SEMESTER at SEA COURSE SYLLABUS University of Virginia, Academic Sponsor

SEMESTER AT SEA COURSE SYLLABUS University of Virginia, Academic Sponsor

Voyage: Fall 2014 Discipline: Drama DRAM 3559: World Theatre and Performance Division: Upper Pre-Requisite: None Faculty Name: Dr. Judith Williams Credit Hours: 3; Contact Hours: 38

COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course is designed as an introduction to traditional theatre, various performance forms, and the dramatic literature of a selection of world theatres indigenous to the countries we visit. Class discussions and readings will be supplemented by attendance at several live performances and meetings with international theatre practitioners while in port. Theatre will be studied in relation to its specific cultural context and importance. As a familiar reference, the semester will begin and end with American theatre. We will also explore how world theatre reflects its populations’ views on ethnicity, gender, sexuality, ageing, politics, and religion. In the last twenty years, computers have made a globalization of information available, previously only imagined. Will the future of theatre have a more homogeneous look or will theatre continue to have a strong and vital cultural context?

COURSE OBJECTIVES: 1. Close reading, analysis, and discussion of assigned plays and supplemental readings to expose students to the richness of the theatre and performance forms of selected world theatres.

2. See three live performances of your choice as the Field Assignments of the voyage and submit a 2 page critical analysis of each one noting the cultural and theatrical characteristics observed in these performances.

3. Demonstrate written ability to analyze and critique the Field Lab’s theatre production and experience. Be an active participant in discussions.

4. Explore our American theatre heritage and more fully understand our own theatrical traditions by comparing and contrasting them to those of the other countries on the itinerary of the voyage.

5. Awareness of the ways in which theatre records the great stories and struggles of mankind and reflects our world’s common humanity.

REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS AUTHOR: Lorraine Hansberry DATE/EDITION: June 1988 TITLE: A Raisin in the Sun COST: $10.95 PUBLISHER: Samuel French AUTHOR: Anton Chekhov ISBN #: 978-0451167293 TITLE: The Seagull 1

PUBLISHER: Faber & Faber TITLE: A Streetcar Named Desire ISBN #: 978-0571192700 PUBLISHER: New Directions Paperback DATE/EDITION: August 30, 2001 ISBN #: 978-0811216029 COST: $10.79 DATE/EDITION: September 2004 COST: $8.50

AUTHOR: Bertolt Brecht AUTHOR: Moises Kaufman TITLE: The Three Penny Opera TITLE: The Laramie Project PUBLISHER: Penguin Classics PUBLISHER: Vintage ISBN #: 978-0143105169 ISBN #: 978-0375727191 DATE/EDITION: December 18, 2007 DATE/EDITION: September 11, 2001 / 1st COST: $8.44 Edition COST: $11.88 AUTHOR: Moliere TITLE: Tartuffe AUTHOR: John Pielmeier PUBLISHER: Signet Classics TITLE: Agnes of God ISBN #: 978-0451530332 PUBLISHER: Samuel French DATE/EDITION: January 2, 2007 ISBN #: 978-0573630224 COST: $7.50 DATE/EDITION: November 2, 2010 COST: $9.95

AUTHOR: Brian Friel AUTHOR: John Patrick Shanley TITLE: Dancing at Lughnasa TITLE: Doubt PUBLISHER: Faber & Faber PUBLISHER: Dramatists Play Service ISBN #: 978-0571144792 ISBN #: 978-0822222194 DATE/EDITION: December 30, 1998 DATE/EDITION: June 2007 / Acting COST: $10.41 Edition COST: $7.20 AUTHOR: Oscar Wilde TITLE: The Importance of Being Earnest AUTHOR: Paula Vogel PUBLISHER: Simon & Brown TITLE: How I Learned To Drive ISBN #: 978-1613823255 PUBLISHER: Dramatists Play Service DATE/EDITION: July 2013 ISBN #: 978-0822216230 COST: $9.49 DATE/EDITION: October 1, 1997 COST: $7.20 AUTHOR: Athol Fugard TITLE: The Road to Mecca AUTHOR: Eugene O’Neill PUBLISHER: Theatre Communications TITLE: A Moon for the Misbegotten Group PUBLISHER: Yale University Press ISBN #: 978-0930452797 ISBN #: 978-0300118155 DATE/EDITION: January 1, 1993 / 1st DATE/EDITION: August 28, 2006 / 1st Edition Edition COST: $10.36 COST: $11.01

AUTHOR: Tennessee Williams 2

AUTHOR: Neil Simon TITLE: Brighton Beach Memoirs PUBLISHER: Signet ISBN #: 978-0451163448 DATE/EDITION: November 1, 1995 / Reprint COST: $10.99

TOPICAL OUTLINE OF COURSE *Depart Southampton- August 23 August 24: Orientation

B1- August 26: Introduction – American Theatre. Read Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun for B2 and be prepared to discuss the play in terms of race, prejudice, family loyalty and money. Always bring the play script to class that we will discuss that day.

B2-August 28: Discuss A Raisin in the Sun. Active participation is required. Russian theatre, Constantin Stanislavski, and Anton Chekhov. Read Chekhov’s The Seagull and be prepared to discuss the play in terms of art vs. kitsch, competition for love, and suicide for B3.

St. Petersburg, Russia: August 30 - September 1 – Be certain to journal each day in port. Note the specific cultural and theatrical characteristics of each port (country). Pay particular attention to your experiences related to theatre e.g. ticketed event, street theatre, puppetry, mime.

B3- September 2: Briefly discuss any productions seen. Possible quiz. Discuss The Seagull. Read Brecht’s The Three Penny Opera for discussion on B4 in terms of politics, romantic intrigue and crime.

B4- September 4: Discuss The Three Penny Opera and Epic Theatre.

Gdansk, Poland: September 5 – 7

Rostock, Germany: September 8 – 9

B5- September 11: Briefly discuss any productions seen. Assign Moliere’s Tartuffe to be discussed in relation to religion, morality, and gullibility on B6.

B6-September 13: Discussion of Moliere’s satire & Tartuffe. Read Brian Friel’s Dancing at Lughnasa for discussion in terms of religion (Christian and Pagan) and family for B7.

Antwerp: September 14-16 Le Havre: September 17-19

B7- September 21:. Briefly discuss any productions seen. Discuss Dancing at Lughnasa. Preparation for Field Lab – Irish playwrights, theatres, actors, directors, designers. Read Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest for discussion in terms of upper class sensibility, lies, 1 and secrets for B8.

B8- September 23: Discuss The Importance of Being Earnest.

Dublin: September 26– FIELD LAB. Remember to record your theatrical perceptions and observations in depth in your journal. A 4 page critical paper with ticket stub will be due on B9. Active participation in all aspects of Field Lab is required.

B9- September 29: Collect Field Lab 4 page papers and ticket stub. Discuss Fedrico Garcia Lorca’s Theatre of Repression. Prepare for Quiz.

Lisbon: October 1-2 In transit: October 3 Cadiz: October 4-5

B10- October 6: Quiz on assigned reading. Read Athol Fugard’s The Road to Mecca for discussion in terms of ageing, Afrikaner vs. English, and youth vs. age for B11.

Casablanca: October 8-11

B11-October 12: Discuss African Theatre and The Road to Mecca.

B12- October 14: Discuss Masks as a Cultural Phenomenon. Greeks, Eastern, Africa, Brazil… Workshop Masks. Read A Streetcar Named Desire for discussion in terms of the helpless female, the bully and the struggle for power for B13.

Dakar: October 16-19

B13- October 20: Discuss Streetcar. Read Moises Kaufman’s The Laramie Project for discussion in terms of intolerance, hatred, homosexuality and community for B14.

B14- October 22: Possible quiz. Discuss The Laramie Project. Read John Pielmeier’s Agnes of God for discussion in terms of saints, sinners, and psychiatry for B15.

B15- October 24: Discuss Agnes of God. Read Doubt by John Patrick Shanley for discussion in terms of religion, morality, and race for B16.

Takoradi: October 25-26 Make particular note of any theatrical street or dance drama you Tema: October 27-28 may encounter as part of your journal entries.

B16- October 30: Discuss Doubt. Read Paula Vogel’s How I Learned to Drive for discussion in terms of adult responsibility and child abuse for B17.

B17-November 1: Discuss How I Learned to Drive. Read Eugene O’Neill’s A Moon for the Misbegotten for discussion in terms of alcoholism, family, and love for B20. 4

Study Day: November 2

B18- November 4: Discussion of Augusto Boal’s Brazilian Theatre of the Oppressed and Forum Theatre. Social issue improvisational theatre.

B19- November 6: Improvisation Workshop focusing on social issues.

Rio de Janeiro: November 7-9 Make particular note of any theatrical street or dance drama In-transit: November 10-11 you may encounter as part of your journal entries. Salvador: November 12-14

B20- November 16: Discuss A Moon for the Misbegotten. Read Neil Simon’s Brighton Beach Memoirs for discussion in terms of family solidarity amidst global uncertainty for B21.

B21-November 18: Possible quiz. Discuss Brighton Beach.

Study Day: November 19

B22-November 21: Experiential workshop TBA

Bridgetown: November 22-24

B23- November 26: Catch up day.

Havana: November 29- December 2:

B24 – November 28: Review for Final Exam covering assigned plays, handouts, and lecture discussions.

Study Day- December 3

B25 - December 5 (B Day Finals): Final Exam

FIELD WORK Field lab attendance is mandatory for all students enrolled in this course. Please do not book individual travel plans or a Semester at Sea sponsored trip on the day of our field lab.

FIELD LAB (At least 20 percent of the contact hours for each course, to be led by the instructor.) The lab for this course takes place on Day 3 in Dublin - Friday, September 26.

Experience a pub tour with costumed actors and a discussion with a stage fright specialist prior to the performance at the Abbey Theatre, the National Theatre of Ireland. The post production discussion will take place during the next shipboard class

Academic Objectives: 1. To experience and understand the production presented at a professional Irish theatre. 2. To prepare the students with a pub tour and discussion so that they can appreciate the modern Irish theatre scene. 3. To analyze and critique the theatre production and experience of the Field Trip in a 4 page, critical paper. 4. Experience a presentation on stage fright from an expert in the field.

FIELD ASSIGNMENTS – There will be three required theatre performances in addition to the Field Lab. Students may choose their own performances through guidance of professor. Students will keep a field journal with a collection of their observations, research and reactions to the performances they view. Journal entries will also be guided by general and show specific questions provided by the instructor. Students will be graded based upon their participation in the lab, their field journal, and short, critical papers based on each of the three Field Assignments. This assignment is designed to encourage the student to critically examine performances (vocal, physical choices), performance spaces, and cultural differences.

METHODS OF EVALUATION / GRADING RUBRIC 20% Attendance and participation – Arriving on time and prepared to discuss the reading assignment. Points will be deducted for late arrivals and early departures. 2 times lowers the final grade 1 point. Each absence lowers the final grade 2 points. Much of the class is devoted to lecture and participatory discussions which cannot be made up outside of class. 10% 2 Quizzes – one scheduled and one unscheduled on the reading material for the day. 10% Field Response Journal 20% Field Lab and 4 page critical paper with ticket stub 30% 3 Field Assignments and 2 page critical paper and ticket stub each. 10% Final Exam 100%

RESERVE LIBRARY LIST AUTHOR: Dennis Kennedy TITLE: Oxford Companion to Theatre and AUTHOR: Martin Banham (editor) Performance TITLE: The Cambridge Guide to Theatre PUBLISHER: Oxford University Press PUBLISHER: Cambridge University Press ISBN #: 019957197 ISBN #: 0521434378 DATE/EDITION: 2010 DATE/EDITION: 1995 COST: $30.58 COST: $56.19

AUTHOR: Robert Barton TITLE: Acting: Onstage and Off PUBLISHER: Wadsworth Publishing AUTHOR: Richard Brestoff ISBN #: 0495898864 TITLE: Great Acting Teachers and Their DATE/EDITION: 6th Edition Methods COST: $93.00 PUBLISHER: Smith and Kraus 6

ISBN #: 1575250128 Methods (Volume 2) DATE/EDITION: 1996 PUBLISHER: Smith and Kraus COST: $10.40 ISBN #: 157525770X DATE/EDITION: 2010 AUTHOR: Richard Brestoff COST: $15.81 TITLE: Great Acting Teachers and Their

ELECTRONIC COURSE MATERIALS Scanned copies provided by the instructor.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Students will need to have access to the New York Times Online as well as Playbill.com for research purposes Students will need to have access to Wikipedia

HONOR CODE Semester at Sea students enroll in an academic program administered by the University of Virginia, and thus bind themselves to the University’s honor code. The code prohibits all acts of lying, cheating, and stealing. Please consult the Voyager’s Handbook for further explanation of what constitutes an honor offense.

Each written assignment for this course must be pledged by the student as follows: “On my honor as a student, I pledge that I have neither given nor received aid on this assignment.” The pledge must be signed, or, in the case of an electronic file, signed “[signed].”