HS Program of Studies

THEATER - THEATER IB: SL 1 & 2 and HL 1 &  2 

Course Description:

This two year course enables students to understand theater through the three core areas of the syllabus: 

theater in context: understanding the contexts that influence, inform, and inspire their work as theater makers; experiencing practically and critically theoretical contexts that inform world theater practices; and becoming informed about many cultural contexts within which theater is created. 

theater processes: exploring and acquiring skills, techniques and processes involved in theater-making. Students reflect on their own creative processes and skills acquisition as they gain practical understanding of the process of creators, designers, directors and performers. 

Presenting theater: apply practical theater skills, individually and collaboratively, through a range of formats; present ideas about theater and take part in performances and understand how artistic choices can impact an audience.

The assessment tasks set the following expectations for theater students.

Solo theater piece (HL only): Students at HL research a theater theorist they have not previously studied, identify an aspect(s) of theory and create and present a solo theater piece (lasting 4-7 minutes maximum) that demonstrates the practical application of this theory to a theater piece for an audience.

Research presentation: Students at SL and HL plan, deliver and video record an individual research presentation (15 minutes maximum) in which they provide evidence of their academic and practical exploration and learning of a world theater tradition they have not previously studied. 

Collaborative project: Students at SL and HL collaboratively create and perform an original piece of theater (lasting 7–10 minutes maximum) created from a starting point of their choice. The piece is presented to an audience as a fully-realized production. 

Production proposal: Students at SL and HL choose a published play text they have not previously studied and formulate a vision for the design and theoretical staging of the entire play text for an audience. This results in a production proposal, which communicates the student’s vision for the feasible staging of the play text for a live audience using a combination of words and images.

Prerequisites:

A high school theater class, prior coursework or experience in theater is desirable (but not required) and teacher approval for HL

Credit:

1.0 credit for each year of the course

Length of Course:

2 years