This first set of assignments reflect experiential and project-oriented learning in upper-level undergraduate and graduate courses.
The Jukebox Musical project in THR 431 (Spring 2019) is intended to allow students to bring creative thinking to bear on issues of musical theatre structure and historiography. Worksheets give a sense of the scaffolding for this assignment, using in-class writing to synthesize reading and develop ideas about branding, pitching, and structuring the project.
Here are some sample assignments from THR 110: Theatrical Play Analysis and IAH 241D: Theatre and Society in the West (Gen Ed course).
In THR 110: Theatrical Play Analysis, I use Chekhov’s Three Sisters to introduce the Plot-Bead Diagram, to raise issues of translation for the stage, and to enable students to think through the challenges of casting an ensemble-based show. See more here: https://smit2030.msu.domains/three-sisters/