade English lays the foundations for languagearts skills that build as students progress in the Englishprogram. The course strives to develop an appreciation ofreading, skills in writing for a variety of purposes, and anunderstanding of the structure, vocabulary, and grammarof the English language. Students read adolescent literatureappropriate in content and level of difficulty for their age.The course literature gives students a wider understandingof the world around them, as well as a way to reflect on theirown personal experiences as adolescents. They begin thefirst level in a sequence of vocabulary books that continuesthrough eleventh grade.English 7This course is guided by the following principles: writingis a means of discovering and examining thoughts, feelings,experiences, and ideas; reading allows us to explore our ownhumanity and the depth and breadth of the human heart,mind, and spirit; and the study of grammar, vocabularyand style provides insight into the art and craft of writtenexpression. The course literature includes a novel, a play,short stories, and a collection of poetry. Writing instructionemphasizes writing as a process. Students are introduced toanalytical writing for a specific purpose.English 8Building on the foundation from the sixth and seventh gradeEnglish courses, the eighth grade English course reinforcesand further develops students’ skills of comprehending andinterpreting literature, through discussions and variousactivities. The course literature ranges from Shakespeare tocontemporary works, and includes poetry, plays, and fiction.The study of grammar, vocabulary, and style enhancesstudents’ growing awareness of the English language.Students continue to work on the writing process throughboth creative and analytical writing.English 9: Genres of Literature and CompositionThrough the study of various genres of literature, this coursefocuses on the skills of literary interpretation, analyticaland creative thinking, and clear and well-organized oral andGUIDE FOR ACADEMICS AND STUDENT LIFE | 49