PERF - Performance Studies (PERF)

PERF 101 Introduction to Performance Studies

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Survey of topics in the interdisciplinary field of performance studies, including forms of performance, performance in everyday life and performance in global and intercultural contexts; in-class performance exercises and discussions; major writing component.

PERF 102 Fundamentals of Music

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. (MUSI 1303) Fundamentals of Music. Introduction to the basic elements of music (pitch, rhythm, scales, intervals and triads) and how these elements interrelate to form musical compositions; the application of musical understanding to particular instruments such as the guitar, keyboard, recorder and voice.

PERF 103 Introduction to Devised Theatre

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Overview of approaches to devising performance and collective creation in the US and around the world; fundamentals of theatrical production.

PERF 110 Acting I: Fundamentals

Credits 3. 2 Lecture Hours. 4 Lab Hours. (DRAM 1351) Acting I: Fundamentals. A Stanislavsky-based approach to the fundamentals of acting, which may include sensory exercises, relaxation, concentration, imagination, improvisation, character analysis and scene work.

PERF 156 Dress in World Cultures

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Relationship of dress to humans as biological, aesthetic and social beings; dress as cultural performance.

PERF 200 Introduction to World Theatre

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. (DRAM 1310) Introduction to World Theatre. Non-Western theatre, its origins and continuing influence on society and Western theater; emphasis on the theaters of India, China, Japan, Africa, the Caribbean and Latin America; also taught at Galveston campus.

PERF 201 Music and the Human Experience

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. (MUSI 1306) Music and the Human Experience. An introduction to music and related issues; designed to enhance the student's knowledge and perception of music; selected works in various styles within historical, psychological and aesthetic contexts; also taught at Qatar campus.

PERF 202 Introduction to Performance Technology

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. 1 Lab Hour. Basic hardware, software, and aesthetic concepts of technology-based artistic performance; basic electricity, electronics, troubleshooting, audio and video design software, study of significant works, and participation in a departmental production.

PERF 203 Sonic Design

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Exploration of definitions, methodologies, and applications of sonic design; discussion and analysis of sound creation and its uses or meanings; individual and collaborative sonic design projects.

PERF 204 Music Theory I

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. (MUSI 1311) Music Theory I. Structural principles of diatonic harmony and voice leading, phrase and period structure, rhythmic structure and aural and written analysis and composition of small instrumental and vocal musical forms found in common practice period and recent popular music. Prerequisites: PERF major or minor, or approval of instructor.

PERF 205 Music Theory II

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. (MUSI 1312) Music Theory II. Continuation of structural principles of tonal harmony and voice leading, including chromaticism and modulation; composition and analysis of larger musical forms, including binary, rounded binary, ternary, rondo, theme and variations and sonata form. Prerequisites: PERF 204, PERF major or minor, or approval of instructor.

PERF 210 Physical Acting

Credits 3. 2 Lecture Hours. 4 Lab Hours. Principles of physical acting and physical training of the actor; exploration of the materiality of the body onstage; topics include introductions to biomechanics, Viewpoints, Suzuki, Jacques Lecoq, Jerzy Grotowski, and others.

PERF 211 Collaborative Musicianship

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Project-based approach to Western music traditions; critical reflection on aesthetics and performance of Western music; cross-cultural influences; notation and ear training; knowledge applied to the creative process. Prerequisites: Major or minor in PERF, or approval of instructor.

PERF 221 Guitar Heroes

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Survey of social, cultural and aesthetic transformations of music history centered on important classical guitarists; exploration of their performance and compositional/musical styles; analysis of how their contributions gave rise to and revived the guitar’s popularity as a concert-level instrument in both the classical and folk idioms.

PERF 222 Music of the Americas

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Evolution of music of the Americas and the Caribbean; influence of natives, people of forced relocation and people from European communities; the syncretic process of music making.

PERF 223 Aesthetics of Activism

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. The use of performance in activist contexts to achieve social and political change; examination of activism, including struggles for social justice, economic equality and civil rights, as performance; examination of the arts, including performance, theatre, music, dress and design, as tools for activism.

PERF 224 History of Country and Western Music

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Examination of the development of country music; emphasis on how the sounds and meaning of music reflect culture, ideology, and history.

PERF 225 History of Jazz

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. (MUSC 1310) History of Jazz. Non-technical survey of jazz as America’s classical music, from the earliest recorded blues through the most recent trends; examination of how jazz has broadly expressed issues of modern life.

PERF 226 History of Rock

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Examination of the development of rock music; emphasis on how the sounds and meaning of music reflects culture, ideology and history; also taught at Galveston campus.

PERF 228 History of Electronic Music

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Historical survey of electronic music, including key technological advancements, people and musical works; exploration of electronic music from different genres and countries.

PERF 235 Introduction to Composition

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Significant styles and techniques in contemporary music including classical, jazz and popular trends; contemporary sonic design achieved through written exercises, reading and critical listening.

PERF 245 Critical Design Studies

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Elements and principles of design for the theatre; role of the designer within the production team, theoretical and practical applications in the visual interpretation of plays; participation in departmental productions.

PERF 281 History of the Theatre II

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. (DRAM 2362) History of the Theatre II. Survey of the history of western theatre from the closing of the theaters in England in 1642 to the present; consideration of cross-cultural exchange and the influence of global performance practices on theatre in Europe and the United States; also taught at Galveston campus.

PERF 284 Performance Studies Internship

Credits 0 to 4. 0 to 4 Lecture Hours. Supervised experience program conducted in the area of the student’s interest in performance studies. May be taken three times for credit. Prerequisite: PERF 101.

PERF 285 Directed Studies

Credits 0 to 3. 0 to 3 Other Hours. Directed Studies in specific problems in identified areas of performance studies. May be taken for credit up to 3 hours. Prerequisites: Approval of instructor and department head; PERF majors and minors only.

PERF 289 Special Topics in...

Credits 3. 3 Other Hours. Selected topics in performance studies. May be taken for credit seven times. Prerequisite: Approval of instructor.

PERF 291 Research

Credits 0 to 3. 0 to 3 Other Hours. Research conducted under the direction of faculty member in performance studies. May be taken two times for credit. Prerequisites: Freshman or sophomore classification and approval of instructor.

PERF 292 Cooperative Education in Performance Studies

Credits 0 to 3. 0 to 3 Other Hours. Educational work assignment by a student in the field of his or her career interest and course of study; supervision of the student by the cooperating employer and the instructor; technical report on a related subject area approved by the instructor. May be taken two times for credit. Prerequisite: PERF 101.

PERF 300 Dramaturgy

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Exploration of literary, production and theoretical dramaturgy in a classroom setting; script analysis, theatre criticism, theories of theatre, research techniques and dramaturgy in the production process, advancing thought about the art form in all its complexity; research methods for theatre. Prerequisites: Junior or senior classification.

PERF 301 Performance in World Cultures

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Application of the tools of performance studies to explore the enactment of the arts in world cultures and the ways the people of every society express themselves in performance; examination of different genres of performance through music, theatre, verbal art and dress. Prerequisite: Junior or senior classification or approval of instructor; PERF-301 also taught at Galveston campus.

PERF 303 Creating Performance

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Live and mediated performance; techniques and skills for performance; practical experience; discussion and critical analysis of performance; strategies for devising performance. Prerequisites: Major or minor in PERF; junior or senior classification or approval of instructor.

PERF 304 Devised Theatre Studio

Credits 3. 1 Lecture Hour. 5 Lab Hours. Advanced theory and practice of conceiving, developing, rehearsing, and staging live and mediated devised theatrical performance; investigation of structures for collaborative creation; advanced techniques and skills for devising theatre; discussion and critical analysis of devised theatre. May be repeated two times for credit. Prerequisites: Grade of C or better in PERF 303.

PERF 308 Stage Management and Arts Administration

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Planning and managing artistic events and performances; basic concepts of management theories, creating budgets, stage and production management, and grant applications; attendance of departmental events required. Prerequisite: Approval of instructor.

PERF 310 History of Performance in the Ancient World

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Historical approach to performance in the ancient world; primary and secondary evidence for performance practice; application of historical methods in the study of performance. Prerequisites: Junior or senior classification, or approval of instructor.

PERF 311 History of Performance in the Common Era

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Historical approach to performance practices and texts in the Common Era to 1800; transmission of performance styles, techniques and genres across cultures; applications of historical methods in the study of performance. Prerequisites: Junior or senior classification or approval of instructor.

PERF 312 History of Performance Modern Era

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Development of performance practices and texts in the 19th-21st centuries; performance styles, techniques and genres in and across cultures; application of historical methods in the study of performance. Prerequisites: Junior or senior classification or approval of instructor.

PERF 316 Music and Technology

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. 1 Lab Hour. Study of music produced with the aid of electronic and computer technologies; critical listening and analysis of music literature; understanding of technical concepts; required laboratory provides creative practical experience in studio and live performance applications. Prerequisite: Junior or senior classification.

PERF 317 Recording and the Producer

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Tools and techniques of studio recording; the studio as compositional tool; recorded literature examining the creative and ideological impact of the producer; recording projects applying course techniques and exploring aesthetic concepts. Prerequisite: Junior or senior classification.

PERF 318 Electronic Composition

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Project-based study of techniques for creating electronic and mixed-media performance; critical analysis of important electronic and interactive works; interactive media programming techniques for sound and video synthesis, sampling, digital signal processing. Prerequisites: Junior or senior classification.

PERF 321 Collaborative Design Process

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. 1 Lab Hour. Principles and practical application of techniques for designing theatre, music and other types of live performance; practical aspects of designing and producing live performances: plays, music events, devised performances, performance art; topics include lighting, sets and space, clothing and costume design, sound; may include specialized techniques such as masks, props, makeup. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisites: Junior or senior classification, major or minor in PERF, or approval of instructor.

PERF 322 Collaborative Performing

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. 1 Lab Hour. Acting, movement, music and directing techniques for plays and other types of performances focusing on collaboration among all participants; principles of realistic and non-realistic acting, including non-Western styles of performance, music and physical movement and principles of stage direction. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisites: Junior or senior classification, major or minor in PERF, or approval of instructor.

PERF 324/ANTH 324 Music in World Cultures

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Examination of music from an ethnomusicological perspective focusing on musical performance and the complex interrelationship of music to culture, society and daily life; examination of music from a variety of cultures through a series of case studies. Prerequisite: Junior or senior classification or approval of instructor. Cross Listing: ANTH 324/PERF 324.

PERF 325 Dance in World Cultures

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Examination of international relationships between dance, culture, identity, gender, youth and politics; relationships between dancing, gender and politics in specific cultures and in globalization; variety of dance practices around the globe. Prerequisite: Junior or senior classification.

PERF 326 Dance and Identity in the United States

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Analysis of dance events as complex sites for social action; examines dances performed by diverse groups of people; considers such issues as identity, community, diversity, gender and representation in the United States. Prerequisite: Junior or senior classification.

PERF 327/AFST 327 Popular Musics in the African Diaspora

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Examination of a range of popular musics from the twentieth century that have emerged in conjunction with the historical global spread of peoples and cultures from the African continent; technical knowledge about music is not required; focus on social and cultural contexts for popular music. Prerequisite: Junior or senior classification or approval of instructor. Cross Listing: AFST 327/PERF 327.

PERF 328 Japanese Traditional Performing Arts

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Study of various genres of Japanese performing arts from the 7th century to the present; understanding the genres in their historical and cultural contexts and recognizing shared aesthetic values. Prerequisites: Junior or senior classification or approval of instructor.

PERF 333 Movement in Performance Studies

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Embodied practices in performance studies; examination of the role movement plays in aesthetics, communication, religion, society, individual experience and politics; investigation of varied movement practices.

PERF 335 Sonic Improvisation

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Exploration of sonic improvisation in cultural, social, and performative settings; discussion and analysis of role and meaning of global improvisational performance practices; project-based study of improvisational techniques in sound and music; collaborative creation and performance of improvised sound and music. Prerequisite: Junior or senior classification.

PERF 338 Performing Communities

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Consideration of socio-cultural, aesthetic and ethical issues in arts-based community engagement; development of a community-based performance project. Prerequisites: Junior or senior classification.

PERF 345 Advanced Composition

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Advanced instruction in composition; the writing of large-form musical compositions employing contemporary styles; techniques in writing for instrumental, vocal, electronic and mixed-media resources. Prerequisites: Grade of C or better in PERF 235, or approval of instructor.

PERF 381 Small Ensembles

Credits 1 to 3. 1 to 3 Lecture Hours. Performance and research in ensemble settings covering a wide variety of genres from world cultures, including contemporary, historical, popular, folk and classical genres. Prerequisites: Performance Studies major or minor, junior or senior classification, or approval of instructor.

PERF 386 Evolution of the American Musical

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Examination of the American musical from its heterogeneous origins to a thriving and diverse expression of the human condition; analysis and critical discourse on the development of the American musical through text, audio and visual recordings. Prerequisites: Junior or senior classification or approval of instructor.

PERF 399/FILM 399 Star Studies

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Examination of stardom as a cultural, economic, creative, and performative force; may focus on national or global star industries; topics include examination of film, theater, television, sports, or social media stardom depending on the term. Prerequisites: Grade of C or better in FILM 251/ENGL 251 or FILM 299. Cross Listing: FILM 399/PERF 399.

PERF 402/FILM 402 Intermedia Performance

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Study of theory, history, literature and techniques of intermedia composition and design for film, theatre, dance, interactive media, and other forms of performance; examination of the collaborative creative process; projects in interdisciplinary performance. Prerequisites: Junior or senior classification. Cross Listing: FILM 402/PERF 402.

PERF 407 Performing Literature

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Analysis and performance of poetry, prose and drama; emphasis on translating analytical decisions into performance; solo performance, readers theatre, chamber theatre, and technology in/as performance. Prerequisite: Junior or senior classification.

PERF 424 Topics in Ethnomusicology

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Study and application of ethnomusicological theory, method, and literature in a variety of historical and geographical contexts. May be taken four times for credit. Prerequisite: Junior or senior classification.

PERF 446 Design as Performance

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Design as performance using research methods and the production of new work; disciplines of design, performance, installation and performance as research. Prerequisites: Junior or senior classification.

PERF 450 Seminar in 20th-21st Century Performance

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Social, political and aesthetic issues and problems in 20th-21st century performance idioms; study of genres, styles, artistic movements; may include performance. May be taken two times for credit when content varies. Prerequisites: Junior or senior classification or approval of instructor.

PERF 451 Seminar in Historical Performance

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Historical contexts for performance genres, styles or movements prior to the 20th century; texts, performance practices and contexts of performance genres, styles or movements prior to the 20th century; emphasis on historical methods; production participation may be required. May be taken two times for credit if content differs. Prerequisites: Junior or senior classification or approval of instructor.

PERF 452 Seminar in Global Performance

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Intersection of cultures in performances; representations and expressions of culture; focus on culture as the ground for performance; may culminate in a performance. May be taken two times for credit if content differs. Prerequisites: Junior or senior classification or approval of instructor.

PERF 453 Seminar in Performance Ethnography

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Theories and methods of ethnographic research; ethnographic research in the study of performance; ethnography of performance; ethnographic field work may be required. Prerequisites: Junior or senior classification or approval of instructor.

PERF 454 Seminar Performing the City

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Vernacular and aesthetic performance traditions in a city or cities; politics, culture, economics and geography of city or cities; may include a faculty-led field trip. Prerequisites: Junior or senior classification or approval of instructor.

PERF 455/WGST 455 Seminar in Gender, Sexuality, and Performance

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Performance of gender and sexuality; emphasis on feminist theory and queer theory, their intersection with performance studies and applications to performance practice; in-depth examination of works by artists who are women, queer, and-or gender non-conforming. Prerequisite: Junior or senior classification or approval of instructor. Cross Listing: WGST 455/PERF 455.

PERF 456 Seminar in Identity, Intersectionality, and Performance

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Performance as site for expressing and constructing intersectional social identities; race, ethnicity, gender, class and other identities in performance; social identities in the performance of everyday life; countering oppression using performance. Prerequisite: Junior or senior classification or approval of the Instructor.

PERF 457 Seminar in Performance and Technology

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. The intersection of performance and technology. The use of technology in artistic practice; the impact of technology on live performance; performance studies approaches to the study of science and technology. Prerequisite: Junior or senior classification or approval of instructor.

PERF 460 Seminar in Performance Theory

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. . In-depth examination of one or more contemporary theories of performance. Emphasis on problems, research, and innovations relevant to performing and analyzing performance. Prerequisite: Junior or senior classification, or approval of instructor.

PERF 461 Seminar in Folklore

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Expressive forms in vernacular culture; folklore genres and traditions of expression; local and regional customs; material culture and narrative; processes of meaning-making; aesthetics in vernacular performance. Prerequisites: Junior or senior classification or approval of instructor.

PERF 481 Capstone Seminar: Performance as Research

Credits 3. 1 Lecture Hour. 5 Lab Hours. Capstone senior project on an individually-chosen research topic, presentation of a performance or interdisciplinary project; major writing and oral communication components. Prerequisites: Performance studies major; completion of all performance studies coursework or taken concurrently with this course; approval of instructor, advisor and department head.

PERF 482 Topics in American Theatre and Performance

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Exploration of significant issues in American theatre and performance; emphasis on the aesthetic, social, and cultural issues affecting theatre and performance. May be taken two times for credit. Prerequisites: Junior or senior classification.

PERF 483 Performance Practicum

Credits 1 to 3. 1 to 3 Other Hours. Faculty-supervised performance experience in a public setting as part of a department production or an approved external production. May be taken four times for credit. Prerequisite: Junior or senior classification and approval of instructor.

PERF 484 Performance Studies Internship

Credits 0 to 4. 0 to 4 Other Hours. Supervised experience program conducted in the area of the student’s interest in performance studies. May be taken three times for credit. Prerequisites: PERF 101; junior or senior classification.

PERF 485 Directed Studies

Credits 0 to 3. 0 to 3 Other Hours. Directed Studies in specific problems in identified areas of performance studies. May be taken for credit up to 3 hours. Prerequisites: Approval of instructor and department head; PERF majors and minors only.

PERF 489 Special Topics in...

Credits 1 to 4. 1 to 4 Lecture Hours. 0 to 4 Lab Hours. Selected topics in performance studies. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Approval of instructor.

PERF 491 Research

Credits 0 to 3. 0 to 3 Other Hours. Research conducted under the direction of faculty member in performance studies. May be taken two times for credit. Prerequisites: Junior or senior classification and approval of instructor.

PERF 492 Cooperative Education in Performance Studies

Credits 0 to 3. 0 to 3 Other Hours. Educational work assignment by a student in the field of his or her career interest and course of study; supervision of the student by the cooperating employer and the instructor; technical report on a related subject area approved by the instructor. May be taken two times for credit. Prerequisites: PERF 101; junior or senior classification.