3.5
Quality2.5
Difficulty55%
Would Retake104
Reviews55%
Would Retake
104
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
40
4
23
3
14
2
6
1
21
What Students Say
“I did learn a lot though”
THEAT - 3.0 rating“Took this course online over winter”
THEA4450 - 4.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
48%
Textbook Required
60%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Stable
-0.11 avg changeRatings by Course
1500
5.0
(1)THEA3500
5.0
(1)PLAYGOING
5.0
(2)THEATRE
5.0
(1)PLAYGOIN
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
THEAT4550
3.7
THEA4450
3.5
THEAHIST
3.0
NA
3.0
THEATRE
3.0
Reviews (104)
No Comments
i've had John for several classes now, and he's directed me in at least two shows--he's brought so much to this department, and he's such a fantastic human being--and yes, he can be lenient, but not overly so.
Was open to suggestions and questions. Very clear in information he gave about acting etc. If you needed help with anything he would be there in a sec. Very nice guy!
He is only nice to the female students. If your a woman you can get away with anything.
Very good teacher I loved the class! His plays aer very good and if he recommends it see it.
Pretty boring class. Three instructors one for theatre, music and art. He's a nice guy and a good actor. I'd recommend this class especially for LIBS students-it takes care of the theatre, music and art of the IEP. don't foreget the activity part though.
This classes are fun. Even if you dont like plays take the playgoing class because sitting in on a performance is more fun then a lecture anyday. John does have a few class discussions that are helpful in learning more about the different genre's of theater. Make sure to take this with a friend or group of friends because everyone else does.
No Comments
I loved the class. We rarely met outside of seeing plays and turning in papers and as long as you wrote the papers, you got at least a B. He great director and an amazing actor and an all around good guy.
No Comments
Where ever he got his degree, they must have given it to him to get rid of him. He contradicts himself and gives incorrect information. Maybe HE should read the textbook. He may as well not have a syllabus, he doesn't go by it and will add papers to write at the last minute and gives no useful information on how to write it. What a waste of time
Very Very good class, learned a lot of good info, Really nice, made class go by so fast! Great plays and movies!
All around good guy, and a good teacher.
Boring class. He thinks he is a gift to us all. Easy class, though.
No Comments
This class is very easy! Just make sure that you go to class everyday and show up on time! He does not like people being late.
Great Teacher!
Great class, professor hot too!
Loved the class, yes there were papers to write and the exams were semi difficult, but the plays were great – BUT extra, extra, extra credit is available for putting your opinions about plays on paper. This was a favorite class and experience mainly because of John's infectious enthusiasm. I can’t praise this professor enough.
easy papers, hard tests but u can do as much extra credit as u want!
THis professor is very nice and funny. He teaches very good and does not make the class boring and the best thing about it you don't have to purchase a book or do allot of homework in that class. I would strongly recomend this professor.
His portion of the Fine Arts class is full of his stories and experiences in Theatre. He really knows what he is talking about. Be sure to listen to his lecture and take notes on it, not just the power point presentation. He's a wonderful actor, and is always full of energy. It's obvious that he loves to teach, even if he does elaborate a bit.
Horrible! Avoid at ALL cost! He thinks he can act, but he can't even act like a good instructor. Stan State must have really been desperate.
This class is not as hard as some say it is. I found it really easy. The only thing that sucked was that the tests were on a ppt screen, so you couldnt take all the time you needed on the test, but tests are easy if you pay attention and take notes in class. Just show up and study and you'll do fine. I learned a lot & thought class was interesting.
Good info! Nice guy very animated
John had a great personality; very infectious. This class was expensive, but look at it like you're buying an 'A.' It is a great class to take with a full load b/c it's fun and doesn't require a lot of class attendance. Just attend a few plays thruout the term and write 2 pages on them.
No Comments
Can you say ANNOYING!!! This guy is so stuck on himself. The majority of class is spent with him telling stories about himself I actually wanted to learn more because he basically taught us to memorize useless tid bits of facts but didn't give the true relevence of the info. Had to read plays (which I liked) but then don't discuss them in class
This guy rocks! You watch movies in his class. It's easy work. He's awesome... and he's hot... and i'm a straight man!
The worst I've ever had! Cocky and arrogant attitude. Gives contradicting and mis-information. Lectures are a scrambled, disjointed nightmare. Has an attendance policy but still requires hours of out of class performance attendances. Use your three absences to learn the material independently, better yet, pick another instructor for the class!
Tests are incredibly hard. You have to know the dates of every event. (you have to literally memorize the dates.) If you don't you'll fail the tests. However, lectures are clear and fun! Homework are super easy. Just prepare for the tests because they're cummulative..All of it!!! Fun teacher though! Lots of movies in the class...mostly old movies.
The worst ever.
as regards to the message with parker names i sincerly appolagize for my rude comments i didnt mean to say something so cruel. Dont ask who wrote just know i am truly sorry.
Dr. Mayer is an extremely nice guy. His class is a breeze--he tells you exactly what's on the exams, and there are no surprises. He teaches very interesting classes--you'll learn alot. Also, he is a very easy grader as far as papers go. Take his class. You won't regret it.
He was very unorganized and he takes forever to grade our papers. I find his lectures extremely frustrating because he gets off subject a lot and my thoughts of theater has not changed after taking this course. Avoid this teacher if you can. Sighs..looking at him makes me cringe.
He is very unorganized and ask things of his students that he does not clearly state on the syllabus or in class. He picks favorites and your grade will suffer accordingly. DO NOT TAKE HIS CLASSES>
This guy is super easy! as long as u pay attention!! he is really funny and an easy grade on his papers. His test are very date heavy, but everything is repeated on every test, so if u get a good grade on the first test, you'll pass the class easy.
great professor! this class was one of my favorites, very interesting. he loves what he teaches and hes a cool guy. we watch a lot of films, & tests are on PowerPoint. he clicks through the PowerPoint and you answer the questions. really easy. required to attend some plays and one paper at the end of the semester. not hard AT ALL! loved this class
Pretty interesting, and easy class, however, be prepared to STUDY for his tests, especially final, everything is cumulative. You have to know ALL the dates and years everything took place. If this is your GE requirement tak it with somebody else, he makes a too big of a deal out of his class. Ok teacher, but I would not take him again.
Fantastic professor, one of the best at CSUS! I'm not a theatre major but I absolutely loved his class. Mayer is interesting and entertaining, and the material is easy as long as you pay attention and take notes. HIGHLY recommend this professor!
Easy class if you're a self starter. Class attendance was not mandatory. Three online test, easy A if you can self motivate.
He is interesting to listen to,but he took too many fourlough days on the days of our class. Out of 8 classes, we only went to 4, becuase of the fourlough days. I understand teachers have to take these, but he took all of his during our class. He graded the papers way to difficutly, and the test had info we didnt even learn. wasent helpful and rude
Nice/funny guy but not good teacher. he was unorganized. His material wasn't as well prepared as the other two teachers who also taught this class. We turned in group essays in november and he didn't grade them till class was over. He put things on our exam he seriously didn't go over! VERY LAST MINUTE WITH EVERYTHING.
Awesome personality and outlook on life. If you need an upper division GE and theatre history is avialable you won't be dissapointed unless you hate the theatre.
It should be easy...I didn't get an "A" though..got a "B" n I don't care; I didn't try my hardest on the tests. The tests are online, and don't try to click off the screen to look for answers on Google.. Use another computer. Other than 4 tests, 3 mandatory plays to attend...And a report about every play, you can BS--make it sound good though.
Makes lectures sooo interesting he's fun and let's you know what to expect.
He may seem funny, but he's the worst teacher of the teaching history. No matter how relevant u write about his essays, u'll still get B or C+, he's not clear at wut he wants. doesn't give u enough time on tests. not recommended at all, in fact, he should be fired. make u pay for stupid theatre that doesn't mean anyhing.
The tests are horrible! Dates on top of dates some he don't even give you. You have to be able to be able to put events in order, some that are not even part of class but from history. You have to write what he wants to hear, which you figure out by the end of the class, a little late to fix anything including your grade.I suggest making time lines
Only lectured 33% of class (12 lecture, 16 film, 3 exams, 1 review, was absent >= 2 lecture, 3 film). So we paid to have a guy show us 20 hours of video and give us questions like ?who wrote ?Ars Poetica?? AND HAVE BOTH HORACE AND ARISTOTLE AS OPTIONS. Also, I don?t know how many plays Shakespeare wrote because I DON?T HAVE A TIME MACHINE. Got A.
He's keeps you intrested in learning. I like the way he teaches and he's good at explaining.
He teaches so well. He is very funny and keeps learning fun. Attendance isn't taken, but I recommend attending class because that's the only way to get notes. His tests are easy as long as you take good notes. Write down as much details as possible and you'll be fine.
Very funny and interesting. Had no textbook so you had to come to class for notes. He posted notes online so I just added what I wanted during lecture. Tests were easy and you were allowed to use your notes on them. I had to watch performances and write papers which were easily graded. I actually enjoyed the performances. Easy A.
He made class very fun and enjoyable. The class itself is pretty easy as long as you adhere to paper guidelines and take good notes. His lectures were very easy to pay attention to and he made it enjoyable. Although attendance is not taken I highly recommend going to class because without good notes you can't pass, and notes are not posted online.
Took this course online over winter. Was a lot of reading and material. Also have to watch long films. tests were timed and kind of difficult. he was very helpful through email and is passionate about the THEA. I recommend him if you have time to devote to this class :)
I'm a Theatre major so I know this guy. He is discriminatory and unhelpful, and I do not like him as a person. Was not looking forward to taking a class with him, however, his class was quite enjoyable. In order to pass, you Must study in a big group. He wants names, and dates. I recommend flashcards. His class is good, he is terrible. Easy grader.
Good online course although he does require a lot of assignments and tests for a GE course. I did learn a lot though. Haven't taken him in person.
Very nice, but would rather he revamp his class tests to exclude date knowledge. Reading and watching plays then discussing them would be much better on the tests. Yes, he brags, but I liked hearing his stories about who he knows and such. I'm just glad the class was online and I was able to use my notes.
What a great professor, John Mayer is a very inspiring professor
All athletes so that is really fun. His class got way too serious though and he expected a lot from us. He got strict with people being late and thought everyone needed to be the best actor ever even though none of us really cared. Easy A but going to class was brutal sometimes because it was so boring.
He is extremely nice and motivating the first day of class, but eventually gets really cranky over the tiniest of things. He is really strict about missing class and expects you to be there 5-20 minutes early, he will complain if you get to class right when it's about to start. As long as you attend class you should pass with an A.
Professor Mayor was awesome! Lectures were very easy to understand. Take good notes, watch the videos he posts and the tests will be super easy. The papers were easy, 500 words each. He's not a tough grader with the papers. Very passionate about what he teaches. Definitely recommend taking an online class with him!
one of the most caring professors youll find at Stanislaus. The workload is not difficult over Winter but you MUST read and take word-for-word notes to do well. He is always there to help via email and is only there to help you. The way to succeed: writing concisely and NOT about the plot, and taking word-for-word notes from lecture, easy enough
I enjoyed his portion of FA1000 the most. He is a very caring person and enthusiastic. His exams are not hard at all. Just take notes and you will pass.
Took his summer class and there was a lot of work plus you had to attend one play but it was all doable if you don't procrastinate. There was a test and assignment due every week but he always replied to emails fast which was helpful!
Loves what he does and would take him again
Online lectures are humorous, he gives you study guides to take your notes on, be sure to note dates for the timelines ?'s on tests. If you watch all lectures and take a few notes should pass tests easy. 4 papers total. Several plays to read/watch, see 2 in-person performances & write reflection paper. Easy if you're a decent writer. Great class.
Dr. Mayer is a caring professor! He cares about your writing and gives good feedback. He is quick in replying to emails if you have any questions. Lectures are easy to understand, they had some humor which make it nice. Make sure you watch every lecture and know your timeline. Would definitely recommend his class!
Dr. Mayer is very passionate about theater. The field trips are mandatory to attend, there is a final essay based on the field trips. Also, lectures are essay to follow, so the quizzes are essay.
It was an ok class. Reuses lectures from years ago. Not clear in his expectations for all the writing assignments. Lectures were interesting, tests were decent. Tests were open note as well.
Professor Mayer is a hilarious and engaging person. His lectures were interesting, and the class was not difficult, unless you skipped class often and missed a lot of notes.
Mayer is very rude. Maybe he doesnt get enough sleep half the time or maybe he thinks hes better than everyone. But the way he talks to his students by down grading them and making them feel worthless is not okay.
I really enjoyed Mayer's content. He's a great professor and very clear on what he expects from you. The exams were challenging, but easy A's if you just take notes. There is A LOT of material, but you can complete them days before the due dates or exam dates. He gave me a new inspiration for theater, and I would highly recommend him for any class.
Great Professor hes feedback from the writing assignments have helped me become a better writer. Not every professor takes the time to give you legit feedback you will need for the rest of your college career. If I could I would take him again and do his assignments weekly instead of a week before due dates because I learned so much about Theatre.
Gives good feedback on papers and seems passionate about what he is teaching. his online lectures are from like 2012 though. he provides notes. As long as you follow it, read your plays, know your timelines and everything it is not too hard but it is kind of a lot of play reading and book reading for a GE class... tests are a bit overwhelming
John Mayer is simply a bad professor. He seems like a cool guy, but when it comes to the actual work he is not clear whatsoever with what he wants. The material is easy to understand and I averaged an A on his quizzes, however he grades (at least me for some reason) his papers as if you are an English major. He is an inaccessible, rude person.
Lots of plays to watch throughout the class. Very tough grader and quizzes are very hard.
Professor Mayer is a cool guy. His lectures about theater are very interesting, at least he makes them be. However, he is a tough grader when it comes to papers. Also, if you reach out to him, he is not understanding at all and will not help you out.
Professor Mayer was the best teacher I ever had at Stanislaus State! I had surgery at the beginning of the semester and he was extremely understanding and worked with me to earn the best grade possible. He is passionate about what he is teaching and wants all of his students to succeed. I highly recommend taking a course with Professor Mayer!
This class makes you work for your A or B. He doesn't grade that hard on the tests but you need to really work for that A. The 2nd and 3rd test is on Quizlet the 1st and final qualitative arent so you're going to need to study for those. Not only that he went MIA for our final test and paper so we had to figure out the passcode for the test.
Does not respond to emails when I had questions. Paid for his play when it turned out to be free on YouTube when he sends you the link. Plugs his own book for you to read. This man critiqued my writing so heavily I thought this was an English Honors class. If you need an elective, highly do not recommend this class.
Worst class ever! Test are extremely heavy and matter so much to your grade. One bomb and you can kiss that grade goodbye. Essays are short but expects you to read too much. Take another course to fulfill this elective
Dont take this class. Wants you to buy his book and his show he directed which He just sends a youtube link later on in the semester for free. Get ready to work for your grade. This class was had more work than in any of my major classes.
Dr. Mayer is clearly passionate and knowledgeable about what he does, and that makes him a fun professor to have. On our first quiz, there were some questions that weren't mentioned in the lectures he assigned so he seemed a little unorganized in that way, but other than that I really enjoyed his portion of the class!
Does this professor not know we are going through a pandemic yet he still manages to not care about his students. Very passionate about Theatre but terrible at organization and responding to his students. Did not hear from him once other than the announcements he sent out. Did not give me valuable feedback that would increase my knowledge.
He has a PhD in Theatre but a High School diploma in communication. Lectures are on youtube. Its like he used the same material from previous semester rather than updating his lesson plans like most professors. What stumps me is we are going through a pandemic and the only thing this professor cared about was how well you write. Sorry this isnt eng
He's a cool prof but this class was tough. Exams were HARD and i'm usually pretty decent at exams. TAKE GOOD LECTURE NOTES, they will save you during tests. Lots of play reading and watching. Breaks up the work of the semester into 4 sections. It's manageable but definitely takes some work. Find a friend to work with, it'll help.
Choose any other course besides this one to satisfy your degree requirements. Mayer expects too much thinking his class is the most important class in all the land.
Just take another course. This professor sucks. He's too old and probably stopped caring about his students along time ago in his teaching career. Just shows up for his paycheck. Pass on this professor
Class is wasnt too bad online. He replied the next day to my emails and was able to work with me.
The section that professor Mayer teaches in FA 1000 is easy. The class consists of 2 quizzes and 1 paper. Quizzes are super easy. Pay attention during the lecture and you'll do just fine. The paper consists of comparing two plays. Everything is worth 100 pts.
WOULD NEVER TAKE AGAIN. Never know when anything is due absolutely no direction or help what so ever. Got only a few announcements from him the whole semester. I don't recommend taking this class it was horrible. Might not pass the class due to very poor "teaching".
I really enjoyed Professor Mayer's class. I found his lectures to be entertaining and informational. I had no trouble keeping up on assignments (which are few) and tests (which are few). The final was tough for me, but only because I misplaced a few pages of my notes. If you take good notes, read the scripts, and watch the lectures/movies, no prob!
I was scared taking this professor after I saw some bad reviews. Yet I had a great experience taking his course. He was really helpful and nice, made sure to explain the assignments and was always there to answer questions.
AMAZING PROFESSOR. He does not post assignments to the to-do area, so you do need to be checking your modules and making sure you are aware of the due dates. The tests are heavily based off of the lectures and read over the plays. Not sure why so many bad reviews. He has also given us retakes on every exam so far.
We do have a lot of plays to read; however, you can find the audio books on YouTube for free if you prefer. We do have 3 options to choose from for the final, and three essays before that and 3 exams. Make sure to take time to write your essays!
I loved this professor. He uses macro polo to communicate with students and responds super fast. His first 3 exams were easy, but the final was hard. Lots of reading plays for papers, but he gives you enough time to complete them. Definitely recommend!
He is an exceptional professor who provides outstanding support to his students. One notable aspect is his use of Marco Polo, where he actively engages and responds to students. He is clear on his expectations and his assignments are actually fun.
Main criticism of him is that he does not properly assign due dates on Canvas, requiring you to have to check constantly to know when stuff is even assigned, let alone due. Secondly, most of the plays/movies he links to are either paid or broken links. Apart from that, easy class.
He doesn't post anything to the To Do list so pay attention to the syllabus. His lectures are low quality and hard to hear. Half of them he makes in public. You have to pay for some movies/plays. Don't buy his book it isn't worth it and it is super long. Just take good notes on the lectures and plays and you'll probably do fine.
Professor Mayer was a good professor and made his assignments and tests clear. He gets back to you fast if you have any questions. I recommend taking his class.
Professor Mayer is very caring and cool! He is very passionate about theatre and reminds us to have fun always! The class is iffy because his exams are structured in one-word phrases instead of a question. They are for you to match names with names of actors. It's pretty hard if you don't read the plays. Overall, the papers are easy! :)
The exams consist of the notes, lecture videos, and very little of his own book he wants you to read. Professor Mayer is a good professor but he teaches online and if you can't learn that way, maybe this class isn't for you. There's no homework because the class structure is 4 exams and essays for the entire year.
The class can be a bit disorganized, but engaging with the material and using helpful study tools like Unstuck study can make it manageable. Attend lectures, take good notes, and be prepared for the essays and exams.
I loved this professor and class! His lectures were so fun and relatable. He really cares about his students. Read/watch lots of plays but most of them were actually entertaining. Take notes on them though to have while you take test. Tests tricky they have little context, but take notes on everything he says in lecture videos and you'll get an A.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
48%
Textbook Required
60%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Stable
-0.11 avg changeRatings by Course
1500
5.0
(1)THEA3500
5.0
(1)PLAYGOING
5.0
(2)THEATRE
5.0
(1)PLAYGOIN
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
THEAT4550
3.7
THEA4450
3.5
THEAHIST
3.0
NA
3.0
THEATRE
3.0