The Dramatic Imagination Course Description & Goals Course

DRA – A107 – 001: The Dramatic Imagination Professor: Dr. Laura Hope Fall 2008; Class Time: MWF 12:30-1:20 p.m. [email protected] Loyola University New Orleans Office phone: 865-3586 Office hours: MW 2-3 p.m., T 2:30-3:30 & by appointment Office: Marquette Hall 303

The Dramatic Imagination

Course Description & Goals This course is an introduction to the field of dramaturgy, the basic principles of dramatic form, and an introduction to dramatic criticism and theory. Examining the nature of drama, the course looks at dramatic texts in terms structure, genre, and context and provides an explanation of the function of a dramaturg. This course is first and foremost an academic class in which reading, writing, and critical thinking are emphasized. Expected Learning Outcomes: Students will begin to develop skills in critical thinking, analytical reading of dramatic texts and criticism, and academic writing. Students will also obtain a comprehensive understanding of dramatic structure, dramatic theory and criticism, and dramaturgy.

Course Requirements Reading Assignments: Readings must be completed by the date assigned (the date we will be referring to them in class). Bring the readings for the day to class. If you come to class without the required readings, you are absent, and will be recorded as absent for the day.

Participation: Your active participation in the daily discussions of the reading material is required. You are strongly encouraged to ask any questions you have about the readings, lectures or other class business.

Production Attendance: You are required to attend the Theatre and Dance department's fall productions: The Bug by Richard Strand, directed by Benjamin Clement. Lower Depths Theatre, October 2, 3,4, 9, 10, 11 @ 8:00 p.m. and October 5 @ 2:00 p.m. Spinning Into Butter by Rebecca Gilman, directed by Laura Hope. Marquette Theatre, November 6, 7, 8, 13, 14, 15 @8:00 p.m. and November 9, 2:00 p.m. FOR BOTH OF THESE SHOWS, YOU ARE REQUIRED TO ATTEND THE FIRST WEEK OF PERFORMANCES, SO MAKE YOUR TICKET PURCHASES AND SCHEDULE PLANS IN ADVANCE. (i.e. NOW!!) Loyola Ballet Fall Concert: November 21 & 22 @ 8:00 p.m. Roussel Hall Fall Senior Project One Acts: December 3 &4 @ 7:00 p.m. Lower Depths Theatre You will either be quizzed or have writing assignments on these productions.

Quizzes: I will give weekly quizzes to check reading completion and comprehension. These quizzes help comprise the study guide for the final exam. Quizzes and class participation account for 20% of your grade.

Final: The final will cover all of the materials covered in class readings, lectures, films, plays, and essays. It is worth 10% of your grade.

Dramaturgy research projects: There will be two dramaturgy research projects due during the semester to help students learn the job of a dramaturg. Dramaturgy projects must be typed and turned in at the beginning of class on the date assigned. Project guidelines will be distributed separately throughout the semester. These projects are cumulatively worth 20% of your grade.

Performance Review: One performance review is required for this course on Loyola University's production of The Bug. Guidelines for this performance review will be distributed separately. This is work 5% of your grade.

Final Research Project: Your final project on dramaturgy and dramatic structure will be worth 25% of your cumulative grade. Guidelines for this project will be distributed in class.

Article summations: You will be required to read articles on current theatre and performance and write a brief summation of them / response to them. Guidelines will be distributed separately. Cumulatively, they are worth 20% of your grade.

Attendance: On-time attendance at all classes is required. Attendance will be taken at each class via a sign-in sheet. After three absences, a student’s final grade for the course will be lowered by one full letter grade. Each subsequent absence results in the lowering of a student's grade by half a letter grade. Learning to show up on time is the first rule of being a successful adult. I expect you to be a successful adult. When you exceed the three allowed absences, you will be required to come to my office to discuss time management skills. I'm not kidding.

Lateness: Don't do it. Do NOT be late for class or leave early. Two late arrivals and/or early departures equals one absence. Repeat offenders will be required to come to my office and discuss time management skills. I'm not kidding.

Due Dates: I do not accept late work, ever. I do not offer make-up quizzes or exams. If you foresee a problem, talk to me well in advance and I will work something out with you at my discretion. Emergencies must be documented.

Grading: The final course grade will be calculated as follows: Quizzes/Participation 20% A= 90% - 100% The Bug Review 5% B= 80% - 89% Article Summations 20% C= 70% - 79% Dramaturgy Projects 20% D= 60% - 69% Final Dramaturgy Project 25% F= 0% - 59% Final Exam 10%

Required Text: The following are available in the campus bookstore: Spinning Into Butter by Rebecca Gilman How to Read a Play by Ronald Hayman Interlocking Pieces: Twenty Question for Understanding Literature by K.B. and D.E. Valentine Theatre/Theory/Theatre: The Major Critical Texts… edited by Daniel Gerould Anton Chekhov's Selected Plays Translated and Editd by Laurence Senelick Sophocles: The Complete Plays edited by Paul Roche Antigone by Jean Anhouilh Antigone in a version by Bertolt Brecht translated by Judith Malina Nathan the Wise by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing Statements: Sizwe Bansi is Dead, the Island….. by Athol Fugard, John Kani and Winston Ntshona Assorted articles available on Blackboard

A note on Extra Credit: I strongly encourage you to see, as an audience member, as much theatre as possible. I offer up to 20 extra credit points for each play you see and write about in a 2- 3 page review paper. Guidelines for these will be distributed separately in class. Elementary and High School productions are not eligible for extra credit papers.

***Extra Credit cannot be used to make up absences, or for the failure to turn in an assignment. Extra credit is just that: extra. It absolutely may not be used in the place of any required course assignments. ****

Disability Statement: A student with a disability that qualifies for accommodations should contact Sarah Mead Smith, director of Disability Services at 865-2990 (Academic Resource Center, room 405, Monroe Hall). A student wishing to receive test accommodations (e.g. extended test time) is responsible for providing the instructor with an official Accommodation Form from Disability Services at least 48 hours before the scheduled test date. Additionally, it is the student's responsibility to inform the supervising faculty or staff member if there are any physical hindrances to being able to execute a requested assignment.

Hurricane / Emergency Evacuation Plan: Students must log on to the College emergency web site (www.loyno.la) and the University Blackboard site (http://loyno.blackboard.com/) within 48 hours of any University evacuation to receive further information regarding contacting course instructors for assignments, etc. Students will be required to do assigned course work for any evacuation of more than 48 hours. Students should also monitor the University site (www.emergency.loyno.edu) for general information. In the event of an evacuation, make sure you take your computers and important paperwork with you.

Statement on Intellectual Honesty: "Intellectual honesty is simply acknowledging, through documentation, all those sources that the writer has used in preparing any written work. Plagiarism, the obverse of intellectual honesty, is the use of any form of material, whether written or verbal, without formal indebtedness through documentation. The paraphrasing of any work, either written by other students or found in print or in electronic form, without acknowledgement, is plagiarism. Not properly identifying the source of a quotation, even though the quotation is enclosed in quotation marks is also plagiarism. Not only the exact language of a sentence or phrase, but any material falsely presented as one's own—an idea, a concept, data, graphs, or a line of argument—

constitutes plagiarism. Any material that neither originates with the student nor is common knowledge among educated persons must be formally acknowledged. It must be remembered that written work stands on its own, not on the intention of the writer. The burden of intellectual honesty rests on the student, not on the instructor. If students have any doubts about what is required, they should inquire before the work is submitted. Otherwise, they open themselves to charges of plagiarism. The penalties for plagiarism are severe: a student who is found to have plagiarized or to have assisted another student in plagiarizing may be given a failing grade for the course on the first violation; a second offense may result in exclusion or dismissal from the university." (For the complete details on standards, penalties, and appeals procedures, see "Integrity of Scholarship and Grades," Loyola Undergraduate Bulletin)

Plagiarism is cheating. A student who cheats on an assignment in any way, shape, or form will receive an “F” on that assignment, and will be reported to their faculty advisor, department chair, and dean for furthering sentencing.

Classroom Decorum: Turn off your cell phones and any other electronic device that beeps, buzzes, chirps, wails, sings, etc. Please do this before class begins.

Reading/Assignment Schedule: Dramatic Imagination – Fall 2008 — Dr. Laura Hope

BRING ASSIGNED READINGS TO CLASS WITH YOU!

Date Subject Reading Assignment/Location Other Assignments

TOPIC: Week 1: What is Dramaturgy? 8/25 Introduction 8/27 What is Dramaturgy? BLACKBOARD: Cattaneo, pp. 3-15; Cardullo, pp. 3-11 8/29 Research CLASS MEETS IN LIBRARY: CLASSROOM I

TOPIC: Week 2: What is Dramaturgy? 9/1 Labor Day. No class. 9/3 What is Dramaturgy? BLACKBOARD: Katz, pp. 13-16; Copelin, pp. 17-24; Schechter, pp. 16-24 Article Sums #1 due 9/5 What is Dramaturgy? BLACKBOARD: Turner & Behrndt, pp. 1-37 QUIZ #1

TOPIC: Week 3: Dramaturgical Research and Program Notes 9/8 Rebecca Gilman: Gilman, Spinning Into Butter; BLACKBOARD: Near letter (in Course Materials section) 9/10 Program Notes: BLACKBOARD: Program Notes for California Shakespeare Theater (Program Notes section) 9/12 Program Notes: BLACKBOARD: Program Notes for California Shakespeare Theater (Program Notes section) Quiz #2

TOPIC: Week 4: Gotthold Ephraim Lessing – The First Dramaturg 9/15 Lessing BLACKBOARD: Luckhurst, pp. 24-41 Article Sums #2 Due 9/17 Lessing Lessing, Nathan the Wise, pp. 23-118 9/19 Lessing In Nathan the Wise: pp. 1-22 (Introduction by Ronald Schechter) Quiz #3

TOPIC: Week 5: Lessing and Schiller: Theorizing Dramaturgy 9/22 Lessing Geroud, Daniel Theatre/Theory/Theatre: pp. 236-246 9/24 Schiller Geroud, Daniel Theatre/Theory/Theatre: pp. 247-261 Quiz #4 9/26 Project #1 Share in Class Dramaturgy Project #1 due

TOPIC: Week 6: Dramatic Structure and Chekhov 9/29 Chekhov Chekhov, Anton: The Seagull (In Anton Chekhov's Selected Plays) pp. 129-190 10/1 Structure Hayman, How To Read A Play pp. 9-30 10/3 Structure Hayman, How To Read a Play pp. 31-56 Quiz #5

TOPIC: Week 7: Dramatic Structure and Chekhov 10/6 Chekhov Chekhov, Anton: Uncle Vanya (In Anton Chekhov's Selected Plays) pp. 191-240 Bug review Due 10/8 Structure Hayman, How To Read a Play, pp. 57-81 10/10 Structure Hayman, How To Read a Play, pp. 81-110 Quiz #6

TOPIC: Week 8: Dramatic Structure and Chekhov 10/13 Fall Break! No Class. 10/15 Chekhov Chekhov, Anton: The Three Sisters (In Anton Chehkov' Selected Plays) pp. 241-314 Article Sums #3 due 10/17 Structure Valentine, Interlocking Pieces: Introduction & Questions 1-6 (pp. 3-15) Quiz #7

TOPIC: Week 9: Dramatic Structure and Chekhov 10/20 Structure Valentine, Interlocking Pieces: Questions 7-12 (pp. 15-26) 10/22 Structure Valentine, Interlocking Pieces: Questions 13-20 (pp. 26-44) 10/24 Genre/Style Senelick, Anton Chekhov’s Selected Plays: pp. 598-606, Gerould, Theatre/Theory/Theatre: pp. 351-367 & 406-418 QUIZ #8

TOPIC: Week 10: The Birth of Tragedy 10/27 Greek Tragedy Sophocles, Oedipus the King (in Sophocles: the complete plays): pp. 211-263 Dramaturgy Project #2 due 10/29 Greek Tragedy BLACKBOARD: Carlson, Theories of the Theatre & Plato, excerpts from The Republic 10/31 Greek Tragedy Gerould, Theatre/Theory/Theatre: pp. 43-67 QUIZ #9

TOPIC: Week 11: Sophocles’ Antigone 11/3 Sophocles’ Antigone Sophocles, Antigone (in Sophocles: the complete plays): pp. 339-387 Article Sums #4 due 11/5 BLACKBOARD: excerpts from Female Acts in Greek Tragedy 11/7 Antigones BLACKBOARD: excerpts from The Living Art of Greek Tragedy QUIZ #10

TOPIC: Week 12: Contexts of Drama, Theory, & History: Anouilh’s Antigone 11/10 French Existentialism Anouilh, Antigone (read the play & commentary) 11/12 Antonin Artaud Gerould, Theatre/Theory/Theatre pp. 433-443 11/14 Adaptation BLACKBOARD: excerpts from A Theory of Adaptation QUIZ #11

TOPIC: Week 13: Contexts of Drama, Theory & History: Bertolt Brech’s Antigone 11/17 Brecht Brecht, Antigone Article Sums #5 due 11/19 Brecht Gerould, Theatre/Theory/Theatre, pp 444-461 11/21 Brecht BLACKBOARD: readings on Brecht QUIZ #12

TOPIC: Week 14: “Poor Theatre” 11/24 Grotowski BLACKBOARD: Grotowski, excerpts form Towards a Poor Theatre QUIZ #13 11/26 Thanksgiving NO CLASS! 11/28 Thanksgiving NO CLASS!

TOPIC: Week 15: Athol Fugard’s “Antigone” 12/1 Athol Fugard Fugard & et al., The Island & Introduction (in Statements…) Final Project due 12/3 Athol Fugard BLACKBOARD: excerpt from An Introduction to Postcolonial Theatre 12/5 Augusto Boal Gerould, Theatre/Theory/Theatre, pp. 462-473 QUIZ #14

FINALS WEEK 12/10 (Wednesday) Final Exam 11:30-1:30 p.m. BRING A LARGE BLUE BOOK TO CLASS!!!!