Course Syllabus

 INTRODUCTION TO DESIGN FOR THE THEATRE - TDDE1                                                          Winter 2021

                                                                                   

Instructor:  Mark Guirguis

Lectures:  Monday and Wednesday 2:00 – 2:50

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

Galbraith Hall 102.   Phone: 858–822-6708.  E-mail:  mguirguis@ucsd.edu

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

SECTION:                                                      Teaching Assistant:                                                               

A01-Tuesday: 2:00PM-3:20PM                Andrew Lynch: a5lynch@ucsd.edu

A02-Thursday: 10:00AM-11:20AM         Bryan Ealey: bealey@ucsd.edu

A03- Thursday: 11:30AM-12:50PM        Michael Wogulis: mwogulis@ucsd.edu    

A04-Friday: 1:00PM-2:20PM                   Elizabeth Barrett: e1barrett@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:

  • “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” -William Shakespeare
  • “Epicene: A Queer Extravaganza”- (sort of) by Ben Jonson

Recommended:

  • “Heap” by Vivian Barnes
  • “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. 

 

*Students are expected to participate in discussion sections.

 

*Those students who are participating asynchronously will be expected to submit written comments on their fellow student’s work. Submissions will be made directly to the T.A. by the designated deadlines.  Students will also be expected to contribute to discussions on Canvas.

 

* Students are required to see the Theatre and Dance Department productions of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” showing weeks 6 and 7, “Epicene: A Queer Extravaganza”- (sort of) by Ben Jonson, showing week 9. 

Additional department productions: “Heap”, “Exotic Deadly or The MSG Play”, "Uncle Vanya" and "WInterWORKS" are highly recommended.

*Opening dates and viewing 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

                                                           

Character collages                                                                                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                                                                                               200

Written review of one department production:

(two-page paper due)                                                                         100     

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 is very important. One unexcused absence drops your grade 1 grade point (i.e. A to an A-). Two unexcused tardies equals one absence.

-Projects handed in late will automatically receive a 25% penalty.

ATTENDANCE:

Participation in section discussions is expected.

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/viewing lectures and sections. 

One unexcused absence (synchronous or asynchronous) drops your grade 1 grade point (i.e. A to an A-). Two unexcused tardies equals one absence.

 

 

WEEKLY CALENDAR OF TOPICS AND ASSIGNMENTS (subject to modification)

TDDE 1 - Introduction to Design for the Theatre

WINTER 2021

 

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

READING:       “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” by William Shakespeare

Monday, January 4th

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

Wednesday, January 6th

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, January 11th

LECTURE:        Discussion: “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”

 Visual principles of design

Wednesday, January 13th    

LECTURE:       Elements and principles of design: continued

                       

SECTION:       Present character collages--with written statement

 

                                               

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

 

Monday, January 18th

LECTURE:        No Lecture: Martin Luther King Holiday                                           

Wednesday, January 20th                                                                

LECTURE:       Using SketchUp

SECTION:       3-D environmental collage -with written statement

              

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

 

Monday, January 25th

LECTURE:       Set design    

Wednesday, January 27th

LECTURE:       Developing a design concept

SECTION:       Share initial scenic research images-with written statement. SketchUp exercise due

 

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

READING:   TBD

Monday, February 1st

LECTURE:       SET DESIGN Continued

Wednesday, February 3rd

LECTURE:       Costume design

Drawing character figures                                               

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

 

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

Monday, February 8th

LECTURE:       QUIZ I

Wednesday, February 10th

LECTURE:       Lighting Design

SECTION:       Costume sketches due--with written statement

 

        *See “A Midsummer Night's Dream” this week.

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

Monday, February 15th         

LECTURE:       President’s Day Holiday

Wednesday, February 17th   

LECTURE:       Lighting design

SECTION:       Lighting collage due- with written statement

*Schedule individual appointments with your T.A.

 

            *See “A Midsummer Night's Dream” this week.

 

 

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

READING: TBD

Monday, February 22nd        

LECTURE:       Design Implementation

                       Wednesday, February 24th   

LECTURE:       The final project: methods and materials

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

 

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

Monday, March 1st

LECTURE:       Final Guidelines

Wednesday, March 3rd         

LECTURE:       Quiz II review

SECTION:       Sound design presentations-with written statement

*See “Epicene: A Queer Extravaganza"

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

Monday, March 8th               

LECTURE:       Quiz II, design presentation: preparation

Wednesday, March10th        

LECTURE:       Final discussion, feed back session.

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

 

*See “A Midsummer Night's Dream" this week

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



3/15/2021

Monday

3:00 PM-5:59PM         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.