MARYVILLE UNIVERSITY COURSE SYLLABUS
19 Nov 2002 version
SEMESTER/YEAR: Spring
2003
CLASS: FPAR 205.H2
Writing and Performing the 10-Minute Play (4 cr)
PREREQUISITE: Honors status
MEETING LOCATION, DAY, TIME: ABAC 3249
MEETING DATES AND TIMES: Fri
9:00-11:45
Jan 17,24,31; Feb 7,14,28; Mar 14,21,28; Apr 4,11,25; May 2
INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Leah Schwartz,
Professor of English
School of Liberal Arts and Professional Programs
OFFICE: ABAC
3206
PHONE: (O)
314-529-9409 Voicemail
314-529-9201 + 9409#
FAX: 314-529-9965
(SLAPP office)
EMAIL: schwartz@maryville.edu
WEB: http://accweb.itr.maryville.edu/schwartz
This syllabus may be altered by the teacher to meet student or instructional
needs.
Required
texts:
Perfect 10: Writing and
Producing the 10-Minute Play
Gary Garrison; Heinemann, 2001, ISBN 0-325-00312-2-51495>
30 Ten-Minute Plays: 4,5,6 Actors
Michael Bigelow Dixon, Tanya Palmer, Brendan Healy, eds.; Smith and Kraus,
2001, ISBN 1-57525-279-1-90000
Course
Goals:
To understand and to use the principles of playwriting
To develop acting skills
Course
Objectives:
1. Students will learn how a
10-minute play works.
Measurement: Class discussion of
published 10-minute play scripts
Measurement: Writing and revising
10-minute plays that work well in performance
2. Students
will demonstrate knowledge of playwriting theory.
Measurement: Substantive quality
discussion in class of Perfect 10: Writing
and Producing the 10-Minute Play in class
Measurement: Creation of
insightful discussion topics and questions (and answers) to elicit discussion
of Perfect 10
Measurement: Effective use of
theory in writing 10-minute plays
2. Students
will demonstrate understanding of viable situations for 10-minute plays.
Measurement: Generation of 12
situations; defense of the viability of the situations as prospects for play
scripts
3. Students
will demonstrate ability to write dialogue.
Measurement: Writing dialogue in
practice sessions
Measurement: Writing 3 10-minute
plays
4. Students
will demonstrate understanding of exposition, conflict, resolution, and
character development.
Measurement: Writing the
10-minute plays
Measurement: Critique of a live
performance
5. Students
will demonstrate ability to evaluate playwriting and to rewrite their own
plays.
Measurement: Workshopping their
plays and altering the script based on the effectiveness of what they see and
hear during the process
Measurement: Effective
participation in the workshopping and evaluation of other students’ plays
6. Students
will demonstrate creativity.
Measurement: Invention of
plausible situations for plays
Measurement: Effective
participation in improvisation exercises
Measurement: Stageworthiness of
their 10-minute plays
7. Students will demonstrate ability to act.
Measurement: Creation of a
character and ensemble acting in the 10-minute play productions
Calendar:
Assignment: View
a live play production and write 15 substantiated comments on the playwriting
(language, dialogue, leitmotifs, plot,
characterization, exposition, conflict, resolution, special effects, style,
wit, humor). Type your work.
You may hand in this assignment any time before the end of our last
class May 2.
Jan 17
Reading 10-minute play scripts from 30 10-Minute Plays
Discussion of exposition, conflict, resolution, character, language,
silence in the play scripts
Discussion of impetus for the play: character,
situation, plot
Brainstorming to invent situations for plays
Practice writing dialogue
Improvisation exercises
Jan 24
Assignment: Prepare 3
questions or topics for discussion based on the text.
Answer your questions; discuss your topics. Type this assignment.
Discussion of the text Perfect 10:
Writing and Producing the 10-Minute Play
Brainstorming to invent situations; evaluating the situations
Practice writing dialogue
Jan 31
Assignment: the 1st 10-minute
play. Type the play.
Bring copies for each person in the class.
Jan 31, Feb 7, 14, 28
Workshopping, revising, rehearsing, performing the first set of 10-minute
plays
(No class Feb 21; faculty development day)
(No class Mar 7; spring break is Mar 2-9.)
Mar 14
Assignment: the 2nd
10-minute play. Type the play.
Bring copies for each person in the class.
Mar 14, 21, 28, Apr 4
Workshopping, revising, rehearsing, performing the second set of 10-minute
plays
(No class Apr 18; Easter Break is Apr 17-20.)
Apr 11
Assignment: the 3rd
10-minute play. Type the play.
Bring copies for each person in the class.
Apr 11, 25, May 2 Workshopping
and performing the 3rd set of 10-minute plays
May 2
Assignment: Hand in your body
of work: the workshopped version
of all 3 plays and the revised version of 2 of the plays, clearly identified.
The 15 comments on the playwriting of a live play
production are due no later than today’s class.
Assignments:
- Portfolio
of 3 10-minute plays, 2 of
them revised 50%
- Acting
in the 10-minute plays 20%
- 15
comments on playwriting based on a live performance 10%
- 3
questions or discussion topics (with answers) based on the text 5%
- Participation
in the workshopping and other class activities 15%
Class attendance is required. Workshopping and rehearsing can’t be effective if some
participants are missing.
Grading
of the assignments:
- The
plays – effectiveness of
dialogue
plot
action
characterization
exposition
conflict
resolution
language
feasibility of staging
ideas
wit, humor
et cetera!
- Acting
willingness to experiment
concentration
credibility
appropriateness
effectiveness
- 15
substantiated comments on playwriting based on a live performance
Reasoned comments on language, dialogue, leitmotifs,
plot, characterization, exposition, conflict, resolution, special
effects, style, wit, humor, et cetera.
The assignment must be typed.
It is due any time before the end of our last class May 2.
- 3
questions or discussion topics (with answers) based on the text Perfect
10.
variety of topics
reasonableness of answers
helpfulness to the rest of the class
- Participation
in workshopping and other class activities
frank, thoughtful, helpful suggestions to the playwrights
allowing other students to participate; not dominating the discussion
offering suggestions about class activities
taking part in class activities with spirit helpful to the group