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PROGRAMS OF STUDY & COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
Speech and Drama (SPE)

Major: Yeshiva College
SPE 1010 and 28 elective credits of which at least 18 are in SPE courses; the other 10, chosen with the approval of the cluster advisor, may be interdisciplinary, in advanced electives related to the student’s academic and professional goals (at least 4 are generally recommended to be in ENG courses in the literature of drama or playwriting). No more than 4 credits in Theater Workshop may count toward the major. Cluster advisor: Dr. Beukas.

Minor: Yeshiva College
SPE 1010 and 12 elective credits of which no more than 2 may be from SPE 2031. With permission of the cluster advisor, 4 elective credits in ENG drama courses or playwriting may be used to meet the requirement.

0001 Speech Workshop (by appointment). No credit.
Designed to help students develop proper voice and speech patterns under personalized instruction. Students in this course are graded P (= pass) or R (= repeat).

1010 Speech Communication. Three hours plus conferences. 2–3 credits.
Effective informal and formal public speaking: informative and persuasive purposes. Focuses on logical organization, psychological motivation, research of topics, precise vocabulary, clear and pleasant vocal patterns, application of sound rhetoric to the communication of ideas.

1020 Group Discussion. 2–3 credits.
Communication in small groups for information sharing, problem solving, and negotiation. Focuses on the task group; theory and techniques vital to the dynamics of interaction; barriers to communication, management of conflict, and methods of reaching consensus; participation in symposium, panel discussion. Develops leadership techniques and capacity for constructive interaction. Useful for law, medicine, business, and professions, as well as societies, clubs, and other personal social roles.
Prerequisite: SPE 1010.

1030 Voice and Diction. 2 credits.
Designed to help the student attain a high standard of American speech unmarred by dialect or foreign accent. Focuses on improvement in diction, articulation, pronunciation, intonation, and vocal use and projection; effective speech patterns for public speaking, theater, pulpit; guided practice, criticism, and experience.
Prerequisite: SPE 1010.

1300 Interpersonal Communication. Three hours plus conferences.   3 credits.
Verbal and nonverbal elements of interpersonal communication, such as interviews. Particularly useful for those intending to enter business.
Prerequisite: SPE 1010.

1510, 1511 Persuasion and Debate. 2 credits.
Analysis of controversy to discover its intrinsic and vital issues; beliefs presented through logical proofs and ethical emotional appeals; participation in decision-making discussion groups and debate. Particularly useful for those intending to become lawyers.
Prerequisite: SPE 1010.

1608 Advanced Public Speaking. 2 credits.
Theory and techniques of presenting speeches and eliciting specific audience response; intellectual integrity and ethics of emotional appeals; preparation of speeches (eulogies, introductions, exposés, critical reviews, calls to action) to enable students to gain proficiency in areas related to professional goals (e.g., law and business).
Prerequisite: SPE 1010.

1661; 1662 Great Speakers and Speeches. 2 credits.
First semester: classical antiquity; second semester: modern times. Techniques of great orators; their speeches; rhetorical theory and training. Students analyze and deliver famous speeches of their choice.
Prerequisite: SPE 1010.

2031 Theater Workshop. Two hours. 1 credit.
Applied theatrical techniques and dramatic methods—including makeup, costuming, lighting, set design and construction, and role interpretation and acting—based on experience in preparing and participating in a Dramatics Society production. May be taken a maximum of four times for credit. May not be taken by students whose course loads exceed 17 credits that semester.
Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.

2090 Play Production. 2 credits.
Technical areas of play production; function of theater technicians and management; use of stage through lights, set design, costume design, actors and directors; problems of play selection; producing and publicity; role interpretation and acting; theatrical and dramatic analysis of selected plays. Practical experiences in classroom and Dramatics Society production.

2113; 2114 Theater Arts. 3 credits.
Survey of historical movements in the theater and their relationship to the contemporary theater; analysis of technique, development, and innovation in drama from the viewpoint of dramatic structure and production. The class attends several professional productions.

2910, 2911 Art of the Actor. 3 credits.
Study and development of the power and skills of interpretation necessary for the actor to reflect the ideas of the playwright in various media—legitimate theater, television, radio, and cinema. Students identify the essential characteristics and solve the problems of acting in these media.

2930 Techniques of the Director. 3 credits.
Theoretical and practical bases for understanding what the artistic director must do in preparation and rehearsal of a theatrical production to evoke the ideas, themes, and values of the playwright; working rehearsals in class to clarify acting, stagecraft, lighting, costuming, makeup, music, and movement for the stage.

2961; 2962 Play-Scenario Writing. 2 credits.
Playwriting for the theater, cinema, and television in traditional, contemporary, and experimental forms; discovering dramatic subject matter; developing the scenario; plot construction (exposition, conflict, crisis, climax, scenes of resolution); creating and developing characters; dialogue; author and theatrical production; theater, radio, television, and motion picture scripts.

4001, 4002 Oral Interpretation of Literature. 2–3 credits.
Development of improved vocal and interpretation skills for the oral communication of literature; analysis and performance of prose, poetry, and drama selections; radio and television techniques for reading literature and copy.
Prerequisite: SPE 1010.

4640 Foundations of Communication Theory. 3 credits.
Analysis and application of theories of communication (general systems, transactional, manipulative, organization) to problem situations in education, business, and personal life. Students conduct a study of a current problem that they feel can be solved through a media campaign, and report on the project and its results.
Prerequisite: SPE 1010.

4644 Language and Symbols in Communication. 3 credits.

4700 Mass Media in Western Civilization. 3 credits.
Historical development of the various print and electronic media and the impact of mass communications on society; legal and ethical issues in mass media, including the First Amendment; focus on contemporary trends.

4710 Broadcasting. 3 credits.
Historical development of the broadcasting industry; impact of radio, television, and other electronic media on society; current issues and laws; First Amendment in relation to broadcasting; scope and operation of the communications network.

4831; 4832 History of Film I & II. 3 credits.
Survey of important currents in film history and esthetics from the 19th century to the present. Helps students achieve visual literacy through an understanding of the rudiments of film grammar.
Laboratory fee: $35 per semester.

4835 Filmmaking Techniques I. 3 credits.
Techniques that have produced modern cinematography. Students divide into camera crews and shoot film in class to explore these techniques. Each student makes a one-minute film as the final examination. Film and equipment are furnished for all films made in class—three per semester.
Laboratory fee: $35.

4837 Film Criticism. 3 credits.
Styles and techniques of contemporary film criticism (film as art, “auteur,” genre, popular art). Selected films are viewed for written criticism.
Laboratory fee: $35
Recommended: SPE 4835.

4850 Films of Hitchcock. 3 credits.
In-depth exploration of Alfred Hitchcock’s film career; various methodologies including genre and auteurist approaches; fundamental issues in film history and esthetics, with Hitchcock’s films as basis for investigation; screenings and discussions.
Laboratory fee: $35.

4854 Film Genres. 3 credits.
Special topics in cinema; silent films, film noir, comedy, the western, war films.

4901, 4902 Independent Study
Meet with the Yeshiva College academic dean.