Monash University Handbook 2010 Postgraduate - Unit

Synopsis

This unit will examine the process of creating a design approach to theatrical production through an understanding of applied aesthetics. It will consider issues of lighting, sound, line, mass and colour, and the ways in which they craft theatre scenography. It will focus on the ways in which specific texts might be interpreted as well as the histories and potentials of specific theatre buildings and structures. Both the 'craft' and 'art' of design will be explored in a practical project reflecting the theoretical and historical understandings developed in this unit. At fifth-year level students are expected to demonstrate a deeper knowledge and integration of the material.

Objectives

Students who complete this unit successfully should have developed:

1. greater understanding of the craft elements of design,
2. contextual understanding of the art of design through a range of critical theories
3. a working design for a production representing a coherent aesthetic
4. the ability to critique theatrical design in sustained oral and written form
5. at fifth-year level, folio and seminar paper will critically compare design theories in arts practice

Assessment

Practical folio of design for implementation (4,000 words): 40%;

Seminar paper (2,000 words) 25%;

Contribution to class discussion (2,000 words) 25%;

Practical class work (1,000 words) 10%

Contact hours

2 hours per week

Co-requisites

DTS 4000

Prohibitions

DTH 4001