Theatre Appreciation THEA 1050 Fall 2007

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1 Theatre Appreciation THEA 1050 Fall 2007 Instructor - Doug Finlayson Office: Loretto Center, Room 39 Class: M, W, F 11-11:50 Office Phone: Office Hours: By appointment finlaydo@webster.edu (sign up on my office door) Theatre Appreciation Website: Course Syllabus CLASS GOALS: The student will: Examine how theatre art is created to express and communicate actions, ideas and emotions; Understand how dramatic themes reveal and reflect the human condition; Attend live theatre events and be able to identify contributions made by all of the artists working on the production; Develop a vocabulary for understanding the art of theatre production; Apply elements of the theatre arts to their own final project. TEXTS: THE CREATIVE SPIRIT: AN INTRODUCTION TO THEATRE (Available online or Webster Bookstore) By Stephanie Arnold ATTENDANCE: Class starts promptly at 11:00 a.m. Attendance will be taken. Three absences is cause for reduction in grade. Three times tardy equals one absence. DUE DATES ALL WORK IS DUE ON TIME. Any work handed in after the due date will affect your grade. REQUIREMENTS: 1. Attend four (4) live theatre events. Attendance at the four plays is mandatory. There will be questions on each quiz that you will only be able to answer from seeing each production. 10% The History Boys Sept (Free Preview Sept. 4, student rush tickets $8) Anton in Show Business Sept , Oct. 3-7 (Free) Tartuffe Nov (Free) The Spitfire Grill Nov. 28-Dec. 2, 5-9 (Free) For the three productions at the Conservatory, make reservations by calling This will provide you with a ticket with your name on it and the date you attended. These tickets will be collected for each of the Conservatory shows. 2. Write a typed, two page paper on the stage production of The History Boys 10% 3. Five Quizzes based on lectures and reading assignments and plays. (8% each) 40% 4. Class Projects 10% Visual Composition Exercise: Bring in 3 pictures with interesting compositions Playwrighting Exercise: Capturing a Character s Voice Acting Workshop Theatricalism Workshop 5. Final Project: Dog Lady 10% Each student will take part in working on the preparation for a production element of Dog Lady. 6. Attendance and Class Participation 10% 7. Final Exam 10% 1

EXTRA CREDIT OPTIONS You may attend one other Repertory Theatre of St. Louis production and write a paper (following the History Boys paper format) for 6% extra credit (equal to one quiz grade).

Mark, Luke, Juan and Abraham get their chance to break into the big time.

A hilarious, holy hit for the whole family! October 10 November 4, 2007 LORRETTO HILTON CENTER It is a tale of an evil ages old and yet forever new.

Chilling adventure springs to frightening life as danger lurks in the fog. A story of peculiar power, twisted passion and hypnotic fascination, guaranteed to get your blood flowing!

After leaving Texas and her lunkhead husband behind, this 40-something single mom gets back in the dating game, encountering a dizzyingly dysfunctional parade of Manhattan s Mr.

2 EXTRA CREDIT OPTIONS You may attend one other Repertory Theatre of St. Louis production and write a paper (following the History Boys paper format) for 6% extra credit (equal to one quiz grade). The other shows are: September 19 October 7, 2007 GRANDEL THEATRE As a struggling boy band nears the end of its Raise the Praise tour of bingo halls and pancake suppers, the apostles of pop Matthew, Mark, Luke, Juan and Abraham get their chance to break into the big time. These small town heart-throbs hit the boards for the Lord with their angelic voices, sinfully hot dance moves and lyrics like Jesus Called Me On My Cell Phone and Girl, You Make Me Wanna Wait. A hilarious, holy hit for the whole family! October 10 November 4, 2007 LORRETTO HILTON CENTER It is a tale of an evil ages old and yet forever new. The creatures of the night terrorize both Transylvania and Victorian England as a mysterious, seductive count courts a frail young woman to be his eternal bride. Chilling adventure springs to frightening life as danger lurks in the fog. A story of peculiar power, twisted passion and hypnotic fascination, guaranteed to get your blood flowing! October 17 November 4, 2007 GRANDEL THEATRE Ever have a disastrous date? Haley Walker has a ton of them. After leaving Texas and her lunkhead husband behind, this 40-something single mom gets back in the dating game, encountering a dizzyingly dysfunctional parade of Manhattan s Mr. Wrongs while improbably dodging the Romanian mob. As her quest for love takes her from Cholesterol Man to the Buggy Buddhist, this fashion slave with a sharp wit, indefatigable attitude and 600 pairs of shoes may find that the only reliable men in the world are Jimmy Choo and Manolo Blahnik. November 14 December 9, 2007 GRANDEL THEATRE Yo, yo, yo! The Bard is in the house, and you ve never seen Shakespeare like this before as the boys from Syracuse meet the Beastie Boys! A live DJ and four insanely talented actors spin comic gold to give The Comedy of Errors a raucous beat, blending rap, hip-hop, irreverent humor and physical comedy to tell the timeless tale of lost twins and mistaken identity. Critics called this fresh, energetic twist on the classic farce nothing short of brilliant. Word up! November 28 December 28, 2007 LORRETTO HILTON CENTER Sparkling with 18 classic Cole Porter songs including Another Op'nin', Another Show, So in Love, Too Darn Hot, and Brush Up Your Shakespeare Kiss Me, Kate follows the backstage and onstage antics of two bickering romantic couples during a touring production of The Taming of the Shrew. Hapless actors collide with a pair of improbably erudite gangsters and a megalomaniacal U.S. Army general in an entertaining and enchanted classic story told on The Rep s stage for the first time.

3 CALENDAR - HISTORY OF THEATRE (Calendar subject to change) August Mon. 20 Wed. 22 Fri. 24 Mon. 27 Wed. 29 Fri. 31 September Mon. 3 Wed. 5 WEEK ONE Class expectations: Discussion of Syllabus and Class Projects ASSIGNMENT - Read CREATIVE SPIRIT, Ch. 1 The Impulse to Perform Read pages : The Theatrical Space (If you have the 3 rd Edition of the book, this is on pages ) Library scavenger hunt Tour of Webster Theatre Facilities WEEK TWO Why does theatre survive in the digital era? Discuss the Impulse to Perform Watch The History Boys (part one) Watch The History Boys (part two)/discuss themes ASSIGNMENT - Read CREATIVE SPIRIT, Ch. 12 The Elements of Drama and Dramatic Structure WEEK THREE NO CLASS/LABOR DAY Discuss Elements of Drama and Dramatic Structure ASSIGNMENT - Read CREATIVE SPIRIT, Ch. 2 Theatre and Society Fri. 7 QUIZ #1 Mon. 10 Wed. 12 Fri. 14 Mon. 17 Wed. 19 WEEK FOUR NO CLASS: SPECIAL CONVOCATION WEEK FIVE ASSIGNMENT - Read CREATIVE SPIRIT, Ch. 3 The Playwright s Vision Read Joe Turner s Come and Gone Fri. 21 QUIZ #2 Discuss JOE TURNER S COME AND GONE Mon. 24 Wed. 26 Fri. 28 WEEK SIX The Playwright: Capturing a character s voice The Playwright The Playwright DUE: Playwrighting project ASSIGNMENT - Read CREATIVE SPIRIT, Ch. 6 The Designers

4 October Mon. 1 WEEK SEVEN The Designers Wed. 3 NO CLASS Webster Works Worldwide 2007 Fri. 5 Mon. 8 Wed. 10 Fri. 12 The Designers ASSIGNMENT - Read CREATIVE SPIRIT, Ch. 5 The Director WEEK EIGHT The Director: Analysis ASSIGNMENT Bring in 3 pictures with interesting compositions. We will construct them onstage on Friday Oct. 9. The Director: Groundplan & Movement (Class Meets in Stage III, First Floor Webster Hall) DUE: 3 Examples of Visual Composition The Director: Composition (Class Meets in Stage III, First Floor Webster Hall) DUE: Paper on The History Boys MID SEMESTER BREAK - OCTOBER WEEK NINE Mon. 22 QUIZ #3 ASSIGNMENT - Read CREATIVE SPIRIT, Ch. 4 The Art of the Actor Wed. 24 Fri. 26 Mon. 29 Wed. 31 November Fri. 2 Mon. 5 The Art of the Actor: Preparing a Role The Art of the Actor: Acting Workshop WEEK TEN The Art of the Actor: Film ASSIGNMENT - Read CREATIVE SPIRIT, Ch. 7 The Musical Theatre Musical Theatre: Origins Musical Theatre: Oklahoma and the modern musical WEEK ELEVEN Musical Theatre A career in Musical Theatre ASSIGNMENT - Read CREATIVE SPIRIT, Ch. 8 Understanding Style: Realism Wed. 7 QUIZ #4 Understanding Realism Fri. 9 Mon. 12 Understanding Realism ASSIGNMENT - Read CREATIVE SPIRIT, Ch. 10 Understanding Style: Theatricalism WEEK TWELVE Understanding Theatricalism ASSIGNMENT - Read CREATIVE SPIRIT, Ch. 11 Expressing a Worldview Through Theatricalism. Read Angels in America: Millennium Approaches.

5 Wed. 14 Fri. 16 Mon. 19 Discuss ANGELS IN AMERICA Understanding Theatricalism WEEK THIRTEEN Understanding Theatricalism Wed. 21 QUIZ #5 Discuss TARTUFFE Fri. 23 Mon. 26 Wed. 28 Fri. 30 December Mon. 3 Wed. 5 Fri. 7 NO CLASS/THANKSGIVING BREAK ASSIGNMENT - Read Dog Lady WEEK FOURTEEN DOG LADY Project DOG LADY Library Day DOG LADY Library Day WEEK FIFTEEN DOG LADY Organization Day DOG LADY Presentation DOG LADY Presentation DUE: Extra Credit Paper (not required) Mon :30-12:30 FINAL WEEK SIXTEEN

6 Guidelines for Theatre Critique (Use this same format for extra credit paper) The History Boys Each of the following elements is worth a percentage of the grade. 1. This paper is due October 12. It must be no less than (2) two pages double-spaced (it can be more if you like). Typed. 10% 2. Make an opening statement that summarizes your responses to the production. State what you think the theme of the play is. Theme is the idea of the play rather than plot (which is what actually happens in the play). 15% 3. Discuss one actor s performance in the play and their approach to the character. Use very specific details to support your reactions to that actor s work. Do not say you like the performance because the actor was funny or because the actor made you cry. Rather, relate specific things the actor did to be funny or to make you cry. 20% 4. Discuss how the sets, costumes, sound and lighting contributed to the theme of the play. Talk about each of these design elements as they effected the production. Is there a visual metaphor that the designers were striving for? Did the music and sound effects enhance the production. If so, how. Look for details on the set that could symbolize the action of the play. Look for uses of color or other choices that contributed to the mood of the production. 20% 5. Write a concluding paragraph that weighs the pros and cons of the production. Think carefully about your reactions and responses so you can write very clearly. You should take notes during the performance only if you feel you will be unable to remember specific details of the production. Your grade will be determined by how well you use specific details from the production to support your reactions. 15% 6. Overall quality of the paper - following the format, observations of the play, detail, clarity of written work. 20%

DEPARTMENT OF FINE ARTS COURSE OUTLINE FALL DR 1010 (A2): INTRODUCTION TO THEATRE ART 3(3-0-0) 45 Hours for 15 Weeks

DEPARTMENT OF FINE ARTS COURSE OUTLINE FALL 2018 DR 1010 (A2): INTRODUCTION TO THEATRE ART 3(3-0-0) 45 Hours for 15 Weeks INSTRUCTOR: Misha Albert PHONE: (780) 539-2836 OFFICE: L222 E-MAIL: malbert@gprc.ab.ca