Theater and Society Ii (Cthe 334)

RAMAPO COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY 6/14/16 SCHOOL OF CONTEMPORARY ARTS

FIRST YEAR SEMINAR: ISSUES IN CONTEMPORARY THEATER INTD 101-26 (4 credits) Fall, 2016

Meeting Day/Time: Tuesdays/Fridays, 2:00:3:40 Meeting Location: A-223 Prerequisite: First-time, first-year student status

TEACHER: MARY ELLEN ALLISON, Professor of Theater Email (BEST WAY TO CONTACT ME): [email protected] Office: BC 150 Office Hours Monday, Tuesday, Thursday 1:00-2:00 Office Phone: 201-684-7596 Mail box: SCA Mail Room—BC 236 SCA Main Office—BC 237 SCA Phone: 201-684-7368 College Web Address: www.ramapo.edu College Closings/Special Announcements: 201-236-2902

PEER FACILITATORS: Jessica Drimones, [email protected]; Erica Wood, [email protected]

COMMON FYS DESCRIPTION Designed for first-time, full-time, first-year students, First-Year Seminar (FYS) provides a comprehensive introduction to college-level learning. Seminar courses are developed around an academic theme or topic that is based on one of Ramapo College’s academic pillars. First-Year students will have the opportunity to select a seminar that best suits their interests while learning about Ramapo’s academic foundation. The First-Year Seminar course helps students in their transition from high school to college life both in and out of the classroom. The common learning outcomes of FYS are: critical and creative thinking, college-level writing, oral communication, and information literacy. FYS classes are small to emphasize open discussion and experiential learning within the context of the theme of the seminar course. Peer facilitators play an essential role in each FYS class ensuring that first-year students have guidance from a more experienced student. FYS is also the home of the Ramapo Summer Reading Program; all first-year students read the same book and discuss and write about it in their seminars. FYS encourages new students to participate in a community of learners, to strengthen their critical thinking skills, and to communicate effectively both orally and in writing. COURSE DESCRIPTION Issues in Contemporary Theater is a multi-faceted course that looks at the theater of today from multiple angles. Students will read scripts and be part of class discussions about: the issues tackled in the play, the playwright’s cultural influences, and the style of the piece. We will analyze how a play is converted to the stage and how other theater artists are part of the collaboration for that transformation. From the opening rap of Hamilton where Aaron Burr rails against Alexander Hamilton, to the participants in a chat room developing relationships that exist beyond the screen in Water by the Spoonful, we will look at today’s theater as an ever-changing art form. The summer reading, Citizen: An American Lyric, will be studied for its themes and how it could be translated to the stage. The class will attend a production of a play that is also read and analyzed in the classroom. This course is for students who have a love for the theater as well as the student who plans to pursue a career in the theater.

MEASURABLE STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES COURSE GOALS FOR STUDENTS Papers Discussions Projects

Demonstrate the ability to think critically and creatively X X X 1 Demonstrate proficiency in written communication X

Demonstrate proficiency in oral communication X X

Demonstrate information literacy X X

COURSE GOALS FOR STUDENTS (Cont.) Papers Discussions Projects

Demonstrate an understanding of how theater reflects cultural issues X X X

Demonstrate an understanding of how playwrights from different X X cultures look at societal problems

Critically evaluate plays and their elements in written form X

Apply creative thinking in analyzing scripts for production X X X

PEER FACILITATORS As an added resource for first-year students, each section of First-Year Seminar (FYS) will have a peer facilitator. These upper-level students will attend FYS classes and assist the instructor with the academic topics covered in this seminar. They will serve as discussion leaders on issues that pertain to your personal and social development and they will facilitate weekly discussions on the class readings. Your peer facilitator will be your mentor and will be available to you to provide guidance on navigating the different personal and social hurdles that you may encounter in your first year at Ramapo.

FIRST-YEAR ACADEMIC ADVISING Each First-Year Seminar course is assigned a professional Academic Advisor from the Center for Student Success who serves as your Academic Advisor during your first year. This advisor will attend your First-Year Seminar class for a group advisement session to review general academic advising policies and procedures. They will also be available to answer any general questions regarding college policies/practices. Students are encouraged to schedule individual appointments with their Student Success Advisor for assistance with course selection and the development of a personal academic plan. If you have any questions regarding Academic Advisement please call CAAFYE at (201) 684-7441 or via email at: [email protected]

TEXTS Hacker, Diana, and Nancy Sommers. Rules for Writers. 7th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2012. ISBN: 978-0-312-64795-7. Print. Rankine, Claudia. Citizen: An American Lyric. Graywolf Press, 2015. ISBN: 978-1-55597-690-3. Print.

PLAYS (Available in the bookstore) Akhtar, Ayad. The Invisible Hand. Back Bay Books, 2015. ISBN: 978-0316324533. Print. Hudes, Quiara Alegria. Water by the Spoonful. Theatre Communications Group, 2012. ISBN: 978- 1559364386. Print. Kron, Lisa, and Jeanine Tesori. Fun Home. Samuel French, Inc. 2015. ISBN: 9780573704574. Print. Stephens, Simon, adaptor. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Haddon, Mark. Dramatists Play Service, Inc. 2015. 978-0822231080. Print.

PLAYS (In Class, On Moodle, On line, OR On Reserve in the Library) Miranda, Lin-Manuel, and Jeremy McCarter. Hamilton. Grand Central Publishing, 2016. ISBN: 978- 1455539741. Print. OR Miranda, Lin-Manuel, and Jeremy McCarter. Hamilton. Grand Central Publishing, 2016. (Print Replica) Kindle Edition. 2 Web. McLaughlin, Ellen, adaptation. Iphigenia and Other Daughters. Alexander Street Press, 2012. eBook. Document: English: 1st electronic ed. Database: WorldCat. Web.

OTHER MATERIALS (In Class, On Moodle OR On Reserve in the Library) Bechdel, Alison. Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic. Turtleback. 2007. ISBN: 978-1417823147. Print. Brook, Peter. The Empty Space: A Book About the Theatre: Deadly, Holy, Rough, Immediate. Simon and Schuster, New York. 1996. ISBN: 978-0684829579. Print. Miranda, Lin-Manuel. Hamilton: An American Musical. Original Broadway Cast Recording. Atlantic. 2016. ASIN: B013JLBPGE. CD. Tannahill, Jordan. Theatre of the Unimpressed: In Search of Vital Drama (Exploded Views). Coach House Books, 2015. ISBN: 978-1552453131. Print. Tesori, Jeanine, et al. Fun Home (A New Broadway Musical). Original Broadway Cast Recording. P.S. Classics. 2015. ASIN: B00VX17LS4. CD.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS Three things will make this course a success for all. 1) Respect the ideas and opinions of fellow students/faculty 2) Read the assignments on time 3) Participate in the class discussions

1) Class Discussions—I do not want to “tell you” what to think about the readings or the productions we see. There should be a healthy discussion where everyone’s opinion matters. In order to facilitate this healthy discussion, you must thoughtfully read the assigned texts and be prepared to analyze and discuss them in class. You should take notes while reading and prepare questions for class discussions. If you do not participate in class discussions it will negatively affect your grade. (10% of Final Grade).

2) Summer Reading Essay—The first day of class, you will be given a topic on which to write a 3 page essay regarding the Summer Reading, Citizen: An American Lyric. MLA format will be used. The essay will be noted by the teacher and returned to you for rewriting. (10% of Final Grade).

3) Play Analyses—After you have read a play for class, you will write a 2 page analysis based on the recent readings and discussions. MLA format will be used. The first two of these will be noted by the teacher and returned to you for rewriting. (Six analyses @ 5% equals 30% of Final Grade).

4) Play/Playwright/Production Research—Each time we read a play you will find an article about either the play, the playwright or the original production. You will post on Moodle: the Citation and an Outline of the Article. You will share your findings orally with the class. (Five Research Article Outlines @ 2% equals 10% of Final Grade).

5) Class Projects—Throughout the semester, we will be looking at plays and discussing their issues and their production aspects. Several times, you will be asked to look creatively at how the production could be visualized. (Five projects @ 2% equals 10% of Final Grade).

6) Play Attendance/Analysis Paper—You will attend the Ramapo production of Iphiginia and Other Daughters and write a 2 page analysis of it. Oct. 14-22. Specific performance Dates/Times will be included in the Lesson Plan distributed the first day of class. If you miss the performance (without a doctor’s excuse) you will receive a 0 for this assignment. (10% of Final Grade).

7) Research Paper— (8 pages) After consultation with the faculty, you will chose a contemporary playwright. You will research the career and the writing philosophy of that playwright and how the playwright’s cultural background has influenced his/her writing. You will write an 8 page paper and post it to Moodle. MLA format will be used. In addition, you will do an oral presentation of your research to the class. You may choose to do this assignment OR a Final Project. (20% of Final Grade). OR Final Project—After consultation with the faculty, you will chose one contemporary play (not one of the plays we read for class) and come up with a production approach (visually and aethetically). You will research the play and 3 playwright and put together a Powerpoint presentation that shows how your production would be visualized. You will present this powerpoint to the class. You may choose to do this assignment OR a Research Paper. (20% of Final Grade).

PAPERS All papers will be saved as a pdf and uploaded to moodle in the appropriate place. Save the file as: FYS, F16, Your Name, Assignment Title (Change as needed for each paper). I will make notations on the pdf and return it.

ATTENDANCE You are expected to attend every class meeting and arrive on time. Your final grade will be penalized by ½ a letter grade for each absence after the third. (e.g. a final grade of B+ with four absences becomes a B). Three instances of lateness, leaving early or during class, will equal one absence. College policy states that students must notify faculty within the first three weeks of the semester if they anticipate missing any classes due to religious observance.

GENERAL EDUCATION PROGRAM COURSE This course fulfills the First-Year Seminar category of the general education curriculum at Ramapo College. Common to all First-Year Seminar (FYS) courses, you will develop critical thinking skills that are basic to college level study, regardless of your area of interest. You will be reading, writing, and participating in thoughtful group discussions with the aim of developing the skills of a scholar. You will learn to support your arguments using a foundation of knowledge and facts rather than simply using personal opinions and experiences. Issues in Contemporary Theater fulfills the Intercultural Understanding category of the First Year Seminars. We look at plays that are written from the perspective of several different minorities: Hispanic, Middle Eastern, African American, and Greek. In addition, two of the plays deal with homosexuality and autism. It also fits into the Interdisciplinary Studies category as we look at the different plays and where they originated: novel, history, graphic novel, newspaper articles and television reports. In addition, we will look at how the theater of today utilizes different mediums: projections, sound recording, and electronic forms of communication.

WRITING INTENSIVE (WI) COURSE Writing will be integrated into the life of this course. You will receive comments, direction, and support as you work on strengthening your writing skills. Your writing will be evaluated and returned in a timely fashion, allowing you to incorporate my comments into your future work. For help outside the classroom, please see me during my office hours and/or work with a writing tutor in the Center for Reading and Writing (CRW), Room: L-211, x7557, [email protected].

ELECTRONIC FORMS OF COMMUNICATION: In accordance with College policy, I will use your Ramapo College e-mail address (@ramapo.edu) to communicate with you about all course-related matters.

USE OF ELECTRONIC DEVICES DURING CLASS: Cell phones and other electronic devices must be turned off for class. If you choose to use a laptop to take notes, you must sit in the first row of the classroom. If I notice you doing anything else with it, your final grade will be penalized by ½ a letter grade.

MOODLE: We will use Moodle for PART of this course. You will upload all papers to the appropriate assignment. I will make articles and such available. And I will post links to interesting sites.

GRADING SCALE: A>93% A->90% B+>87% B>83% B->80% C+>77% C>73% C->70% 4 D+>65% D>60% F<60%

GRADING POLICY: Class Discussions/Participation 10% Summer Reading Essay 10% Analysis of Plays (Six Plays @ 5%) 30% Research into Playwright/Play/Production (Five Plays @ 2%) 10% Class Projects (Five Plays @ 2%) 10% Play Attendance/Analysis Paper 10% Final Project/Research Paper 20%

STUDENTS WITH DISABILTIES If you need course adaptation or accommodations because of a disability that has been documented with the Office of Specialized Services, please make an appointment with me. WEEKLY CLASS SCHEDULE What follows is a general overview of the course deadlines and topics. I will provide you with a detailed Lesson Plan on the first day of class: Friday, September 9.

Date Class topic, reading assignment Assignment Due

Sept. 6th Bradley Center: Opening Convocation, Claudia Rankine, 2:00 PM author of Citizen: An American Lyric

WEEK 1 Introductions/Syllabus Sept. 9 Discussion: Citizen: An American Lyric

WEEK 2 Discussion: transferring Citizen: An American Lyric to play Summer reading essay Sept. 13/16 form Discussion: Citizen: An American Lyric as a Play

WEEK 3 Library Research Workshop Play 1: Analysis Paper Sept. 20/23 Discussion: Play #1 The Curious Incident…

WEEK 4 Peer Facilitators (Alcohol Education/Bystander Intervention) Play 1: Research & Project Sept. 27/30 Discussion: Play #1

WEEK 5 Discussion: Play #1 Play 2: Analysis Paper Oct. 4/7 Discussion: Play #2 Fun Home

WEEK 6 Academic Advisement Session Play 2: Research & Project Oct. 11/14 Discussion: Play #2

Peer Facilitators (Time Management, note-taking, test taking) WEEK 7 Iphiginia Attendance Oct. 18/21 Discussion: Play #2

See Iphiginia and Other Daughters

WEEK 8 Discussion: Play #3 Iphiginia Iphiginia Analysis Paper Oct. 25/28 Discussion: Play #3

5 WEEK 9 Peer Facilitators (Academic Advisement, Course Play 3: Analysis Paper Nov. 1/4 Registration) Discussion: Play #4 Water by the Spoonful

WEEK 10 Discussion: Play #4 Play 3: Research & Project Nov. 8/11 Discussion: Play #4

WEEK 11 Discussion: Play #5 The Invisible Hand Play 4: Analysis Paper Nov. 15/18 Play 4: Research & Project Discussion: Play #5

WEEK 12 Discussion: Play #5 Nov. 22 Thanksgiving recess (Thursday, Nov. 24th to Sunday, Nov. 27th)

WEEK 13 Discussion: Play #6 Hamilton Play 5: Analysis Paper Nov. 29/Dec. 2 Discussion: Hamilton

WEEK 14 Discussion: Hamilton Play 5: Research & Project Dec. 6/9

WEEK 15 Final Project OR Research Paper Presentations Final Project OR Research Dec. 13 Papers

Final Exam Final Project OR Research Paper Presentations TBA

IMPORTANT DATES First Day of Classes: September 7th Last day for Class Adjustments (on the Web): September 13th Last day to withdraw from courses with “W” grade: November 18th Thanksgiving Recess: Nov 24th – 27th Final Exam Week: December 16th – 22nd Common Finals: December 17th Last day to request “I” grades: December 22nd Final Exam Snow Make-Up Day: December 23rd ACADEMIC INTEGRITY POLICY All members of the community are expected to be honest and forthright in their academic endeavors. Since violations of academic integrity erode community confidence and undermine the pursuit of truth and knowledge at the College, academic dishonesty must be avoided.

PROCEDURE

Responsibilities The Office of the Provost has responsibility for the oversight and enforcement of the Academic Integrity Policy and for making the policy an institutional priority. The Office of the Provost is also responsible for publishing the policy and for educating both faculty and students about the policy. Faculty members play a crucial role in the Academic Integrity Policy. They are responsible for educating their students about the importance of academic integrity and for communicating to students their expectations with respect to academic integrity in course work. They are also urged to report alleged violations of the policy to the Vice Provost. Students have the responsibility to understand the Academic Integrity Policy and to comply with the policy in their academic work.

Criteria There are four (4) broad forms of academic dishonesty: 6 1. Cheating Cheating is an act of deception by which a student misrepresents his or her mastery of material on a test or other academic exercise. Examples of cheating include, but are not limited to: o copying from another student’s work; o allowing another student to copy his/her work; o using unauthorized materials such as a textbook, notebook, or electronic devices during an examination; o using specifically prepared materials, such as notes written on clothing or other unauthorized notes, formula lists, etc., during an examination; o collaborating with another person during an examination by giving or receiving information without authorization from the instructor; o taking a test for another person or asking or allowing another to take the student’s own test. 2. Plagiarism Plagiarism occurs when a person represents someone else’s words, ideas, phrases, sentences, or data as one’s own work. When a student submits work that includes such material, the source of that information must be acknowledged through complete, accurate, and specific footnote or endnote references; additionally, verbatim statements must be acknowledged through quotation marks. To avoid a charge of plagiarism, a student should be sure to include an acknowledgment of indebtedness: o whenever he or she quotes another person’s words directly; o whenever he or she uses another person’s ideas, opinions, or theories, even if they have been completely paraphrased in one’s own words; o whenever he or she allows another individual to contribute to the work in some significant fashion (for instance, through editing or sharing of ideas); o whenever he or she uses facts, statistics, or other illustrative material taken from a source, unless the information is common knowledge. Examples of standard citation formats can be found on the George T. Potter Library Website: Library Website: Citation Manuals and Style Guides 3. Academic Misconduct Academic misconduct includes the alteration of grades, involvement in the acquisition or distribution of unadministered tests, and the unauthorized submission of student work in more than one class. Examples of academic misconduct include, but are not limited to: o changing, altering, falsifying, or being the accessory to the changing, altering, or falsifying of a grade report or form, transcript, or other academic record, or entering any computer system or College office or building for that purpose; o stealing, buying, selling, giving way, or otherwise obtaining all or part of any unadministered test or paper or entering any computer system or College office or building for the purpose of obtaining an unadministered test; o submitting written work (in whole or in significant part) to fulfill the requirements of more than one course without the explicit permission of both instructors; o disregarding policies governing the use of human subjects or animals in research; o sabotaging another student’s work through actions designed to prevent the student from successfully completing an assignment; o knowingly facilitating a violation of the academic integrity policy by another person. 4. Fabrication Fabrication refers to the deliberate use of invented information or the falsification of research or other findings with the intent to deceive. Examples of fabrication include, but are not limited to: o citing information not taken from the source indicated; o citing of sources in a “works cited” that were not used in that project; o altering, stealing, and/or falsifying research data used in research reports, theses, or dissertations; o submitting as one’s own any academic work prepared in whole or in part by others, including the use of another’s identity; o falsifying information or signatures on registration, withdrawal, or other academic forms and records.

Reporting Violations In order to ensure due process, any member of the community who is aware of a violation of the Academic Integrity Policy is expected to report the incident to the Vice Provost. A faculty member may choose to 7 resolve the incident him/herself or send the case to the Vice Provost for review (see below). In either case, the faculty member reports the incident to the Vice Provost on the reporting form, which serves not only to report the incident but also to record the finding and the sanction in situations in which the faculty member chooses to resolve the case. A faculty member is encouraged to report an alleged violation of academic integrity within 30 days of the discovery of the alleged violation but must do so no later than the last day to submit grades for the term in which the alleged violation occurred. A faculty member may report an incident after that date, but only if he/she has new evidence. More details on Ramapo College’s academic integrity policy can be found here: http://www.ramapo.edu/catalog-2015-2016/academic-policies/