CCOG for TA 144 Winter 2025


Course Number:
TA 144
Course Title:
Improvisational Theatre
Credit Hours:
4
Lecture Hours:
40
Lecture/Lab Hours:
0
Lab Hours:
0

Course Description

Covers the use of the body and senses to express oneself and communicate with others. Includes exercise, theatre games and impromptu scenes to tap the creative potential of the human imagination. Prerequisites: WR 115, RD 115 and MTH 20 or equivalent placement test scores. Audit available.

Intended Outcomes for the course

Upon completion of the course students should be able to:

  • Develop and perform improvisations.
  •  Implement guidelines and frameworks of specific improvisational games and exercises. 
  •  Perform numerous improvisational formats.
  •  Perform a scene using improvisation as the basis.

Course Content (Themes, Concepts, Issues and Skills)

Themes:
1. Analysis of script in preparation for a role
2. Team work
3. Critical analysis
4. Appropriate use of warm-up activities
Skills:
1.0 Improvisation from text
1.1 Analysis of character and plot line
1.2 Rehearse and perform scene by improvisation
1.3 Critique other performances using examples
2.0 BEGINNING USE OF IMPROVISATIONAL SKILLS
2.1 Demonstrate rules of improvisation
2.2 Perform improvisational exercises
2.3 Develop ideas to form basis for exercises
3.0 PHYSICAL AND VOCAL WORK (TRUST EXERCISES)
3.1 Use the body and voice to convey character
3.2 Practice exercises to determine time and place
4.0 SHORT FORM
4.1 Rehearse and perform mirrors, one-line story, sound ball as methods for warm-up
4.2 Develop competitive exercises 
4.3 Practice use of the system of rating improvisations
5.0 LONG FORM
5.1 Define a Long form improvisation using improvisational terminology
5.2 Rehearse scene-to-scene connections
5.3 Perform a long-form improvisation 
5.4 Critique other long-form improvisations