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LA Mission College Arts/Media/Humanities Department TA 100 Introduction to the Theatre Spring 2016 • Sections #0544/3460 3 Units – No prerequisite 0544 meets: T Th 1:55-3:20 in INST 1008 3460 meets: T 6:50-10:00 in INST 1008 Instructor: Robert Cucuzza E-mail: [email protected] COURSE ENTRANCE SKILLS No previous theater experience is necessary! You should be able to demonstrate basic reading, writing, comprehension, and problem solving skills. There is no pre-requisite for this course. STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES 1. Assess the historical, artistic, social, and philosophical context in which theatre exists. 2. Analyze how individual design elements (costume, set, lights, props and sound) contribute to the storytelling and overall aesthetic impact of a production. COURSE EXPECTATIONS Have you ever been to see theater? Yes? I’ll bet that you’ve never seen the kind of theatre that I’m gonna show you. No? Well, that’s about to change, not because it’s an assignment in the class, but because you’re gonna wanna go see theatre once I show you what it can do. My goal is to blow your mind. You see, I watch a lot of the same things you do: The Walking Dead, Breaking Bad, Adventure Time, superhero movies, rom-coms. sitcoms, Adult Swim … I talk about these things a lot in this class. It’s my way of helping you to understand each of the lessons. I can take pretty much anything that you watch and teach you how it all stems from theatre. I will learn your name. I will speak to you. I don’t lecture as much as I engage. I show A LOT of videos. Ask anyone who has taken this class and they’ll probably tell you that it’s not what they expected from an Intro to Theatre class. I try to make it fun. I want everyone to pass this class. As long as you show up, take notes and do the assignments, you’ll do so. And I make people laugh as much as I can. So there. COURSE DESCRIPTION The primary goal of this course is to explore, appreciate, and evaluate all of the arts that make go into the creation of live theatre. Topics will include acting, directing, playwriting, producing, criticism, design, architecture, audience, historical periods, and theatre’s relationship to film and television. Students will exit this course with knowledge and insight into the process of theatrical creation. This will help them analyze, evaluate and articulate responses to works of theatre artists; develop an appreciation for theatrical arts; demonstrate knowledge of theatre’s relationship to life, art, and performance; understand its role in society and culture; and become informed audience members so that theatre can enrich their lives and help them recognize how theatre is an integral component of the human condition. TEXTBOOK: The Theatre Experience by Edwin Wilson (13th edition) The textbook is mandatory and there will be three quizzes and a final exam covering its contents. CLASS POLICIES • You are responsible to be on time and fully prepared to be engaged in the class. • You are responsible to read and comprehend the information contained in this syllabus and in the assigned readings, as well as the information discussed in class. • If you miss class, you are responsible to make up what you missed from a fellow student. • You are responsible for turning your work in by the stated deadlines. I do not guarantee that I will accept late work, unless the student provides a reason that is deemed legitimate by me. If I agree to accept late work, your grade may be affected. • If, for any reason, you are unable to complete reading or written assignments due to mitigating circumstances, please tell me. • Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be dealt with according to school policies. EMAIL Your world may run on texting. The world that you are entering runs on email. I will be sending out mass emails to the class, which may go to your LA Mission email account (I don’t have a choice where I send it). You need to check this email regularly to pass the class. HANDOUTS All assignments and documents related to this class will be uploaded to TA100 directory on my Mission College web site. I won’t be handing these out in class. NOTE-TAKING In order to pass this class, you will need to take notes with a pen in a notebook. Here’s why: All of my quizzes and exams are open notes. If your notes are on your computer, so is the ENTIRE INTERNET and I can’t let students do that. ATTENDANCE • I take attendance at the beginning of class — on the dot — for the entire semester. • If you miss three classes, it becomes my decision to exclude you from the class. • Theatre is a visual art form, therefore I show a lot of cools videos of theatre, film and TV, the content of which will appear on quizzes. If you’re not in class to see the videos, you’re not gonna do well on the quizzes. TARDINESS • Tardiness is unacceptable in any situation, especially in this class. You disrupt the class and throw off my lecture. • Again, I take attendance at the beginning of class. I will not stop class to mark you present if you show up late. • Some of the most important information about assignments, changes to the class schedule and general business all take place in the first five minutes of class. ATTENDANCE AND EXCLUSION POLICY: The student is expected to attend every meeting of all classes for which he or she is registered. A student absent from classes for emergency reasons must inform his or her instructor of the reason for the absence. Students who have preregistered for a class and who do not attend the first meeting of the class may forfeit their right to a place in the class. Students should inform the instructor of the circumstances related to the absence. The instructor will then decide if the reasons provided for the absence are appropriate for allowing the student to remain in class. Mitigating circumstances may be considered by the instructor. Whenever absences “in hours” exceed the number of hours the class meets per week, the student may be excluded from class by the instructor. It is the student’s responsibility to officially drop from any class he/she does not plan to continue to attend. Any drops or exclusions that occur between the end of the 4th week and the end of the 14th week will result in a “W” on the student’s record. Drops are not permitted beyond the end of the 14th week. An evaluative grade (“A,” “B,” “C,” “D,” “F,” “P,” or “NP”) will be assigned to students who are enrolled past the end of the 14th week. After the last day of the 14th week (or 75 percent of the time the class is scheduled, whichever is less) the student may petition to withdraw from class demonstrating extenuating circumstances. CLASS ETIQUETTE: Please follow these simple guidelines 1. Arrive on time. If you must be late, please enter quietly. 2. Do not leave while class is in session unless absolutely necessary. 3. Silence all noise-making devices before entering the classroom. 4. Don’t bring food or drinks into class, except for water. 5. Listen. Participate. Engage. Ask questions. A FEW THINGS THAT MOST COLLEGE PROFESSORS DON’T LIKE 1. Don’t use unprofessional correspondence. Your instructors are not your friends. Correspond with us as if you’re in a workplace, because you are. We’re not saying that you can’t ever write like this, but you do need to demonstrate that you know when such communication is and isn’t appropriate. You don’t wear pajamas to a job interview, right? Same thing. 2. Don’t ask if you “missed anything important” during an absence. No, you didn’t miss anything important. We spent the whole hour watching cat videos on YouTube. Of course you missed something important! We’re college professors! Here’s an alternative way to phrase it: “I’m so sorry I missed class. I’m sure it was awesome.” If you’re concerned about what you missed, try this instead: Do the reading, get notes from a classmate (if you don’t have any friends in class, ask the professor if they’ll send an email to help you find a partner to swap notes with), read them over, and drop by office hours to discuss anything you didn’t understand. 3. Don’t pack up your things as the class is ending. We get it. The minute hand is closing in on the end of class, there’s a shift in the instructor’s voice, and you hear something like “For next time …” That’s the cue for the students to start putting their stuff away. Once one person does it, it’s like an avalanche of notebooks slapping closed, backpack zippers zipping, and cell phones coming out. Don’t do it. Just wait 10 more seconds until the class is actually over. If you don’t, it makes it seem as if you are dying to get out of there and, hey, that hurts our feelings! 4. Don’t ask a question about the readings or assignments until checking the syllabus first. It’s easy to send off an email asking your instructor a quick question, but that person put a lot of effort into the syllabus for a reason. Remember, each professor has dozens or hundreds of students. What seems like a small thing on your end can add up to death-by-a-thousand-paper-cuts on our end. Make a good-faith effort to figure out the answer before you ask the professor. 5. Don’t futz with paper formatting. Paper isn’t long enough? Think you can make the font a teensy bit bigger or the margins a tad bit wider? Think we won’t notice if you use a 12-point font that’s just a little more widely spaced? Don’t do it. We’ve been staring at the printed page for thousands of hours. We have an eagle eye for these kinds of things. Whatever your motivation, here’s what they say to us: “Hi Prof!, I’m trying to trick you into thinking that I’m fulfilling the assignment requirements. I’m lazy and you’re stupid!” Work on the assignment, not the document settings. [Taken from this article: http://www.businessinsider.com/10-things-every-collegeprofessor-hates-2014-8] ASSIGNMENTS • Reading of text as assigned by instructor and indicated on class schedule • One written PERFORMANCE REPORT. You will report upon a live performance that you have seen in the past. • One written THEATRE REVIEW. You will report upon a live, scripted performance that you will have seen after the first day of class. • Participation in a CREATIVE PROJECT with your peers. This project will be outlined in more detail in a separate handout and presented in class near the end of the semester. Here are the basics: 1. You will be part of a team that will create a 10-12 minute live performance. 2. You will serve as either an actor, playwright, director, stage manager, designer, or technician on this performance. 3. You will meet with a group of your peers outside of class time to create and rehearse this performance. 4. You will write a summary essay on your individual role in this performance. 5. You will perform this Creative Project on the final day of class in front of your peers. There will be a formal critique to follow. GRADING EVALUATION Your final grade will be based upon class attendance, completion of individual assignments, the Creative Project, and grades on quizzes and the final exam. 3 Quizzes (100 points each) 300 points Written Performance Report 100 points Written Theatre Review 100 points Creative Project 200 points Final Exam 200 points Participation 100 points TOTAL POSSIBLE 1000 points **100 Extra Credit Points may be earned by writing an extra Performance Review A NOTE ABOUT PARTICIPATION Participation will count for 100 points or 10% of your grade. Points will be deducted if you are unengaged, asleep, side-talking, distracting the instructor or your classmates, uninterested, or spending the class looking at a digital device. Final grade breakdown from your total number of points: 900-1000 points — 90-100% — Grade A. Exceptional. All assignments completed and on time. Quality of work was well executed, organized and thoughful. Quizzes and final exam had excellent scores. Work on Creative Project showed pride and enthusiasm. Attended the vast majority of classes. 800-899 points — 80-89% — Grade B. Very Good. Met all objectives and expectations of this course. Projects were completed on time and execution was good, but organization and neatness could improve. Test scores were above average. Participated with enthusiasm on the Creative Project. Attended the majority of classes. 700-799 points — 70-79% — Grace C. Average. Did work that met the minimum objectives and expectations of the course. Missed assignments, quizzes or numerous classes. Quality of work on Creative Project was average. Quiz and exam scores were average. Many unexcused absences. 600-699 points — 60-69% — Grade D. Below Average. Many absences, incomplete projects, and several assignments and quizzes missed. Below average scores on the quizzes and exam. Little or no participation in the Creative project. Not up to college level standards. Grade D 0-599 points — 0-59% — Grade F. Failure. Excessive absences, very few or none of the projects or assignments completed. Quizzes and final exam were either missed or received a failure level of points. Did not meet minimum standards and objectives of the course. Definitely not college level work. PLAGIARISM • Plagiarism is the use of the written work of others (either direct copies or close paraphrases) as one’s own original work. If quotations and/or passages from other works are used in papers, they must be accorded the proper citation in order to avoid any misunderstandings about plagiarism. In other words, all written work is to be written by you. • When there is evidence that a student has committed plagiarism, he or she will receive a zero for the assignment and will be reported to Academic Affairs. A second incident of plagiarism could result in expulsion from the class. • Plagiarism is a serious offense. If you have any questions about what might be considered plagiarism, please ask me. DISABLED STUDENTS PROGRAMS AND SERVICES Disabled Students Programs and Services (DSP&S) at Los Angeles Mission College is a support system that enables students to fully participate in the college’s regular programs and activities. DSP&S provides a variety of services from academic and vocational support to assistance with Financial Aid. If you are a disabled student and need a modification, special assistance or accommodation in order to participate in this class, alert the instructor promptly and contact the DSP&S office at 818 364-7732 or 818 364-7861. Modifications, special assistance or accommodations can only be made with proper documentation and coordination with DSP&S.