BWW Blog: Experiencing Online Learning As A Theatre Major

There is no question that this pandemic has disrupted people's everyday lives and created a new standard for normal. This is especially true in the realm of education, as many people have been forced to adjust to online learning. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem that this is going to be limited to the past semester. Most CSUs, including Chico State University, have announced that classes in Fall 2020 will be primarily online. While there is the possibility that this will change, at the moment we're moving forward with the assumption that most, if not all, of our classes will be online. There may be exceptions for lab or performance-based classes, but so far there are no further indications as to which classes will make this list. This is hard enough for any students who prefer in-person classes but is especially difficult for performing arts students. So what does online learning look like for theatre majors?

As a Theatre Arts major at Chico State, I was very apprehensive about online learning. I was concerned about how a performing arts class would work in an online format. My other classes were fairly straightforward. Professors used a combination of PowerPoint slides, prerecorded lectures, Zoom meetings, and outside readings and videos to provide the class material. Most of my assignments were the same as they would have been except for the fact they were all turned in online. However, my intermediate acting class took a little more adjustment. Since we could no longer meet face to face, many of our activities and assignments had to be modified. Instead of actually doing Meisner repetition exercises with each other, we watched videos of other people doing them and analyzed the videos. We replaced the scene we were supposed to perform with a partner with an individual self-tape of the scene. Our final scene assignment got turned into a monologue assignment. We had some Zoom meetings discussing acting and self-tape strategies and had a couple in which we performed our monologues and got feedback. It wasn't necessarily a bad experience, especially considering professors had very little time to create an online curriculum, but it was still disappointing. There were several acting techniques that we had been focusing on in class that were much harder to do without a scene partner physically present. It was frustrating to not be able to use what we had spent most of the semester working on, but we did the best we could given the circumstances. While the structure of online classes may change now that professors actually have time to plan for this format, this past semester gave me a good idea of what people should expect moving forward.

The first and most important thing to remember is that not all required classes are performance classes. No matter what your major is, you will likely be required to complete a series of general education classes. This may be a good semester to focus on completing those credits and checking them off your list. You're still taking classes that you need to graduate, but you're not missing out on important performance experiences. Even within the theatre major, not all classes include a performance element. Some classes, such as textual analysis for production and theatre history, are lecture-based classes. While it is still less than ideal, having these types of classes online won't be much different from other online classes. In my experience, they use the same format that many of my other classes used. We weren't able to have as much discussion as we normally would have, but there weren't any notable issues in learning the content of the class. It's easy to get caught up in the idea that theatre classes can't function well online (I know I certainly have), but it is helpful to take a step back and recognize that this isn't necessarily true for all of the classes that theatre students have to take.

While it may be beneficial to focus on classes that don't rely heavily on performances, that doesn't mean that performance classes have to be off-limits. Some may be prerequisites for other classes you need to take later on, and some people may still want to learn and work on the skills featured in those classes. Though converting an acting class to an online class was a challenging experience for everyone involved, there were a few silver linings. While previously the class had only done live performances, the online version forced us to get some practice with doing self-tapes. These self-tapes can be a vital step in the early audition process in the professional world, so it was beneficial to familiarize myself with the process. Additionally, it gave me an opportunity to learn what I should do differently while working on camera as opposed to performing on stage. On a deeper level, it also gave me the opportunity to really look at my work. When you do a live performance, you may have some idea of how you did, but it's not the same as actually watching yourself perform. By looking at the videos I could really scrutinize my work to see what I was doing well and what I needed to improve. I was able to do more self-evaluation than I would have been able to do in a regular class. Because my family was helping me film, I was also able to get feedback from them as well. Personally, I still preferred the in-person classes. I felt like I was able to develop more of the skills I would need while performing live theatre and I couldn't learn and utilize them quite as effectively online. However, there were still some valuable learning experiences that came out of the online class.

The idea of online education for theatre majors can be really disheartening. It feels as if you may not learn what you need to know if you don't get the chance to perform in the classroom. However, it is important to remember that just because your major involves the performing arts, not all of your classes will focus on performance. There are plenty of other things to learn that can be taught online fairly easily. Performance classes, while not ideal for online learning, can still continue for those who desire to take them. What you learn may be different, but you can still get something out of the class. I know it's not how any of us would prefer to learn, but online theatre education isn't as impossible as it may initially sound. Keep your mind open to the possibilities for growth and just keep moving forward. One day we will all be able learn together again.