Literature and Society: 9108210 The Politics of Dramatic Form - Spring: 2017 Sunday RM 115, Tuesday, RM 116: 2:00 – 3:20 Office hours: By Appointment: Sunday/Tuesday: 10:00AM – 12:00PM Mondays: 11:00AM to 12:00PM. Instructor: Gary English. EMAIL: [email protected]
I. Course Description: This introductory course traces the emergence of distinctive forms of political theater beginning with a review of Greek drama and focusing on late 19th and 20 century Europe, South America and the United States. Students engage closely with a number of major dramatic texts whose importance in this process is widely recognized. Attention is paid to the fact that theater is not just a textual genre, but an embodied practice played out in real time and in a concrete social and political public space. Readings will include essays and plays by Aristotle, Sophocles, Stanislavski, Fanon, Pirandello, Brecht, Miller, Dorfman, Artaud, Growtowski, and Becket. The complex relationship between political life and drama is viewed as an essential characteristic of theatre and public life. Study includes evolution of various dramatic structures as metaphors for modern and cotemporary political thought and action. Discussions will also focus on how the relationship between dramatic form and political thought can be applied to the contemporary world.
II. Assessments (3 credit students) 1. Attendance & Participation: policy stated below will be strictly applied. (15%) 2. Papers (65%): You will submit three essays: 1000-1500 word essay on Greek drama (15%; 10% for (4 credits) (Due: Feb. 19). 1000-1500 word essay on Stanislavski and realism (15%/10%) (Due: March 12). 2500 word final essay on a subject of your choice. (35%/30%) (Due: April 5). 3. Blog contributions will be made on website that will be set up the first week. Students are expected to contribute to blog discussion forums for 10 weeks of the semester. (20%). The blog site is: https://politicsdrama.wordpress.com/ 4. Assessments for 4 credit students will also include: Two additional readings taken from Stanislavski, Bertolt Brecht or Jerzy Growtowski , or some topic related to political drama and an additional in class presentation on some aspect of their work. Additional topics may be added or substituted with permission of instructor. (15% for 4 credit students).
94-100 (A) Excellent work 90-93 (A-) 86-89 (B+) Work that is more than satisfactory 83-85 (B) 80-82 (B-) 76-79 (C+) Competent work 73-75 (C) 70-72 (C-) Performance that is poor, but deserving of credit 67-69 (D+) 60-66 (D) Below 60 (F) Failure to reach the standard required in the course for credit
/Al-Quds University Main Campus, Abu Dis – Jerusalem, P.O. Box 2002, Tel Fax: 02-2794950, Website http://www.bard.alquds.eduـــــ
III. Reading Required Texts Required Readings are in printed packet and include these essays on Theory: 1. Poetics, by Aristotle: 2. Deep Plays: Theatre as Process in Greek Civic Life. 3. The Stanislavski System. 4. Frantz Fanon, Internalized Oppression and the Decolonization of Education. 5. The Masters Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master’s House. 6. Brecht on Theatre. 7. Towards the Poor Theatre, By Jerzy Grotowski. 8. The Theatre and the Plague, from The Theatre and it’s Double, by Antonin Artaud.
Additional Readings include the following plays: 1. Oedipus the King, by Sophocles 2. Hecuba, by Euripides 3. The Crucible, by Arthur Miller 4. Death and the Maiden, by Ariel Dorfman 5. The Caucasion Chalk Circle, by Bertolt Brecht. 6. The Memorandum, By Vaclav Havel 7. Six Characters in Search of an Author, by Luigi Pirandello 8. Waiting for Godot, by Becket
IV. Attendance/ Participation Policy Class attendance is mandatory. Unexcused absence will result in a grade deduction. You are permitted only two excused absences during the term. An absence is classified as an excused absence with ONLY an official doctor’s note or a dean’s note. Half a point (from the total attendance grade) is deducted for every unexcused absence (or any absence after the second excused absence).
If your unexcused absences totaled 20% of the course’s scheduled hours, you will not be allowed to sit for the final exam; you will receive a grade of 40% for the semester.
If you miss more than 30% of the course’s scheduled hours, even with an acceptable excuse, you will be given a “drop” in the system.
The class is 1hr 20mins long. You are not permitted to enter the class when a session begins under any circumstances (unless previously discussed with me). Late students will be considered absent.
You must switch off your cellular phone and all other electronic devices except lap tops for the purposes of taking notes. If any cellular phone or electronic device rings during the session, points will be deducted from the participation grade.
If you were late or did not sit for an exam without pre-agreement with the instructor, you will not be given a second chance to take it.
/Al-Quds University Main Campus, Abu Dis – Jerusalem, P.O. Box 2002, Tel Fax: 02-2794950, Website http://www.bard.alquds.eduـــــ
If the absence occurs during a final exam, the excuse will be reviewed by a college committee appointed by the Dean. An excused absence must be accompanied by Al Quds University- approved documentation, which must be submitted within one week of the absence.
You are must review and abide by the Al Quds University handbook.
V. Learning Outcomes A. You will have the knowledge to discuss key concepts in dramatic form and structure. B. You will develop a skill to read dramatic texts critically and analytically C. You will develop the skills to evaluate and discuss how drama reflects political life and how political life is expressed through drama in historical and contemporary examples. D. You will develop the skills to deliver original essays on contemporary political conflict by applying examples from dramatic literature. E. You will be able to write a formal essay on the above subjects.
VI. Format and Methods This is essentially a reading and discussion course. You will be required to write two short papers to discuss different dramatic themes and based on specific writing prompts. You will receive regular feedback on your papers’ structure and content.
You will learn to apply skills on forging different elements of dramatic content by working on reading assessment exercises individually at home (online) and in groups in class. You will be asked to present work in class. Several classes will be dedicated to discussing theories and topics in relation to course context.
Classes will include some free writing exercises. These free write exercises are not graded. They aim to help you explore your ideas freely and work on your thinking process.
IX. Academic Honesty When we research, we use other people’s work to help develop our own: this is an essential part of the academic world. However, when you use someone else’s work, you must cite it. This lets the reader know which parts of the work are your own, and which parts come from other sources.
At AQB we are very strict about academic honesty. What that means it that anytime you draw from someone’s ideas or cite their actual words, you must give the name of the author and the book in proper citation form. If you are caught claiming someone’s work as your own, the following procedures are in place: the first time you will be warned and will fail the assignment, the second time you will fail the course, and the third time you will be permanently expelled from AQB (please see the AQB plagiarism policy for a more detailed explanation).
/Al-Quds University Main Campus, Abu Dis – Jerusalem, P.O. Box 2002, Tel Fax: 02-2794950, Website http://www.bard.alquds.eduـــــ
Politics of Dramatic Form: VII. Schedule: Course Calendar: Sundays and Tuesdays, 2:00 – 3:20
WEEK ONE: Sun. 22, Jan: Introduction and Syllabus. Outline One: Introduction to Drama as a discipline. Introduction to Dramatic structure, and performance. introduction to Ancient Greek Theatre. Tue. 24, Jan: Outline Two: Determinism, causality cause and effect. Structure and character of Greek drama and Oedipus the King: synopsis, characters and action. Begin reading, Oedipus the King through page 201 or line 800.
WEEK TWO: Sun. 29, Jan: Outline Three: Conventions in Drama. READ: Poetics, by Aristotle and Oedipus The King, through page 201, or line 800. Discuss. Tue. 31, Jan: Outline Four: READ: Deep Plays, Theatre as Civic Life. Discuss relationship of theatre to political life. Discuss relationship of dramatic form to democracy.. BLOG POST NO. 1 PRINCIPLES OF DRAMATIC STRUCTURE Due.
WEEK THREE: Sun. 5, Feb. Outline Five: Finish Reading Oedipus the King. Discussion of fate, destiny, causality and chaos as political realities. Tue. 7, Feb. Outline Six: The Peloponnesian War. Drama as a mythological subject to reflect contemporary political realities. Begin reading Hecuba. BLOG POST NO. 2 – OEDIPUS DUE.
WEEK FOUR: Sun. 12, Feb. Finish reading Hecuba. Discuss Hecuba’s choices and motives. Discuss the concept of “political necessity” and how it is applied in the play. Tue. 14, Feb. Discuss Hecuba and Oedipus Rex – structure form and political implications. Conclude discussion on dramatic structures and form, fate, destiny, will, nature, and political necessity. BLOG POST NO. 3 – HECUBA DUE
WEEK FIVE: Sun. 19, Feb. ESSAY ONE ON GREEK DRAMA DUE. Submit by Sunday night at 11:59PM READ: The Stanislavski System. Outline Seven: Introduction to Stanislavski and Realism in theatre. What are the objectives for realism and naturalism? What are the conventions associated with Realism. Mechanics and politics of realism. Social and poliical context for The Crucible. Tue. 21, Feb. Outline Eight: READ: ACT ONE AND ACT TWO, The Crucible.
WEEK SIX: Sun. 26, Feb. READ: ACT THREE AND ACT FOUR, The Crucible. Tue. 28, Feb. Outline Nine: History and Context of South American Politics. Post-Conflict relationship between justice and reconciliation. Begin reading: Death and the Maiden.
/Al-Quds University Main Campus, Abu Dis – Jerusalem, P.O. Box 2002, Tel Fax: 02-2794950, Website http://www.bard.alquds.eduـــــ
WEEK SEVEN: Sun. 5, Mar. Finish reading Death and the Maiden Tue. 7, Mar. Conclude discussion on Death and the Maiden. Discuss how justice and political implications in a post-conflict environment.
WEEK EIGHT: Sun. 12, Mar. ESSAY TWO ON REALISM DUE: Submit by Sunday night at 11:59PM. Tue. 14, Mar. (GUEST) Introduction to Politics of oppression: Frantz Fanon: colonialism, and psychological and political oppression.
WEEK NINE: Sun. 19, Mar. (GUEST) READ: Frantz Fonan: Internalized Oppression and the De-Colonization of Education. Tue. 21, Mar. (GUEST) READ: The Masters Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master’s House.
WEEK TEN Sun. 26, Mar. Bertolt Brecht: Epic Theatre and revolution. READ: Brecht on Theatre. Start reading, The Caucasion Chalk Circle. Tue. 28, Mar Bertolt Brecht: Epic Theatre and revolution. Finish reading: The Caucasion Chalk Circle.
WEEK ELEVEN Sun. 2, Apr. The Caucasion Chalk Circle, continue discussion. Tue. 4, Apr. The Caucasion Chalk Circle, conclude discussion.
WEEK TWELVE Sun. 9, Apr. Six Characters in Search of the Author. Tue. 11, Apr. Six Characters in Search of the Author.
Sun. 16, Apr. EASTER BREAK. Tue. 18, Apr. EASTER BREAK.
WEEK 13: Sun. 23, Apr. Introduction to Absurdism. Tue. 25, Apr. Absurdism READ: Act one. Waiting for Godot.
WEEK 14: Sun. 30, Apr. READ: Act two, Waiting for Godot. Tue. 2, Apr. Finish discussion of Waiting for Godot. Preparation for Final Exam. Final Essays due Friday, May 5 at 11:49PM.
PLEASE TAKE NOTE THAT COURSE CALENDAR IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITH ONE-WEEK NOTICE.
/Al-Quds University Main Campus, Abu Dis – Jerusalem, P.O. Box 2002, Tel Fax: 02-2794950, Website http://www.bard.alquds.eduـــــ