How to Enroll

For more information about our courses and to register, click on www.registrar.ucla.edu.

 

THEATER COURSES FOR FALL 2025

 

Click through the class name to see the course description on the Registrar's website.

 

1A / Introduction to Dance for Music Theater
Studio, four hours. Designed for Theater majors. Introduction to basic music theater dance technique. May be repeated once for credit. Letter grading.


2A / Tai Chi
Studio, two to four hours. Emphasizes proper form, etiquette as coextensive with training, and other values that sustain physical practice over lifetime. Actors increase focus, enhance discipline, cultivate internal energy, and relax mind and body. Demonstration of how each tai chi movement works in self-defense situation. Letter grading.


12 / Introduction to Performance
Lecture, two hours; studio, four hours. Investigation of phenomenon of performance and role of performer in theatrical events, including interpretation of drama through performance. Examination of various forms of theatrical performance and styles of expression, and development of acting, voice, and movement skills. Letter grading.


14A / Introduction to Design
Lecture, three hours; studio, six hours. Exploration of visual interpretation of drama. Study of styles and techniques of design, collaborative role of designer, principles of design for scenery, lighting, costumes, and sound. Both technical and aesthetic groundwork for further study. Letter grading.


20 / Acting Fundamentals
Studio, four hours. Introduction to interpretation of drama through art of actor. Development of individual insights, skills, and disciplines in presentation of dramatic material to audiences. P/NP or letter grading.


24 / Acting Foundations: Voice
(Formerly numbered 24A.) Studio/lecture/discussion, six hours. Study of basic vocal technique for actor, with emphasis on resonance, range, and power. Physiological foundations for subsequent training and theoretical foundations to enlarge the actor's sense of a vocal practice. Letter grading. 


25 / Acting Foundations: Movement
Studio/lecture/discussion, six hours. Broad investigation of movement in performance, with emphasis on ensemble performance and the actor's craft. Physiological foundations for subsequent training and theoretical foundations to enlarge the actor's sense of a physical practice. Letter grading.


34A / Ballet II
Studio, five hours. Development of dance and movement techniques for musical theater. Letter grading.


35A / Group Singing Techniques
Studio, three hours. Requisites: courses 23A, 23B. Introduction to singing techniques, with emphasis on bel canto training. Exploration of how singing voice works and how to achieve optimal vocal sound and musicality while preserving vocal health. Letter grading.


50 / Theater Production
Laboratory, three to six hours. Laboratory experience in various aspects of theater production, including stage management or member of production crew. May be repeated for maximum of 8 units. Letter grading.


95 / Introduction to Community or Corporate Internships in Theater, Film, and Television
Tutorial, six to 12 hours. Limited to freshmen/sophomores. Internship at various theaters, studios, or entertainment organizations accentuating creative contributions, organization, and work of professionals in various specialties. Students meet on regular basis with faculty member and provide periodic reports of experience. May be taken for maximum of 4 units. Individual contract with supervising faculty member required. P/NP grading.


101A / Global Histories of Theater and Performance I
Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour. Introduction to histories of theater and performance from across world, with emphasis on ancient world through 18th century. Introduction to global aesthetic theories and historiographical research methods. Letter grading.


102B / K-Pop: Race, Gender, and Sexuality in Globalizing Asian Media
Lecture, two hours; discussion, two hours. Exploration of K-pop through critical lens of gender queerness, racial plagiarism and passing, cultural appropriation, affective labor, body technology, transmedia, and globality. Study acknowledges that history of globalization and evolution of media ecosystem cannot be studied without considering uneven power dynamics marked by racial and gender hierarchy and digital accessibility. Letter grading.


M103D / Contemporary Chicano Theater: Beginning of Chicano Theater Movement
(Same as Chicana/o and Central American Studies M103D.) Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour (when scheduled). Analysis and discussion of historical and political events from 1965 to 1980, as well as theatrical traditions that led to emergence of Chicano theater. Letter grading.


C104J / History of Design for Performance Production: Selected Topics of Décor and Costume Design History
Lecture, four hours. Requisites: courses 14A, 14B, 14C. Historic survey and in-depth exploration of selected periods and subcategories of décor and costume. Visual representation, with emphasis on influences of global diverse cultures. May be repeated three times for credit. Concurrently scheduled with course C404J. Letter grading.


C112A / Emerging Technologies and Their Uses in Live Performance
(Formerly numbered C112.) Seminar, four hours. Survey of major emerging and contemporary technologies and their potential uses in and impact on live performance, from augmented and virtual reality to electronic textiles, Internet of Things, and Modern approaches to artificial intelligence. Offers solid basis for engaging in future collaborations with technologists, for self-study of new technologies, and, for those already more familiar with digital technologies, theoretical background for engaging with social context of these technologies. Concurrently scheduled with course C212A. P/NP or letter grading.


118A / Teaching Artist Fundamentals
Lecture, four hours. Introduction to teaching artist techniques and the creation of storytelling projects through K-12 engaged pedagogy. Exploration of approaches to the interrelationships of arts to traditional learning disciplines by the facilitation of creative activities and lesson plan construction. Letter grading.


121 / Actor-Director Workshop
Studio, three to six hours. Enrollment by audition or instructor consent. Courses 160, 163A, 163B, and 163C may be taken concurrently. Workshop that provides students with opportunity to rehearse, perform, criticize scenes, and reflect on actor-director collaboration. May be repeated once for credit. P/NP or letter grading.


126A / Acting Shakespeare
Studio, six hours. Requisites: courses 24A, 24B, 25, and 116A, or 28A, 28B, 28C, and 116B, all with grades of C or better. Study of characterization, verse, scansion, and rhetoric; personalization within heightened reality. Letter grading.


128A / Acting, Voice, and Movement Workshop II
Studio, four to six hours. Study of advanced acting technique, scene study, and development of voice and movement skills. May be repeated for maximum of 12 units. Letter grading.


134A / Dance for Musical Theater II
Studio, five hours. Designed for Theater majors. Development of dance and movement techniques for musical theater. Letter grading.


134D / Dance for Musical Theater III
Studio, five hours. Designed for Theater majors. Development of dance and movement techniques for musical theater. Letter grading.


135D / Musical Theater Vocal Styles: Rock
Studio, three hours. Designed for Theater majors. Part of five-course series of musical theater performance techniques in which students explore and master variety of vocal styles and/or acting approaches necessary to be competitive in field of professional musical theater. Exploration of strategies and techniques for singing rock music, with emphasis on vocal and body strengthening exercises and solo song coaching. Letter grading.


135F / Singing: Individual Instruction
Studio, one hour. Requisite: course 35B. Designed to advance proper vocal technique, focusing on breath support, vowel shape, range expression, and overall mastery of vocal instrument. May be repeated four times for credit. Letter grading.


138 / Special Problems in Performance Techniques
Studio, four hours. Study of complex problems in voice, movement, and acting. May be repeated twice for credit. P/NP or letter grading.


148 / Special Courses in Design and Technical Theater
Lecture, three hours. Group study of selected subjects in design and technical theater. May be repeated twice for credit. P/NP or letter grading.


149 / Introduction to Design
Lecture, three hours. Exploration of interpretation of drama through design, including study of styles and techniques of design, collaborative role of designer, principles of design for scenery, lighting, costumes, and sound. Both technical and aesthetic groundwork for further study. Investigation of techniques for realization of designs in production. Letter grading.


150A / Theater Production and Performance
Laboratory, three to six hours. Laboratory experience in various aspects of theater production, including performance in project or production, stage management, assistant director, dramaturg, member of crew, or assignment as designer or assistant on production. May be repeated 15 times for credit. Combination of courses 150A, 150B, 150C, and 150D may not be taken for more than 16 units. Letter grading.


150B / Theater Production and Performance
Laboratory, six to nine hours. Laboratory experience in various aspects of theater production, including performance in project or production, stage management, assistant director, dramaturg, member of crew, or assignment as designer or assistant on production. May be repeated seven times for credit. Combination of courses 150A, 150B, 150C, and 150D may not be taken for more than 16 units. Letter grading.


C151A / Scenic Design
Lecture/studio, four hours. Requisites: courses 14A, 14B, 14C. Imagination as impetus for design, text analysis, metaphor, and conceptualization. Investigation of design research process, composition, and style leading to visual presentation of design. May be repeated twice for credit. Concurrently scheduled with course C451A. Letter grading.


C152A / Lighting Design
Lecture/studio, four hours. Requisites: courses 14A, 14B, 14C. Study of lighting, with emphasis on imagination, text analysis, metaphor, and conceptualization. Investigation of composition and control of light and color in relation to actor. May be repeated once for credit. Concurrently scheduled with course C452A. Letter grading.


C153A / Costume Design
Lecture/studio, four hours. Requisites: courses 14A, 14B, 14C; for transfer students: course 149. Imagination as impetus for design, text analysis, metaphor, and conceptualization. Investigation of design research process, composition, and style leading to visual presentation of design. May be repeated twice for credit. Concurrently scheduled with course C453A. Letter grading.


C155H / Selected Topics in Graphic Representation of Design
Studio, six hours. Group study of selected subjects in techniques for interpretation of design for theater. May be repeated once for credit. Concurrently scheduled with course C455H. Letter grading.


C156A / Introduction to Computer-Assisted Drafting
Studio, four hours. Requisite: course 147A. Investigation of drawing and editing techniques, drawing floor plan sections, and elevation drawings using AutoCAD. Concurrently scheduled with course C456A. Letter grading.


C157A / Costume Construction Techniques
Studio, four hours. Requisites: courses 14A, 14B, 14C. Study of theory and application of drafting, pattern making, fitting, and construction techniques for period costumes and undergarments to achieve authentic-appearing costume using contemporary methods. Introduction to draping, pattern grading fitting, and slash and spread adaptation. May be repeated once for credit. Concurrently scheduled with course C457A. P/NP or letter grading.


167A / Career Preparation for Actor
Lecture/studio, four to six hours. Requisite: course 116B. Limited to seniors. Preparation for professional career as actor in film, television, theater, and commercials. Topics include audition preparation, head shots, résumés, agents, managers, casting directors, producers, unions, survival skills, professional development. Letter grading.


172 / Production Practice in Theater, Film, Video, and Digital Media
Studio, three to eight hours. Exploration and laboratory experience in one or more various aspects of production and postproduction practice for entertainment media, including theater, film, video, and digital media. May be repeated for maximum of 24 units. Letter grading.


173A / Design Assignment: Assistant Designer
Studio, six hours. Requisites: courses 14A, 14B, 14C. Laboratory experience as assistant designer, including participation in preparation and realization of scenic, lighting, costume, or sound designs. May be repeated twice. Letter grading.


173B / Production Design Assignment: Designer
Studio, six hours. Requisites: courses 14A, 14B, 14C. Laboratory experience as designer, including preparation and realization of scenic, lighting, costume, or sound designs. May be repeated twice. Letter grading.


174B / Project in Stage Management
Studio, nine hours. Requisite: course 174A. Laboratory experience in professional duties of assistant stage manager, including participation as assistant stage manager in preproduction, rehearsal, and performance phases of productions. May be repeated once for credit. Letter grading.


174C / Project in Stage Management
Studio, 12 hours. Requisite: course 174A. Laboratory experience in professional duties of stage manager, including participation as stage manager in preproduction, rehearsal, and performance phases of productions. Problems of unions, auditions, organization, scheduling, and responsibilities of lengthy run. May be repeated three times for credit. Letter grading.


180 / Senior Project
Lecture or studio, three hours. Requisites: courses 101A, 101B. Preparation of conceptual or creative project to provide culminating experience in production of creative or research work. May be repeated twice for credit. Letter grading.


195 / Community or Corporate Internships in Theater, Film, and Television
Tutorial, eight, 16, or 24 hours. Limited to juniors/seniors. Internship at various theaters, studios, or entertainment organizations accentuating creative contributions, organization, and work of professionals in their various specialties. Students meet on regular basis with instructor and provide periodic reports of their experience. May be taken for maximum of 8 units. Individual contract with supervising faculty member required. Letter grading.


C212A / Emerging Technologies and Their Uses in Live Performance
(Formerly numbered C212.) Seminar, four hours. Survey of major emerging and contemporary technologies and their potential uses in and impact on live performance, from augmented and virtual reality to electronic textiles, Internet of Things, and Modern approaches to artificial intelligence. Offers solid basis for engaging in future collaborations with technologists, for self-study of new technologies, and, for those already more familiar with digital technologies, theoretical background for engaging with social context of these technologies. Concurrently scheduled with course C112A. S/U or letter grading.


216B / Approaches to History
Lecture, three hours; laboratory, one hour. Overview of key methodologies, theories, and debates in historiography of theater and performance linked to plays and performances appropriate to approach. Letter grading.


230A / Writing for Contemporary Theater: One-Act Play
Lecture, three hours; studio, two hours. Designed for graduate students. Analysis of strategy and dramatic structure of selected contemporary short plays leading to guided completion and critique of student-written one-act plays. Letter grading.


260 / Directing I
Lecture, four hours; studio, 24 hours. Designed for graduate students. Development of directorial skills of analysis, planning, staging, and criticism through medium of written preparations and directing of scenes. Letter grading.


261 / Directing II
Studio, six hours. Development of directorial skills through play analysis and laboratory scene work. Letter grading.


298A / Special Studies in Theater Arts
Lecture/discussion, two or four hours. Designed for graduate students. Seminar study of problems in theater arts, organized on topic basis. May be repeated once for credit. S/U or letter grading.


C404J / History of Design for Performance Production: Selected Topics of Décor and Costume Design History
Lecture, four hours. Requisites: courses 14A, 14B, 14C. Historic survey and in-depth exploration of selected periods and subcategories of décor and costume. Visual representation, with emphasis on influences of global diverse cultures. May be repeated three times for credit. Concurrently scheduled with course C104J. Letter grading.


430A / Advanced Studies in Playwriting
Lecture, three hours. Limited to MFA playwriting program students. Guided completion of full-length scripts for stage. S/U or letter grading.


435AF / Problems in Advanced Writing for Stage
Lecture, two hours. Limited to MFA candidates. Review discussion and critique of playwriting projects. May be repeated for maximum of 6 units. In Progress grading (credit to be given only on completion of courses 435AW and 435AS).


441C / Lighting Design
Lecture/studio, four hours. Investigation of lighting design in production, musical theater, opera, touring, and repertory situations. Study of analysis of script and score for lighting designer. May be repeated once for credit. Letter grading.


443A / Advanced Scenic Design
Studio, four hours. Advanced study and practice of scenic design for theater, with emphasis on cultivating imagination as impetus for design, text analysis, metaphor, and conceptualization. Investigation of design research process, composition, and style leading to visual presentation of design, as well as exploration of students' individual cognitive and artistic process and refinement of techniques. May be repeated twice for credit. S/U or letter grading.


445A / Production Design for Film, Television, and Entertainment Media
Lecture/studio, four hours. Study and practice in design of scenic environment for film, video, and entertainment media, including effect of differing media on design choices, role of production designers and art directors, and design for single- and multiple-camera production. May be repeated once for credit. Letter grading.


448A / Costume Design for Film, Television, and Entertainment Media
Lecture/studio, four hours. Study and practice in design of costumes for live and virtual characters in film, television, and entertainment media, including effect of differing media on design choices. May be repeated once for credit. Letter grading.


449A / Design Thesis Preparation
Lecture/studio, four hours. Series of group design projects that prepare design students for thesis examination. In Progress grading (credit to be given only on completion of courses 449B and 449C).


449B / Design Thesis Preparation
Lecture/studio, four hours. Series of group design projects that prepare design students for thesis examination. In Progress grading (credit to be given only on completion of course 449C).


C451A / Scenic Design
Lecture/studio, four hours. Imagination as impetus for design, text analysis, metaphor, and conceptualization. Investigation of design research process, composition, and style leading to visual presentation of design. May be repeated once for credit. Concurrently scheduled with course C151A. Letter grading.


C452A / Lighting Design
Lecture/studio, four hours. Study of lighting, with emphasis on imagination, text analysis, metaphor, and conceptualization. Investigation of composition and control of light and color in relation to actor. May be repeated once for credit. Concurrently scheduled with course C152A. Letter grading.


C455H / Selected Topics in Graphic Representation of Design
Studio, six hours. Group study of selected subjects in techniques for interpretation of design for theater. May be repeated once for credit. Letter grading.


C456A / Introduction to Computer-Assisted Drafting
Studio, four hours. Requisite: course 147A. Investigation of drawing and editing techniques, drawing floor plan sections, and elevation drawings using AutoCAD. Concurrently scheduled with course C156A. Letter grading.


C456G / Virtual Reality Rendering for Film
Studio, four hours. Requisites: courses C455C, C455H, C456A, C456B, C456C. Preparation: basic 3D modeling and rendering skills. Students learn how to translate 3D models developed in Maya into Unreal virtual game engine environment, and utilize this platform as powerful tool for development, presentation, and staging of film and theater set design. Students primarily use Autodesk Maya and Unreal gaming engine, but are also introduced to Zbrush, Blender, Quixel, and other ancillary resources. May be repeated twice for credit. Concurrently scheduled with course C156G. Letter grading.


C457A / Costume Construction Techniques
Studio, four hours. Requisites: courses 14A, 14B, 14C. Study of theory and application of drafting, pattern making, fitting, and construction techniques for period costumes and undergarments to achieve authentic-appearing costume using contemporary methods. Introduction to draping, pattern grading fitting, and slash and spread adaptation. May be repeated once for credit. Concurrently scheduled with course C157A. S/U or letter grading.


460AF / Contemporary Issues in Direction
Discussion, three hours. Designed for graduate students. Discussion of role of director in contemporary professional practice. Review discussion and critique of directing projects. May be repeated for maximum of 4 units. Letter grading.


472 / Production Practice in Theater, Film, Video, and Digital Media
Studio, three to eight hours. Exploration and laboratory experience in one or more various aspects of production and postproduction practice for entertainment media, including theater, film, video, and digital media. May be repeated for maximum of 24 units. Letter grading.


474 / Advanced Projects in Design and Production
Lecture/studio, four hours. Study and practice in preparation and execution of designs for theater, film, video, and related entertainment forms. As contributing artistic member of design team, creative responsibilities include designer, technical supervisor, or production manager. May be repeated for maximum of 16 units. Letter grading.


495A / Practicum and Practice in Teaching Theater
Seminar, to be arranged; discussion, two hours. Study and practice of teaching theater at university level. Orientation and preparation of graduate (PhD) students who have responsibility to assist in teaching undergraduate courses in department. Discussion of problems common to teaching experience. S/U grading.


498 / Professional Internship in Theater, Film, and Television
Tutorial, to be arranged. Full- or part-time at studio or on professional project. Designed for advanced MFA students. Internship at various film, television, or theater facilities accentuating creative contribution, organization, and work of professionals in their various specialties. Given only when projects can be scheduled. S/U or letter grading.


596A / Directed Individual Studies: Research
Tutorial, to be arranged. Designed for graduate students. May be repeated with consent of instructor. S/U or letter grading.


596B / Directed Individual Studies: Writing
Tutorial, to be arranged. Designed for graduate students. May be repeated with consent of instructor. S/U or letter grading.


596C / Directed Individual Studies: Directing
Tutorial, to be arranged. Designed for graduate students. May be repeated with consent of instructor. S/U or letter grading.


596D / Directed Individual Studies: Design
Tutorial, to be arranged. Designed for graduate students. May be repeated with consent of instructor. S/U or letter grading.


596E / Directed Individual Studies: Acting
Tutorial, to be arranged. Designed for graduate students. May be repeated with consent of instructor. S/U or letter grading.


596F / Directed Individual Studies: Production
Tutorial, to be arranged. Designed for graduate students. May be repeated with consent of instructor. S/U or letter grading.


597 / Preparation for PhD Qualifying Examinations in Theater Arts
Tutorial, to be arranged. Writing of prospectus and three reading lists. May be repeated for credit. S/U grading.


599 / PhD Dissertation in Theater Arts
Tutorial, to be arranged. Preparation: advancement to PhD candidacy. Research for and writing of PhD dissertation. May be repeated for credit. S/U grading.