Great ideas need landing gear as well as wings
-C.D. Jackson

DESCRIPTION:

Dra362 is a study of various critical approaches to dramatic literature available to theatre artists. Typically we will analyze a play each week in our ongoing quest to find production and performance values in a given playscript. Theatre students need to learn how to read, interpret, and analyze dramatic texts because this is an essential basis for any type of production work. As you practice applying the various critical methods in a series of practical, hands on projects, you'll become considerably more competent in your chosen interest of director, designer, critic or actor.

A vital element of every class will be discussion and participation. Healthy discussion is only possible if everyone keeps up with the reading assignments; to encourage this, frequent quizzes will be given. New this semester is VIRTUAL SCRIPT ANALYSIS--an interactive web-site which is designed to further stimulate class discussion by extending it outside the bounds of the traditional classroom. To help ensure that this really happens, all students are required to have:

• web access (and)
• current e-mail accounts.

TEXTS AND SUPPLIES:(all available at the Bookie)

• Lee A. Jacobus. The Bedford Introduction to Drama (Second Edition). New York: St. Martin's Press, 1993 (ISBN: 0-312-1304-5)

• Melissa Bruder et. al. A Practical Handbook for the Actor. New York: Random House, 1986 (ISBN: 0-394-74412-8)

• Course Packet. Projects, handouts, class notes, excerpts from amazing sources, and even a short story)

Address (URL):
http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~converse/Dra362.html

When you enter the site
you will be welcomed by a menu
with the following items:

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS  get the inside track  of exactly what's going to be discussed in class	TALK OF THE CLASS PROJECT	CONTESTS and GAMES Create a Quiz Question Create a Disc. Question A Mystery Quotation
CLASS NOTES Late Breaking Class News		PROJECTS Speak Easy Final Paper Extra Credit
SYLLABUS		LINKS
CONTACT Dra362 STUDENTS Grades STUDENT PROFILES Grades

TALK OF THE CLASS PROJECT

The "heart and soul" of Virtual Script Analysis is the Talk of the Class project. The intent of this project is to encourage you to "talk" to each other both BEFORE and AFTER a play is formally discussed in class. "Talking" means posting public notes to each other on a state-of-the-art, interactive message board. You type directly onto the web page, and with a single press of a button, your note immediately appears for all who are currently viewing the page to see. The interactive capability of this program creates, in effect, a ãvirtual class discussion,  with the added advantage that there is a permanent record of what everyone has said. At any time, day or night, you can respond to what somebody has said, or you can create a totally new "thread" of discussion. Printouts of your specific contributions to the "Talk of the Class" are due three times during the semester. The due dates for each of the three printouts are coordinated with the three in-class exams and, in fact, the printouts become a significant percentage of your exam grade. Details about this project are both avaiable online and in the course packet.

MASTER SCHEDULE

WEEK 1

Tues. Jan. 12	Orientation
Thurs. Jan. 14	Aristotelian Analysis Analyze very short plays	Packet ............ pp. 9 - 10 pp. 65-76 Scripts #'s:     1 & 2

WEEK 2

Tues. Jan.19	'NIGHT MOTHER	Bedford ............pp. 1458 - 1482
Thurs. Jan. 21	Beats/Objective PROJECT #1: Due Aristotelian Analysis	Packet ............ pp. 11 - 16 pp. 77-82

WEEK 3

Tues. Jan. 26	YOUNG GOODMAN BROWN Aristotelian Analysis	Packet ............ pp. 109 - 116
Thurs. Jan. 28	YOUNG GOODMAN BROWN Freudian Analysis PROJECT #2: Due: Beat Analysis	Packet ............ pp. 83 - 84 Packet ............ pp. 129-140

WEEK 4

Tues. Feb. 2	YOUNG GOODMAN BROWN Jungian Analysis	Packet ............ pp. 85 - 88 Packet ............ pp. 141 - 170
Thurs. Feb. 4	OEDIPUS (Freudian &Jungian Analysis	Bedford ............ pp. 108 - 136 Bedford ............ pp. 166 - 169 Packet ............ pp. 89 - 90

WEEK 5

Tues. Feb. 9	THE TEMPEST	Bedford ............ pp. 424 - 465 Bedford ............ pp. 490 - 492
Thurs. Feb. 11	EXAM #1 (&Talk of the Class)

WEEK 6

Tues. Feb. 16	A DOLL'S HOUSE (Sign up for extra credit scenes)	Bedford ............ pp. 633 - 669 Bedford ............ pp. 711- 715 Bedford ............ pp. 727 - 729
Thurs. Feb. 18	A Doll's House (continued) Transactional Analysis	Packet ............ pp. 17 - 20 Packet ............ pp. 117 - 128 Packet ............ pp. 91 - 103

WEEK 7

Thurs. Feb. 23	HEDDA GABLER	Bedford ............ pp. 670 - 709
Thurs. Feb. 25	Hedda Gabler (continued) PROJECT #3 Due Transactional Analysis	Bedford ............ pp. 716 - 727 Bedford ............ pp. 729 - 730 Packet ............ pp. 17 - 20

WEEK 8

Tues. Mar. 2	THE CHERRY ORCHARD	Bedford ............ pp. 788 - 815 Bedford ............ pp. 815 - 821 Packet ............ pp. 21 - 22
Thurs. Mar. 4	The Cherry Orchard (cont.) PROJECT #4: Due Practical Handbook	A Practical Handbook for the Actor ............ pp. 1 - 88 Packet ............ pp. 21 - 22

WEEK 9

Tues. Mar. 9	EXAM #2 (& Talk of the Class Project)
Thurs. Mar. 11	EXTRA CREDIT SCENES	Packet ............ pp. 35 - 36

SPRING VACATION: Mar. 15 - 19 (Mon.-- Fri.)

WEEK 11

Tues. Mar. 23	THE GLASS MENAGERIE	Bedford ............ pp. 1027 - 1061 Bedford ............ pp. 1106 - 1112
Thurs. Mar. 25	The Glass Menagerie Type Analysis	Packet ............ pp. 105 - 108 Packet ............ pp. 23 - 24

WEEK 12

Tues. Mar. 30	DEATH OF A SALESMAN (Sign Up, Extra Credit Reports)	Bedford ............ pp. 1120 - 1164
Thurs. Apr. 1	Death of a Salesman: PROJECT #5 Due Psychological Type	Bedford ............ pp. 1165 - 1172 Packet ............ pp. 23 - 24

WEEK 13

Tues. Apr. 6	Oleanna	Bedford ............ pp. 1613 - 1633
Thurs. Apr. 8	FINAL PAPER-PHASE 1 due	Packet ............ pp. 27 - 34

WEEK 14

Tues. Apr. 13	BURIED CHILD Project 9 Extra Credit Reports (Ist half)	Bedford ............ pp. 1289 - 1322 Packet ............ pp. 63 - 64
Thurs. Apr. 15	Buried Child (cont.)

WEEK 15

Tues. Apr. 20	DESIRE UNDER THE ELMS Project 9 Extra Credit Reports (Ist half)	Bedford ............ pp. 933 - 963 Packet ............ pp. 63 - 64
Thurs. Apr. 22	DESIRE UNDER THE ELMS (cont.)

WEEK 16

Tues. Apr. 28	Angels in America FINAL PAPER--PHASE 2 due	Bedford ............ pp. 1634 - 1672 Packet ............ pp. 27 - 34
Thurs. Apr. 30	EXAM #3 (&Talk of the Class)

THE FINE PRINT OF YOUR CONTRACT:

1. There will be no make-up quizes.

2. Makeup exams will take the form of a five page (double spaced) comparison paper.

3. Makeup exams must be completed within one week of the original test date.

4. Each Talk of the class must be accompanied by a cover sheet, and must be handed in before taking the in class exam.

EVALUATION:

1. Grading will be based on the following 200 point scale:

   12 Quizes (ea. 5 points) ..........................................60 pts Exam #1 (and the TALK OF THE CLASS Project).......20 pts Exam #2 (and the TALK OF THE CLASS Project).......20 pts Exam #3 (and the TALK OF THE CLASS Project).......20 pts Six Projects (ea. 10 points).......................................60 pts Final Paper..........................................................20 pts

   A  191 - 200	B+  171 - 180	C+  141 - 150	D+  111 - 120
   A- 181 - 190	B   161 - 170	C   131 - 140	D   100 - 110
   	B-  151 - 160	C-  121 - 130	F       O -  99

2. EXAMS:
   There will be three examinations which will cover both the reading assignments and the class discussions. Each exam is composed of two equally weighted parts, consisting of:
   • 50 multiple choice questions or 7 essays (and the)
   • Talk of the Class Project

3. SPEAK EASY PROJECT
   You will become part of a 2-3 person discussion group that is assigned three key questions centered around a specific play. Your group is required to to communicate with each other on the web, and then lead the discussion of these questions in class.

4. FINAL PAPER:
   The project is designed to be done in two phases:
   • The first phase involves analyzing an issue or a concept from Angels in America. Support your thesis by writing a 2 page, single spaced paper that compares this play with one other play we have read this semester. This two page play analysis is to be posted on the web no later than Thurs., April 8.

   • The second phase involves reading other students' posted papers, and then integrating other students' responses into a finished 3 page, singlespaced paper. This second phase is due no later than Tues., April 27.

   Full details about all these projects are available online.

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AVAILABLE EXTRA CREDIT:

• Project 8 (see Packet pp. 35-36). Prepare a 3-5 minute scene from one of the plays we have read this semester.

• Project 9 (see Packet pp. 37-38). Prepare an oral report on either Buried Child or Desire Under the Elms.

• Creative Explorations. Select from over 30 creative project possibilities suggested on the web site.

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SUMMARY OF ASSIGNMENTS:

Exams:

1.	EXAM 1 and the TALK OF THE CLASS	Thurs.	Feb. 11
2	EXAM 2 and the TALK OF THE CLASS	Tues.	March 9
3.	EXAM 3 and the TALK OF THE CLASS	Thurs.	Apr. 29

Projects:

1.	Project 1 (Aristotelian Analysis)	Thurs.	Jan. 21
2.	Project 2 (Beat Analysis)	Thurs.	Jan. 28
3.	Project 3 (Transactional Analysis)	Thurs.	Feb. 25
4.	Project 4 (Practical Handbook)	Thurs.	Mar. 4
5.	Project 5 (Psychological Type)	Thurs.	Apr. 1
6.	Project 6 (Speak Easy)	variable	scheduling
7.	Project 7 (Final Paper--Phase 1)	Tues.	Apr. 7
8.	Project 8 (Final Paper)	Tues.	May. 5

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