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Drama 204.3 History of Drama and Theatre from 1850 to the Present

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Drama 204.3 History of Drama and Theatre from 1850 to the Present Drama 204.3 History of Drama and Theatre From 1850 to the Present History of Theatre, dominantly in the Western Tradition, from the rise of the modern theatre to the present day. Evolution of theatrical production (acting, directing, production, theatre architecture) will be emphasized, with assigned plays being examined largely within the context of the production and performance dynamics of their period. Instructor Moira Day Rm 187, John Mitchell 966-5193 (Off.) 653-4729 (Home) 1-780-466-8957 (emergency only) [email protected] http://www.ualberta.ca/~normang/Pika.html Office Hours MW 11:00 - 1:00 Booklist ***Klaus, Gilbert, Field, ed. Stages of Drama (5th edition). Boston: Bedford/St.Martin’s, 2003. Brockett, Oscar. History of the Theatre (9th edition). Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 2003. *** Theatre History Notes Package. Bookstore Grades and Course Information ***Mid-Term 10% Quizzes 10% Response Papers (4 x5%) 20% Group work 20% Participation 10%*** Final Exam 30% ---- 100% I will be in class five minutes ahead of time for consultation, and begin and end lectures on time. I will also return quizzes within TWO class periods after giving them, and return exams within TEN DAYS after giving them. Exams, quizzes and papers not picked up at that class time can be picked up during office hours. Students are expected to be punctual and to submit all classwork on time. Any requests for an extension must be submitted *** ***one week in advance of the formal deadline. ***Unexcused late assignments***, except in the case of certifiable illness or death in the family, will be heavily penalized (10% per day deducted). NO CLASS WORK WILL BE ACCEPTED BEYOND THE FINAL EXAM EXCEPT IN THE CASE OF AN OFFICIAL INCOMPLETE GRANTED BECAUSE OF ILLNESS OR DEATH IN THE FAMILY. Students who submit ALL their assignments, including quizzes and critiques, will receive a 1% bonus. Students should be aware that there is a $3.00 photocopy fee per term to be paid to the instructor by the end of the September. I will also be scheduling time to meet individually with students a week prior to seminar presentations, and will do a written critique of their presentation within a week of the discussion period. Essays will be due 10 days after the seminar. Attendance at student class seminars is compulsory because these are graded "live" performances that can be negatively affected by poor audience attendance and participation. For this reason, 1% OF YOUR PARTICIPATION GRADE WILL BE DOCKED FOR EVERY UNEXCUSED ABSENCE FROM A STUDENT SEMINAR. Instructors are NOT permitted to reschedule final exams at their own discretion. Please take heed of the final exam dates (***December 6-20***) and do not schedule other activities at that time. If you find yourself in difficulties and are considering dropping the course late in the term, please come and talk to me first. If you decide to drop the course, please come and notify me so I can take your name off my record book. ***(Sept 17. Last day to withdraw without financial penalty. ***Nov 15 Last day to withdraw without academic penalty.) If there is a time conflict with my office hours, then feel free to make an appointment or leave me a number where I can reach you. I can't give you heavy- duty, on-going counselling, but I'd be delighted to help you with any immediate problem I feel is within my power to handle, and if I feel it isn't, I'll try to refer you to people or places that can help you with it. Welcome on board! Schedule Sept 4 Introduction On the Threshold of the Modern Era 1800- 1870 – Progress and Utility Overview of the English Theatre 1800-1870 ----- The Modern Theatre 1870-1914 – The Triumph of Realism 9 The Modern Theatre 1870-1914 (B. 388-91, 392-96, 399-402, 421-22, 409-16) 11 *A Doll’s House – 1879 (Ibsen) (B 391-92) ----- 16 *Pygmalion – 1913 (Shaw) (B. 396-99) 18 Conclusion ----- The Modern Theatre 1914-1945 - Crisis and Revolution 23 The Modern Theatre 1914-1945 (416-21, 422-32, 438-444, 449-65)(Response 1 due) 25 *Six Characters in Search of an Author – 1922 (Pirandello) (B.444-46) ---- 30 Group One London September-December 1914 Oct 2 Group Two New York September-December 1914 ---- 7 *Galileo 1938-54 (Brecht) (B.432-38, 480-81) 9 Group Three London September – December 1945 --- 12 Group Four New York September-December 1945 14 Conclusion (Response 2 due) --- 21 ***Mid term*** The Modern Theatre 1945-1970 – A Party over an Abyss 23 The Modern Theatre 1945-70 (B. 469-77, 490-504) --- 28 *Death of a Salesman – 1949 (Miller) (B.501-03) 30 Group Five London September-December 1970 --- 4 *A Raisin in the Sun – 1959 (Hansberry) (B. 544-45) 6 Group Six New York September-December 1970 --- 11 ***Remembrance Day*** The Modern Theatre 1970-2003 Deconstructing/ Reconstructing Reality 13 The Modern Theatre 1970-2003 (B.529-51, 562-67, 568- 77)(Response 3 due) ---- 18 *Death and the King’s Horseman – 1976 (Soyinka)(B. 578-86) 20 *Oleanna – 1992 (Mamet) (B. 541-43) ---- 25 Group Seven London September – December 2003 27 Group Eight New York September - December 2003 --- Dec 2 Conclusion (Response 4 due) * Denotes quiz day ****new section*** Brockett Readings Section Titles The Modern Theatre 1870-14 The Beginnings of Modern Realism Saxe-Meiningen Zola and the French Naturalists Antoine and the Theatre Libre The Freie Bühne and German Realism The Continuing Tradition in England 1900-1914 The Moscow Art Theatre and Realism in Russia The Irish Renaissance Modern Alternatives to Realism Wagner and the Nonrealistic Theatre Nonrealistic Theatre in France Appia and Craig Strindberg and Freud Ibsen (Ibsen) The Independent Theatre and Realism in England (Shaw) The Modern Theatre 1914-45 Modern Alternatives to Realism Nonrealistic Theatre in England Russian Modernism The Revival of Idealism in France Looking at Theatre History Continental European and Latin American Theatre in the Early Twentieth Century Nonrealistic Theatre and Drama in Germany Theatre and Drama in France 1915-40 Looking at Theatre History English Language Theatre in the Early Twentieth Century English Theatre and Drama 1915-1940 Theatre and Drama in the United States 1915-1940 Italian Theatre and Drama 1915-1940 (Pirandello) German Theatre and Drama 1915-1940 (Brecht) German Theatre and Drama 1940-1968 “ The Modern Theatre 1945-1970 Continental and Latin American Theatre in the Mid-Twentieth Century French Theatre and Drama 1940-1968 English Language Theatre in the Mid-Twentieth Century English Theatre and Drama in the United States 1940-1968 Theatre and Drama in the United States 1940-1968 Theatre and Drama in the United States 1940-1968 (Miller) Theatre in the United States After 1968 (Hansberry) The Modern Theatre 1970-2003 English Language Theatre in the Late Twentieth Century British Theatre to 1990 Theatre in the Unites States After 1968 Contemporary Theatre Theatre in Britain Theatre in Ireland Theatre in the United States The Theatre of Africa (Soyinka) Some Basic Issues and Problems Nigeria Theatre in the Unites States After 1968 (Mamet) ***new section*** Play Reading Schedule All play readings will take place in the seminar room (Rm 192) in the John Mitchell Building at 8:30 on Sunday evenings from September 7 – October 5 and at 9:30 from October 26 to November 16. Tea, coffee, cookies and a limited number of mugs will be supplied. Friends are welcome. Students will receive a 1/2% bonus mark for every play reading attended. Sundays 8:30 p.m. Sept 7 A Doll’s House (Ibsen) 14 Pygmalion (Shaw) 21 Six Characters in Search of An Author (Pirandello) Oct 5 Galileo (Brecht) Sundays 9:30 p.m. Oct 26 Death of A Salesman (Miller) Nov 2 A Raisin in the Sun (Hansberry) 9 Death and the King’s Horseman (Soyinka) 16 Oleanna (Mamet) ***essay section deleted*** Response Papers The response paper should serve as a considered response to the assigned historical readings in both the handouts and the Brockett text. It is meant to (a) clarify and focus your own thinking about the material you have read (b) help initiate class discussion (c) give the instructor feedback on areas of information you would like to know more about or feel require further explanation and clarification before you are ready to be examined on them and (d) give the instructor feedback on what issues and areas of information you would like to be tested on since you view them as key to understanding the period and the theatre that comes out of it. It should be about*** 500-750 words and ordinarily not exceed 5 pages in length***. It can expand on one point at length or deal with two or three smaller ones (much more than that and you may be spreading yourself too thin.) It should be submitted at the end of the class when it is due, and will be returned at the time of the next class. If you are unable to attend the class in person, please arrange for the response paper to appear even you can't. Things you may want to comment on: (1) how the readings illuminate or clarify for you certain historical, literary or social themes and concerns we have raised in class. (2) where you find interesting comparisons, contrasts or parallels between what you see in the readings and what you have discovered in your own area of study or experience. (3) something about the reading which particularly excited, intrigued, disturbed or puzzled you and you would like to share with others (4) something about the reading which raised more questions than it answered and you would like to discuss at greater length At its best, the response paper should read as an informal but thoughtful short essay that develops your insight, thesis, argument, query or quibble in a clear, articulate and concise fashion.
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