Objectives

Students who complete a major in drama and theatre studies should develop:

• an understanding of the processes of performance in relation to written texts, the stage conventions and physical conditions of production and contemporary theoretical frameworks;
• a knowledge of the major historical traditions of `Western' theatre, and a comparative understanding of a range of theatre forms from other cultures, particularly Asian;
• the ability to articulate critical interpretations of dramatic texts and processes in (i) systematic written argument, and (ii) clear and confident oral presentation;
• the ability to embody interpretations of dramatic texts through practical performance work in the form of both experiments in class and public productions;
• problem-solving skills in translating a range of critical and theoretical approaches into theatrical action;
• skills in theatrical performance;
• the ability to work creatively and cooperatively within a group;
• the capacity to take responsibility for the planning and cooperative management of productions for the public;
• an ability to deconstruct the ideological assumptions which underlie all dramatic texts and representations;
• an ability and readiness to be self-aware and self-evaluative;
• a range of attitudes fundamental to successful activities in the theatre, including (i) a readiness to take creative initiatives while showing respect and consideration for the ideas and approaches of others; (ii) an eagerness to experiment; (iii) a commitment to the value and importance of the theatrical experience in itself in relation to the life of their culture; (iv) a tolerance and appreciativeness of human difference, through the imaginative embodiment of unfamiliar perspectives; (v) a questioning and reflective approach to received theories and opinions; (vi) a sense of personal responsibility and accountability in their theatrical work with others; (vii) an awareness of the complex and conditional nature of knowledge, as represented particularly in the multiple interpretative possibilities for performance; (viii) an interest in learning that will continue throughout their lives.

Published by Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3168 Copyright © Monash University 1996 - All Rights Reserved - Caution Authorised by the Academic Registrar December 1996