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Miller 1 TD 326: Introduction to Theatre for Young Audiences Unique #25230 Fall 2007 Tuesday/Thursday 9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. WIN 1.134 Professor: Nat Miller Office: TBA Office Hours: Wednesday 10-11 a.m., Wednesdays 2:00–3:00 PM (please sign-up on my office door in advance). I’m also available by appointment. Email: [email protected] Mailbox: Winship main office Course Description “Children are America’s underclass. Among industrialized countries, the United States ranks first in a half a dozen categories, including defense spending, health technology, and the number of millionaires and billionaires. We rank sixteenth, however, in efforts to lift children out of poverty, eighteenth in the income gap between rich and poor children, and last in protecting children against gun violence. Children cannot vote, many have no voice, and few are empowered with the tools necessary to change their lives and the lives of others. Theatre can and must be one of those tools.” ~Peter Brosius, Artistic Director of Minneapolis’s Children’s Theatre Company Introduction to Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA) is a survey course designed to provide an overview of a genre of theatre presented and intended for audiences of children, adolescents, and/or adults. Specifically, children’s theatre describes performances with a target child audience, primarily for those who are ten-years-old or younger; theatre for youth is intended for audiences older than ten but younger than twenty. Over the semester students will discuss the history and development of TYA through discussion and reading about children and education, analysis of plays for various age groups categorized in TYA, and rehearsing a scene related to the TYA field. Students will also be required to attend a TYA performance at the university or in the Austin community. The semester is divided into units to reflect the thematic threads of TYA more than its chronological history. The articles and plays have been selected to deepen our conversation about the way TYA reflects attitudes towards young people and their education. Course Objectives Students will: Understand the philosophy and development of theatre for young audiences. Develop critical observation and language skills to analyze texts and performances. Analyze and critically observe TYA texts and productions as informed audience members. Facilitate a discussion about a TYA play. Research the history and context of TYA plays, and give a presentation on the history and themes. Respond to the theatrical elements--acting, lights, sound, staging, costumes, and scene design— in a live theatre for youth performance. Rehearse and perform a scene from a TYA play Miller 2 Required Materials Textbooks: Jennings, Coleman A., ed. Theatre for Young Audiences: Twenty Great Plays for Children. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1998. Berghammer, Gretta and Coleman A. Jennings, eds. Theatre for Youth: Twelve Plays with Mature Themes. Austin, Texas: University of Texas Press, 1986. Pearson-Davis, Susan, ed. Wish in One Hand Spit in the Other: A Collection of Plays by Suzan Zeder. New Orleans, Louisiana: Anchorage Press, 1990. Smith, Marisa, ed. Seattle Children’s Theatre: Six Plays for Young Audiences. New Hampshire: Smith and Kraus, 1997. Active email account available free through the university. Please check it regularly. Occasional course handouts given by the instructor as needed. **A copy of the text and the course packet will be on reserve in the library. Suggested Texts and Resources Journals and Periodicals Stage of the Art, published by the American Alliance for Theatre in Education (AATE) Theatre for Young Audiences Today, published by the International Association of Theatre for Children and Young People, US Center: New York (ASSITEJ) Youth Theatre Journal, published by the American Alliance for Theatre and Education (AATE) Required performances: You are required to buy tickets and attend one TYA theatre production either through UT’s Department of Theatre and Dance or in the greater Austin community. You are required to write a critical response to this production. You must attach your ticket stub to your critical response in order to receive full credit. If you would like to attend a UT performance, do note that UT tickets sell out fast. The box office is located in the Performing Arts Center on Trinity between San Jacinto and Robert Dedman Drive. Open M-F noon-6 pm, or call 471-3333. Bring your student ID for a discount. Students will be alerted to recommended productions in the community as dates and times become available. Students may also find theatre listings on-line at www.austin360.com Extra credit opportunity: Students may choose to see a second TYA performance to receive extra credit over the semester. This activity is NOT required. If you choose to attend a second TYA performance it must be in a different venue from the first performance (e.g. required play was at UT, extra credit play was at Second Youth [a professional TYA company in Austin]). Students will receive up to 25 extra credit points for a twopage, double-spaced [500 words] critical response to this second TYA performance. Miller 3 Attendance: Class attendance and active participation are required; they are the most important part of this course! You are expected to attend every session and participate in all activities to the best of your ability; however, if you must miss: You are allowed 3 unexcused absences. For every unexcused absence after 3, your final grade will drop 5 points. 3 tardies or instances of leaving class early equal one unexcused absence. If you are absent for an unexcused reason on a day you are scheduled to present a performance project, you will receive a zero for the assignment. Please note that if you are ill on the day you are to perform, you must bring a doctor’s note in order for the absence to be excused. Absences may be excused for the following reasons: Illness with a doctor’s note. Documented University obligation approved one WEEK in advance. Holy Days: In accordance with UT policy, you must provide notice 14 days in advance if you plan to be absent from class for an approved religious holy day. It’s your responsibility to make arrangements for turning in work due that day and to find out about upcoming assignments. Please see the UT catalogue for more information. Since all work beyond performances is submitted electronically, assignments are expected to be turned in by the due date regardless of whether an absence is excused or unexcused. After returning from an excused absence, please provide necessary documentation so I can maintain accurate attendance records. Drops Drops are not permitted after the 4th class day. Late Work Assignments are due at the beginning of class on the due date. Late work is unfair to me and unfair to classmates who turn in work on time. Therefore, work submitted late will lose a full letter grade per day for the first two days. I will not accept work more than two days late. Computer/printer/disk problems are not valid excuses for late work; I will still penalize work that is late for these reasons. Special Needs Accommodations The University of Texas at Austin provides upon request appropriate academic accommodations for qualified students with disabilities. For more information, please contact the Office of the Dean of Students at 471-6259, or 471-4541 TTY. If you have a disability, please do this ASAP. I am glad to make any accommodations you need; it helps me to know this sooner rather than later. Scholastic Dishonesty Students who engage in scholastic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary penalties, including the possibility of failure in the course and/or dismissal from the University. According to the 2004-2005 General Information Catalog, “ ‘Scholastic dishonesty’ includes, but is not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, collusion, falsifying academic records, and any act designed to give unfair academic advantage to the student (such as, but not limited to, submission of essentially the same written Miller 4 assignment for two courses without prior permission of the instructor, providing false or misleading information in an effort to receive a postponement or an extension on a test, quiz or other assignment), or the attempt to commit such an act.” If you have any questions about what constitutes academic dishonesty, please ASK me. You may also contact the Office of Student Judicial Services, or find information online at: http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/sjs/academicintegrity2.html Blackboard We will use UT’s Blackboard program, an online website where students will be able to read announcements and download lost syllabi or other course handouts. Please familiarize yourself with our class pages at http://courses.utexas.edu (To use: Go to the URL, then login using your UT EID and password. After logging in, look towards the bottom of the page for a listing of courses you’re enrolled in. Click on the Introduction to Theatre for Young Audiences link, then use the blue buttons on the left side of the page to navigate.) Grading Criteria: Assignment Participation Facilitation of a play Critical Response Paper Quizzes Pitch of Plays to Schools Final Presentation TOTAL Percent 20% 20% 10% 10% 10% 30% 100% Points 200 200 100 100 100 300 1000 Grades 900-1000 800-899 700-799 600-699 0-599 A B C D F Evaluation: 1) Participation (20%): You will receive a daily participation grade on a check plus, check, check minus system, corresponding roughly to A, B, and C, the total of which will be averaged cumulatively at the end of class. This system takes into account your punctuality and preparedness for class, respect and support for your peers and instructor, your positive attitude, as well as your undivided attention and full commitment to everything we do. Please bring observations, opinions, and questions about the assigned reading. Your class participation grade will also be evaluated on your punctuality, attendance, positive attitude, and respect for your peers and instructor. 2) Facilitation of a play (20%): Each student will co-facilitate, with the professor, a portion of our in-class discussion of ONE of the assigned plays. Students will need to be prepared to do the following: Facilitate a group discussion of a question that you created about the play based on the theme of the week. Present an analysis of the play’s form and structure. Present EITHER research of where the play was first produced, by whom, and how it was received OR research of how the time period of when it was written affects the content of the text. Miller 5 3) Quizzes (10%): Throughout the semester there will be four quizzes which cover concepts we discuss in class, and major plot points of the plays we read. These quizzes will be worth 25 points each, and are announced on the syllabus. 4) Critical response to live performance (10%): Students will write a review of at least one TYA theatre production that they attend during the semester. Each review must include: Date attended, name of play, playwright, director and a brief synopsis of the play. A discussion of at least three of the following production aspects: lighting, sound, set, staging (movement) of actors, or costumes and how they relate to the field of TYA. Your response to at least two different actors’ performances and why or why not you felt these performances were successful in this TYA production Reviews should be 2-3 pages in length, double-spaced, 12 point type (no larger). Pages numbered and stapled. One-inch margin on all four sides of each page. Papers are to be submitted as a hard copy and will be posted to blackboard. 5) A Pitch for Your Play in a School (20%): You must write a pitch to an imaginary elementary school administration, advocating why they should have the play you have chosen performed at their school. You will present your paper in class. You must include: A summary of the play. Reasons the play is relevant to the age group you are presenting to. A connection of the content of the play to two different Texas State Standards [TEKS] that are appropriate to that age group. An explanation of how a pre- or post-show workshop will help relate the play to their curriculum. Pitches should be 2-3 pages in length, double-spaced, 12 point type (no larger). Pages numbered and stapled. One-inch margin on all four sides of each page. Papers are to be submitted as hard copy and will posted to blackboard. 6) Presentation of a TYA Scenes (30%): In small groups you will be working on a scene from a TYA play that you will present for an elementary school. You will be given class time to rehearse these scenes, and must find additional time outside of class to work on it. Miller 6 Course Schedule and Due Dates Subject to change at instructor’s discretion Assignments/readings are DUE on the date listed and are written in italic type. Week 1 Introduction to TYA __________________ Thursday August 30 Welcome, Syllabus, and Schedule Sign Up For Student Facilitation Week 2 Historical Context for TYA ________________________ Tuesday September 3 Read: Kincaid, “What’s a Young Audience?: An Argument” (53-58) Thursday September 5th Earliest Beginnings -1950’s Read: Bedard, “Dramatic Literature for Children” (1-26) Read: Chorepenning, The Emperor’s New Clothes Note: I will model the facilitation for future student facilitations. Week 3 Overview of the Field _______________________________ Tuesday September 11 Read: Bedard, “Dramatic Literature for Children” (26-39) Read: Zeder, Wiley and the Hairy Man Thursday September 13 Student Facilitation #1 Student Facilitation #2 Read: Step On a Crack Read: Introduction to Wish in One Hand, Spit in the Other Quiz #1 Week 4 Using Humor in TYA____________________________________ Tuesday September 18 Student Facilitation #3 Read: Androcles and the Lion Miller 7 Thursday September 20 Student Facilitation #4 Student Facilitation #5 Read: Go Dog Go Read: The Wise Men of Chelm Week 5 Adaptation____________________________________________ Tuesday September 25th Teacher Led Facilitation Read: Bedard, “Negotiating Marginalization: TYA and the Schools” Read: Charlottes’s Web [the play] Thursday September 27th Student Facilitation #6 Read: Jungal Book Read: Lily’s Little Plastic Purse Week 6 Plays About Death________________________________ Tuesday October 2nd Student Facilitation #7 Student Facilitation #8 Read: Arkansas Bear Read: A Thousand Cranes Thursday October 4th Teacher Led Facilitation Read: The Yellow Boat Quiz #2 Week 7 Dealing With Social Issues____________________ Tuesday October 9th Student Facilitation #9 Student Facilitation #10 Read: The Ice Wolf Read: Lily Plants a Garden Thursday October 11th Student Facilitation #11 Read: Bless Cricket, Crest Toothpaste and Tommy Tune Read: Black Butterfly, Jaguar Girl, Piñata Woman and Other Superhero Girls Like Me Miller 8 Week 8 Social Issues (continued)______________________ Tuesday October 16th Student Facilitation #12 Student Facilitation #13 Read: The Journals of Ben Uchida Read: Afternoon with the Elves Thursday October 18th Student Facilitation #14 Read: Bacon Quiz #3 Week 9 Historical Themes____________________________ Tuesday October 30th Student Facilitation #15 Student Facilitation #16 Read: The Rememberer Read: Home on the Morning Train Thursday November 1st Student Facilitation #17 Student Facilitation #18 Read: A Woman Called Truth Read: A Midnight Cry Week 10 Plays for Teens_______________________________ Tuesday November 6th Student Facilitation #19 Student Facilitation #20 Read: The Wrestling Season Read: Brave No World Thursday November 8th Read: Chat Room Quiz #4 Week 11 Nationalism and Transnationalism________________ Tuesday November 13th Class discussion of Theatre for Youth scenes for semester final. Miller 9 Thursday November 15th Administrator Pitch Presentation Administrator Pitch Papers Due Week 12 Putting on a Play____________________________ Tuesday November 20th In Class Rehearsal Thursday November 22nd Thanksgiving Break (No Class) Week 13 Putting on a Play____________________________ Tuesday November 27th In Class Rehearsal Thursday November 29th In Class Rehearsal Week 14 _____Putting on a Play__________________________ Tuesday December 4th Rehearsal of Scenes Thursday December 6th Final Rehearsal of Scenes Week 15 Final__________________________________________ Wednesday December 12th Final Performance at an Elementary School