ARTICULATE BODIES: WRITING INSTRUCTION IN A PERFORMANCE-BASED CURRICULUM

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1 ARTICULATE BODIES: WRITING INSTRUCTION IN A PERFORMANCE-BASED CURRICULUM Stephanie Lein Walseth University of Minnesota, Department of Theatre Arts and Dance WEC Research Assistant and PhD Candidate

2 Theatre Arts and Dance THEATRE DANCE Practitioners Historians/ Critics Theorists Technicians BA Liberal Arts BFA Conservatory BFA Conservatory BA Liberal Arts WEC Textual Visual/Spatial Bodily

3 Writing in Theatre WHY DO WE WRITE IN THEATRE? Writing in theatre is a part of the artistic process. Like artistic practice, writing in theatre communicates a vision, experience, or idea. WHAT MAKES GOOD WRITING IN THEATRE? It is aware of its audience It is multi-disciplinary It is poetic It balances the subjective with the objective HOW DO WE GO ABOUT WRITING IN THEATRE? Writing in theatre originates in research Writing in theatre is similar to the process of rehearsal Writing in theatre requires commitment WHAT ABILITIES DO WE NEED TO WRITE EFFECTIVELY IN THEATRE? Conduct research Unlock and explore the imagination Create descriptions of performance, design components, and/or dramatic texts Identify, interpret, and analyze Create and support a thesis driven argument Develop an awareness of differences between conventions and genres of writing Deepen ideas to reach new levels of complexity Develop self-reflexivity Practice revision

4 Theatre and Dance: Expansive definition of writing

5 TAD Curriculum Mapping Project Identifying our Strengths and Gaps STRENGTHS Capacious definition of writing Ubiquity of writing instruction across the curriculum Eliciting process-based, exploratory, expressive dimensions of writing GAPS Unclear where higher order analysis and synthesis skills are happening Revision is primarily happening in WI courses Expectations for student writing often implicit, especially with higher level abilities

6 Modeling

7 Intro to Design: Vivid Descriptions Intro to Theatre: Text Analysis Fall Faculty Retreat 2011 Developing Writing Statements for Syllabi TH 3541: Artist Statements BA/BFA New Voices Workshop For Students For Instructors Working with Non-Native English Speakers Making Writing Instruction Less Overwhelming Devising Effective Writing Assignments Modeling Concrete Teaching Tools & Writing Instruction

8 Performing Writing/Writing Performance

9 Writing in Theatre Identify, interpret, and analyze Create and support a thesis driven argument Develop an awareness of differences between WHY DO WE WRITE IN THEATRE? conventions and genres of writing Writing in theatre is a part of the artistic process. Deepen ideas to reach new levels of complexity Like artistic practice, writing in theatre Develop self-reflexivity communicates a vision, experience, or idea. Practice revision WHAT MAKES GOOD WRITING IN THEATRE? It is aware of its audience It is multi-disciplinary It is poetic It balances the subjective with the objective HOW DO WE GO ABOUT WRITING IN THEATRE? Writing in theatre originates in research Writing in theatre is similar to rehearsal Writing in theatre requires commitment WHAT ABILITIES DO WE NEED TO WRITE EFFECTIVELY IN THEATRE? Conduct research Unlock and explore the imagination Create descriptions of performance, design components, and/or dramatic texts