FYS: Foundations of Acting - Presence, Performance, and the Art of Interpretation

3 Credits.

This First-Year Seminar introduces acting as a rigorous practice of attention, interpretation, and collaboration. Working as an ensemble, students explore foundational approaches to voice, movement, listening, and improvisation as tools for understanding how meaning is created and communicated—on stage and beyond it.Through close reading of selected plays and embodied studio work, students investigate how stories are shaped by text, context, and performance choices. The course emphasizes interpretive thinking, expressive clarity, and responsiveness to others, culminating in scene and monologue work that integrates analysis with performance.No previous acting experience is required. This class welcomes students from all academic interests and offers preparation for acting and performance courses while cultivating presence, collaboration, and expressive confidence—skills that strengthen communication and creative thinking in any field.