DRAMA IN LONDON: ANCIENT, SHAKESPEAREAN, MODERN: Text and Performance Instructor Dr Boika Sokolova Course Number ULF ENGL 110 (also cross-listed as DRAMA 110 ) Aims and Objectives The present course has two aims: First, to introduce students to a range of dramatic texts that mark important moments in the development of the western tradition. It includes, in non-chronological order: a Greek tragedy, Sophocles Oedipus Rex, a comedy and a tragedy by William Shakespeare, representative plays by the two most influential dramatists of the 20th century, Bertolt Brecht and Samuel Beckett, as well as examples of contemporary plays derived from the London theatre bill. The objective is to come to a deeper understanding of the aesthetics of drama, the importance of language, acting style and the moral, social and political issues which make the older plays relevant to us and form a focus for modern writing. The course s second aim is to give students an experience of the plays studied in class, in the living environment of the theatre, to encourage them to take active positions vis-à-vis performance by analysing it and writing about it. The plays are chosen so that in their majority they parallel current productions on the London stage. Where possible, the program will try to invite actors and other theatre practitioners to meet with the students. Film will also be used as illustration during the entire length of the course and for the plays which currently are not available in performance. Learning Outcomes Understanding of major dramatic traditions and styles and the way they are adapted for modern use Acquiring an idea how to write about drama and performance Experiencing the joy of going to the theatre! Method of Study The students will be divided into two groups, A and B and will have classes on Mondays, in two sessions. The morning session will typically be dedicated to a lecture, or a screening, and a short discussion (it is marked as A1 or B1 in the program); the afternoon one will involve discussions of texts and productions, group work and student presentations (A2 and B2, respectively). On certain dates, all students will have to attend a screening or visit a site together during the morning or afternoon. (For each of these see the weekly schedule). Students should have their own copies of all major texts. Some textual material can be fond in the Reader. 49
Class times Mondays 9:30-11:00am Section A1, Room 46 11:30-1:00pm Section B1, Room 46 2:00-3:30pm Section A2, Room 46 4:00-5:30pm Section B2, Room 46 The Instructor s Office Hour is on Mondays, 5:30 to 6:00. Course Reader The reader includes most of the support reading for this class as well as a bibliography and filmography. Attendance Policy Attendance at classes, performances and screenings of the films included in the syllabus, is compulsory. It is a Home Office requirement that the register be checked during each class. The lecturer will ask students to do that as they arrive for a class, or at its end. Under the program rules only 2 absences per course will be permitted. Classroom Etiquette A level of academic discipline and politeness is required in all dealings in the classroom, which involves, among other things: arrival to classes on time, bringing the relevant materials for every class, undertaking and performing tasks requested by the instructor, leaving the classroom in good order and rubbish-free. The use of computers for any purpose other than taking notes, or looking up online texts for a specifically requested class task, is not allowed. Computers should be switched off during screenings and cell phones switched off at all times. Method of Assessment The course is assessed by one in-class test and two papers which students will have to submit in class on the dates indicated in this syllabus. The topics will be set in advance and will focus on the text/s studied at that time. These essays will be returned with comments and with an indication where they stand in the mark band. Grading The test comprises 20% of the final grade, the first paper - 30%, the second - 40%; attendance and class participation - (10%). Dates Test 14 September, in class. Topic: The Elizabethan Theatre. First paper - 1500 words, due 5 October (in class). Second paper - 1500 words, due 30 November (last class). 50
What is the Examiner Looking for? In grading the essays the examiner will be looking for an answer which: is well structured, clear and answers the question directly uses relevant examples from the texts and performances and is specific in its references and descriptions provides your own critical reflections is free from grammatical, spelling and factual errors. Editions Greek drama You can use Sophocles Oedipus at http://www.ancient-mythology.com/greek/oedipus_rex.php, but please bring a hard copy or a book to class. Shakespeare Students are advised to acquire individual editions of the studied plays, which have textual explanations and introductions, such as Arden, Cambridge, Oxford, etc. For work in class, annotated single-play editions are most convenient. The Shakespeare plays included in this course are: As You Like It and Othello. Brecht Mother Courage and Her Children. Any of the available translations will do. The latest and most modern-sounding one is by Tony Kushner. Beckett Students need a copy of Waiting for Godot. For other texts and a wealth of electronic materials go to http://samuel-beckett.net/. Note: There might be small changes to this Syllabus in the course of the semester, necessitated by the schedules of visiting actors and instructors. Weekly Schedule The following course outline indicates the play to be studied each week and a general indication of the topics for discussion in the lectures and seminars as well as some further reading. Week One Monday 24 August 2009 Introduction to Shakespeare s Theatre Lecture: Elizabethan places of entertainment; the stage, its conventions and audiences. The Court and Sin City on South Bank. Seminar: Unpacking the nature of Elizabethan dramatic language; visuals. For the Elizabethan Stage: http://www.uni-koeln.de/phil-fak/englisch/shakespeare/. This is an excellent site with a wealth of information on all aspects of Elizabethan theatrical practice. 51
Week Two Monday 31 August 2009 As You Like It A1, B1: Lecture: As You Like It, or what are we invited to like? Students should bring their own copy of the play which they need to have read for this class. A2, B2: Textual work: What to look for in a performance of AYLI. Week Three Monday 7 September 2009 NO MORNING CLASS! AFTERNOON: Field Trips: Performance: Meeting at 12:30pm at the Globe for a guided visit and group workshop on As You Like It. After the workshop, the students will be asked to visit places in the vicinity of the theatre and Southwark Cathedral. 7:30pm, performance of As You Like It at the Globe. Week Four Monday 14 September 2009 As You Like It For this class students are requested to have read: How to Write a Review section from the Reader. A1, B1: Discussion of the Globe performance of AYLI. A2, B2: Seminar: AYLI, grappling with text and character. Preparation for the performance of War Horse. TEST: The Elizabethan Theatre. Performance: 14 Sept, Monday, 7:30pm, War Horse at the New London Theatre Additional reading: See Reader Week Five Monday 21 September 2009 War in Drama A1, B1: Lecture on World War I and discussion of the performance of War Horse: War through the eyes of a horse. Lecturer distributes topics for the first paper. A2, B2: Bertolt Brecht s reform of 20th century theatre: Mother Courage: War through the eyes of the common people. Performance: 23 Sept, Wednesday, 7:30pm, Mother Courage at the National Theatre Week Six Monday 28 September 2009 Note change: Both Groups, 9. 30pm, Room 17 will meet with the actress Fiona Shaw, CBE, who will talk about her role as Mother Courage, followed by a Q&A session. Afternoon: Classes revert to normal schedule. 52
A2, B2: Mother Courage and Her Children. Discussion of Mother Courage. Text and performance. Week Seven Monday 5 October 2009 First paper due in class! Black Watch Note change: This week the A1+ A2 will be in the morning and B1+ B2 in the afternoon. The three-hour session will involve a screening of Black Watch, a production of the National Theatre of Scotland and an introduction to the play. Week Eight Monday 12 October 2009 A1, B1: Modern war through the soldiers eyes. Discussion of Black Watch. A2, B2: Othello (For this class students should have their own copies of the play.) Lecture: War and peace: the warrior s predicament. Venetian values; race and cultural difference; sexuality; Othello s language; Othello s final speech. What to look for in a performance of Othello. Performance: Monday, 12 Oct, 7:30pm, Othello at the Trafalgar Studios Week Nine MID-TERM BREAK No classes will be held this week Week Ten Monday 26 October 2009 Othello A1, B1: Lecture and discussion: Women s spaces, voices from the margins. The endings of Othello on film. Character: Othello, Desdemona, Emilia, Iago. A2, B2: Discussion of the performance of Othello at the Trafalgar Studios. Additional reading: See Reader. Week Eleven Monday 2 November 2009 Greek Theatre and Drama (Students should bring their copies of Oedipus.) A1, B1: Lecture: Between Heaven and Earth, Greek drama and its theatre, traditions and practices. A2, B2: The great dramatists of the 5th c BC; exploring the stage and the mask. For this class bring a large paper bag (your head should fit comfortably in it) and bits of coloured paper (old magazines), scissors and glue. We ll be making masks and exploring their effect on performance. Additional Reading: See Reader. 53
Week Twelve Monday 9 November 2009 Oedipus the King For this class: 1/ read Oedipus, 2/ visit http://ablemedia.com/ctcweb/netshots/oedipus.htm for a series of good comprehension exercises on the play, 3/ have the text either as a printout, or a book. A1, B1: Lecture: Sophocles. Oedipus; visuals. A2, B2: extual discussion; visuals. Additional reading: See Reader Week Thirteen Monday 16 November 2009 Lecturer distributes topics for the final paper. Waiting for Godot For this class: 1/ read Waiting for Godot and bring your copy to class; 2/ use John Fletcher, Waiting for Godot, in John Fletcher, Samuel Beckett (Faber&Faber, 2000) in the Reader, for references and explanations. A1, B1: Lecture: Samuel Beckett and the theatre of the Absurd : War is beyond words. A2, B2: Screening of select parts of WfG; discussion. Week Fourteen Monday 23 November 2009 A1, B1: Beckett, cont. Student presentations. No afternoon class, but the professor will be available throughout the afternoon for individual consultations on the final paper. Performance: 23 Nov, Monday, 7.30, Nation, at the National Theatre Week 15 Monday 30 November 2009 Second paper due in class! A1, B1: 1/ Discussion of Nation. 2/ Lecture: The British Panto. Course summary No Afternoon Class, however, the morning session will be two hours long. Performance: 1st December, Tuesday, 7.30, Aladdin at the Hackney Empire Instructor Biography Boika Sokolova, M.A., PhD (Sofia) has published widely on Shakespeare and performance. She is the author of Shakespeare s Romances as Interrogative Texts (Edwin Mellen, 1992), co-author of Painting Shakespeare Red (Associated University Presses, 2001) and co-editor of Shakespeare in the New Europe (Sheffield Academic Press, 1993) and Renaissance Refractions (St Kliment Ohridski Press, 2001). Her latest publications are: The Merchant of Venice (Literature Insights e-book, 2008), Ovidian Erotic Poems in The New Blackwell Companion to English Renaissance Literature (Forthcoming 2009) and Reading Morocco: Performing the Black Man in The Merchant of Venice in Shakespeare in Performance (Forthcoming 2009). 54