A practical class celebrating the power of visual theater through exploration of classical and contemporary plays. Core texts include The Bacchae, Medea and Long Day's Journey into Night. Students are encouraged to explore the individual perceptions and interpretations of text in physical form, and challenged to find clear ways to communicate visually. A practical lab is provided in conjunction with the class to develop visual presentation skills. The goal is to encourage the students to see themselves in relationship to physical space and objects. The instructor guides the students in shaping this awareness to theatrical purpose, and to visually communicate their intentions. The thrust of the work is to develop an appreciation of the concrete world supporting a play and to understand the importance of design. The role and responsibilities of a professional designer will be defined. Through the exploration of specific texts, the student will create a place in which the play can happen, and methods will evolve to physically communicate ideas.

Playwrights Week affords those students especially interested in design an opportunity for practical application of their knowledge, as fifteen plays are presented as staged readings. In addition, the Final Project process is open to costume, set, light, and sound design possibilities, depending upon the initiative of the interested students.