Theatre  1030-­‐W3  Garret  Schneider,  Instructor  

garrets@gmail.com      

Theatre  1030-­‐W3,  Fall  2013     OFFICE:  Email  with  any  questions    COURSE  GOALS  AND  OBJECTIVES:    This  course  explores  the  roles  of  various  theatre  artists:    the  playwright,  actor,  director,  and  designer  and  how  they  collaborate  with  the  audience  to  create  the  theatrical  experience.    The  instructor  will  provide  a  framework  for  the  student  to  learn  the  most  amount  of  material.    Students  will  be  required  to  complete  all  material,  pass  all  quizzes,  and  write  all  papers  to  pass  this  course.    REQUIREMENTS:    Students  will  complete  short  assignments  based  on  the  reading  for  that  chapter.    Though  powerpoints  will  be  provided,  it  is  no  substitute  for  the  textbook,  and  some  assignments  need  the  textbook  to  be  completed.        Students  will  write  two  play  analysis  papers,  and  one  term  paper  (to  be  completed  and  revised).    The  analysis  papers  will  be  on  physical  plays  that  the  students  read,  and  the  paper  will  be  on  a  production  which  they  must  plan  from  beginning  to  end  (though  they  don’t  have  to  put  it  up).    There  will  be  a  cumulative  midterm  and  final  exam.    Quizzes  are  given  at  the  end  of  each  chapter,  and  may  cover  any  aspect  of  course  contents  to  date.    TEXTS:  “The  Art  of  Theatre,  Then  and  Now:  A  Concise  Introduction”  by  Downs/Wright/Ramsey    Students  are  required  to  read  the  chapters  to  successfully  complete  the  assignments.    CLASS  ATTENDANCE  POLICY:    As  this  is  a  digital  class,  class  attendance  is  an  odd  point.    We  have  students  from  all  over  the  world,  so  I  want  to  be  flexible,  but  not  put  you  in  the  disadvantageous  situation  where  you  have  an  entire  semester’s  worth  of  work  to  do  in  one  weekend.  So,  the  chapters  are  broken  up  into  two-­‐week  periods,  ending  on  the  second  Saturday,  1pm  Central  Time.    That  Saturday,  the  new  chapter’s  work  will  be  available.    This  allows  flexibility,  but  not  leaving  you  with  a  pile  of  work  at  the  end  of  the  semester.  I  can  also  observe  when  you  log  in,  and  for  how  long,  so  if  you  don’t  log  in  for  long  periods  of  time,  I  am  going  to  have  to  assume  that  you  are  failing  to  complete  any  work.      2  Play  Analysis:  Chapter  Assignments:  Chapter  Quizes:  Midterm  &  Final:  Final  Paper:  

10%  20%  10%  30%  30%  

90-100=A 80-89=B 70-79=C 60-69=D 0-59=F

 NOTE: Although some courses use a different grading scale, please be advised that the grading scale in this course is taken into consideration as subjective work is graded. There is rarely extra credit. Make-up work/tests are not granted except on very rare occasions..  

 ACADEMIC HURDLES : Any student who has a condition that may affect his/her academic performance is encouraged to contact me or the coordinator of disability issues who is located in Clement 140, telephone 931-221-6230 to discuss the matter.

PRELIMINARY  CLASS  SCHEDULE:  This  schedule  can  and  will  change.    It  is  offered  to  give  you  an  idea  of  the  order  in  which  we  will  address  the  material,  and  how  long  we  may  spend  on  each  subject.  I  will  be  uploading  due  dates  on  the  calendar.    The  rough  dates  are  as  follows:    Chapter  1  &  2  (and  a  half)   Theatre,  Art  &  Entertainment   August  24th  –  Sept  7th  Chapter  2  (and  a  half)  &  3   Stage  vs  Screen  &  Cultural  

Diversity  Sept  7th  –  Sept  21st  

Chapter  4  &  5   Experiencing  Plays  &  A  Day  in  the  Life..  

Sept  21st  –  Oct  5th    

Chapter  6  &  4   Analyzing  Plays  and  Playwrighting  

Oct  5th  –  Oct  19th    

1st  Play  Response  is  Due   Look  on  the  discussion  board   Oct  19th  Chapter  7  &  8   Acting  &  Directing   Oct  19th  –  Nov  2nd    1st  Pass  at  Term  Paper  is  Due   Look  on  the  discussion  board   Nov  2nd  Chapter  9  &  10   Design  &  Creativity   Nov  2nd  –  Nov  16th  2nd  Play  Response  is  Due   Look  on  the  discussion  board   Nov  16th  Chapter  11   Types  of  Theatre   Nov  16th  –  Nov  30th    Chapter  12   The  Musical   Nov  30th  –  Dec  12th  2nd  Pass  at  Term  Paper  is  Due   Look  on  the  discussion  board   Dec  10th      

***********************************  ACADEMIC  HONESTY:  Cheating  on  examinations,  submitting  work  of  other  students  as  your  own,  or  plagiarism  in  any  form  will  result  in  penalties  ranging  from  an  F  on  the  assignment  to  expulsion  from  the  university,  depending  on  the  seriousness  of  the  offense.    In  this  class  there  will  be  no  discrimination  based  on  race,  ethnic  origin,  religion,  gender,  age,  sexual  orientation  or  physical  handicap.    If  individual  assistance  is  needed,  please  talk  to  me  about  it  as  soon  as  possible.    CONTACT  INFORMATION:    Garret  Schneider,  garrets@gmail.com    

***********************************  GUIDELINES  FOR  PLAY  ANALYSIS  PAPERS:    The  German  romantic  playwright,  philosopher,  and  critic  Johann  Wolfgang  von  Goethe  (1749-­‐1832)  offered  a  simple  formula  for  play  analysis  that  has  been  used  for  hundreds  of  years.    1.   What  is  the  artist  trying  to  do?    This  question  will  help  determine  the  direction  of  your  analysis.  If  you  understand  the  intention  of  the  artist,  you  will  understand  the  reasons  for  his  or  her  choices.  Put  aside  your  opinion  of  the  play  and  identify  the  artist’s  purpose.  What  is  the  artist  trying  to  say?  What  is  the  artist’s  goal?  Can  you  explain  why  the  artist  chose  to  bring  this  particular  work  into  being?    2.   How  well  has  the  artist  done  it?    By  answering  this  question,  you  judge  the  degree  of  success  the  artist  has  achieved  in  achieving  the  goal  you  identified  in  answer  to  the  first  question.  How  do  the  artist’s  techniques,  methods,  and  talents  help  to  achieve  the  goal?  How  effective  is  the  play  in  fulfilling  the  artist’s  intention?    3.   Is  it  worth  doing?    The  final  question  is  whether  the  finished  work  of  art  was  worth  the  artist’s  and  the  audience’s  time  and  effort.  Does  the  play  have  new,  interesting  ideas?  Will  it  help  us  understand  the  world,  or  understand  it  in  a  new  way?  If  it  didn’t  communicate  to  you,  did  it  communicate  to  anyone  else?    

 

More  detailed  breakdown  of  the  first  play  analysis:    You  will  post  this  in  the  discussion  board  for  the  play  analysis.  5  paragraphs,  300-­‐1000  words    Paragraph  One:  Introduction    Paragraph  Two:  What  is  the  playwright  trying  to  say?     Why  this  title?     What  are  the  themes?     Is  it  realistic?    If  not,  why  choose  to  tell  a  story  this  way?    If  so,  how  does  it  tell  the  story?       GIVE  EXAMPLES    Paragraph  Three:  How  well  is  the  playwright  doing  it?     Give  at  least  three  specific  examples  of  moments  in  the  play.    Paragraph  Four:    Was  it  worth  writing  /  reading?     Give  at  least  three  specific  examples  of  moments  in  the  play.    Paragraph  Five:    Conclusion      More  detailed  breakdown  of  the  second  play  analysis:  You  will  post  this  as  a  reply  to  another  class  member’s  play  analysis.  5  paragraphs,  300-­‐1000  words    Paragraph  One:  Introduction  to  why  you  chose  this  play.        Paragraph  Two:  What  is  the  playwright  trying  to  say?     Why  this  title?     What  are  the  themes?     Is  it  realistic?    If  not,  why  choose  to  tell  a  story  this  way?    If  so,  how  does  it  tell  the  story?     Do  you  agree  to  disagree  with  the  previous  review?       GIVE  EXAMPLES    Paragraph  Three:  How  well  is  the  playwright  doing  it?     Give  at  least  three  DIFFERENT  specific  examples  of  moments  in  the  play.  

Do  you  agree  to  disagree  with  the  previous  review?      Paragraph  Four:    Was  it  worth  writing  /  reading?     Give  at  least  three  DIFFERENT  specific  examples  of  moments  in  the  play.    

Do  you  agree  to  disagree  with  the  previous  review?    Paragraph  Five:    Conclusion     What  did  you  expect?    What  did  you  get?        Paragraph  Three:  How  well  is  the  playwright  doing  it?     Give  at  least  three  specific  examples  of  moments  in  the  play.    Final  Paper  Requirements  will  be  uploaded  as  a  separate  file.