Week 3 Assignments

THE WORLD OF THE PLAY

As dramaturg, you’ve been asked to help the director and production team understand the “world of the play”—what life was like at the time the play takes place. (If your script doesn’t offer a specific time or location, then assign it one. If the location provided is fictional, then substitute with a real location.) Be specific but also selective, choosing information that will be of value to the team and production.

TIME (5%)

What was going on at the time the play takes place—global and national as well as local events and phenomena—that would affect the characters, the lives they lead and the choices they make?

What did these characters believe and value? (This includes any specifics you can find about economics, religion, war, art, politics, sex, the role of women, etc.)

If you copy and paste text, please be specific and selective and edit your content for relevance…and cite!

SPACE (5%)

What does the world of the play look like? Include natural geography as well architecture, fashion, transportation, entertainment, etc.

Post and link 10 images that best illustrate this world. For each image, provide a caption and link.

SOUND (5%)

What the world sounded like is too vague, so we’ll focus on music. What type of music was popular at this time and location? Give 5 examples with explanations and links. (If you can link to an audio file, great! If you can find lyrics to a song, great!)

For each example, how and where could we get a CD or an .mpeg file? Be specific and include cost.

A note on grading:
Be as specific and relevant as possible. Check your spelling and make sure that all of your links are active.