DRAMA 101: Intro to theTheatre Syllabus

Fall 2013

Instructor: Karen Jo Fairbrook

E-mail: kfairbro@bellevuecollege.edu

Phone: 425- 564-2719

Office location: E-121 (Theatre Building near the Box Office Windows)

Office Hours: Tuesdays @ 12:30 – 1:30 pm & as Arranged

Course Information

Course Outcomes

1) Understand and analyze the relationship between culture and theatre.

2) Identify a process of analyzing theatre to become a more critical audience member.

3) Analyze script, directorial concept, design elements, & acting styles of a variety of plays.

4) Describe process in which a play goes from "page to stage" becoming fully produced.

5) Evaluate theatre as a potential lifelong interest as an audience member, professional or amateur theatre artist.

6) Identify and analyze the objectives of theatre including education, entertainment & enlightenment.

7) Understand and experience the group process that leads to theatrical collaboration.

How Outcomes will be met

--ASSIGNMENTS: This class uses a variety of tools to present material and enhance your ability to learn. These tools range from take-home questions to play reviews, videos, lectures, play reading in and out of class, student presentations, written analysis, the mid-term and final project. From the first day, the presentation of material (and your understanding of it) will rely on what has been covered before. In order to do well you should keep daily notes and be responsible for finding out what you’ve missed if absent. This will help you with quizzes/papers/projects.

Reading The Art of Theatre is essential – you need the information to write your papers and to take the mid-term. You are responsible for the whole text, even if we don’t cover it all in class.

We will read the script for the production you will be seeing, Very Still & Hard to See. You should bring your play anthology book, DRAMA: A Pocket Anthology – 5^th edition, to class each day unless told otherwise.

--PRODUCTIONS: You must see “Very Still & Hard to See” being done here @ BC in Stop Gap Theater:

Buy your tickets in advance @ www.brownpapertickets.com *You will write a 2-3 page Critique*

Play dates: Nov. 14, 15, 16, 21, 22, 23 @ 7:30pm * Tickets: $10 students / $12 general

For Extra Credit I strongly urge you to attend our Student Directed STAGEFRIGHT production:

“DIRECTIONS” playing Dec. 7 & 8 @ 7:30pm and Dec. 8 @2:30pm * Tickets: $5 all in Stop Gap Theater.

Also, you will get Extra Credit for attending “Entanglement Theory” at BC Oct. 3, 4, 5 @ 7:30pm *Tickets $10/$12

WORK WILL INCLUDE:

Reading the Text: The Art of Theatre

Reading plays during & outside class (in DRAMA: A Pocket Anthology and Very Still & Hard to See)

Class Participation (includes attendance)

Attendance at Very Still & Hard to See with a critique due of the play

2 short papers on lectures/text chapters

1 Quiz on the plays

1 short playwriting assignment

An Acting Scene with written support material

A Design Project with written support material

Production Assignment (You Will Complete One of the Following):

1) 8 Hours of work in the shop working on set, props or costumes

2) Front-of-house / concessions for 4 performances

3) 5-page research paper on an aspect of production agreed on with me

Midterm

Final Project

EXTRA CREDIT: Attending & critiquing additional plays --or-- do Extra Work on Very Still & Hard to See

Grading

Class Participation (includes attendance) -- 15%

Attendance at Very Still & Hard to See w/ 2-3 page critique due of play -- 10%

2 short papers on lectures/ text chapters -- 10%

1 Quiz on the plays -- 5%

1 short playwriting assignment -- 5%

An Acting Scene with written support material -- 10%

A Design Project with written support material -- 10%

Production Assignment (Your Choice of One): -- 10%

1) 8 Hours of work in the shop working on set, props or costumes

2) Front-of-house / concessions for 2 performances

3) Crew work backstage on the show for all performances

4) 5-page research paper on an aspect of production agreed on with me

Midterm Written Exam -- 10%

Final Project -- 15%

EXTRA CREDIT: Crew work; Attending & Critiquing extra Plays; Doing two Production Assignments

Books and Materials Required

The Art of Theatre (Third Edition)– Downs, Wright & Ramsey

DRAMA: A Pocket Anthology 5^th edition – R.S. Gwynn

Very Still & Hard to See playscript by Steve Yockey

Final Exam Schedule

Our FINAL PROJECT presentations will take place: MONDAY December 9th @ 11:30 am – 1:20 pm

http://bellevuecollege.edu/classes/exams

Classroom Learning Atmosphere

Instructor’s Expectation

--ATTENDANCE / PARTICIPATION / PREPARATION: You must attend class every day. This is not strictly a lecture class – it involves your participation. If you are late you will be marked “tardy” – habitual tardiness is a class disruption. Three “tardies” equal one “absent”. Five “absences” will cause your final grade to automatically be lowered one whole grade. Ten “absences” causes failing the class. Let me know ahead of time (email or leave a voice message) if you know you will be missing a particular class for an excusable reason (illness, emergency, or school-related conflict)!

Be prepared and ready to participate in each day’s topic or class presentation. Bring your DRAMA: A Pocket Anthology every day unless otherwise instructed. Read the assigned material by the due dates and turn in assignments on time or you will not get full credit. Particularly important is being a good “partner” when working on group projects. If you do not attend or are not prepared for class activities – you leave your partner incapacitated and unable to fully participate which is extremely rude and unfair! Absences will be judged harshly when working in scene and project partnerships.

Be sure to have all CELL PHONES turned OFF before class! I will take phones and return them after class if they ring or you are caught texting (I have been known to answer phones that ring during class J). We only have 50 minutes . . . you can survive that long without telecommunicating. This includes using laptops during class unless approved for a specific project or reason. Unfortunately, too many “during class computer game-players” have made this mandatory.

You are welcome to bring drinks, but please refrain from eating during class – and particularly no gum

chewing as these get in the way of our readings and exercises.

Mutual respect and understanding that we all have different views and tastes is paramount in our class. Diversity and a variety of points-of-view are the norm . . . there is very little “right or wrong” in our discussions. We can learn a great deal from each other and when applicable: agree to disagree! Every single student MUST feel safe and welcome to express their opinions, thoughts and feelings in this class. I will be a stickler and very proactive about this! Those of us who participate in theatre are accustomed to “taking risks” – this is a safe place to do so! Absolutely no name-calling, slurs or prejudicial talk will be tolerated. BE SUPPORTIVE OF EACH OTHER!!!!

In this course, college students are expected to read, explore, practice, and perform adult material. This is the kind of material being performed at the college, semi-professional, and professional levels. Though it may challenge your politics, values, religious beliefs and/or personal comfort level, I encourage you to welcome and explore those challenges. Should you have concerns about any aspect of the class, I encourage you to come to me with them. If for any reason you don’t feel comfortable raising your concerns with me, the next step is to talk with the program chair, Tammi Doyle, tammi.doyle@bellevuecollege.edu 425-564-2319, office in E100a. You can bring concerns about the class to the Arts and Humanities Division Dean, Maggie Harada (maggie.harada@bellevuecollege.edu) or the Assistant Dean, Scott Bessho (scott.bessho@bellevuecollege.edu) in the Arts and Humanities division office (R230). An additional resource for concerns you find aren’t being addressed by faculty or administration is the Ombuds Office. (http://www.bellevuecollege.edu/ombuds/default.html).

Affirmation of Inclusion

Bellevue College is committed to maintaining an environment in which every member of the campus community feels welcome to participate in the life of the college, free from harassment and discrimination.

We value our different backgrounds at Bellevue College, and students, faculty, staff members, and administrators are to treat one another with dignity and respect. http://bellevuecollege.edu/about/goals/inclusion.asp

Student Code

“Cheating, stealing and plagiarizing (using the ideas or words of another as one’s own without crediting

the source) and inappropriate/disruptive classroom behavior are violations of the Student Code of

Conduct at Bellevue College. Examples of unacceptable behavior include, but are not limited to: talking

out of turn, arriving late or leaving early without a valid reason, allowing cell phones/pagers to ring, and

inappropriate behavior toward the instructor or classmates. The instructor can refer any violation of the

Student Code of Conduct to the Vice President of Student Services for possible probation or suspension

from Bellevue College. Specific student rights, responsibilities and appeal procedures are listed in the

Student Code of Conduct, available in the office of the Vice President of Student Services.” The Student

Code, Policy 2050, in its entirety is located at: http://bellevuecollege.edu/policies/2/2050_Student_Code.asp

Important Links

Bellevue College E-mail and access to MyBC

All students registered for classes at Bellevue College are entitled to a network and e-mail account.

You must use this email in this class.

Your student network account can be used to access your student e-mail, log in to computers in labs and classrooms, connect to the BC wireless network and log in to MyBC. To create your account, go to: https://bellevuecollege.edu/sam.

BC offers a wide variety of computer and learning labs to enhance learning and student success. Find current campus locations for all student labs by visiting the Computing Services website.

Disability Resource Center (DRC)

The Disability Resource Center serves students with a wide array of learning challenges and disabilities. If you are a student who has a disability or learning challenge for which you have documentation or have seen someone for treatment and if you feel you may need accommodations in order to be successful in college, please contact us as soon as possible.

If you are a person who requires assistance in case of an emergency situation, such as a fire, earthquake, etc, please meet with your individual instructors to develop a safety plan within the first week of the quarter.

The DRC office is located in the LIBRARY MEDIA CENTER or you can call our reception desk at 425.564.2498. Deaf students can reach us by video phone at 425-440-2025 or by TTY at 425-564-4110. Please visit our website for application information into our program at www.bellevuecollege.edu/drc

Public Safety

The Bellevue College (BC) Public Safety Department’s well trained and courteous non-commissioned staff provides personal safety, security, crime prevention, preliminary investigations, and other services to the campus community, 24 hours per day,7 days per week. Their phone number is 425.564.2400. The Public Safety website is your one-stop resource for campus emergency preparedness information, campus closure announcements and critical information in the event of an emergency. Public Safety is located in K100 and on the web at: http://bellevuecollege.edu/publicsafety/

Division Statements

At Bellevue College Drama Classes are housed in the Theatre Arts Department within the Arts and Humanities Division.

Please look at the following page. You will find good information about ways to succeed as a student in Arts and Humanities classes at Bellevue College.

http://bellevuecollege.edu/artshum/policy.html

http://bellevuecollege.edu/artshum/AHGdlns-StdntGrwth.htm

ASSIGNMENT #1: SYLLABUS QUESTIONS TO BE HANDED IN BY WEDNESDAY 9/25/2013

So, this is how I know if you have read all the way to the end of the syllabus! These are the easiest points to earn because all you have to do is bring me back a piece of paper answering these questions:

Start with YOUR NAME, your Bellevue College email address, and the best phone number to get ahold of you via voice or text in the event I need to contact you.

1) What is MY name, BC email & office phone number, and my office location?

2) What are the two books and one play script you need to have for the quarter?

3) What play are you required to attend at BC this quarter? How many pages is your Play Review to be?

4) What are your 3 choices for fulfilling the Production requirement for this class?

5) What can you do to be well-prepared for class? What should you NOT DO in class?

6) What happens to cell phones if they ring or you are caught texting during class?

7) What will I be a stickler about?

8) Why is attendance so important when we are working on partner scenes?

9) When is our FINAL scheduled to take place?

10) What are the two Bellevue College productions you can attend for Extra Credit this quarter?