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AMERICAN THEATRE HISTORY THE 384 Instructor: C.L. Wittwer Office: H202 Fine Arts Building Email: [email protected] Office Hours: 12:30-1:30pm Tuesdays and Thursdays Class meets: Tuesday, Thursday 9:30 -10:45am in Fine Arts Building room H201 --URI Catalogue Origins and development of the American Theatre from the wilderness to the contemporary Broadway and off-broadway stage, including the evolution of the musical play. Analysis of special contributions made by the grassroots movement, the university theatres, the Federal Theatre Project and the regional theatre movement. Welcome to History of the American Theatre. The class is a course of study and discussion. We read plays, look at pictures, read history, watch performances and read criticism and commentary. We’ll explore what past plays, performances and performers meant for American audiences, and also what they might mean for us in our times. During our term of study of American Theatre History, I hope you will experience and develop a several points of view about American theatre which are based on the knowledge and exploration undertaken in our class. General Education Categogories: Objectives and Outcomes Humanities (Full Coverage): Upon completion of this course, you should be able to: Understand and describe the historical development of theatre in America from its origins through the Postmodern theatre Identify facts, vocabulary, definitions, terms, concepts,and people relevant to the history of the Theatrein America Analyze a playtext (using representative plays) for its relationship to relevant social, artistic/intellectual and political developments in America Identify the key changes in the American theatre’s role and form Define and Describe key terms such as ‘tragedy’ and ‘comedy” Research and Write argumentively on Theatrical/Historical issues Analyze and interpret the significance of theatre artists through historical perspectives Identify facts, vocabulary, definitions, terms, concrpts, people relevant to theatre in America Recognize concepts or tools relevant for application to a theatre/historic research task Asks questions or frames hypotheses relevant to the task Analyze: Apply concepts to address rhe task Writing (Full Coverage) Demonstrate consideration of audience and style appropriate to analyses and arguments about dramatic texts and performances Construct and present claims ( synthesis, analyses, critiques, explanations, arguments) with appropriate textual evidence and/or credible sources. Achive organization and coherence through careful attention to logic, plausibility and persuasiveness within and among claims, arguments, evidence, and conclusions Adhere to rules of writing about dramatic texts: for example., correct formal citation. Adhere to formal and informal rules of syntax, grammar, mechanics, and usage appropriate to Standard Written English.\ Welcome to Theatre History 384. CLASS PROCEDURE In class, our procedure is like this: Students and instructor give presentations on various American plays, productions, authors, producers, etc. I encourage you to engage in discussion as a context for these presentations. Preparation for class will require you to read plays and commentary. ASSIGNMENTS A. Participation Participate in our controversies, discussions, arguments as we explore & experience the history of theatre of America. PREPARE FOR PARTICIPATION by doing your reading of playsand handouts; and come to class ready to talk about it and discuss it. Always bring the text of the play we are currently reading together to class. Bring the play in printed, NOT electronic form. Here’s why: we will do some readings in class from these playtexts and we’ll all literally need to be on the same page. This is very hard to achieve if most of us are simply turning to page 35 as others fumble with tablets, iphones, ereaders and/or laptops to find page 35 or even the playtext…Another reason to use the required playtext is that no electronic devices are permitted during tests and quizzes in class; sometimes thr printed text is needed for open book testing. Observations and comments and questions are a welcomed form of class participation. And of course, being there—in class—is naturally a prerequisit for this activity. So: come to class. All the time. Once you come to class, stay here. Please do not get up and walk out of the room (and then back in) during class.This is very distracting, if not rude, to anyone presenting in class. Food and Drink in the classroom is not permitted. This is a University regulation. Use of Laptop computers and cell phones during class and tests is not permitted. You should take notes during all presentations on who, what, why, where, when. If you must get a computer into the mix, I recommend that after each class, you immediately Google the notes you have taken in class.. Participation accounts for 25% of your final grade. B. Tests, Essays and Final Exam There will be about 6 to 8 short quizzes and essays. These will ask you to do writing about the plays we read, the handout materials and what you hear in presentations given by me or students in the class. Often these tests ask you to do research and write critically. The final exam is like the quizzes and it too emphasizes research and critical writing. It is graded with "triple" the value of a typical Quiz or Essay. I average all of your Quiz/Essay scores and the final exam score (x3) to calculate your Test part of your grade. Here is the grading scale for quizzes: A 100-90 B 80-89 C 70-79 D 60-69 F 0-59 Listen, take lecture notes, do the reading and you should do well on the tests and essays. Tests, essays, and the Final account for 50% of your final grade. C. Dramaturgy Research Project 1. Research an American Theatre History topic from the list included on the calendar included as part of this syllabus. This is like the theatre research you would do as a theatre Dramaturge. Research your topic in the library, on the web, and through other appropriate resources. You may need to buy a book, do an interview…whatever it takes to complete researching your topic so you can 2. write a brief paper on the topic, and 3.present what you found to the class. Detailed written guidelines are attached to this syllabus… In general, you are asked to write about 5-10 pages on an informed, researched level. Your presentation may take the form of a performance, a lecture, a slide presentaton with your commentary, or a simple reading of the paper. Presentations in class usually take about ten minutes. The written part of the project is in the form of a formal researched paper, which will - be about 5 pages long (typewritten of course) -have proper footnotes and quotation marks for material you are quoting -be written mostly IN YOUR WORDS -have a bibliography of books and websites you have consulted -be your own, not some kind of group effort--even if your presentation is (for example) a group effort -be presented on the date agreed upon or indicated on the course schedule. -follow the guidelines given in the Theatre History Dramaturgy Project Guide -avoid the Spectre of Plagiarism by really being your own work The Dramaturgy Project accounts for 25% of your final grade. GRADING SUMMARY Dramaturgy Project=25%; Participation=25%; Tests and Final Exam=50% NOTE ON ATTENDANCE, ACADEMIC HONESTY Attendance to all class sessions is mandatory. You are responsible for making up any missed work during any absence. Unexcused absences hurt your grade, especially in participation. Please check your Student Handbook for University policy regarding unexcused class absences. Excused absences for illness, family crises, religious observance and University sanctioned events must be properly documented. Please refer to the Student Handbook section dealing with Academic Honesty. Tests and written assignments are to be your individual work. TEXTS Here is the list of books I have ordered for the course at the bookstore. Various Early American Drama Albee: Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? O’Neill, The Hairy Ape Mamet, American Buffalo Miller, Death of a Salesman Wilson, Fences Various Authors, Articles and excerpts to be provided as class handouts SCHEDULE AMERICAN THEATRE HISTORY WE EK General Topic in boldface Subtopics indicated by normal Font Required Reading and tests Dramaturgy topics due dates for them 1-2 Course Introduction The Indian Princess by James Nelson Barker Consult with instructor choose Dramaturgy Project Prepare Dramaturgy Project bibliography( show this in Your meeting with instructor) TEST *Aztec Drama of Human Sacrifice: Aztecs.. must consult "Theaters of Human Sacrifice’ *Judicial Community Theatre: Witchcraft prosecutions: Marion Starkey's Devil in Massachusetts 3-4 5-6 7-9 “Drama” of the “new world”: American Eden & its European Roots Rousseau and Innocence…passion & sentiment American Adam Theatre in the Colonies The comedy of manners Earliest American plays The moral play The canonical "classics" Drama of American Identity Planter,Adventurer,Native, working Migrant, Slave The aftermath of Revolution: National Types: American Identities on Stage The resident company system Melodrama, the theatre of Virtue & Vice& Sentiment The Melodramatic formula Spectacle and Melodrama Popular and Ethnic Entertainment Girlie Shows to Burlesque Ziegfeld's Follies Vaudeville Yiddish Theatre Harrigan and Hart Belasco Steele McKaye & the Delsarte Method Minstrel Shows Syndicate Actors c. 1850 - c. 1920 Modernism comes to America Little Theatre movement Theatre Guild The Contrast by Royall Tyler The Gladiator by J.M. Bird TEST Uncle Tom's Cabin by G. Aiken TEST The Hairy Ape by E. **Disney’s Pocahantas versus the ‘real’ Pocahantas; Pocahantas as an American National Type… *Protest Theatre of the ‘Sons of Liberty’ * The Wild West Show *Smith's The Drunkard...compared to Leaving Las Vegas *Dramatic Reading:The Death of Little Nell *Staging the chariot race in Ben Hur…from stage to screen *The Undercover Brother *Amos 'n Andy as an extension OR not of Minstrelsy *where are we now? Race Standup *The Black Crook *Sentimental dramatic parlor songs 19th century *Most amazing:my three favorite Vaudeville acts *Houdini *Trifles by Susan Glaspel *Theatre Union and Brecht’s The Mother *Hellman's Scoundrel Time and the Hollywood Hearings 1011 1213 Group Theatre The Chattaqua Religion and Theatre: American Evangelical Political Theatre Socialism & Communism Agit-Prop Group Theatre Theatre Union The Federal Theatre Project Theatre Guild The War and After Postmodern Experimental Theatre The Living Theatre Teatro Campesino Bread and Puppet Theatre Performance Garage Joe Chaikin's Poor Theatre Identity Theatre 14 EXA M O'Neill *Arthur Miller and Elia Kazan and HUAC *Showboat Death of a Salesman by A. Miller TEST Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? *Oklahoma! American Buffalo by D.Mamet *Schechner’s Environmental Theatre *The Living Theatre *’The Holy Theatre’ from Brooks’ The Empty Space Fences by August Wilson *My Sister in this House: is this Feminist Theatre? *Fefu and her Friends: is this Feminist Theatre? Postmodernism Robert Wilson Richard Foreman *Sondheim *Einstein on the Beach FINAL