SHSU Dramaturgy McTier 2008: 06 July 2008

Friday, July 11, 2008

Frustrated?

Just do your best. Yes, I always give partial credit, and I realize that there may be varied interpretations of the assignment (reader-response criticism and all that).

Class: Friday, July 11 (BONUS)

10:00-12:00
everyone worked on Week 1 assignments on their blogs
10 students present

Thursday, July 10, 2008

10:00
read, performed exegesis, and discussed "Mousetrap" scene from Hamlet
watched first 10 minutes of Ethan Hawke Hamlet; discussed its dramaturgical viability
11:00
worked on Week 1 Assignment

NOTE: Friday's BONUS class meets in the Design Room the entire time (10-12 noon); all students are invited to attend; if you have no absences, you may work online the entire time; if you're making up an absence, you'll spend part of the time working with Dave

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Class: Wednesday, July 9

10:00
read and discussed opening scene of Hamlet from a dramaturg's perspective
(used Oxford and Arden annotated editions)
11:00
worked on Week 1 assignments to be posted on blogs
everybody present!

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

WEEK 1 ASSIGNMENTS

The following are due by noon on Friday, July 11, on your blog:

What is Dramaturgy? (5%)
(let’s go with this instead of “definitions”)
Best Online Definition
Best Dictionary Definition
Most Notable or Unusual Definition
Historical Context (German origins with Lessing and the Hamburger Dramaturgy)
Job Description (a composite drawn from multiple sources; edit and cite each)
My Own Definition (in your own words…this is the most important element for grading)

Dramaturgy as a Profession (5%)
Identify 10 professional, not-for-profit theatres (LORT) that employ resident dramaturgs (and/or literary managers). For each of the ten, identify the following: name of theatre, LORT classification, location, name of dramaturg, specific title, and anything else you deem to be notable.

Graduate Degree Programs (5%)
Identify 10 MFA degree programs in dramaturgy at schools that are not listed on the “Sampler” post. For each of the ten, identify the following: name of university, location, name of degree, duration of degree program (most are either 2 or 3-year programs), and anything notable or unique about the program.

Student Blogs

Class: Tuesday, July 8

10:00
what is dramaturgy?
covered syllabus
11:00
created online blogs
explored McTier's new blog for the class: shsudramaturgymctier.blogspot.com
focused on Shakespeare topics and links
discussed issues relating to Shakespeare and text, authorship, printing, quartos vs. folio
explored LMDA website

Graduate Programs

"A Sampler of Graduate Dramaturgy Programs in the U.S."
Posted by Theatre Communications Group (TCG): Publications: American Theatre
note: some information is outdated
http://www.tcg.org/publications/at/2001/programs.cfm

What Is A Dramaturg?

The following articles are offered by the Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas (LMDA) at their homepage in the section "Who We Are: About Dramaturgy":

"What is Dramaturgy? Some answers..." by M. Louise McKay
http://www.lmda.org/blog/WhoWeAre/AboutDramaturgy/_archives/2004/11/18/186623.html

"When You Use These Words, You're Using Dramaturgy" by Liz Engelman
http://www.lmda.org/blog/WhoWeAre/AboutDramaturgy/_archives/2004/12/28/217890.html

"The Role of the Dramaturg in the Creation of New Works" by Andrew Eggert
Originally published in Opera America (Spring 2008)
http://www.lmda.org/_attachments/3629932/The%20Role%20of%20Dramaturgy.pdf

Monday, July 7, 2008

Versions of Hamlet

Hamlet Quarto 1 (1603)
http://internetshakespeare.uvic.ca/Library/facsimile/book/BL_Q1_Ham/

Hamlet Quarto 2 (1604)
http://internetshakespeare.uvic.ca/Library/facsimile/book/BL_Q2_Ham/

Hamlet Quarto Comparisons
http://molcat1.bl.uk/treasures/shakespeare/search.asp

Hamlet Folio 1623
http://dewey.library.upenn.edu/sceti/printedbooksNew/index.cfm?TextID=firstfolio&PagePosition=759

All Quartos & Folios
http://internetshakespeare.uvic.ca/Library/facsimile/

Promptbooks
http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/bsuva/promptbook/ShaHamP.html

Hamlet Home Page
http://internetshakespeare.uvic.ca/Library/plays/Ham.html

Notes on Shakespeare
http://inamidst.com/shaks/notes

Hamlet Works
http://www.leoyan.com/global-language.com/ENFOLDED/

Hamlet Online
http://www.tk421.net/hamlet/hamlet.html

E-Notes Text of Hamlet with “modern” translation
http://www.enotes.com/hamlet-text

Complete Online Shakespeare (MIT)
http://shakespeare.mit.edu/

Course Description

This THR 492 is a writing-enhanced, hands-on workshop on production dramaturgy—an exploration and application of the processes and resources to assist a creative team make better informed production choices.

Typically, the first hour of class will be a lecture-discussion focusing on Hamlet and Scenes from an Execution from a dramaturg’s perspective; the second hour will be supervised library and computer time developing individual dramaturgy blogs for a script of each student’s choosing.

As approved by the administration, credit for this course may substitute for any one of the three required writing-enhanced courses I teach during the regular year: Theatre History I (THR 360W), Theatre History II (THR 460W), and Theory and Criticism (THR 463W).

Course Requirements

Attending at least 85% of all classes (34 of 40 class hours).

Reading Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Howard Barker’s Scenes from an Execution.

Developing and publishing an online blog (from Blogger.com) comprised of the assignments listed below for the script you’ve selected. (The script needs to have or be assigned a specific time and geographic location in the past or present—nothing futuristic or too abstract.)

Please bring a jump drive along with paper/notebook and pen/pencil to each class.

Graded Components

All graded assignments will be posted on your blog (www.shsudramaturgyyourlastname.blogspot.com). This blogging program is simple to use and FREE.

15% General Dramaturgy (due noon Friday, July 11)
5% definitions
5% LORT theatres and dramaturgs
5% U.S. graduate degree programs

15% The Facts of the Play (due noon Friday, July 18)
5% basics (facts about script and author)
5% exegesis (selective)
5% characters and non-traditional casting

15% The World of the Play (due noon Friday, July 25)
10% context: time and space
5% acoustic environment

20% Productions (due noon Friday, August 1)
10% production history and reviews
5% production photos
5% production designs

25% Other (final blog due noon, Thursday, August 7)
10% educator’s packet
10% dramaturg’s statement
5% additional resources and links

10% Format (final blog due noon, Thursday, August 7)
5% citations (present, accurate, and linked)
5% appearance, accessibility, and ease of use

Late Work

Assignments submitted late will be penalized one letter grade (-10 points) for each week overdue.

Attendance

You must attend a minimum of 34 class hours (17 of 20 two-hour classes). Three “bonus” days are offered to makeup missed hours/classes. For anything less than 34 hours, you will be penalized -3 points (from your final course grade) for each hour missed. No distinction is made between “excused” and “unexcused” absences.

For each class day that you arrive on time and remain until the end of the period, you will receive +⅓ (one third) point to add to your final course grade.

Technology & Conduct

Laptops are not permitted during the first hour (lecture-discussion) of each class day; however, you may use your laptop anytime that we, as a class, are using computers.

We will take a 10-minute break each day at appr. 10:50. Please restrict your text messaging, phone calls, bath-rooming, eating, e-mailing, and socializing to that time.

SHSU Dramaturgy McTier 2008