MARYVILLE UNIVERSITY COURSE SYLLABUS

SEMESTER/YEAR: Spring 2005
COURSE: FPAR 210.01 TITLE: PERFORMANCE WORKSHOP
PREREQUISITE: NONE COREQUISITES: NONE CREDITS: 3

MEEING DAYS/TIME: Tuesday, Thursday 1:40-2:55p

MEETING PLACE: Aud 1423

INSTRUCTOR: Leah Schwartz, Ph.D.
OFFICE PHONE: 314-529-9409 OFFICE LOCATION: ABAC 3206
VOICEMAIL: 314-529-9201 + 9409# E-MAIL: lschwartz@maryville.edu
WEBSITE: http://accweb.itr.maryville.edu/schwartz
FAX: 314-529-9965
OFFICE HOURS 05/sp: TTh 10:00a-1:30p

CATALOG DESCRIPTION:
A course for people who desire experience for public presentations and/or performances. Various strategies will be employed including acting, oral interpretation, mime and improvisation.

COURSE OBJECTIVES:
·         to achieve flexibility, grace, and confidence in voice and body
·         to perform with poise and effectiveness
·         to use and to trust creativity and imagination

COURSE CONTENT/TOPICS:
·         acting toward the character’s goal
·         acting with the other
·         overcoming obstacles to achieve the character’s goal
·         devising strong and versatile tactics
·         expecting to win
·         developing a flexible and versatile voice and body
·         using language and timing to achieve effect

ASSESSMENT:
·         Consistent serious work in class exercises and projects
·         Courageous attempts at varied kinds of roles
·         Poise, honesty, and effectiveness in the 2 public performances
·         Response papers on 3 live play productions

TEXTS:
Acting One, 4^th edition. Cohen, Robert. McGraw Hill, 2002. ISBN: 0-7674-1859-X. Required.
30 Ten-Minute Plays 4,5,6 Actors. Dixon, Michael Bigelow, ed. Smith and Kraus, 2001. ISBN: 1-57525-279-1. Required.

THIS SYLLABUS MAY BE ALTERED BY THE TEACHER TO MEET STUDENT OR INSTRUCTIONAL NEEDS.

CALENDAR:
Jan 18,20 Acting One, Lesson 1 Preparing to Act, Lesson 2 What is Acting, Lesson 3 Goal and Obstacle Lesson 15 The Actor’s Voice, Lesson 16 Stage Speech; group improvs
Jan 25,27 Lesson 4 Acting with the “Other,” Lesson 5 Beginning to Act, Lesson 17 Using the Voice, Lesson 18 The Actor’s Body; group improvs
Feb 1,3 Lesson 6 Tactics, Lesson 7 Expectations, Lesson 8 GOTE, Lesson 19 Voice and Body Integration; Lesson 20 Imagination and Discipline; group improvs
Feb 8,10 Lesson 9 Preparing a Role, Lesson 10 Rehearsing, Lesson 11 Staging the Scene, Lesson 12 Choices, Lesson 13 Performing. Scripts must be selected for Performance #1 by this date.
Feb 15,17 Rehearsal for Performance #1
Feb 22 Rehearsal for Performance #1 Lines memorized by this date.
Feb 24 Rehearsal for Performance #1
Mar 1 Dress rehearsal
Mar 3 Performance #1
Mar 6-12 Spring Break
Mar 15 Play response (15 substantive comments + ticket + program) is due.
Mar 15,17 Lesson 21 Emotion—and Acting Theory, Lesson 22 Phrasing, Lesson 23 Attack, Lesson 24 Follow-Through; experimenting with monologues
Mar 22 Lesson 25 Line Linkage, Lesson 26 Scene Structure, Lesson 27 Building a Scene, Lesson 28 Creating a Monologue
Mar 24-27 – Easter Break
Mar 29,31 Practice of monologues
Apr 5,7 Practice and (in class) performance of monologues
Apr 7 Scripts must be selected for Performance #2 by this date.
Apr 14 Play response (15 substantive comments + ticket + program) is due.
Apr 12,14 Rehearsal for Performance #2
Apr 19 Rehearsal for Performance #2 Lines memorized by this date.
Apr 21 Rehearsal for Performance #2
Apr 26 Dress rehearsal
Apr 28 Performance #2
May 3 2-minute creation, inside or outside the box
May 5 Play response (15 substantive comments + ticket + program) is due.

COURSE WORK AND PERCENTAGE OF COURSE GRADE:

Participation in classes – 60 percent
Criteria:
attendance at all classes
participation in all activities
appropriate contribution to class creativity
serious attempts at a variety of performance modes

Performance – 20 percent
Criteria:
participation in all rehearsals
effectiveness of the performance

Attendance at 3 live play productions with written response to each – 20 percent
15 substantive written comments on each of 3 live play performances; due Mar 15, Apr 14, May 5
Criteria: Clear statements about a variety of elements of the performance, showing the student’s insights about the performance in relationship to the course work. There are examples of appropriate and inappropriate statements on the next page.

Here are examples of non-substantive comments on a play production:

The set was good.                  The costumes were good.       The directing was good.
The theme was interesting.    The set used red.                     The costumes were pretty.
The theme was pride.             I hated the theatre seats.          I liked the jokes.

And here are examples of substantive comments:

The playwright Harold Jacobs must have intimate knowledge of a troubled childhood. Both main characters, Trish and Lily, show evidence in their treatment of their own broods that they learned cruelty early and are determined to pass it on. The only optimistic character in the play, Uncle Henry, counters only feebly the play’s dominant theme: a dysfunctional family is the best perpetuator of evil yet invented.
The costumes in Henry Loses reinforce the play’s theme: that cruelty is contagious. The cast wore uniformly dull clothing: khakis for Tom and Winky, with worn and faded T-shirts or threadbare jackets; dowdy polyester dresses for Trish and Lily. Only with Uncle Henry did the costumer temper the earth tones with a splash of color: his green string tie, the old red Cardinals cap he wore even indoors. And Henry, appropriately, is also the only character to offer a spot of hope or vitality to his young nephews.
What was the director thinking to have a glass filled with brown liquid sitting near the edge of an end table during the entire production?? Nobody drank from it, nobody acknowledged it, nobody moved it. All the characters passed close to it several times, and during the fight scenes I was sure it was going to be knocked over. If a script calls for a gun to appear in Act 1, somebody has to get shot before the play ends. If a director puts something attention-getting on stage, it should be used. Otherwise, cut it!! Don’t waste my worry!!
Special effects should be special, and those in the Rep’s production of Stars Above certainly were. The clouds projected on the backdrop moved slowly across the stage, a beautiful natural background for the stark black, white, and gray costumes of the large cast. Appropriately, as the blue and white morphed into the reds of sunset and the overall level of light dimmed, the formerly warring families were silhouetted against a peaceful, gorgeous sky. The quarrel was over; peace was at hand: the technical support in this production certainly reinforced the action in the script.
Black box theatre should be experimental, adventurous. The student actors in Faraway Hills weren’t particularly suited for the roles of elderly brothers (too energetic, make-up lines on their faces rather than wrinkles), but the director made up for the shortcomings by using various levels on stage, using lights creatively (stark spotlights for the monologues); and seating the audience on all four sides of the small stage to let us feel as if we were in the middle of the carnival on stage.
Olivia’s diction was impeccable. I could distinguish every word. While what she said was always clear, she was also always true to character. Every word seemed to be a window to her emotions. I never dreamed any voice could put such variety and such suffering into a simple “No, no, no.”
Adam sat on the sofa upright; he sat sideways; he draped himself over the back and the seat with his head on the floor. His body was physical manifestation of his indecision and torment. He was such a whipping snake of thwarted hope that the audience couldn’t stop laughing—and couldn’t stop hoping he would come back on stage again and do it some more.
The lovers’ quarrel in Act 2 was the best scene in the play. They built and built until I thought they could go no higher, when they would suddenly drop back and make me believe that was logical—only to adopt an icy intensity that was even more threatening than their earlier noise. Neither one was ever alone in the scene. They fed off each other and made me think they meant it all—and that they were experiencing it for the first time.

CRITERIA FOR LETTER GRADES:

The evaluation of each class assignment or listed portion of the course work will be specified by a letter grade. The letter grades indicate a judgment of the quality of the completed assignment. The letter grades used and their values are listed in the Maryville catalogue.

The highest grade “A,” for instance, marks work of exceptional quality which shows understanding of the assignment, the topic, the medium, the context, the background; which shows evidence of a thoughtful organization of ideas, drawing of relationships between ideas, presenting of concrete supporting evidence and discussion to illustrate ideas, knowledge of the appropriate broader context of the ideas; which uses effective and appropriate presentation techniques; which uses effective and appropriate standard language; which shows insight, inventiveness, creativity; which shows sensitivity to the current state of knowledge and information about the topic and contributes to the advancement of knowledge and understanding of the topic.

The other grades mark work showing lesser levels of mastery in the areas listed above. “B” work is superior, shows some exceptional quality but not in all areas listed. “C” work is average, may have some exceptional qualities and some deficiencies. “D” work is of insufficient quality in some of the areas listed and has little redeeming quality in those areas. “F” work is insufficient in more areas and has no sufficient redeeming quality.

LATE, INCOMPLETE, MISSING WORK:
Late or incomplete work will be graded lower than work that is complete and on time. Missing work will cause a minus grade for that portion of the course work (not zero percent, but minus whatever percentage is assigned to that item).

CLASS ATTENDANCE POLICY:
Students are expected to attend, completely, all class meetings. Much of the course work is done in class and in groups—work that can’t be done effectively with a group member missing.

Penalty for missing more than 2 classes –1 letter grade
Penalty for missing more than 4 classes – 2 letter grades
Penalty for missing more than 5 classes – F

(2 instances of tardiness = 1 missed class for course grade purposes.)

PLAGIARISM POLICY (ZERO TOLERANCE):
***Any instance of plagiarism will result in a course grade of F.***
All instances of plagiarism will be reported to the School dean, who forwards that information to appropriate University administrators.

PLAY SCRIPTS IN ADDITION TO THOSE IN TAKE 10:
You can find 10-minute play scripts written by students in FPAR 205.H2 Writing and Performing the 10-Minute Play Spring 2003 at this address:
http://accweb.itr.maryville.edu/schwartz/10-minute%20play%20scripts.htm

Ben Dougherty The Forty-First Day 5m 2f A Gentleman's Game 3m 1f Hunting 3m
You Can't Make an Omelet Without Breaking an Egg 3m 1f

Joyce Gunter Blind Date 2m 3f We All Scream For Ice Cream 2m 3f

Jennifer Richardson Final 4f Just Coffee 1m 2f Quick Cash 3m 1f

Natalie Robbins By the Dashboard Lights 2m 2f Dropout Psychology 1m 2f
Young People These Days . . . 1m 1f

Links to St. Louis theatre sites:

These links are more easily accessed by going to the on-line version of the syllabus at http://accweb.itr.maryville.edu/schwartz

URLs with links to most St. Louis theatre sites:

http://www.kdhx.org/calendar_events/arts_calendar.htm#Theater
KDHX listing of current productions w/ length of their run
Great source of current information; links to sites of companies with current shows; reviews

http://www.geocities.com/newlinetheatre/stlouissites.html
Has links to various St. Louis Theatre sites – professional, amateur (including educational), dance

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Individual theatre sites for professional companies:

http://www.cocastl.org/
COCA site; lists stage offerings

http://edisontheatre.wustl.edu/
Edison Theatre – lists the Ovations schedule but not the Wash U. Performing Arts productions

http://www.fabulousfox.com/
Fox Theatre

http://www.repstl.org/
Repertory Theatre of St. Louis

Smaller professional companies:

http://www.geocities.com/artlofttheatre/
ArtLoft – has links to New Line Theatre, HotCity Theatre, Magic Smoking Monkey Theatre, Washington Avenue Players Project

http://www.historyonics.org/
Historyonics Theatre Company; stages productions using only the words of historical documents, usually with music; in the History Museum in Forest Park

http://www.hotcitytheatre.org/
Hotcity Theatre – formerly City Theatre and HotHouse Theatre; in the ArtLoft Theatre 1529 Washington

http://www.hydewaretheatre.com/links.html
Hydeware Theatre; performs at Soulard Theatre, 1921 Ninth Street

http://www.mhtheatre.com/
(Mostly) Harmless Theatre Company

http://www.geocities.com/newlinetheatre/
New Line Theatre; does mostly plays about gender issues but also mounts other shows; performs at ArtLoft 1529 Washington

http://www.stlouisblackrep.com/
Saint Louis Black Repertory Company; does mostly plays by African-American authors but also mounts other shows

http://www.spotlighttheatrestlonline.org/
Spotlight Theatre; now performs in Soulard Theatre, 1921 S. Ninth Street

http://www.geocities.com/soulardtheatre/
Soulard Theatre Collective: Hydeware Theatre, Spotlight Theatre, Ecco Theatre Company; 1921 9^th Street in Soulard

http://www.uppityco.com/
That Uppity Theatre Company; espouses causes; cooperates w/ COCA on women’s series at COCA

Educational theatre sites:

http://www.webster.edu/depts/finearts/theatre/
Webster University Conservatory of Theatre

http://www.slu.edu/departments/utheatre/
St. Louis University Theatre

http://artsci.wustl.edu/~pad/
Washington University Performing Arts Department

Some St. Louis theatre phone numbers

Edison Theatre, Washington University 314-935-6543
Fox Theatre 314-534-1678
HotCity 314-482-9141
Hydeware 314-368-7306
Kirkwood Theatre Guild 314-821-9956
New Line Theatre 314-773-6526
Repertory Theatre of St. Louis 314-968-4925
Saint Louis University 314-977-2998
St. Louis Black Repertory Company 314-534-3807
Theatre Guild of Webster Groves 314-962-0876
That Uppity Theatre Company 314-995-4600
Webster University Conservatory Hotline 314-968-7128

MARYVILLE UNIVERSITY COURSE SYLLABUS

MEEING DAYS/TIME: Tuesday, Thursday 1:40-2:55p

MEETING PLACE: Aud 1423

Performance – 20 percent Criteria: participation in all rehearsals effectiveness of the performance

Performance – 20 percent
Criteria:
participation in all rehearsals
effectiveness of the performance