into the woods

Paper details:

write 6 pages about the play “into the woods” and plz you MUST follow and include in the formal review! from 1 to 8 and use easy words. 1. Provide a BRIEF introduction paragraph; set up the tone and prelude content for your paper! 2. Tell me BRIEFLY about the theatre. Proscenium, Thrust, Arena? Nice? Dumpy? 3. (PLOT) Give a very brief description of the plot. ONE paragraph please! 4. (CHARACTERS) Discuss the main characters and the actors and how well you thought they did in the show. Do not forget to use their real names when referencing the characters. Remember characters don’t do the show, actors do! 5. (MUSIC) Was there music used in the show: before, after, during? To what effect? Any sound effects? Any sound reinforcement (i.e. mikes)? 6. (SPECTACLE/DESIGNERS) Discuss lighting, costumes, sound, & set—how can you fold these together if they don’t merit a paragraph all to themselves? How well did these elements support the script and the actors on stage? 7. Discuss directing. How was the blocking, tempo, rhythm, and unity of elements? Was it true to the playwright’s intentions? If not, why not, and was that choice effective? 8. A conclusion that ties the preceding paragraphs together and summarizes your feelings on the production which has been previously SUPPORTED through varied and exciting examples throughout all elements!

Office Hours:Tu/Th ~ 2:00 pm – 3:45 pm, and by appointment if necessary

Office Phone: 989-964-4912

E-Mail: rbrobert@svsu.edu Required Texts:
Durham &Shedd–Theatre Lives
(ISBN: 978-0-7575-9650-6)

Required Scripts on library reserve
and E-Reserve:

Hansberry, Lorraine.A Raisin in the Sun
Ludwig, Ken. Moon Over Buffalo
Miller, Arthur. Death of a Salesman
Sondheim, Stephen, Into the Woods

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

An introduction to theatre as a live art form, utilizing lecture, discussion, live performance, and critical evaluation. Students explore aspects of theatre production in order to develop a base for understanding and evaluating live theatre. Students are prepared for live performances, which they are required to attend outside of class. Written and oral evaluations follow. Recommended for students wishing to fulfill the arts communication intensive requirement of the General Education program.

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

Successful completion of this course should afford the student:

1.    Opportunities to develop his/her aesthetic growth through appreciation of theatrical events.
2.    View filmed, live and everyday theatrical events in order to analyze and evaluate theatrical phenomena.
3.    Communicate, both verbally and in writing, his/her understanding and analysis of the differences between text (script) and live performances.
4.         Interact with various theatre artists assuming roles in specific productions                   and develop an understanding of their work, process and cultural contribution.
5.    Develop and understand the social, political, historical and cultural context of dramatic literature.
6.   Develop a basic working understanding of stage terminology and other basic theatrical concepts.
CLASS NOTES:

Attend class regularly and arrive promptly. If you are late, make sure your attendance is recorded in the grade book.

ABSOLUTLEY NO CELL PHONES OR TEXTING DURING CLASS
PERFORMANCES!

Follow directions on assignments and submit these when due.

Late assignments are penalized at 25% per class session. If, for example, you have an assignment due on Thursday and you submit it on the following Thursday, 25% is deducted and so forth. Assignments turned in between classes are still subject to the 25% penalty. After 2 classes work will not be accepted.

Make the required commitment of time and energy, both during and outside of class.

If you need an extension for an assignment or exam: (1) contact the instructor right away; (2) document your special circumstances and; (3) schedule a new time to complete the work. Please remember that extensions must be approved and are not automatic upon request. If you have an extension, be sure to complete work by the new due date.

If you cannot complete an assignment or take an exam, contact your instructor right away. Be prepared to produce proof of your emergency. Missed work may not be made up without the instructor’s permission.

Participate in all graded and non-graded activities. If your absence or unsatisfactory involvement creates a problem for classmates, your grade will reflect that. It is unlikely that you will be able to complete missed work or to present poorly prepared work.

Take class commitments seriously. If, for example, you are scheduled to view a performance and you do not come to class, you may lose your opportunity and may not be able to complete missed work. Please let the instructor know if you must be absent on a performance day.

Please be aware that if you leave an assignment at the instructor’s office or with the faculty secretary, it is marked received when the instructor gets it.

Audience etiquette and proper attire are required while visiting area theatres. Please respect the theatres and productions we visit, as well as fellow audience members.

ACADEMIC HONESTY: The Theatre Department adheres to all policies and procedures specified in the SVSU Code of Conduct with respect to academic honesty. Your work should be your own. Plagiarism and other forms of cheating will not be tolerated and will result in serious penalties.

GRADING: Your grade is based upon the following:

Class participation and attendance……………………………………………………………………….25 points
Quizzes (4 @ 50 points)……………………………………………………………………………………200 points
Reviews (2 @ 100 points)…………………………………………………………………………………200 points
Plays & Playwrights (4 @ 50 points)………………………………………………………………….200 points
Final Examination…………………………………………………………………………………………….125 points
TOTAL 750 points

Grades and Points       Grades and Points
A   = 750 – 697 points   A- = 696 – 675 points
B+ = 674 – 652 points   B   = 651 – 622 points
B- = 621 – 600 points   C+ = 599 – 577 points
C = 576 – 525 points   D   = 524 – 450 points
F = 449 – 0   points
You must have at least 450 points in order to pass this course.

The instructor maintains the right to raise or lower grades.
Please see him/her if you have questions or need assistance.

This is a CI intensive course. The MINIMUM page requirements for all assignments MUST BE followed! The university minimum page requirement is NON-negotiable. No papers will be accepted that are not the minimum length required. Please see writing requirements for full details!

Disability Services Statement

Students with disabilities that may restrict their full participation in the course activities are encouraged to meet with the instructor or contact the SVSU office of Disability Services, Curtis 112 for assistance.

ATTENDANCE POLICY

This course is a CI – COMMUNICATION INTENSIVE course. Your participation is not only encouraged, but required!If you miss class, you cannot communicate. Your class participation points will also be effected.

You may miss one class during the term without it hurting your grade. On the second absence, your final grade will be reduced 10%,a failing grade will be assigned upon the 3rdabsence.

Please note – although we encourage university involvement, if you participate in any events – i.e. sports, student government or other groups that have Tuesday or Thursday evening commitments, you may want to consider another CI course at a different time of day.

CALENDAR
.
Week   Text/Scripts/Assignments
due ON the dates shown!   View Productions
ON the dates shown!
May 12   Introduction of Course, Pre-Test

May 14
Read Chapters 5 & 6, contemporary theatre artist & theatre etiquette, Appendix A
May 19
Read Chapters 1 & 2
May 21
Read A Raisin in the Sun, Turn in Plays and Playwrights #1, take Quiz #1 View:A Raisin in the Sun

May 26
Read Chapters 3 & 4, Turn in Informal Review #1, Discuss A Raisin in the Sun
May 28   Read Moon Over Buffalo, Turn in Plays and Playwrights #2, take Quiz #2   View: Moon Over Buffalo
June 2   Read Chapters 7 & 8, Discuss Moon
June 4   NO READING! Bonus Film   View: Hairspray
June 9   Read Death of a Salesman, Turn in Plays and Playwrights #3, take Quiz #3   View: Death of a Salesman
June 11   Read Chapters 9 & 10, Discuss Death
June 16   Read Into The Woods, Turn in Plays & Playwrights Form #4, TakeQuiz #4   View: Into The Woods
June 18   Read Chapters 11, 12, Turn in Formal Review #2, Discuss Into the Woods
June 23   Review for Final Exam
June 25   Final Exam – online!

GRADED PROJECTS:

Class Participation and AttendanceParticipation points are earned for attendance, assignments, and exercises (written, oral, and/or performance). To gain a maximum number of points, remember to do the following:

$ Please be on time and prepared for each class session. Please work cooperativelyon any group assignments.

$   Please make meaningful contributions to class, share ideas, respect others, and create a supportive learning environment.
$       Please remember to bring your texts to class regularly.
$       Please make a commitment to experiencing theatre.
$       Missing class means losing points in this area.

You may miss one class during the term without it affecting your grade. On the second absence, your final grade will be reduced 10%, a failing grade will be assigned upon the 3rd absence.

Play Reviews See Section in Syllabus

Play Quizzes In class handout.

Play & Playwrights Form In class handout.

Final Examination This final examination is taken online. It is comprehensive and covers all class lectures, assignments and activities, assigned readings in the text book and handouts, as well as all the scripts. Keeping up with reading assignments, making chapter notes, and reviewing class notes will help you to prepare for this exam.

PLAY REVIEWS

ASSIGNMENT: You must write a review of two of the plays that we will cover in class. Each review should be turned in the week following the performance. The term will consist of five shows, with two reviews due. The content pages of the reviews are as follows:

Review must have the following minimum content pages –COVER PAGE DOES NOT COUNT!

Review # 1 MINIMUM – 3 pages
Review # 2 MINIMUM – 5 pages

Any papers being turned in that do not contain the MINIMUM page requirements will be handed back with a score of zero. You will not be given a chance to make these up.

Please note Review # 1 is an Informal Response to the production.
Review #2 is a Formal Review to the production.

Besides the minimum CI page requirements, all written assignments must also follow these guidelines:

A cover page with Name, Date and Class Section.
Typed, double spaced with a 12 pt. Times New Roman font.
One inch margins all around.

A separate typed bibliography, if needed.

A Reminder About Reviews

Informal Reviews: (1) Use language that is more informal and conversational; (2) Allow the use of contractions (ex. – “can’t,” “didn’t”); and (3) Do not use sentences that end in prepositions.

Formal Reviews: (1)) Use language that is more formal and which is appropriate for a formal paper; (2) Do not allow the use of contractions (ex. – “can’t,” or “didn’t”); and (3) Do not use sentences that end with prepositions.

NO REVIEWS OR ASSIGNMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED THROUGH EMAIL! HARD COPIES ONLY! NO EXCEPTIONS!

Play Review Information Sheet: Theatre in Performance 128B!

Here are some basic differences between your INFORMAL paper and your FORMAL paper.

PLAY RESPONSE
FORMAL REVIEW
3 FULL pages not counting title page
5 FULL pages not counting title page
More informal and conversational language More formal & appropriate for a formal paper
You can use contractions You cannot use contractions
Double spaced TYPED in 12 pt. Times New Roman Font.
ONE inch margins (STANDARD) all around!
Carefully proofread with correct grammar/sentence structure!

Here are things you can include in the play response and MUST include in the formal review!

1. Provide a BRIEF introduction paragraph; set up the tone and prelude content for your paper!

2. Tell me BRIEFLYabout the theatre. Proscenium, Thrust, Arena? Nice? Dumpy?

3. (PLOT) Give a very brief description of the plot.ONE paragraph please!

4. (CHARACTERS) Discuss the main characters and the actors and how well you thought they did in the show. Do not forget to use their real names when referencing the characters. Remember characters don’t do the show, actors do!

5. (MUSIC) Was there music used in the show: before, after, during? To what effect? Any
sound effects? Any sound reinforcement (i.e. mikes)?

6. (SPECTACLE/DESIGNERS) Discuss lighting, costumes, sound, & set—how can you fold these together if they don’t merit a paragraph all to themselves? How well did these elements support the script and the actors on stage?

7. Discuss directing. How was the blocking, tempo, rhythm, and unity of elements? Was it true
tothe playwright’s intentions? If not, why not, and was that choice effective?

8. A conclusion that ties the preceding paragraphs together and summarizes your feelings on
the production which has been previously SUPPORTED through varied and exciting examples throughout all elements!

A Few Tips…

*Avoid “potpourri” paragraphs: remember, (Transition) thesis, content, conclusion

*Remain consistent: Either past or present tense, NOT both!

*Be careful about using character names where appropriate and actor’s names where appropriate.

*Avoid “Very Good/Great Job” in any form (they are overused and vague; grab a thesaurus!)

*The word “act” is only capitalized if it specific: “each act provided this..” & “Act I is shorter.

PLAY REVIEW RUBRIC

Points

All CI requirements followed.
/10

Briefly summarize the plot of the play and your reaction/opinion of the script.
/12

Discuss the actors playing the characters in the play. Be Sure to use their real names and character names.
/18

Discuss the design elements (set, lights, sound, and costumes/make-up) of the production. How did they help or hinder the telling of the story?
/18

Was the director effective in creating a clear and coherent production? Give your overall opinion of the production.
/18

Style: Concise and precise sentences, free of misspellings, grammatically correct, lacking incomplete sentences, using correct punctuation.
/8

Organization and Development: Review is logically organized, has a solid argument with supporting evidence, main points are discussed without much repetition.
/8

Structure: Includes a clear introduction, body and conclusion, includes paragraphs with a topic sentence that develop one main idea and include a transition sentence linking it to the next paragraph.
/8

Score
/100