Poster showing a holly-decked candle in a window, with the Red Cross symbol in its glow. Forms part of: Willard and Dorothy Straight Collection.

This resource provides an introduction to theatre and its physical spaces, designed to provide students with a broad historical and cultural perspective. 

This module resource focuses on the actor and the craft of acting, covering key aspects such as the profession's nature, different approaches, Stanislavski's influence, practical techniques, and the routine of an actor's career.(Title Image Attribution: Theatre by Kevin Spencer is licensed CC BY-NC 2.0)

This resource provides an overview of the collaborative nature of theatre production, introducing various roles and occupations essential to creating a performance. It highlights the concept of theatre as a collective effort involving many individuals working together, mentioning troupes and repertory. Key roles detailed include producers, directors, actors, designers, builders, crew, stage managers, house managers, playwrights, and composers, each contributing to the production's success.(Title Image Attribution: Theatre by Kevin Spencer is licensed CC BY-NC 2.0)

This resource provides an overview of theatre using interactive elements, historical context, quotes from theatre practitioners, and video examples of various theatrical styles from around the world. Student engagement is encouraged through surveys, discussions, and reflective exercises. 

This resource explores the dynamic role of the audience in theatre, challenging traditional perceptions and fostering deeper analysis. The module investigates the historical origins of the term 'audience' and encourages reflection on the transformative power of live theatre through TED talks and video analyses to help students critically examine the relationship between theatre and its diverse audiences.(Title Image Attribution: Theatre by Kevin Spencer is licensed CC BY-NC 2.0)

This module resource explores the role of drama critics and practices dramatic analysis by reflecting on live theatre and film experiences, considering the social and personal significance, artistic quality, theatrical expression, and entertainment value of performances.(Title Image Attribution: Leading Ladies Paris Community Theatre Paris Tx by Amy Claxton is licensed CC BY 2.0)

This resource provides an overview of the roles and processes involved in theater design, focusing on the contributions of theatre designers, the design process, and the evolution of scenic design.Title Image Attribution: Leading Ladies Paris Community Theatre Paris Tx / Amy Claxton / CC BY 2.0

This module resource covers the various aspects of theatrical design, including costumes, makeup, sound, puppets, projections, special effects, and digital technologies. (Title Image Attribution: Leading Ladies Paris Community Theatre Paris Tx by Amy Claxton is licensed CC BY 2.0)

This resource provides an overview of the director's role in theatrical productions and traces the evolution of directing from ancient Greek playwrights to contemporary practices and highlights key figures and movements as well as the shift from realism to antirealism. (Title Image Attribution: Leading Ladies Paris Community Theatre Paris Tx by Amy Claxton is licensed CC BY 2.0)

These module resources cover essential playwrighting terminology, emphasizing the distinction between "playwright" and "playwrite," and exploring the nature of plays as action blueprints rather than traditional literature. Users will be introduced to prominent playwrights such as Lauren Gunderson, Tony Kushner, David Henry Hwang, and Suzan-Lori Parks, and learn about them through various  activities, including reading assignments, dialogue writing exercises, and personal reflections.(Title Image Attribution: Leading Ladies Paris Community Theatre Paris Tx by Amy Claxton is licensed CC BY 2.0)

This module resource covers definitions of plays and drama, Aristotle's contributions to theatre theory, the classification of plays by duration and genre, and his components of tragedy. Assignments include reading short plays, creative story retelling, and developing research skills.(Title Image Attribution: Typewriter by Charlene N Simmons is licensed CC BY-NC 2.0)

This module resource explores the concept of theatre genres, starting with comedy and tragedy and expanding into modern and diverse genres such as history plays, documentary dramas, melodrama, and performance art. It emphasizes the subjective nature of genre classification and its importance in shaping audience expectations, while also highlighting global theatre traditions and regional variations. Through definitions, classic examples like Oedipus Tyrannos and Hamilton, and interactive prompts, the resource encourages users to engage with the material, reflect on their own experiences, and appreciate the rich diversity of theatre around the world.(Title Image Attribution: Typewriter by Charlene N Simmons is licensed CC BY-NC 2.0)

This module resource covers the evolution of modern theatre, focusing on various artistic movements such as Modernism, Realism, and Naturalism, and highlights the global impact of modern drama, key pioneers, and the shift from Realism to anti-realist movements and postmodernism.(Title Image Attribution: Venetian Carnival Mask by gnuckx is in the Public Domain)

This module resource explores diverse theatrical traditions from the Middle East, Vietnam, Oceania, and Africa, including Persian Puppet Theatre, Ta'zieh passion plays, Vietnamese Water Puppetry, and Aboriginal theatre in Australia. Licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0, it features articles, videos, and image attributions to enhance learning and engagement with global theatre practices.(Title Image Attribution: Venetian Carnival Mask by gnuckx is in the Public Domain)

This module resource provides an overview of stylized theatre, covering key movements such as avant-garde, surrealism, expressionism, metatheatre, theatre of cruelty, theatre of the absurd, theatre of alienation, and contemporary allegory. (Title Image Attribution: Venetian Carnival Mask by gnuckx is in the Public Domain)

This module resource examines the roots and traditions of theatre. (Title Image Attribution: Venetian Carnival Mask by gnuckx is in the Public Domain)

This module resource provides information on the evolution of theatre from Roman times to the Romantic era, including Eastern theatre traditions. It covers Roman drama’s reliance on Greek sources and the Renaissance revival of classical texts influencing notable playwrights like Shakespeare. Additionally, it explores the rich diversity of Asian theatre forms such as Indian Sanskrit drama, Chinese Xiqu, and Japanese Nō and Kabuki, each with unique storytelling, music, and performance traditions.(Title Image Attribution: Venetian Carnival Mask by gnuckx is in the Public Domain)