Course Syllabus

INTRODUCTION TO DESIGN FOR THE THEATRE - TDDE 1 Fall 2020

Instructor: Mark Guirguis

Lectures: Monday and Wednesday 1:00 – 1:50 remotely (join meeting via Canvas).

Office Hours: Wednesdays 11-12PM (other hours by appointment)

Galbraith Hall 102. Phone: 858–822-6708. E-mail: mguirguis@ucsd.edu (best way to reach me)

Theatre and Dance Department Office: located inside Galbraith Hall - grass level, south side

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Discussion sections will meet Via Zoom. You will receive meeting ID and passwords from your TAs

A01-Tuesday: 11:00AM-12:20PM Miranda Friel: mfriel@ucsd.edu

A02-Tuesday: 12:30PM-1:50PM Daniella Toscano: dtoscano@ucsd.edu

A03-Wednesday: 3:30PM-4:50PM Elizabeth Barrett: e1barrett@ucsd.edu

A04-Thursday: 2:00PM-3:20PM Stewart Blackwood: sbblackw@ucsd.edu

A05-Thursday: 3:30PM-4:50PM Harrison Foster: hfoster@ucsd.edu

(TA office hours, contact information, and office/studio room numbers announced in section.)

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This course is intended to be a survey of contemporary concepts and practices of the theatre design (set, costume, lighting, and sound). It includes reading of plays, introductory design work, visual criticism, and discussion of many studio practices. Students will execute digital models, drawings, as well as use other visual forms of expression to present their design ideas.

READINGS:

“As You Like It” -William Shakespeare

“Letters from Cuba”-María Irene Fornés

“Exotic Deadly Or The MSG Play”-Keiko Green

Other Reading TBD: All readings will be available on Canvas

OTHER MATERIALS:

Physical materials for collages

Color medium for rendering projects

All materials will be discussed in class and information provided on Canvas

All worksheets and templates will be available on Canvas

PAPERS / DISCUSSIONS:

*All papers must be typed.

*Most students are expected to participate in discussion sections.

*Those students who are participating asynchronously will be expected to submit written comments on their peers work. Submissions will be made directly to the T.A. by the designated deadlines. Students will also be expected to contribute to the discussion on Canvas.

* Students are required to see the Theatre and Dance Department productions of“Letters from Cuba” showing weeks 6 and 7, “As You Like It” showing week 9, and “Exotic Deadly Or The MSG Play”, showing week 10. Additional department productions: “Heap”, “Mojada”, and “The Nether” are highly recommended.

*Opening dates and veiwing details will be announced.

PROJECTS ARE DUE EACH WEEK IN SECTION: GUIDELINES ARE EXPLAINED IN LECTURE.

FINAL PROJECT –FINISHED DIGITAL MODEL & COSTUME RENDERINGS+LIGHTING CONCEPT

This is a script-based project. Complete instructions are going to be discussed in lecture

*Students are responsible for keeping their research images throughout the quarter. These will be potentially uploaded with the final project. Keep all research images that you collect throughout the quarter.

REVIEW OF GRADING

Personal collage 50

Character collage 50

3-D environmental collage 50

Costume sketches 100

Initial set design 100

Lighting concept 100

Sound design concept 100

Completed final project 200

Quizzes 100

Written review of one department production:

(two page paper due ) 150

Total 1000 points

100 - 90 % = A+ - A-

89 - 80 % = B+ - B-

79 - 70 % = C+ - C-

69 - 60% = D+ - D-

59 -0% = F

Check your grading option. The department does not approve retroactive grading options.

PASS/NO PASS students must complete all assignments, exams, etc, and must have a passing grade of a solid C. No exceptions.

ATTENDANCE:

One unexcused absence in section will automatically drop you a grade point (i.e. A becomes an A-). Two tardies count as an unexcused absence.

Participation in section discussions is required.

This is a highly visually oriented class. Use of images & other presentations during lectures provides essential information for development of individual projects. This information cannot be obtained without attending lectures and sections.

WEEKLY CALENDAR OF TOPICS AND ASSIGNMENTS (subject to modification)

TDDE 1 - Introduction to Design for the Theatre

Fall 2020

Week 1 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

READING: “As You Like It”-William Shakespeare

Monday, October 5th

LECTURE: Introduction to class, organization of sections, introduction to projects, papers, and readings

Wednesday, October 7th

LECTURE: Role of the theatre designer, Visual elements of design.

SECTION: All sections meet this week at scheduled times-

Prepare to share 6-12 separate images for discussion: each image should exhibit one of the following:

a strong sense of environment, or costume / fashion, or lighting.

*All images should relate in theme, mood, or “feel”

Week 2 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Monday, October 12th

LECTURE: Discussion: “As You Like It”

Visual principles of design

Wednesday, October 14th

LECTURE: Elements and principles of design: continued

SECTION: Present personal collages--with written statement

Week 3 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Monday, October 19th

LECTURE: The design process

Wednesday, October 21st

LECTURE: Using SketchUp

SECTION: Present character collages--with written statement

Week 4---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Monday, October 26th

LECTURE: Set design

Wednesday, October 28th

LECTURE: Developing the design concept

SECTION: 3-D environemntal collage -with written statement

Week 5---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

READING: “Letters from Cuba”-María Irene Fornés

Monday, November 2nd

LECTURE: Quiz 1

Wednesday, November 4th

LECTURE: Costume design

Drawing character figures

SECTION: Initial SketchUp model due for discussion -with written statement

Week 6---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Monday, November 9th

LECTURE: Discussion- “Letters from Cuba”

Wednesday, November 11th

LECTURE: No Lecture: Veterans Day Holiday

*view: “Lighting design: an introduction” on your own this week.

SECTION: Costume sketches due--with written statement

Week 7---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Monday, November 16th

LECTURE: Lighting design

Wednesday, November 18th

LECTURE: Sound design

SECTION: Lighting collage due- with writtten statement

*Schedule individual appointments with your T.A.

*See “” this week.

Week 8 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

READING: “Exotic Deadly Or The MSG Play”-Keiko Green

Monday, November 23rd

LECTURE: Design Implementation

Wednesday, November 25th

LECTURE: The final project: methods and materials

SECTION: Sections will not meet this week. Schedule individual appointments with your T.A.

*See “” and “” this week.

Week 9---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Monday, November 30th

LECTURE: Dicussion of “Exotic Deadly Or The MSG Play”

Wednesday, December 2nd

LECTURE: Quiz II review

SECTION: Sound design presentations-with written breakdown

Week 10--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Monday, December 7th

LECTURE: Quiz II, design presentation: preparation

Wednesday, December 9th

LECTURE: Final discussion, feed back session.

SECTION: All sections meet for final presentations: final project due

Finals Week---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

12/14/2020

Monday

11:30AM-2:29PM Final presentations

Office for Student with Disabilities

Students requesting accommodations and services for this course due to a disability need to provide a current Authorization for Accommodation (AFA) letter issued by the Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) prior to eligibility for requests. Receipt of AFAs in advance is necessary for appropriate planning for the provision of reasonable accommodations. OSD Academic Liaisons also need to receive current AFA letters if there are any changes to accommodations. For additional information, contact the Office for Students with Disabilities: 858-534-4382 (V); 959.534.9709 (TTY) – reserved for people who are deaf or hard of hearing; or email: osd@ucsd.edu. For more, see: http://disabilities.ucsd.edu.

Standards of Academic Integrity

Each student is responsible to know and observe the UCSD rules concerning academic integrity and plagiarism. Familiarize yourselves and be cognizant of your responsibilities and rights under the UCSD Policy on Integrity of Scholarship:

http://senate.ucsd.edu/manual/appendices/appendix2.pdf .

Your responsibilities and rights under the UCSD Student Code of Conduct can be found at: http://ugr8.ucsd.edu/judicial/22_00.html.

A student found to have violated the university’s academic integrity standards will be subject to penalties ranging from failing the assignment or course to suspension or expulsion from the university, and an academic misconduct charge will be noted on your academic record. If you have any questions about what constitutes plagiarism and how to avoid it, or how to credit the work of others properly, or how to evaluate sources for quality and reliability, or about any other pertinent issue, speak with your professor or TA. Ignorance of these standards will not be accepted as justification for their violation, so be sure to understand and abide by them.