Stephen Davis, MFA, BFA, AEA Associate Professor of Theatre Arts – Centenary University curriculum vitae 400 Jefferson Street, Box 408 (w) 908-852-1400 x2422 Hackettstown, NJ 07840 [email protected] Education University of South Carolina – Columbia, SC: Aug 2003 - May 2006 Master of Fine Arts in Theater, Directing Emphasis The Theatre School, DePaul University - Chicago, IL: Sept 1991- June 1995 Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting Touch Therapy Institute – Encino, CA: May 2003 Certified Massage Technician Society of American Fight Directors – Chicago, IL: 1995 Certified Actor Combatant (Unarmed, Rapier and Dagger, Quarterstaff) Teaching Awards Centenary University –Accolade Recipient – 2016-2017 Centenary University Distinguished Teaching Award – 2014-2015 United Methodist Church Exemplary Teaching Award – 2010-2011 University of South Carolina – Two Thumbs Up Award: for making a difference in the educational experience of students with disabilities – 2005-2006 Teaching Experience (Selected Credits) University/College Level Centenary University (Hackettstown, NJ) Theatre Appreciation – THA 1001 – Fall 2009 – 2017, Spr 2010 – 2018, Summer 2014 This course is designed to introduce students to theatre as an art form, as a professional craft, as popular entertainment, and as a cultural phenomenon. Students look at the theatre in regards to its context (social/political, artistic, biographical), tracing its development from the Greeks to today’s contemporary stage. The course is a hands-on class, as students are expected to master the required texts, complete course assignments, working as a team to present design concepts or present an in-class fully realized production, as well as individually experiencing the art of acting, directing and playwriting. Also required: attend at least three live theatre performances. Acting Workshop I (Introduction to Acting) – THA 1009 – Fall 2010/2013/2014/2015/2016/2017 This courses are designed to provide the beginning acting student with a foundation of acting skills based upon application of Viola Spolin given circumstance acting exercises. The focus of the course is to awaken the actor’s imagination through improvisation and its application in scene study. Work is both individualized and partner focused. The acting student utilizes both imagination and physical based techniques as they approach character and scene creation. These techniques will aid the performer in the task of acting truthfully under an imaginary set of circumstances. Acting Workshop II (Scene Study) – THA 2009 – Fall 2011/2015 This course builds upon the skills learned in the Acting Workshop I course. The primary focus of this course is to develop and strengthen the ability to analyze a dramatic text. Work in class will require the student to research the given circumstances of the play and the playwright in the hopes of heightening their understanding of the world of the play. The student will develop their understanding of the three contexts out of which plays are written (social/political, biographical, and artistic). The class should heighten the ability of the student to analyze characters, plays, playwrights and performance conceptualizations. Theatre History I – THA 2001 – Spring 2011/2013/2015/2017 Theatre History II – THA 2002 – Spring 2010/2012/2014/2016/2018 The history of the theatre is offered in two separate courses. The Theatre History I course will cover the development of theatre practice and dramatic literature from the Antiquity to the Renaissance. The Theatre History II course will cover the development of theatre practice and dramatic literature from the Renaissance to the contemporary theatre. Our purpose is to give an overview of the development of this art form and background for further work in theatre or liberal arts studies. An artist must have one foot in the past and the other in the future. If we wish to work in theatre or understand what is done in theatre, we must know where we’re coming from and be able to choose our own directions based upon the accumulated experience of the past. Offered in alternate years. Stephen Davis curriculum vitae, page 2 Theatrical Makeup – THA 2050 – Spring 2010/2012-2018 The main objective of this course is to teach the student the fundamentals of the craft of stage makeup. Varied applications of techniques, with in-depth character analysis, are essential to the understanding of painted transformational applications. These techniques build upon one another over the course of the semester. Stage Combat – THA 1022 – Spring 2010/2011/2013, Fall 2014-2016 Stage Combat is an introduction to the basic principles and practices of hand-to-hand combat, stage fighting and other non- violent forms of staged violence. It emphasizes safety and effectiveness of execution and is based on the guidelines published by the Society of American Fight Directors (SAFD). The course focuses on understanding and application of set safety principles and techniques which will be applied to text and performance. This course is subject to change depending on the skill level of the students and at the discretion of the instructor. Academic Foundations Course (AFC): What is Art? – AFC 1001 – Fall 2010 – 2017 This course is developed around a topic of interest to the instructor and is discipline based. These passion-based courses range in topic and use a variety of innovative pedagogical techniques such as problem based learning, reflective inquiry, and field experience. While topics and specific disciplinary outcomes may vary, AFC courses work to enlarge and enrich the students/viewers reception and experience of art by applying the context of the art or artist. Media involved will include: Painting, Sculpture, Theatre, Dance, Photography, Film and Video. All AFC sections meet a shared set of program outcomes. The instruction of this course serves as the student’s advisor and mentor for the entire first-year. Enactus II: Social Entrepreneurship – BUS 2070 – Spring 2016 This course, which is open to all majors, is designed to provide students with hands-on experience in applying free-enterprise concepts and entrepreneurial skills and practices in today's business environment. Students apply knowledge gained from their various academic and professional disciplines, as well as communication and project management skills, in developing and implementing educational projects using sources in the Centenary, local, and international communities. Students manage the development of professional written and oral presentations. Centenary Enactus team in Spring 2016 placed in the top 16 in the country out of 487 teams. Academic Applications in Learning Theory – EOP – LAS 1005A – Summer 2013 / 2015 / 2016 / 2017 This course introduces students to numerous techniques that promote critical thinking as a foundation for making effective choices needed to succeed in and beyond college. Physical Training – THA 1099 – Fall 2013/ Spring 2014 Physical Training is a cardio and weight training class intended to increase the strength, flexibility, endurance, and help to maintain a healthy lifestyle while attending college. The course focuses on enabling each individual student to explore possibilities that will creatively move them beyond their current comfort zone. Careful consideration will be given to each individual’s current fitness level. Studies in Drama: Theatre of Madness – GENG 660N – Summer 2010 The purpose of this course is to investigate plays and playwrights of Western drama from antiquity to the present, looking at their work through the lens of madness. The course should expand the students reading and understanding of drama within its context. This understanding will allow the student to see drama as a universal expression whose message transcends time, drawing connections between drama and other art forms that were present at the time the work was written. Plays for the course include: Oedipus The King, The Bacchae, Medea, MeadeaMaterial, Macbeth, Hamlet, Woyzeck, A Streetcar Named Desire, Long Day’s Journey Into Night, Marat Sade, Metamorphosis, and 4.48 Psychosis. History of Drama – ENG 3002 – Fall 2009 The purpose of this course is to provide you with a broad knowledge and understanding of the different forms and styles of Western drama from antiquity to the present. The course will consider changes in historical context, popular taste, and staging conventions. Independent Study – Project Compassion: Study in the History of Genocide – GIND 693B – Summer 2013 The purpose of this independent study is to research the history of the term Genocide and its applications in multiple societies. The research will be implemented into the game entitled Project Compassion. Project Compassion is an educational resource that I created. Its purpose is to place the player/student into a situation over the course of the game where they have to make choices that have ramifications to each and every member of an imagined society. Players create relationships to their characters and others in the game world. Players will then attempt to keep their characters alive by making their way around the game board. Research conducted will enable students to specify the eight stages of genocide and how to identify where genocide has occurred. Stephen Davis curriculum vitae, page 3 Master Thesis Advisor – GENG 690 – Spring 2011 / Summer 2012 Served as the advisor for two English MA students. The first Gianna Sandri focused on themes of the child in the work of Caryl Churchill and the second Eric Strauss focused