Theatre, Comedy Emphasis (BA)*

This emphasis encourages students to engage with the structure and practice of comedy through theoretical lenses and through practical exploration. All students are required to take a range of courses that will help them develop fundamental skills and experience in a range of different comic styles and forms. Some of the required courses are common to other SDA emphases and these courses (Introduction to Acting, Improvisation and Theatre Games, Introduction to Technical Theatre and Basic Voice) give students a grounding in understanding basic theatre techniques and processes. Students following the emphasis must then take a range of specialist comedy courses. Comedy and Performance and How Comedy Works introduce students to the history and development of comedy and equips them with a vocabulary for discussing comedy. They then take a range of courses to develop skills across a range of comedy styles including improvisation, clowning and stand-up comedy. A further required course, Comedy in LA, helps the students to understand the comedy scene in Los Angeles. Students also take 16 elective units, which might include performance in SDA shows, Acting for Sitcoms, Camera and Improvisation and other courses designed to help them develop their skills in writing, performing and understanding the comedy industry.