Download THEA 208 - Penn State Altoona

Laurencio Ruiz
101 M Elm Building
(814) 949-5747
Office hours:
T-TH from 11:10 to 12:10
[email protected]
THEA 208
113 Cypress
T-R from 9:25AM to 10:40AM
Spring 06
THEA 208
This class examines the historic and contemporary theatrical world of diverse
cultures and provides an opportunity for creative production.
OBJETIVES
This course will provide you with a foundation in the study of Theatre as a
practice of creative art. We will examine works from traditional through vanguard
theatre (East and West), as well as the integration of theatre into cinema. It will
also provide a general overview of theatre production, that is, of the technical
aspects of doing theatre. This introductory class will establish the base on which
more advanced study can be built.
NO TEXT BOOK REQUIRED
EVALUATION
Your final grade will be based on the following components:
Exams
40%
Class Presentations 40%
Class Participation 10%
Final Presentation 10%
State University Grading Policy
95.0 and above
A
75.5-79.9
90.0-94.9
A70.0-74.9
87.7-89.9
B+
60.0-69.9
83.3-87.6
B
59.9- and below
80.0-83.2
B-
C+
C
D
F
ATTENDANCE (MISSING CLASSES?)
The student must attend every class but you will be allowed THREE absences
ONLY (the equivalent of one and a half weeks of instruction). Use them wisely.
Acceptable absences include such reasons as major sickness, funerals, job
interviews, family emergencies, etc. Being late to class repeatedly (three times)
will also be counted as an absence.
You can come late to my class, but don’t do it. Extenuating circumstances will be
left to my discretion. Please shut cell phones off before class. Do not receive
or make cell phone calls during class.
IMPORTANT NOTE:: One percentage will be subtracted from your final
grade for every absence over three: example, if you have been absent 5
times by the end of the semester and have a final average of 81, you will
receive a 79 final grade—from a B- to a C+.
EXAMS (40%)
Four exams will be given throughout the semester. There is no make-up
without a legal, documented excuse for the absence (with phone number
for verification). Please do not be late for your exams, mark your calendar
and always verify the day for the next exam.
The exam schedule is the following:
- Exam 1 What is Theatre? & What is a play?
January 31st.
- Exam 2 Theatre in the East.
February 28th.
- Exam 3 Designers and Technicians.
March 28th.
- Exam 4 Theatre in the West.
April 25th.
CLASS PRESENTATIONS (40%) FINAL PRESENTATION (10%)
- During the semester students will present another essential component of
this class: In order to have a theatre experience and because this is also a
workshop-class, working in teams, students will perform three small
sketches and one final presentation with an audience.
- For this class it will be necessary to memorize two small dialogues such
as: by Davis Mamet’s Glengarry Glen Ross, and from Tom Stoppard’s
Pinter’s Silence. (both are attached at the end of this syllabus.
- For your final presentation, possible topics and staging (like using
puppets, costumes, props) will be discussed in class. Then, each team
must consult with me to discuss its ideas. After this consultation, students
will submit a written proposal. This consultation and proposal form part of
the grade for each project.
Each presentation will be evaluated under the following criteria:
Written proposal, goals and consultation 10%
Overall quality of the production:
40%
(Props, acting, diction, music, lighting)
Overall quality of the team:
50%
(Organization, challenge, projection as a team)
The class presentation are scheduled as follow:
Presentation 1
Puppet show
February 2nd.
Presentation 2
Pinter’s Silence. By Harold Spinter
March 2nd.
Presentation 3
Glengarry Glen Ross. By David Mamet April 6th.
Presentation 4
Puppet show as final presentation. Finals week
CLASS PARTICIPATION (10%)
Class participation, like attendance, is an essential component of this course.
You must accumulate 20 points by the end of the semester for the full
percentage of this component. The mechanics of this component is the following:
Each time you participate you will get fake dollar bills. The domination of the bill
does not matter; it always counts as 2 points each and every time you receive
one for participation. Then you will write down your name and date on the bill and
return it to me by the end of the class. For my part, I’ll staple them on the
attendance sheet every class.
Class Participation Policy:
1-5 points 2.5%
6-10 points 5%
11-15 points 7.5%
16-20 points 10%
SHOWS TO SEE DURING THE SEMESTER.
Is mandatory all students in this course to attend the following shows, and sign
up an attendance sheet located in the ticket office in CAC pervious to the show
and write a review for each show.
The Tempest. March 29th preview is FREE. March 30th at 7:30PM. March 31st
at 7:30PM. April 1st 3:00PM and 7:30PM. April 2nd at 3:00PM
Allied Motion. February16th and 17th at 7:30PM.
Ivyside Pride. April 19th preview is FREE. April 20th and 21st at 7:30PM. April 22nd
at 3:00PM and 7:30PM. April. April 23rd at 3:00PM.
CLASS FILMS
The following is a partial list of films to be viewed in class. Be advised, some of
them have nudity, sexual or disturbing content:
-
Darkness Light Darkness by Jan Smankmajer (Chek Republic)
Food by Jan Smankmajer (Chek Republic)
Surprise by Veit Helmer (Germany)
Being John Malkovish “Feel what I feel,” & “Abelard and Heloise,” (USA)
The NOMI song (USA)
The Labyrinth of Darkness and Light by Jiri Barta
Vincent & Frankenweenie by Tim Burton
Soma-international (Puppet show) from FORUM Barcelona
Theatre-zingaro () from FORUM Barcelona
Astrid Hadad (performance artist and singer) from FORUM Barcelona
Lafura. Dels Baus (performance art) from FORUM Barcelona
Water Puppets (Puppets from Vietnam) from FORUM Barcelona
Morocco acrobats, from FORUM Barcelona
Osseuslabyrint (performance art)
Grupo Galpao (Theatre company)
Taking a Ride on the Clay Cart.
Acting Techniques of Kutiyattan
The following websites will provide you with more information about the artists
and will help you to understand better some of the videos shown during class.
Please check them out:
Soma-international.com (Canada)
hensonfoundation.org (USA)
theatre-zingaro.com (France)
osseuslabyrint.net (USA)
grupogalpao.com.br (Brazil)
illumin.co.uk/svank (Filmaker)
astridhadad.com (Mexico)
Lafura.com (Spain)
The Traditions of Performing Arts in Japan
Aspects of Chinese Opera www.paulnoll.com/China/Opera/index.html
Sanskrit Drama www.mykerala.net/koodiyattom/koodiyattom.html
DURING CLASS
- You are expected to participate in class discussions and activities.
- Do not receive or make cell phone calls during class, and please shut
cell phones off during class.
- Do not use your iPod during class.
DISABILITY POLICY
The Pennsylvania State University encourages qualified persons with disabilities
to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing any type of
accommodation in this course or have questions about physical access, please
tell the Instructor as soon as possible.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
The University's policy on academic integrity can be found on the world-wide-web
at http://www.psu.edu/polreg/studguid.html#R64. Section 49-20 of this code
describes academic dishonesty by including cheating, plagiarizing, fabricating
information or citations, facilitating acts of academic dishonesty by others, having
unauthorized examinations, submitting the work of others or previously submitted
work without instructor's permission, and tampering with the work of others.
Students violating this code will fail the course and be referred to Judicial Affairs
to further disciplinary actions.
WHEN ABSENT
You are responsible for work done in class and for the homework assignments.
When you return, you are expected to participate in class discussions and
activities. You must do any practice or take any quiz given on the day you return.
Below, write the names and phone numbers of at least two classmates from
whom you can get assignments when you are out.
Name: _____________________________ Phone______________________
Name: _____________________________ Phone______________________
Sign and turn in last page of this syllabus with your personal information
and answer four questions attached with it.
Personal Information:
Name: ___________________________________
Email: ___________________
Phone: __________________________________
Major: ____________________
Do you have any previous experience doing theatre?
Do you think it is important to be exposed to other cultures?
What other states or cities have you visited besides Pennsylvania?
Do you listen to music, watch films, eat food or read books or magazines from other
cultures?
Do you know people from other countries or cultures?
In what other countries have you lived, visited or studied?
Do you speak another language?
Where does your family come from?
Please indicate your ability in the following skills:
Experience
Acting
Singing
Excellent
Very good
Good
none
Playing an
instrument
Dancing
juggling
drawing
sewing
Doing make-up
Upon signing and submitting this form, I state that I have read the syllabus and agree
with all its conditions.
Signature _______________________
Date: __________________
David Mammet’s Glengarry Glen Ross, in which a disgruntled real-estate
salesman propose to a college that they rob their front office, stealing some realestate “leads” (name of potential customers) that they can then sell to a
competitor.
MOSS: I want to tell you something.
AARONOW: what?
MOSS: I want to tell you what somebody should do.
AARONOW: What?
MOSS: Someone should stand up and strike back.
AARONOW: What do you mean?
MOSS: Somebody…
AARONOW: Yes…?
MOSS: Should do something to them.
AARONOW: What?
MOSS: Something. To pay them back. (Pause)
AARONOW: Someone, someone should hurt them. Murray and Mitch.
MOSS: Somebody should hurt them
AARONOW: Yes.
MOSS: (Pause) How?
AARONOW: How? Do something to hurt them.
MOSS: Where they live.
AARONOW: What? (Pause)
MOSS: Someone should rob the office.
AARONOW: Huh.
MOSS: That’s what I’m saying. We were, if we were the kind of guys, to
knock it off, and trash the joint, it looks like a robbery, and take the fuckin’
leads out of the files…
[…] (Pause)
AARONOW: Are you actually talking about this or are we just…
MOSS: No, we’re just…
AARONOW: We’re just “taking” about it.
MOSS: We’re just speaking about it. (Pause) As an idea.
AARONOW: As an idea.
MOSS: Yes.
AARONOW: We’re not actually talking about it.
MOSS: No.
AARONOW: Talking about it as a…
MOSS: No.
AARONOW: As a robbery.
MOSS: As a “robbery”?! No.
AARONOW: Well. Well…
Silence by Harold Pinter, which are filled with abrupt, almost inexplicable
transitions, intense pauses, and glances, and elliptical dialogue that seems to
contain innuendos we don’t fully comprehend, create an almost palpable sense
of foreboding and spookiness that plunges the audience deeper and deeper into
Pinteresque moods and reveries.
BATES: (moves to ELLEN) Will we meet tonight?
ELLEN: I don’t know. (Pause)
BATES: Come with me tonight.
ELLEN: Where?
BATES: Anywhere. For a walk. (Pause)
ELLEN: I don’t want to walk
BATES: Why not? (Pause)
ELLEN: I want to go somewhere else. (Pause)
BATES: Where?
ELLEN: I don’t know. (Pause)
BATES: What’s wrong with a walk?
ELLEN: I don’t want to walk. (Pause)
BATES: What do you want to do?
ELLEN: I don’t now (Pause)
BATES: Do you want to go somewhere else?
ELLEN: Yes.
BATES: Where?
ELLEN: I don’t know. (Pause)