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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "DR 101"
COURSE NAME: "Introduction to Theatrical Performance"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Spring 2014
SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Gabrielle Ford
EMAIL: [email protected]
 HOURS: TTH 10:00 AM 11:15 AM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES:
OFFICE HOURS: TTH 10:00-11:15
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
During this course students will learn to: collaborate creatively; employ basic acting techniques such as sensory work, the principles of action and, objectives; develop an expressive speaking voice; analyze the process of placing a dramatic text on stage; critique and enact a variety of theatrical techniques; define specific terms relating to the study of drama and theatre; develop an appreciation for theatre as an art form and a reflection of society; understand the responsibility of an actor’s work ethic, especially to one's fellow actors; maintain a gradable theatre hand book which contains the class by class discoveries throughout the course.
SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:
This class will teach students the basic terminology and craft of acting and directing. As a means of facilitating the students’ knowledge of and comfort with the craft of acting, this course will include improvisation, sound and movement exercises, and text work. Weekly homework assignments will call for rehearsal and weekly reading assignments will include written analysis. The course will commence with an intensive introduction to the craft of performance, which will focus on teamwork, discipline, physicality, memory, intention, voice and movement training. This will culminate in two gradable monologues (classic and contemporary), and a scene to be performed in front of the class. Over the semester the students will read four plays: The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov (4 acts), Our Town by Thornton Wilder (3 acts), a 2 Act play of the student’s choice (there is a suggested reading list), Medea by Christopher Durang and Wendy Wasserstein (1 act), monologue selections from Spoon River Anthology, and Shakespearean sonnets.

The first week of each play will be dedicated to discussions of text and context. This will be followed up with homework assignment to gather background research of author and period. Each student will take on both acting and directorial viewpoints. As an actor the student is expected to write character bios, subtexts, memorize, rehearse and perform. As director each student is expected to block a scene on paper, analyze the text and build a visual library selecting costumes, architecture, objects and images, which portray a bird’s eye view of a play. 

During rehearsal, students will come together to prepare a scene to perform in class. This scene study will involve team work with acting and directing skills. Students will work towards a final performance - in exam week – of either two monologues or the ensemble scene. Throughout the course students develop a theatre hand book on the discipline of performance and complete a take home project on directing.

 

REQUIRED PLAYS TO BE READ IN CLASS

The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov, a play in 4 acts

Our Town by Thornton Wilder, a play in 3 Acts

Student’s choice of a 2 Act play selected from suggested reading list of play available in the library or outside the library. The student may propose any 2 act alternative play for his take home project providing that the play has been published in English within the last five years.
 

Medea by Christopher Durand and Wendy Wasserstein (1 act)

Spoon River Anthology, a play in 1 Act

Shakespearean sonnets

RECOMMENDED ALTERNATIVE 2 ACT PLAY READING LIST

IN JCU LIBRARY

An American Buffalo by David Mamet 

The Water Engine by David Mamet

The Piano Lesson by August Wilson 

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom by August Wilson

Painting Churches by Tina Howe

EASY TO FIND 2 ACT PLAY OPTIONS

Of Mice & Men by Horton Foote

Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller

Bus Stop by William Inge

The Night of the Iguana by Tennessee Williams

Three Tall Women by Edward Albee

Curse of the Starving Class by Sam Shepard

Art OR God of Carnage by Yasmina Reza

 

MUSICAL OPTIONS:

· Sweeney Todd OR Sunday in the Park with George

· The Wiz OR Man of La Mancha

· West Side Story OR Grease

· Chicago OR Cabaret

· Next to Normal OR La Cage Aux Faux

OPTIONAL USEFUL TEXTBOOKS ABOUT THE CRAFT:

1) Adler Stella. The Art of Acting. (2000) Canada, Applause Books

2) Chekhov Michael. To the Actor: On the technique of acting. (1953) USA, Harper & Row

3) Thomas James. Script Analysis for Actors, Directors, and Designers, 4th Edition. (2009) USA, Focal Press

4) An Actor Prepares by Konstantin Stanislavski

5) Chubbuck Ivana. The Power of the Actor. (2004) USA, Gotham Books
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
On completion of this course, students will have learnt how to: facilitate communication, memory, presentation, confidence, self-awareness, self-reliance, and team work, through practice, textual analysis, interpretation and the written response; develop an expressive speaking voice through awareness and overcoming physical and vocal habits and limitations, including alignment, relaxation, breath support, resonance, tone and projection; recognize a variety of acting techniques, languages, and modes of theatrical representation; become confident independent learners as well as effective and responsive group members.
TEXTBOOK:
Book TitleAuthorPublisherISBN numberLibrary Call NumberCommentsFormatLocal BookstoreOnline Purchase
THE CHERRY ORCHARD Anton Checkhov (Tom Stoppard adaptation) Grove Press (January 6, 2009)ISBN-10: 0802144098     
REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
Book TitleAuthorPublisherISBN numberLibrary Call NumberComments
Our Townby WILDER, THORNTONHarpercollins Publishers 0060512636   

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
NONE
GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
AssignmentGuidelinesWeight
Two monologuesYou will rehearse and perform a contemporary and classic monologue20%
Scene study You will rehearse and perform a scene for the class a scene20%
Take home paper which depicts a play from a Directorial standpointYou will write one take home paper; in response to one of the plays we are reading or from the suggested reading list. As Director each student should select a play, block a scene, provide textual analysis and build an archive which illustrates a visual interpretation, which evokes a directorial view point. Additionally there should be an explanation of the directorial choices you have made about this play.20%
Theatre HandbookThe theatre handbook is an essential documentation of the course which involves academic and practical research. It should be broken into two sections: As Actor you will note the personal discoveries you are making about performance, interpretation, relaxation and concentration. This will include creating a biography for the characters you will be playing. As Director you will be responsible to include research of author and period of each play read in class. The quizzes in class are to be incorporated into the handbook to chart the student’s progress 20%
Final PerformanceThe class will culminate in a gradable performance, which will demand individual and group work.20%

-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
AWork of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensive knowledge of relevant information or content. This type of work demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate concepts and theory and has an element of novelty and originality. There is clear evidence of a significant amount of reading beyond that required for the
BThis is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised.There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluatetheory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture andreference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments.
CThis is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings.
DThis level of performances demonstrates that the student lacks a coherent grasp of the material.Important information is omitted and irrelevant points included.In effect, the student has barely done enough to persuade the instructor that s/he should not fail.
FThis work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant.
-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:
Attendance is mandatory. Students are expected to be in class before the reading of the roster. More than 2 absences results in an additional 3 page paper. More than 4 absences may result in a lowering of the final grade and 7 absences may result in a failing grade. Tardiness is equally unacceptable as it disturbs the lesson. If you enter the class after attendance has been taken you late arrival will be registered and 4 late arrivals will count as equivalent to one absence. Silent attendance is not sufficient: students are required to actively participate in class, to have their text books with them and to turn off electrical devices (computers, mobiles etc.). Students are also expected to remain in the class for the duration of the period.
ACADEMIC HONESTY
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred. In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment, may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation to the President, who will make the final decision.
STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap. Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.
SCHEDULE

Week 1: Introduction. Theatre Games involve include exercises that encourage confidence, listening, movement, and working as an ensemble. There will be a reading of Wendy Wasserstein and Christopher Durang's Medea in class, a distribution of monologues from Spoon River Anthology and the first two acts of The Cherry Orchard assigned as homework.

READING:

Spoon River Anthology

Medea by Wendy Wasserstein and Christopher Durang (one act )

The Cherry Orchard, by Anton Chekhov  (Tom Stoppard translation) Act 1, 2.

Week 2: Voice and Body Work: physical warm up; with a focus on centering and diaphragmatic support, an introduction to subtext and the creation of a character biography. We will rehearse the monologue selected from the first week. The student is expected to memorise the monologue.

 READING:

The Cherry Orchard, Act 3, 4.

Internet reading

Method acting - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Method_acting

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ... to achieve spontaneity by understanding the given circumstances of the scene (as did Strasberg) and .... Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Method_acting&oldid= 557607870" ...

Week 3: There will be continued theatre games warm up (20 min). The subtext work and character bio assignment on Spoon River Anthology is due. There is an introduction to Script Analysis through The Cherry Orchard. There will be a quick quiz on The Cherry Orchard.

RESERVE READING: OUR TOWN by Thornton Wilder (act 1).

Week 4: There is continued theatre games and warm up (20 min), further Script Analysis of The Cherry Orchard alongside an introduction to 20th century theatre with Our Town.

Internet Reading assignment Reading a Play by Wade Bradford, plays.about.com/od/basics/tp/ReadingPlays.htm

READING: Our Town (acts 2 & 3)

Week 5: There will be continued theatre game warm up, rehearsals, script analysis on Our Town. There will be a quick quiz on Our Town. The selection and casting of scenes to perform begins.

READING: 2 Act play of choice (please see suggested reading list)

Week 6: There is continued theatre game warm up and scene rehearsal.
Further Script Analysis of Our Town, act 3. An introduction to stage blocking. Final casting and selection of scenes is due.

Week 7: Play Selection for Directorial Take Home project. The student begins to build a visual archive after his/her final play selection.
Quick quiz on 2 act play chosen.

Week 8: Discussion of a through line in each play. There will be a continued theatre game warm up, scene rehearsal and script analysis. There is an introduction to period work.

READING: Shakespeare sonnets

Week 9: Continued theatre game warm up, scene rehearsal. There will be an introduction to iambic pentameter and poetic scansion: Select a sonnet for presentation.

RESERVE READING:

Gielgud, John. Acting Shakespeare (London: Pan Books, 1991),

Week 10: The subtext work and scansion on Sonnets is due. There will be continued theatre games warm up and rehearsal of scene.

Week 11: DIRECTORIAL TAKE HOME PROJECT DUE.

Continued theatre games warm up, rehearsal of scene and sonnet.

Week 12: Continued theatre game s warm up, rehearsal of scene. Presentation of sonnets is due.

Week 13 - 14: Rehearsals for Performances

Exam Week: Public Performances