Theatre 471-002: Irish Theatre and Culture Rick Jones Griffith 303, Daily, 9-12 (time shared with THR 471.1) Summer I, 2016

Course overview: This course emphasizes the relationship between Irish theatre and the culture: that is, between theatre and other arts, between theatre and histori-political events, etc. The course will be taught in conjunction with THR 471.1: Irish Theatre and Drama. Since all students enrolled for one course must also enroll for the other, there may be some trade- offs of time between the two courses.

This half of the sequence is primarily experiential, i.e. centered primarily on the fact of being in . While there is a clear academic intent to the course, the emphasis is on the act of engaging with Irish culture rather than on the articulation of that engagement.

Prerequisites: Sophomore standing or above; ENG 132 and THR 162 with grades of C or better, or permission of instructor. Concurrent registration in THR 471.1. Course fees as determined by the Office of International Studies and Programs.

Contacting me: Office: 217 Fine Arts, ext. 1290 (department office is room 212, ext. 4003). I will be available immediately following class every day, and by appointment. In Ireland, of course, other arrangements can/will be made. My cell phone # will be distributed in class (emergencies only while abroad, please).

E-mail: My SFA e-mail address is [email protected]. This is my preferred means of contact (while in the US). I check e-mail at least three times a day. I do receive literally dozens of e-mail messages each day: please include the prefix “471” (e.g., “471: problems with paper”) in the subject line of all messages so I’ll recognize you immediately as a student in this class. I will be e-mailing the class from time to time. I will be using the e-mail address you provided to the Study Abroad office when you applied for the program: if you choose to use a different address, it is your responsibility to provide me that address. You are responsible for any information contained in an e-mail I send you. Should you (or your parents, or whoever) wish to contact me via e-mail while we’re in Ireland, please send to both my SFA account and my personal account, [email protected].

Required text: Moody & Martin, eds. The Course of Irish History, 5th ed.

Program Learning Outcomes: Students who successfully complete this course will have achieved mastery of the following Program Learning Outcomes as identified by the School of Theatre:  The student will demonstrate an understanding of theatre history and a variety of theatrical styles. (All degree plans.)

Student Learning Outcomes: Students who successfully complete this course will be able to:  Describe the seminal events in Irish history, especially in terms of that country’s relationship with the United Kingdom, and their relevance to modern Irish culture.  Demonstrate the relationship between historical events in Ireland and dramatic literature.

Class schedule: Class meets daily from 9-12. As noted above, the time is shared with THR 471.1 The schedule for and Galway is tentative, although I anticipate few if any changes. In general, it includes two required events per weekday while in Ireland: regular classes, walking tours, theatre productions, etc. Each day will be divided into morning, afternoon, and evening, with two of the three filled by group activities: one day might include classes in the morning and the afternoon with the evening free, another day might include a museum visit in the morning and a theatre production at night with the afternoon free, etc. Attendance is mandatory at all group activities in Ireland. Each unexcused absence will result in lowering your grade by a full letter grade; tardiness will also have a significant effect on your grade.

Schedule: M 5/30 Course introduction. T 5/31 Ireland before the Tudors. No reading assignment. W 6/1 The Irish and the English. Chapters 11-15 (skimming is fine). R 6/2 Chapters 16-17. (Skimming no longer fine from here on.) F 6/3 Chapters 18-19.

M 6/6 Chapters 20-21. T 6/7 Chapters 22-23. W 6/8 Chapters 24-25. R 6/9 Quiz. F 6/10 Only 471.1 will meet.

Su 6/12 thru W 6/29: Itinerary as described separately.

Grading considerations: Journal: All students will keep a journal of their activities in Ireland. N.B. This is a journal, not a diary: don’t write about anything not directly relevant to the work of the course. In the journal, you should record responses to all group activities. You are also required to write about other cultural sites/events that you do on your own. At least four of these must be in Dublin. Also:

#1. At least one of these must be a live artistic performance. Note: “live performance” does not necessarily mean a theatre event, but if it’s a concert, it needs to be either of native (“Celtic”) music, or of a symphony orchestra, or something along those lines: you don’t get credit for seeing the Slayer/Anthrax concert. The same general principles apply to dance events. www.entertainment.ie is a good website to get you started; www.dublinks.com/ is also useful, although it does include more out-of-date material. This live performance counts towards the point total below.

#2. You will receive “points” for every cultural site/event you attend. These points will be awarded on the basis of demonstrated active engagement with the site/event. In other words, telling me you went to the won’t get as many points as telling me you went to the National Gallery and describing your favorite Jack Yeats painting (and why it’s your favorite). The following, then, are maximum point total for each event/site. Other sites or events will also count; make the case in your journal for why your activity should count. Note: the walking tours of both cities vary from year to year and from guide to guide. You won’t get points for activities we do as a group. (You might get a point or two for re-visiting a site we see as a group, but I wouldn’t count on this.)

If we divide each day into three time-slots—morning, afternoon, and evening— we’ll have a total of about 19 slots of free time. Also, you will seldom be in group activities for an entire afternoon (for example). Please note that some of these events are free, others fairly expensive.

Points required for each grade: A: 30 B: 25 C: 20 D: 15

Dublin: Bank of Ireland (Old House of Lords) -- 3 (might be on Walking Tour) Becoming , Powerscourt Theatre -- 4 celebrations – up to 5, depending on the event Bloomsday-related walking tour -- 5 Bodhrán Experience – 4 Boyz of Harcourt Street, Smock Alley – 3 Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Bord Gáis Energy Theatre -- 3 Carmelite Church -- 3 -- 5 Christchurch Cathedral – 5 (maximum 6 points for Christchurch and combined) The Constant Wife, -- 4 Custom House -- 2 Gallery – 2 Dublin Castle tour -- 4 Dublinia -- 3 (maximum 6 points for Christchurch and Dublinia combined) Dublin City/ Gallery -- 5 -- 5 (an additional point if there’s a performance there and you see it) tour (any one), walking or by bus -- 4 Farmleigh House tour -- 3 Cemetery - 5 -- 1 Hellfire Club tour -- 1 Irish Museum of - 5 Irish Rock ‘n’ Roll Museum -- 2 Centre - 4 James Joyce Tower and Museum (Sandy Cove)– 4 The Jeannie Johnston -- 3 Literary Pub Crawl -- 4 Lord of the Dance, Bord Gáis Energy Theatre – 5 Love+, -- 5 , any concert -- 3 National Gallery -- 6 National Museum (Archeology) -- 6 National Museum (Natural History), a.k.a. the “Dead Zoo” -- 3 National Wax Museum – 2 Old Jameson Distillery -- 1 Palace Bar -- 1 The Panti Show (PantiBar) – 5 Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, Pavilion Theatre, Dún Laoghaire – 6 Revolution 1916 exhibition, Ambassador Theatre -- 3 Riverdance, Gaiety Theatre -- 5 St. Michan’s Church -- 3 St. Patrick’s Cathedral -- 6 St. Stephen’s Green (the park, not the mall) -- 1 St. Werburgh’s Church -- 3 Strolling through Ulysses, Stag’s Head Pub – 4 Taste of Dublin, Iveagh Gardens -- 2 The Trial, Smock Alley Boys’ School -- 4 Trinity College tour -- 3 Wild Laughter, Smock Alley Boys’ School -- 3 Zoological Museum, – 3 Day trip to Wicklow/Glendalough -- 5 Day trip to Newgrange -- 5 Day trip to Belfast/Titanic Museum -- 5 Galway: Claddagh ring museum -- 1 Dún Aonghasa (optional part of Aran Islands tour) -- 2 Galway Cathedral -- 6 Galway Market -- 3 Day trip to Connemara/Kylemore Abbey -- 5 Day trip to Cliffs of Moher -- 4

In addition, you will get 2 points (once) for attending a session of traditional music (at a pub, for example) and 1 point each way (to a maximum of 6 points) for using public transportation to a site (city buses, light rail, trains and inter-city coaches count; taxis and tour buses do not).

The Dublin Ghost tour and the Leprechaun Museum specifically do not generate points.

It is important that you write in your journal often, at least daily: remember, part of the purpose of the journal is to help you remember details of the trip years from now. It defeats the purpose of the project to try to write it all on the plane home... it’s also unlikely to fool me. Journals are to be presented to me at baggage claim in Houston unless the journal is electronic, in which case it can be e-mailed to me as a Word attachment any time prior to 5:00 p.m. on July 1. Journals will be graded based on two things: the quantity of events discussed, and the level of engagement with those events. In addition to daily entries, there should be a summary statement, written in Galway or on the plane home, bringing the entire course/journey into perspective. 65% of the grade.

Class participation. Students are expected to engage actively in the work of the course. This grade applies specifically to the time spent at SFA before departure. Promptness and appropriate behavior in Ireland also contribute this grade. 20% of total grade (N.B., this percentage assumes a passing grade for this section. If you get a failing grade in class participation, you will fail the course.

Quiz. A short quiz on Irish culture and history taken on Thursday, June 9. 15%. N.B. There may also be another quiz on Dublin geography, etc. which would be administered in Dublin or perhaps Galway. If this happens, this quiz and the one noted above would total 20% of the grade, and the journal would be worth 60%.

A few notes: Travel: See separate “Travel Tips” document.

Other important information can be found under the heading “Miscellaneous but important notes” in the syllabus to THR 471.1.