AMERICAN MUSICAL THEATER

Mrs. Schule
The word theatre comes from the Greeks. It means the seeing place. It is the place
people come to see the truth about life and the social situation.
Stella Adler
Course description and goals
This class will explore the roadwa! musical theater. "e will seek to de#elop a better
understanding of American musical theatre b! tracing its ma$or de#elopments from
its roots at the turn of the twentieth centur! through the %rst few !ears of the new
millennium. "e will be stud!ing librettos& cast albums and #iew taped roadwa! or
%lm excerpts where#er possible. There will also be opportunities for !ou to perform
in #arious areas and with re#iew li#e performances which !ou will be asked to attend.
"e will consider the American musical from di'erent perspecti#es(
). As a work of art *+ow do the di'erent elements of the musical,script& blocking
-stage mo#ement.& casting& acting -characteri/ation& gesture& #oice.& music& l!rics&
choreograph!& and design& work together to create a performance0 "hat are the
con#entions of the musical and how did the! de#elop o#er the course of the 12
th

centur! and in to the 1)
st
centur!.
1. As an entertainment that shaped and was shaped b! its historical and cultural
context. "h! ha#e musicals been an important part of 3.S. culture0 "hat kinds of
messages about gender& race and ethnicit!& sexualit!& and the meaning of America
ha#e musicals con#e!ed0
4. As a #iable performance form for the 1)
st
centur!. "h! do musicals continue to be
popular0
Goals(
,Anal!/ing musicals as performances which include music& l!rics& script etc.
,5escribing the de#elopment of the musical as a ke! element of 3. S. culture.
,Identif!ing the contributions of signi%cant creators of musicals.
6erformance will be graded as follows(
742 8lass 6articipation
719 :ui//es
719 "ritten work& essa!s& criti;ues and $ournal
712 <inal pro$ect
Materials needed(
=ournal,for note taking,not to be shared with another sub$ect
) two pocket folder
>ther materials tbd
?xpectations(
,Students are expected to be on time for class and seated b! the bell.
,If there is a note on the board& begin re@ecting and writing in !our $ournal at the
onset of class.
,Multiple absences will result in a poor grade.
,Aate pro$ects will not be accepted.
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