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b USCSchool of THTR 101-62607 D Introduction to Acting TERM: Fall 2017 Dramatic Arts DAY—TIME: Monday/Wednesday, 8AM - 9:50AM LOCATION: PED 206 INSTRUCTOR: Gregg T. Daniel OFFICE: MCC Building OFFICE HOURS: By appointment CONTACT: [email protected] (213) 864-6257 (c)

COURSE DESCRIPTION AND OVERVIEW The mission of this class is to awaken the imagination, emotion, and intellect of the student by making him/her aware of the transforming power and universality of theatre. It will serve as the beginning of the actor’s journey of exploration to uncover the meaning and vision of any play and playwright in order to discover the “who, why, where, when and how” of each character in the play and how each character serves the vision of the play. It will also impress upon the student the need for constant rehearsal and the necessity of learning the craft of the theatre which requires a disciplined commitment to the training of voice, speech, and movement, as well as an intellectual rigor in dissecting text, and uncovering subtext. This process leads directly to the understanding of the powerful role of the audience upon which the actor relies to fulfill his creative function. Finally, the class is dedicated to exploration offering hope, inspiration, guidance, and courage. Methods Used to Fulfill this Mission:  Theatre exercises and games targeting working as an ensemble  Voice/Speech/Movement exercises that support and enhance text  Acting work on “open” scenes  Intellectual examination of ten-minute plays and short one act plays  Attending SDA Productions  Student constructive analysis of SDA productions

Learning Objectives: A practical understanding of all that is described in the course overview plus the development of professional work habits REQUIRED TEXTS: 20/20 Twenty One Act Plays from Twenty Years of The Humana Festival by Michele Volansky and Michael Bigelow Dixon Spare Scenes: 60 Skeletal Scenes for Acting and Directing (Paperback) by Diane Timmerman

Suggested Reading: A Director Prepares by Anne Bogart How to Stop Acting by Harold Guskin Stella Adler on Ibsen, Strinberg and Chekhov by Stella Adler and Barry Paris

Written Assignments Double-spaced typed papers, 2 per half semester, four total (see due dates in course Week-by Week breakdown), analyzing productions- 2 professional (off campus) and 2 SDA (students productions) in relation to the efficacy in accomplishing the following a.theme of play b.direction c.acting

Each paper must be NO LESS THAN 300 words.

ATTENDANCE: Absences/Tardiness: Learning in class depends on the layering of intellectual and emotional discovery resulting from the consistent active exploration of 100% of the BA 101 Ensemble No absences or tardies are allowed. Cumulative active class participation points will be lost. Attendance is weighted at no more than 15% as per University Guidelines

GRADING POLICY: Grades are not dictated by the success of acting presentations or the instructor’s subjective opinion of talent and artistic preference. Grades are dictated by  In class active student analysis of text  Constructive feedback of classmates’ acting presentations  Willingness to experiment and apply the constructive feedback of instructor and students on one’s own scenes, presentations, and exercises  Meeting all assignment deadlines: reading, writing, acting  Memorization of lines  Availability to fellow classmates to rehearse scenes Note: If a deadline is missed because of a classmate’s unavailability, the available partner will not be penalized as long as a discussion with me and all involved occurs before the deadline.

Grading Point Breakdown:

 In-class work on speech/voice/acting exercises……………… 10 points  Acting process work, 1st scenes/monologues ………………….10 points  MID-TERM (Presentations of scenes) …………... 15points  Presentations of “open” scenes……………………… ……… 10 points  1st half semester paper/Analysis……………………………… 10 points  Acting Process work, 2nd scenes………………………………10 points  2 Written Production Critiques………………………………….10 points FINAL (scenes completed ) ……………………………….. 15 points  Cumulative Active Class Participation………………………… 10 points TOTAL ………… 100 points Grading Scale: Excellent: A (4) = 100-96; A- (3.7) = 95-90 Good: B+ (3.3) = 89-86; B (3) = 85-84; B- (2.7) = 83-80 Average: C+ (2.3) = 79-76; C (2) = 75-74; C- (1.7) = 73-70 Poor: D (.7-1.3) = 60’s; Fail: F (0) = 59 and below Excellent = clear understanding of the class material is coupled with original and creative insight Good = class material has been understood clearly Average = class material has been generally understood, but gaps in understanding remain Poor = identifiable gaps in the understanding of class material

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Further Grading Notes:  When the GPA falls between two grades, the final grade will be weighted toward the positive end of the scale for students with excellent/good attendance & class participation and toward the negative end of the scale for those with average/poor attendance & participation.  If your work in class is unsatisfactory, you will be warned before the deadline for dropping the course with a grade of W.  I will be happy to discuss your work at any time.  No late assignments, projects, exams, papers, or exercises shall be accepted  No emailed papers accepted

WEEKLY SCDHEDULE: (The timeline is subject to change depending on the dynamics, pace and unpredictability of the creative process of any given class.) Week 1: 8/21, 8/23  discuss students’ expectations  discuss course goals, requirements, deadlines, required texts  monologue presentation  introduction to theatre games and exercises  Homework: “personal quote” Week 2: 8/28 8/30  warm-up: theatre games/exercises  continue “personal quotes”  assign practice plays  begin cold readings  Homework: read “open” scenes and 20/20 Humana Festival Week 3-4: 9/4(OFF- LABOR DAY), 9/6, 9/11, 9/13  warm-up: theatre games/exercises  continue work on scenes” Homework: read 10 minute plays and 20/20 Humana Festival, Rehearse Week 5-8: 9/18 through 10/11  warm up: theatre games/exercises/discussion SDA productions  class work rehearsals  Presentations of 1st assigned scenes (MID-TERM)  class feedback and constructive criticism of mid-term presentation  class work on “open” scene #1  cast “open” scenes  Homework: 1st two mid-term papers DUE Wednesday October 4th  warm-up: theatre games/exercises/discussion SDA productions  class work on “open” scene #2  Homework: rehearse Week 9 10/16, 10/18  warm-up: theatre games and exercises/discussion SDA productions  class work on neutral scenes  presentations of neutral scenes + written component (projected date 11/21)  Week 10-15: 10/23 through 11/29 (THANKSGIVING BREAK 11.22-11.26

Syllabus for COURSE-ID, Page 3 of 4 DEADLINE: MONDAY, NOVEMBER 20 written critique of SDA production (NO EMAILED PAPERS, HARD COPIES ONLY, NO LATE PAPERS ACCEPTED)  discuss expectations and guidelines for Final  Homework: rehearse neutral scenes/ read plays in Course Reader

FINAL DAY OF CLASS: Wednesday, November 29, 2017

FINAL EXAM: Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2017, 8:00 AM - 10:00 AM – PED 206 The Final is dictated by the creative process of the class so specifics will be discussed at a later date DUE DATE 2nd two written critiques of productions.

KEY DATES: Monday, August 21: Fall semester classes begin Monday, September 4: Labor Day, university holiday Friday September 8 Last day to register and add class Friday, September 8: Last day to drop a class without a mark of “W” and receive a refund Friday October 6: Last day to drop a course without a mark of “W.” Friday, November 10 Last day to drop a class with a mark of “W” November 22-26: Thanksgiving Recess, No Classes Friday, December 1: Fall semester classes end December 2–5: Study Days December 6–13: Final Exams December 14 – January 7, 2018: Winter Recess

Additional Policies  Except for water, no food or drinks are allowed in class at any time.  All students must help with the set up and strike of every class  Students must place all extraneous belongings, (backpacks, sweaters, jackets, skateboards, laptops, cell phones, etc.) in the designated corner of the classroom at the start of class  Students must be in proper rehearsal clothes (whatever they may be and understand that they change throughout the semester) at the start of class, promptly at 8:00 am. NO FLIP FLOPS UNLESS THE SCENE OR CLASS TAKES PLACE AT THE BEACH!

Welcome to Introduction to Acting 101. It is my pleasure to get to know each of you through our collaborative and creative exploration.

Gregg Daniel

Syllabus for COURSE-ID, Page 4 of 4 Statement for Students with Disabilities Any student requesting academic accommodations based on a disability is required to register with Disability Services and Programs (DSP) each semester. A letter of verification for approved accommodations can be obtained from DSP. Please be sure the letter is delivered to me (or to TA) as early in the semester as possible. DSP is located in STU 301 and is open 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Website and contact information for DSP: http://sait.usc.edu/academicsupport/centerprograms/dsp/home_index.html, (213) 740-0776 (Phone), (213) 740-6948 (TDD only), (213) 740-8216 (FAX) [email protected]. Statement on Academic Integrity USC seeks to maintain an optimal learning environment. General principles of academic honesty include the concept of respect for the intellectual property of others, the expectation that individual work will be submitted unless otherwise allowed by an instructor, and the obligations both to protect one’s own academic work from misuse by others as well as to avoid using another’s work as one’s own. All students are expected to understand and abide by these principles. SCampus, the Student Guidebook, (www.usc.edu/scampus or http://scampus.usc.edu) contains the University Student Conduct Code (see University Governance, Section 11.00), while the recommended sanctions are located in Appendix A. Academic Conduct Plagiarism – presenting someone else’s ideas as your own, either verbatim or recast in your own words – is a serious academic offense with serious consequences. Please familiarize yourself with the discussion of plagiarism in SCampus in Section 11, Behavior Violating University Standards https://scampus.usc.edu/1100-behavior- violating-university-standards-and-appropriate-sanctions/. Other forms of academic dishonesty are equally unacceptable. See additional information in SCampus and university policies on scientific misconduct, http://policy.usc.edu/scientific-misconduct/. Discrimination, sexual assault, and harassment are not tolerated by the university. You are encouraged to report any incidents to the Office of Equity and Diversity http://equity.usc.edu/ or to the Department of Public Safety http://capsnet.usc.edu/department/department-public-safety/online-forms/contact-us. This is important for the safety whole USC community. Another member of the university community – such as a friend, classmate, advisor, or faculty member – can help initiate the report, or can initiate the report on behalf of another person. The Center for Women and Men http://www.usc.edu/student-affairs/cwm/ provides 24/7 confidential support, the sexual assault resource center webpage [email protected] describes reporting options/ resources. Support Systems

Syllabus for COURSE-ID, Page 5 of 4 A number of USC’s schools provide support for students who need help with scholarly writing. Check with your advisor or program staff to find out more. Students whose primary language is not English should check with the American Language Institute http://dornsife.usc.edu/ali,. The Office of Disability Services and Programs http://sait.usc.edu/academicsupport/centerprograms/dsp/home_index.htmlprovides certification for students with disabilities and helps arrange the relevant accommodations. If an officially declared emergency makes travel to campus infeasible, USC Emergency Information http://emergency.usc.edu/will provide safety and other updates, including ways in which instruction will be continued by means of blackboard, teleconferencing, and other technology. Emergency Preparedness/Course Continuity in a Crisis In case of a declared emergency if travel to campus is not feasible, USC executive leadership will announce an electronic way for instructors to teach students in their residence halls or homes using a combination of Blackboard, teleconferencing, and other technologies.

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