01-06-2015, 02:46 AM (This post was last modified: 01-06-2015, 02:50 AM by Christopher.)
I registered and started my first 100 percent online course. I’m from the old school era of localize CCs so online college is new to me. Other than having to get use to socializing with students in a virtual discussion form, and doing everything online instead of in class, it looks good. I registered with my local CC. The course is:
THA 01: Theatre Arts Introduction
I figured since I'm new to the online course thing I might as well go with a course I’m already familiar to help ease the transition and lessen the study time since I’m a theatre junkie. We have to go out and see two theatre art plays, one being Shakespeare, and write a five page paper for both of them. I’m totally looking forward to that! (Being serious too.)
Gosh, when I’m done with that course I’ll have:
1: THA 01: Theatre Arts Introduction
2: THA 02A: Beginning Acting
3: THA 02B: Intermediate Acting
4: THA 09: Acting for Film & TV
4: THA 24: Theatre Costume/Make-Up
5: THA 20: Stagecraft’s
6: HUM 18: Images of Women in Film
I plan on taking THA 04: History of Theater next semester. These are to fill up free electives (might as well take something I enjoy, and know about.)
Maybe I should just change my BA major interest to non-Humanities Theatre Arts. Take THA 03: Voice & Dictation and THA 50: Performing Arts Business Management. I'd be such a breeze for me as I live and breathe English Lit, theatre and film as a hobby.
I wonder how a plan like that with TESC would work although I don’t believe they have THA upper course levels.
And…for the record…Theatre is also spelt Theater. It doesn’t matter which way. The term comes from the greek word “Theatron” which means “A place to behold/perform”. It's spelt Theatre in Britain as it's spelt Theater in USA.
Greeks would use mostly oral traditions and costumes to put on plays, and most to all female parts were casted as men dressed in women costumes as women more or less were not allow to participate in theatre.
A high-schoold teacher wrote "theatre" on the board years ago. I told him he was being pretentious. (Watch out for that from mouthy kids.) I also told him that I hated "Hamlet," but I couldn't present a reason. Now, I can. Dude, just DO something. Or DON'T do something. Just quit vacillating already!
Regrdless, it does seem easier to take a class when it's an interesting topic. Interesting for YOU, that is. Good luck with your course.
TESU BSBA - GM, September 2015
"Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway." -- Earl Nightingale, radio personality and motivational speaker
01-06-2015, 03:20 PM (This post was last modified: 01-06-2015, 03:25 PM by Christopher.)
Very interesting. Thank you. Yeah, I know about Charter Oak. It’s a good school, but I want to declare a major instead of a “General Studies in…” TESC seems more liberal with the upper and lower credit ratio. If I was to go that route, it would be Theater Arts History, not acting. I'm too old to be an actor (34 yo) and I have no desire to be one outside of maybe volunteer community theatre for fun lol. I like to eat and I already have a decent job now. Santa Barbara City College has AA degrees for those wanting to study “Theatre Art History” which is unique because most other colleges are just “Acting” or “Technical/Directing”. Our CC did away with the Directing degree. Right now I’m taking the course to fill free electives, and make it my intro to online college course, because Im pretty familiar with the topic and won’t be overwhelming especially as a returning student ten years removed from college.
Now I know some will say Technical Theatre is a waste of time/degree. Most career reports will place Theatre Arts on the list of worst degrees. But, if you live in Los Angeles, you can make a pretty decent living if you know Theatrical Stagecraft’s and Lighting. Acting is most likely a waste; most instructors tell you straight up you have a 0.01 percent chance of even making it as an extra. But, it's required core so you know how it works, and if you want to become a Theatre teacher know how teach basic acting. Theatre Technician in LA works because we have numerous of Theatre stages with the Pantages Theatre being the big big one. Most require large crews. Las Vegas would be another one. And of course New York. A Theatre Tehnician is a person who builds or helps builds the stages, works the stagecrafts, does the lighting setup for each performance or play run, and so.
Theatre Arts is a hit or miss. If you live in a small community in Montana than most likely it’s a complete waste to major in theatre because outside of local community theater there’s nothing. But if you live in a or around a major city like NYC, LA, or LV than the major can work especially on the technical or management side. Most Theatre majors usually need a B.F.A. with a M.F.A. preferred. Film Arts is actually a whole different ball game. Although sometimes they cross over, it's a whole different area. Theatre and modern film are totally different. Myrna Loy in her autobiography "Being and Becoming" talked about how when she transition from film to stage acting in her later career it was a very demanding experience as all of her film training/experience had little help with theatre acting. She had to be totally re-trained to work the stage after having over forty years of film acting experience.
Anyhow, I strongly believe some degree majors work better in some geographic locations than others.
Well with art one either likes/loves it or they don’t. One can look at a painting and appreciate it or one can say "just splash of water covers on a canvass." Why it’s called "Art Appreciation”. Same for theatre and film and so on. Hamlet is difficult to read as most of Shakespeare because it was written in a different era. Shakespeare stype plays don't repersent all of theatre especially the modern theatre. Watch the musical "Bye Bye Birdie" that's Theatre but its about life and music in the early 1960s. Before the modern world of technology, the theatre was one way the public was able to express their feelings on whatever it is they were feeling. A sense of social media of that time.
Sadly the modern world is pushing art away. A lot of the H.S. schools here are cutting out art programs in favor of STEM (Science, Technology and Math). As much as we need STEM we also need art in any form (theatre, music, painting.) Remember folks that Art has never started a war .
LaterBloomer Wrote:A high-schoold teacher wrote "theatre" on the board years ago. I told him he was being pretentious. (Watch out for that from mouthy kids.) I also told him that I hated "Hamlet," but I couldn't present a reason. Now, I can. Dude, just DO something. Or DON'T do something. Just quit vacillating already!
Regrdless, it does seem easier to take a class when it's an interesting topic. Interesting for YOU, that is. Good luck with your course.
01-06-2015, 05:55 PM (This post was last modified: 01-06-2015, 05:58 PM by JohnnyHeck.)
So you are not disappointed later - Your TESC diploma will simply say that you earned a Bachelor of Arts. There will be no mention of your concentration there. In the same portfolio as your diploma TESC will include your official transcript which does list your "major". By the way, my wife majored in chemistry at Catholic University of America and her diploma from there only says Bachelor of Arts.
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Good luck in the course and enjoy.
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