TH 325 - SCRIPT ANALYSIS (52482)
MWF 10-10:50 a.m.
King Hall 215 – Fall Term 2016
Jim Bartruff
KI 201G x5704
[email protected]
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This is an introduction to the crucial practice of reading and understanding plays for production.
Our focus will be on the script as blueprint for directors, designers, actors and other collaborators.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1. Read great works of world drama in the context of history.
2. Read and review Aristotle’s observations about the drama and apply them to our study plays.
3. Devise systems of analysis on the role of each theatre artist to the production of a play.
4. Develop critical thinking skills about the drama through individual and class projects.
TEXTBOOKS
The Poetics of Aristotle (Online)
12 Plays, A Portable Anthology, Janet E. Gardner, editor
READING LIST
Sophocles. Oedipus Rex
Shakespeare. Hamlet
Henrik Ibsen. A Doll’s House
Susan Glaspell. Trifles
Anton Chekhov. The Cherry Orchard
Tennessee Williams. The Glass Menagerie
Samuel Beckett. Endgame
Athol Fugard. “Master Harold” and the boys
COURSE ASSIGNMENTS (500 points)
1. Reading quizzes.
2. Prop list for Hamlet
3. Scene breakdown for Master Harold…and the boys.
4. Character breakdown for The Glass Menagerie.
5. Production concept and research for Endgame.
6. Midterm exam.
7. Term project in script analysis.
8. Final exam.
GRADING SCALE
A
93-100%
A90- 92%
B+
88- 89%
B
83- 87%
B80- 82%
C+
78- 79%
465-500
450-464
440-449
415-439
400-414
390-399
C
CD+
D
DF
(50)
(50)
(50)
(50)
(100)
(50)
(100)
(50)
73-77%
70-72%
68-69%
63-67%
60-62%
0-59%
365-389
350-364
340-349
315-339
300-314
001-299
COURSE POLICIES
1. All assignments are due on the day they are assigned at class time.
2. Late assignments will not be graded. But you must turn them in to pass.
3. All written assignments must be typed.
4. You may e-mail certain assignments.
5. If you arrive late to class, you will be considered absent.
6. Early departure from any class will also count as an absence.
7. Bring your book, something to write with and note paper to each class.
8. Participation in school plays or other activities will not excuse you from your assignments.
9. We will follow ESU’s Dishonesty Policy at http://www.emporia.edu/acadaff/dishonesty.htm
Disability Statement
Emporia State University will make reasonable accommodations for persons with documented disabilities. Students
need to contact the Director of Disability Services and the professor as early in the semester as possible to ensure that
classroom and academic accommodations are implemented in a timely fashion. All communication between students,
the Office of Disability Services, and the professor will be strictly confidential.
Faculty-Initiated Student Withdrawal Procedure
Students should be aware that your instructor follows the university’s policy of faculty-initiated student withdrawal. It
reads as follows: “If a student’s absences from class or disruptive behavior become detrimental to the student’s
progress or that of other students in the class, the faculty member shall attempt to contact the student in writing about
withdrawing from the class and shall seek the aid of the office of Vice President of Student Affairs to help insure
contacting the Student. The Office of the Vice President of Student Affairs shall provide the student information
about the existing appeals procedures. Upon receiving a written report from the faculty member, the Vice President
of Student Affairs may initiate a student withdrawal from the class. None of the above implies or states that faculty
members are required to initiate the student withdrawals for excessive absence. [Policy and Procedures Manual
43.11]
TERM ASSIGNMENT. From your perspective as A DIRECTOR, AN ACTOR, A STAGE MANAGER or a
DESIGNER, prepare a production book for a play of your choice. Each assignment will include the following:
_____A DESCRIPTION OF GIVEN CIRCUMSTANCES
_____UNIT BREAKDOWNS
_____CHARACTER ANALYSIS FOR ALL CHARACTERS
_____BEAT BY BEAT ANALYSIS OF CLIMATIC SCENE
_____STATEMENT OF THE PLAYS THEME
_____PROP LIST
_____COSTUME PLOT
_____SCENERY REQUIREMENTS
_____LIGHTING REQUIREMENTS
_____SOUND REQUIREMENTS from the script
THE FOLLOWING ARE ALSO REQUIRED OF A DESIGNER’S ANALYSIS
_____Groundplan
_____Elevation
_____Costume sketches
COURSE CALENDAR
August
September
October
November
December
M 22
W 24
F 26
M 29
W 31
F 02
M 05
W 07
F 09
M 12
W 14
F 16
M 19
W 21
F 23
M 26
W 28
F 30
M 03
W 05
F 07
M 10
W 12
F 14
M 17
W 19
F 21
M 24
W 26
F 28
M 31
W 02
F 04
M 07
W 09
F 11
M 14
W 16
F 18
M 21
W 23
F 25
M 28
W 30
F 02
M 05
W 07
F 09
M 12
Review course calendar and assignments.
How to read a play. Dramatic genres.
Foundations of analysis – Poetics of Aristotle
Preparing to read Greek tragedy.
Oedipus The King
Protagonist/antagonist & essential action.
LABOR DAY – No classes.
Preparing to read Shakespeare
Hamlet.
Technical script analysis
Work period – Props for Hamlet.
Prop list for Hamlet due.
Master Harold…and the boys
French scenes, action units and beats
Work period on units and beats
Scene breakdowns due for Master Harold…and the boys.
The term assignment. Script selection due.
Trifles. Analysis for style
An outline for character analysis
Catch up and review
Work period – Character analysis
Review character analysis for Trifles
NO CLASS – High School preview for Big River
Review
MIDTERM EXAM.
Discuss midterm and review major assignment
NO CLASS – Fall Break
A Doll’s House.
Translations and adaptations - selecting a text for production
The designer’s checklist
Developing a groundplan for A Doll’s House
Class presentations on A Doll’s House
Anton Chekhov. The Cherry Orchard
The Cherry Orchard in production
Developing a production concept for The Cherry Orchard, a class exercise
NO CLASS – Veteran's Day
Williams, Miller and O’Neill
The Glass Menagerie
Work period - The Glass Menagerie
Character analysis for The Glass Menagerie due at end of class
NO CLASS – Thanksgiving break
NO CLASS – Thanksgiving break
The modern theatre: Beckett, Pinter and Albee
Endgame
Beckett in performance
Work period for final projects
Work period for final projects
Term projects due. REVIEW for final.
FINAL EXAM (10:10 - 12:00 a.m.)
DOWNLOAD THE ESU SYLLABUS ATTACHMENT
http://www.emporia.edu/regist/enroll/syll.html
SUGGESTED PLAYS FOR TERM PROJECT
Ibsen
HEDDA GABLER, THE WILD DUCK, THE MASTER BUILDER, GHOSTS
Strindberg
MISS JULIE, THE GHOST SONATA, THE DANCE OF DEATH
Chekhov
THREE SISTERS, THE SEAGULL, UNCLE VANYA
Shaw
ARMS AND THE MAN, MRS WARRENS PROFESSION, PYGMALION,
HEARTBREAK HOUSE, MAJOR BARBARA
Synge
THE PLAYBOY OF THE WESTERN WORLD
Beckett
WAITING FOR GODOT
Miller
ALL MY SONS, A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE, DEATH OF A SALESMAN
Williams
A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE, CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF
O’Neill
A LONG DAY’S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT, THE ICEMAN COMETH
Albee
WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF?, THREE TALL WOMEN
Rabe
STREAMERS, HURLYBURLY, STICKS AND BONES
Simon
BAREFOOT IN THE PARK, BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS
Pinter
THE DUMBWAITER, THE HOMECOMING, BETRAYAL
Shaffer
EQUUS, AMADEUS, LETTICE AND LOVAGE
Hellman
THE LITTLE FOXES, THE CHILDREN’S HOUR
Wilson
BURN THIS, FIFTH OF JULY, ANGELS FALL, TALLEY'S FOLLY
McNally
IT'S ONLY A PLAY, LIPS TOGETHER TEETH APART, MASTER CLASS, FRANKIE
AND JOHNNY IN THE CLAIRE DE LUNE, BAD HABITS
Norman
'NIGHT MOTHER, GETTING OUT
A. Wilson
FENCES, THE PIANO LESSON, MA RAINEY'S BLACK BOTTOM
Wasserstein
THE HEIDI CHRONICLES, AN AMERICAN DAUGHTER
Durang
BEYOND THERAPY, VANYA AND SONIA AND MASHA AND SPIKE
Lindsay-Abaire FUDDY MEERS, RABBIT HOLE, GOOD PEOPLE
Martin
PICASSO AT THE LAPIN AGILE
McDonagh
BEAUTY QUEEN OF LEENANE, CRIPPLE OF INISHMAAN, PILLOWMAN
Kushner
ANGELS IN AMERICA, A BRIGHT ROOM CALLED DAY
Shanley
DOUBT, DANNY AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA, OUTSIDE MULLINGAR
Gurney
SYLVIA, THE COCKTAIL HOUR
Ives
VENUS IN FUR, THE SCHOOL FOR LIVES, POLISH JOKE
Ruhl
EURYDICE, THE CLEAN HOUSE, DEAD MAN'S CELLPHONE