American Women Playwrights: Late 20th to 21st Century IRP, Fall 2014, Syllabus
Coordinator: Dolores Walker
Readings: Hudes, Quiara Alegria, Water By The Spoonful (Theatre Communications Group, 2012, ISBN-13: 9781559364386; $14.95) Nottage, Lynn, Intimate Apparel/Fabulation (Theatre Communications Group, 2006, ISBN-13: 9781559362795; $14.95) Ruhl, Sarah, TBA Vogel, Paula, How I Learned to Drive (Dramatists Play Service, rev. ed., 1997, ISBN-13: 9780822216230; $8).
Session One (Prior to Session One, the class will receive excerpts from a Maria Irene Fornes play) Historical background of women playwrights in America 1920 – 1980 Development of women playwrights since 1980 Discussion of those contemporary women playwrights preferred by individual members of the class Exploration of the differences in reading plays and novels Excerpts from work by Maria Irene Fornes; exploration of her playwriting theories and her influence on other playwrights Assignment Session Two: Read the following handouts: Excerpts from Marsha Norman’s Night Mother Dramatists Guild Journal articles - Norman’s techniques for writing plays Gussow, Mel, Entering the Mainstream: The Plays of Beth Henley, Marsha Norman, and Wendy Wasserstein
Session Two - Marsha Norman, playwright and Julliard professor Exploration of Norman’s playwriting style and playwriting techniques Excerpts from Night Mother read aloud and analyzed Paula Vogel, playwright and Yale Professor of Playwriting – biography Assignment Session Three: Handout: Interviews with Vogel about her playwriting techniques Read Paula Vogel’s How I Learned to Drive
Session Three Exploration of Vogel’s playwriting techniques Youtube: Interview with Vogel Youtube: Paula Vogel on Plot Comparison of Norman and Vogel’s techniques How I Learned to Drive (Vogel) Assignment Session Four: Youtube: Women In Theatre: Paula Vogel (26 min)
Session Four How I Learned to Drive (Vogel) (continued) Using Vogel’s playwriting theories, the class continues to analyze theme, style, plot and characterizations. Assignments Session Five: Handouts re Sarah Ruhl
Session Five Sarah Ruhl – biography Assignment Session Six: Read Ruhl’s play -TBA
Session Six Sarah Ruhl – play
Session 7 Sarah Ruhl – play (continued) Lynn Nottage – Biography Assignment Session Eight: Read Lynn Nottage – Intimate Apparel
Session 8 Lynn Nottage – Intimate Apparel
Session 9 Lynn Nottage – Intimate Apparel (continued) Assignment Session 10: excerpts from Ruined
Session 10 Excerpts from Ruined Quiara Alegria Hudes – biography Assignment Session 11: Hudes - Water By The Spoonful
Session 11 Hudes - Water By The Spoonful
Session 12 Hudes - Water By The Spoonful (continued) st Discussion of other 21 Century Women Playwrights