History of the Theatre II THEA 419
Dr. Teresa Durbin
Spring 2003 3 credit hours
Office: 123 A&H Ext.
5821
MWF 1-1:50 p.m. 102 A&H
E-mail: tdurbin@ashland.edu
Office Hours:
M-TH 11-12, & by appointment
I enter the classroom with the assumption that
we must
build community in order to create a climate of openness and
intellectual rigor. . . . What we all ideally share is the
desire to learn--to receive actively knowledge that enhances our
intellectual development and our capacity to live more fully in the
world. (hooks 40)
Catalog Course Description: A survey of the periods,
practices and theories of the theatre. Second semester covers the
Elizabethan theatre to end of the nineteenth century.
Statement of Purpose: The purpose of this course is to
provide students with an understanding of the major events, concepts,
movements, figures
and ideas in theatre history from the Elizabethan period through the
nineteenth
century. Dramatic literature and criticism from each period will
also
be examined.
Course Objectives: Students will:
1. Gain an understanding of major figures,
ideas and events in theatre history.
2. Identify the relationship between any given
phenomenon and the “space” and/or environment in which it occurred.
3. Enhance practical understanding of the
evolution of theatre technology and architecture, conventions and
literature.
4. Develop critical skills in analyzing
representative plays and criticism from each historical period.
5. Examine the changing role of theatre and
its relationship to society throughout history.
6. Develop research, writing and presentation
skills
Required Texts:
Living Theatre: A History, 3rd edition -
Wilson & Goldfarb
The Harcourt Brace Anthology of Drama, 3rd
edition - W.B. Worthen
Le Cid - Pierre Corneille
The Beggar's Opera - John Gay
Additional materials may also be put on reserve at
the library
Suggested Text: MLA
Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 5th edition
Instructional Approach: Lecture, discussion and class
activities will be used to support and enhance reading
assignments. Reading, writing, thinking, discussing and asking
questions will all be involved in this course. Representative
plays and dramatic criticism will be read and discussed from each
period. Students will write one research paper.
Classrooms thrive on democratic dialogue where
learning is an open debate. Students need vigorous
discussion in class for education to be active and challenging.
(Shor 112)
Evaluation Criteria:
Play Cards 20%
Research Paper 35%
Exams 20%
Making Theatre History Today 10 %
Attendance/Participation 15%
Late Work: All assignments are to be turned in during
class time. Play cards are generally collected at the end of
class while most
other assignments will be collected at the beginning of class. If
for
some reason you cannot turn in an assignment at that time, late
assignments must be placed in my mailbox on the first floor of
A&H. If you choose
to turn in an assignment outside of class, you do so at your own
risk. I will not be responsible for "finding" assignments not
turned in during class.
DO NOT slide assignments under my office door, leave them on my desk or
chair,
e-mail them to me, turn them in on a disk, or hand them to me outside
of
class.
Attendance Policy: Your attendance and participation in
all scheduled class meetings is expected. Erratic attendance
should be avoided
and missing more than a week's worth of classes (3) will affect your
final
grade. I understand that illness and unexpected circumstances do
occur,
please notify me yourself if you are unable to attend class.
Student
athletes are expected to give me a schedule indicating class absences
due
to athletic events.
Class Preparation and Participation: It is expected that
you will come to class having read the material and completed
written assignments. In order to critically engage with the
material and your classmates, while reading you should take notes, make
observations and ask questions. Write down all questions which
are raised as you read the material and bring them to class for
discussion.
Academic Responsibility: Academic integrity and honesty is
expected and if violated may result in failure of the assignment/exam
and/or course.
Accommodations Statement: For students who have specific
physical, psychiatric, or learning disabilities and require
accommodations, please let me know early in the semester so that your
learning needs can be appropriately met.
Tentative Daily Schedule & Assignments
(subject to change)
January
13 M
Introduction to the Course, Research Question &
Prospectus
Hand back
papers and finals from THEA 418
15 W Introduce
English Renaissance & Marlowe
Read CH 6
17 F Private
Theatre Spaces & Children's Companies
Read Worthen
pp. 227-235, 238-242
20 M NO CLASS -
Martin Luther King Day
Auditions & Interviews for ASTF
22 W Discuss Doctor
Faustus
Read Doctor
Faustus, play card due
24 F Masques,
Ben Jonson & Inigo Jones
Read Worthen
p. 236-237
27 M Shakespeare
- Discuss The Tempest
Read The
Tempest, play card due
29 W Current
Debates on Shakespeare & the Globe - Discuss articles TBA
Read articles
TBA
31 F Acting
Companies & Elizabethan Wrap-Up
February
3 M Introduction
to the Spanish Renaissance & Calderon
Read CH 7,
Worthen pp. 397-401 Prospectus for Research
Paper Due - First Draft
5 W Autos -
plays not cars, discuss Loa to the Divine Narcissus
Read Loa
to
the Divine Narcissus, play card due
7 F Theatre
Spaces in Spain
10 M Discuss Life
is a Dream
* How I
Learned to Drive opens this week*
Read Life
is a Dream, play card due
12 W Spanish
Wrap-up
14 F
Introduction to Neoclassical France
Read CH 8,
Worthen pp. 391-395, 401-404
17 M Theatre
spaces
Revised
Prospectus due
19 W Discuss Le
Cid
Read Le Cid,
play card due
21 F French
Academy
Reading on
reserve in the library, Le Cid Controversy
24 M
Neoclassicism - Discuss Phaedra
Read Phaedra,
play card due
26 W Moliere,
Acting Companies & the Comedie Francaise
28 F Renaissance
Wrap-up
Making Theatre
History Today: How I Learned to Drive due
March
3 M Exam
I
* This is Not a
Pipe Dream opens this week*
5 W Introduction
to the Restoration
Read CH 9,
Worthen pp. 395-397
7 F Theatre
Spaces
First Draft of
Research Paper Due Today OR March 17
BREAK
17 M The Female
Wits
First Draft of
Research Paper Due Today OR March 7
19 W Discuss The
Rover
Read The
Rover, play card due
21 F Popular
Theatre
Making Theatre
History Today: This is Not a Pipe Dream due
24 M Performers
of the Restoration & Wrap-Up
26 W
Introduction to 18th Century Theatre
Read CH 10
28 F Discuss The
Recruiting Officer
Read The
Recruiting Officer, play card due
31 M Theatre
spaces & Technical Innovations * The
Phantom Lady opens this week*
April
2 W
TBA
5 F First
directors
7 M Discuss The
Beggar's Opera
Read The
Beggar's Opera, play card due
9 W Theatre in
Germany & Wrap-up
11 F
Introduction to Theatre from 1800-1875
Read CH 11
14 M Theatre
spaces & Types of Drama
Second Draft
of Research paper due ?
16 W Audiences
18 F No Class -
Easter Break
21 M No Class -
Easter Break
23 W Performers
& Wrap-Up
Making Theatre
History Today: The Phantom Lady due
25 F Exam II
28 M Research
Presentations (3)
May
2 W Research
Presentations (3)
4 F Research
Presentations (3)
FINAL EXAM: WEDNESDAY, MAY 7
1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Research
Presentations (7)
Final Draft of
Research Paper due
ASSIGNMENT SHEET
ASSIGNMENT TOTAL POINTS YOUR SCORE
Exam I
100 _________
Exam II
100 _________
Play I -Doctor Faustus
20
_________
Play II - The Tempest
20
_________
Play III - Loa to the Divine Narcissus
20 _________
Play IV - Life is a Dream
20 _________
Play V - Le Cid
20
_________
Play VI - Phaedra
20 _________
Play VII - The Rover
20 _________
Play VIII - The Recruiting Officer
20 _________
Play IX - The Beggar's Opera
20
_________
Research Paper
350 _________
Making Theatre History Today - I
50
_________
Making Theatre History Today - II
50
_________
Participation/Attendance/Quizzes
170 _________
TOTAL
1000 _________
94-100
A
67-69 D+
90-93 A-
63-66
D
87-89 B+
60-62 D-
83-86 B
0-59 F
80-82 B-
77-79 C+
73-76 C
70-72 C-
Works Cited
hooks, bell. Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of
Freedom. New York: Routledge, 1994.
Shor, Ira. Empowering Education: Critical Teaching for Social
Change. Chicago: The University of
Chicago Press, 1992.
PLAY CARDS
For each play read and discussed in class, you must turn in a play
card/sheet. You may use individual note-cards, notebooks, disks,
etc. The goal is for you to begin/continue keeping a record
of all the plays you have read so that you can refer to these cards at
a later date and have a clue as to what the play is about. Play
cards are due on the day that the play is discussed and are to be
completed PRIOR to class not during class. Those of you keeping
all of your play cards in one notebook, be sure that I initial your
notebook at the end of each class discussion. Those of
you keeping your note cards on disk must still turn in a paper copy in
class.
Play cards are graded using the following criteria:
* completeness - have you addressed all parts of the
analysis
* accuracy of names, dates, classification etc.
* thoughtful and reflective responses to "personal
reactions" and "significance in theatre
history" being sure to address and explain why
you respond the way you
do
Please see the attached sheet which outlines play card content for this
course.
MAKING THEATRE HISTORY TODAY (MTHT)
This assignment asks you to think about AU productions from a future
historian's perspective. There are three productions this
semester and you need to complete two MTHT papers. Select an item
used during the production, rehearsal, design or construction process,
preferably one which you have first
hand knowledge of and/or experience with. For example: a program,
ground
plan, light plot, costume piece, prop, prompt book, set
piece. How would a historian in the future describe and
interpret this artifact? There is some room for creativity
in this assignment, but do not get carried away. You are to
think through the steps and thought processes a historian would use to
interpret and draw conclusions about the object and
its use in a theatrical production. Is there anything on
the
object which identifies and connects it to a specific show? If
not,
what kind of research would need to be done to provide information
useful to make a conclusion about its use or function. Remember,
the historian in the future does not know the item or the show the way
that you do.
Grading Criteria:
* 1 1/2 -2 pages, typed, double-spaced,
one-inch margins
* the majority of the paper should be your
thoughtful analysis and interpretation of the artifact
* describe the artifact: what is it made of?
significant markings? colors, materials, etc.
* What research could you do to learn more
about the artifact? What kind of resources would you use?
* What logical conclusions can you draw about the
use of the artifact based on your analysis and research?
* it is not necessary to spend a great deal of time
(no more than one paragraph) explaining how Ashland was covered by lava
from a
volcano, underwater, frozen, hit by an asteroid, etc., and your
extensive career as an archeologist. Although it might be helpful to
know whether you are interested in theatre performance, production
& literature, etc.
Due Dates:
Feb. 28 How I Learned to Drive
Mar. 21 This is Not a Pipe Dream
Apr. 23 The Phantom Lady
***You only need to write two MTHT papers on the shows of your choice.
***
RESIDENT EXPERTS PAPER AND PRESENTATION
In order to allow you to pursue or focus on your own theatre interests
this semester, as well as to "share the wealth" of your interests and
experiences, and help one another out come exam time, you will work as
small groups in Resident Expert Areas. Five areas of study
have been identified and 5-6 students will work as a group in each
area. If you would like to make a case for an area not
included in the five and create an additional Resident Expert Area
"speak now or forever hold your peace." The members of each
group will be responsible for keeping track of the developments
and major figures in their area for each chapter. During class
discussions you may be called upon to share information with the
class. One week prior to each exam, groups must turn in a
one-page summary/review sheet. I will make copies and distribute
them to the class before each exam.
During the course of the semester, each group will
also make a presentation related to their Resident Expert area. I
have identified two possible presentation topics for each area
below. You will select groups and a presentation date on Friday,
January 19.
The presentation should be 15-20 minutes. Each group will need to
turn in a bibliography of sources used in preparing the presentation.
Presentations will be graded using the following
criteria:
* content - accuracy and clarity
of information, narrowing the focus of presentation so that
amount of material/content
is appropriate for allotted time
* presentation - organization,
use of visual aids, staying within allotted time, familiarity with
material, ability
to answer questions and think on your feet
* collaboration - How well did
your group work together or at least, give the appearance of working
together? Peer comment forms will considered when determining
this portion of the grade
* bibliography - at least 6
sources beyond your text, only two web-sites
The resident expert areas, presentation topics and approximate dates
are as follows:
Acting & Directing
Elizabethan Acting
Companies Feb. 2 week 3
First directors
Apr. 11 week 12
Design/Production/Technical Innovations
Inigo Jones &
Masques Jan. 29 week 3
Bibienna Family
Apr. 6 week 11
Playwriting & Dramatic Criticism
Le Cid Controversy & French
Academy Feb. 28 week 7
Ballad Opera
Mar. 28 week 10
Audience Development & Producers
Commedia Francaise
Mar. 7 week 8
Astor Place Riots
Apr. 25 week 14
Unheard Voices - Women, People of Color, Gays &
Lesbians,
Female Wits
Mar. 21 week 9
Peking Opera
Apr. 30 week 15
Please check the production calendar and your commitments to
departmental productions when selecting presentation topics/dates.
Research Paper
The focus of the research assignment this semester will take the form
of a paper which goes beyond a report about a particular person, event
or type of theatre. Rather, your paper should pose a
question about theatre history from the Elizabethan period through 1875
and then answer the question demonstrating critical thinking and
analysis skills. By breaking down the paper-writing process
into a series of steps and assignments due over the course of the
semester, it is my hope that each of you can focus your research
question so that it is neither too broad to discuss in 8-10 pages, nor
too narrow that there is no information available. Starting
earlier may also make it possible for you to request materials from
other libraries through OhioLink. Research is a process and you
often hit some brick walls and detours before you find your way to the
information.
Please make an appointment and meet with a research librarian if you
are having trouble locating materials for your paper. They are
willing and
able to assist you in this process.
Judy Albert, 289-5427, jalbert@ashland.edu
Jeff Pinkham, 289-5407, jpinkham@ashland.edu
Kathryn Venditti, 289-5402, kvenditt@ashland.edu
Length: 8-10 pages, this does NOT include the title page or
works cited page
Papers should be typed in letter quality standard type, double-spaced
with one-inch margins. You are responsible for all mechanics
issues (grammar, spelling, punctuation) and presentation will be taken
into account.
Format/Style: All quotes and information that is not your own
idea, must be cited either directly using quotations or
paraphrased into your
own words. In either case, you MUST cite the source of the
information using the MLA style/format.
This assignment will be ongoing throughout the semester to hopefully
avoid the last-minute crunch and topic changing.
#1 - DUE: Wednesday, Jan. 24
Skim chapters 6-11 and identify 5 possible research
topics/questions in writing. Be prepared to explain why each
topic interests you.
#2 - DUE: Friday, Feb. 2
Submit a research question that your paper will
attempt to answer.
#3 - DUE: Wednesday, Feb. 14.
Submit an annotated bibliography of at least 10
sources which may be appropriate for your paper. An annotated
bibliography is
one in which you identify how each particular source will
be
helpful for your paper. Evaluate the source - credibility of author,
relevance
to topic, content. Who wrote it? when? why?
significance?
Each annotation should be between 5-10 sentences
long.
#4 - DUE: Monday, Feb. 19
Write a paragraph about your paper topic/research
question.
You may consider it to be an introduction to your
paper.
#5 - DUE: Friday, March 2
Make an outline for your paper. Use complete
sentences. Outline should include introduction,body of paper and
conclusion
#6 - DUE: Monday, Mar. 26
Write a first draft of your paper. This should
essentially be a finished product of at least 7 pages.
FINAL DRAFT of paper is due Friday, Apr. 27.
The inter net and online databases may be valuable sources, but be
careful of web sites which may have little academic validity and
accuracy. There
is an excellent list of scholarly theatre journals in the Introduction
to
Living Theatre (p.17). These would be good places to explore
paper topics
as well as provide models and examples of good writing.
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