BBNAN 13500 Angol-amerikai irodalmi szeminárium BACKSTAGE & REHEARSAL 2. 18TH CENTURY THEATRE – SEEN FROM THE 21ST CENTURY tentative schedule – subject to change

Reuss Gabriella, PhD [email protected] Class: Tuesday 8:30-10:00, Room ? Building Z - or online, in Microsoft Teams, Zoom Office hour: Thursday 12:30 @ Building Z, office behind the IEAS secretary’s one – or, any time on Messenger by prior arrangement

the first convict colony in Australia, 1789. A cast of convicts and a homesick lieutenant with a leading lady who may be about to be hanged before the first night rehearse the first ever to be staged Down Under: it is hardly known today, but was one of the most popular plays of the 18th century – second only to Hamlet…

Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London, 1773. The crowd is getting restless. The leading man's unconscious but the show must go on!

Purpose: read and stage dramas, experience how the dramatic texts “behave” on stage, practice close reading and criticism, become acquainted a bit with both British history and British theatre history Final Test: it will consist of two parts: Part A) reading comprehension/interpretive task, Part B) questions concerning lexical items Personal reflections are needed for each play and are due on the day of discussion. (see schedule) You must come prepared (even if you skipped the previous class) and be ready for class discussions /activities Marking scheme: 0- 59 1 60- 67 2 68- 76 3 77- 84 4 85-100 5

personal reflections (4 occasions) 40% final test (24 November) 40% active participation in class discussions (9 occasions) 40%

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week class topic to do Introduction to the (Covid-19 version of the) course: aims, tools and requirements; schedule, readings, apps & programs: Teams, Zoom (Messenger?), deadlines, team tasks and kahoots, online etiquette Testing remote teaching: play kahoot online? Favourites – Why do we read? (if we do…?) 1. 08 Sept Ways to approach drama, theatre and dramatic criticism.

Intro to post- Shakespearean theatre. 2. 15 Sept Late Restoration and 18th century London theatre read: The A late Restoration/early 18th century play: Recruiting 3. 22 Sept George Farquhar, , 1706 Officer

Acting & dramatic conventions: 4. 29 Oct George Farquhar, The Recruiting Officer, 1706 read: She Acting & dramatic conventions: Stoops to 5. 06 Oct , , 1773 Conquer

Aesthetic debates: who does the author write for? 6. 13 Oct Oliver Goldsmith, She Stoops to Conquer, 1773

7. 20 Oct Intro to 18th century Australia – another kind of spectacle

8. 27 Oct autumn break read: Our Country’s 9. 03 Nov Timberlake Wertenbaker, Our Country’s Good (1998) Good read A Laughing 10. 10 Nov April de Angelis: A Laughing Matter (2002) Matter read relevant parts of other sources – other acting traditions? and 11. 17 Nov staged reading King Lear

12. 24 Nov final test

13. 01 Dec feedback, grades

14. 08 Dec holiday (Feast of the Immaculate Conception)

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Recommended readings:  by Sara Freeman, British Library, 2017, https://www.bl.uk/works/our-countrys- good  British Library interview with Max Stafford-Clark, director, 2017, https://www.bl.uk/20th-century-literature/articles/directing-our-countrys-good- an-interview-with-max-stafford-clark  https://www.bl.uk/collection-items/the-recruiting-officer-by-george-farquhar

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