Theatre Arts 100 INTRODUCTION TO THEATRE ARTS Professor Mazer Fall 1997 Bennett Hall 305, x7382; cmazer@dept.english.upenn.edu Office Hours: Tu 1:30-3:00, Th 1:00-2:30, and by appointment September 4: Introduction: What is Theatre? September 9: Theatre and Representation Reading: Susanne K. Langer, "The Dynamic Image" and "Creation," from Problems of Art (bulkpack). September 11: Theatre and Representation (cont.) Reading: Bernard Beckerman, "Imitation and Presentation," from Theatrical Presentation: Performer, Audience and Act (bulkpack). [REQUIRED THEATREGOING: Machinal, by Sophie Treadwell, Theatre Arts Program, Studio Theatre, Annenberg Center, Sept. 10-13] September 16: Acting and Behavior Guest Lecturer: Jim Schlatter, Theatre Arts Reading: Robert Cohen, "Playing the Situation: Out of the Self," from Acting Power: An Introduction to Acting (bulkpack). September 18: Acting and Action Reading: Bernard Beckerman, "The Theatrical Segment" and "The Dramatic Segment," pp. 44-64, from Dynamics of Drama: Theory and Method of Analysis (bulkpack). September 23: Action and Character I Reading: Arthur Schnitzler, La Ronde; Beckerman, Dynamics of Drama, pp. 64-77 (bulkpack). September 25: Action and Character I (cont.) Reading: La Ronde (cont.); Beckerman, Dynamics of Drama, pp. 79-128 (bulkpack). [APPROXIMATE DUE DATE: Take-Home Assignment #1] September 30: Action and Character II Reading: Henrik Ibsen, A Doll House. October 2: [NO CLASS] October 7: Action and Character II (cont.) Reading: A Doll House (cont.); William Archer, Playmaking: "Dramatic and Undramatic" (bulkpack). October 9: Action and Character III Reading: William Shakespeare, Measure for Measure. [Fall Break] October 16: Action and Character IV Reading: Aristotle, The Poetics. October 21: Character, Action, and Place Reading: Ibsen, A Doll House; Bert O. States, "The Scenic Illusion: Shakespeare and Naturalism," from Great Reckonings in Little Rooms: On the Phenomenology of Theater (bulkpack). October 23: Character, Action, and Place Guest Lecturer: Peter Whinnery, Theatre Arts. Reading: Ibsen, A Doll House. October 28: Shakespeare, Language, and the Actor Reading: John Barton, "The Two Traditions" and "Using the Verse," Playing Shakespeare (bulkpack). October 30: Shakespeare in Performance Special Guests: members of the ACTER (A Center for Theatre, Education, and Research). [REQUIRED THEATREGOING: Hurly Burly, by David Rabe, Theatre Arts Program, Studio Theatre, Annenberg Center, Oct. 30-Nov. 1; AND Measure for Measure, by William Shakespeare, ACTER, Zellerbach Theatrer, Annenberg Center, October 29 and 31] November 4: Representation and Place Reading: Shakespeare, Measure for Measure; Alan C. Dessen, "Shakespeare and the Theatrical Conventions of his Time" (bulkpack). November 6: Acting Alternatives I: Presentation and Ideology Guest Lecturer: Jim Schlatter, Theatre Arts Reading: Essays by Bertolt Brecht: "The Modern Theatre is the Epic Theatre," "Theatre for Pleasure or Theatre for Instruction," "Alienation Effects in Chinese Acting," "The Street Scene," and "A Short Organum for Theatre." (bulkpack). November 11: Presentation and Ideology Reading: Brecht, The Caucasian Chalk Circle. November 13: IN-CLASS ASSIGNMENT [REQUIRED THEATREGOING: TBA, Theatre Arts Program, Studio Theatre, Annenberg Center, Nov. 13-15, 20-22] November 18: Acting Alternatives II: Representing Others Guest Lecturer: Rose Malague, Theatre Arts Reading: Bert O. States, "The Actor's Presence: Three Phenomenal Modes" (bulkpack); "Anna Deavere Smith: the Word Becomes You," an interview by Carol Martin (bulkpack). Video Screening (to be arranged): Anna Deavere Smith, Fires in the Mirror. [APPROXIMATE DUE DATE: Take-Home Assignment #2] November 20: Acting Alternatives III: Performance Guest Lecturer: Lynda Hart, English and Theatre Arts Guest Artist: Deb Margolin Reading: Deb Margolin, "A Pefect Theatre for One: Teaching 'Performance Compositon'" (bulkpack). [REQUIRED THEATREGOING: The American Chestnut, Karen Finley, Painted Bride Arts Center, 3rd and Vine Sts., Nov. 20-22 (group rate to be arranged)] November 25: Acting Alternatives IV: Performance, Ideology, and Gender Guest Lecturer: Rose Malague, Theatre Arts Reading: Gay Gibson Cima, "Strategies for Subverting the Canon," and Rhonda Blair, "`Not...but'/`Not-Not-Me': Musing on Cross-Gender Performance," from Upstaging Big Daddy (bulkpack) [Thanksgiving] December 2, 4: Putting it Together: Script to Performance (an intensive look at a script and/or performance from earlier in the semester, or one in preparation for next semester; readings and guest lecturer to be announced). In addition to the two take-home essays and the in-class exercise, there is a choice of EITHER a final examination, at the date scheduled by the registrar, OR a 12-15 page final term paper, on an open topic, due FRIDAY, DECEMBER 12. ALL TERM PAPER TOPICS MUST BE APPROVED BY ME BY TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 25. Late term papers will not be accepted; if you cannot complete your paper by the deadline, you must take the exam. Books (including La Ronde, Ibsen Plays, V. I, Measure for Measure, Aristotle's Poetics, and The Caucasian Chalk Circle) can be purchased at the Penn Book Center, 37th and Walnut; the Bulkpack can be purchased at the Campus Copy Center, 39th and Walnut. YOU ARE REQUIRED to see (and you will almost certainly be asked to write about) productions and performances around the Philadelphia area over the course of the semester, including productions in the Studio Theatre of the Annenberg Center sponsored by the Theatre Arts Program, as noted on the syllabus. Additional required productions may be added over the course of the semester. I have set up a listserv for this course on e-mail, to which you have been automatically subscribed (if this is not so, contact me via e-mail). You will be sent a copy of every e-mail message posted to the listserv, and any message you send will be distributed to everyone who signs up (including the professor). Important announcements about assignments and due dates, notices about local theatre events, etc., will be posted regularly, so CHECK YOUR E-MAIL EVERY DAY. The listserv can also be used by you and your classmates as a clearing house for thoughts and impressions about the readings and the class discussions. Just send a note to Mazer100@english.upenn.edu, or reply to any message you receive over the listserv. (But remember: everything you post can be read by everyone; if you have any private comments, or any private replies to a query you read on the listserv, you should send a message privately to the individual's own e-mail address, rather than replying through the listserv). The syllabus for this course is available in electronic form through the world wide web, at http://www.english.upenn.edu/~mazer/100f97.txt