TEXT REQUIRED: Edwin Wilson and Alvin Goldfarb. Theater: The Lively Art- 7th edition, (Boston: McGraw-Hill College). 2010. ISBN-13 9780073382166
This text is available at: http://www.ecampus.com/clarendoncollege

COURSE CONTENT: To provide the student with the fundamental knowledge of the development of western drama and the theatrical arts

COURSE OBJECTIVES: To give a working vocabulary of the conventions of theatre so that students may participate in it: • To give a greater knowledge of theatre history so that students may understand it: • To give practical experience in the theatre so that students may appreciate it: • To give the theoretical framework of performance so that students may utilize it.

Learning Outcomes:
• Student has fundamental ability to visualize and evaluate the written play as articulated in their interpretation of essay assignments
• Has greater knowledge and recall of theatre history and literature as demonstrated in the successful completion of unit tests
• Has practical experience in performance assessment as demonstrated in active attendance and prescriptive review of at least one full-length live play.

Entry Level Competencies for enrolled students: Since this course is taught using the World Wide Web, you should be familiar with how to use a standard Web browser (Firefox, Safari, or Internet Explorer) and electronic mail. Students are expected to be reasonably proficient in written and spoken Standard American English. Familiarity with computers, the Internet, and e-mail are necessary for the best success in this class.

You should spend at least five hours each week reading, studying, working on written assignments and preparing to take unit tests, in order to successfully pass this course

Lecture students must have an activated e-mail account and must send an introduction e-mail to billhuey@theatre-arts.net on the first day of class so that we can identify your active e-mail address.

Introduction to Theatre Assignments:

1. The student is expected to attend and review two (2) live theatrical play performances during the time allocated for this course. The review should be a minimum of 2 pages, but not more than 4 pages). We recommend that you research (give sources and co-authorship credits for group research in your written review) and attend plays with a classmate or a friend. Ist Review Due: October 29, 2012 2nd Review Due: November 27, 2012 One-Act-Plays and musical reviews will not be accepted, you must go to 2 full-length plays, operas or ballets.

How to Submit a Paper: Read the assignment criteria carefully before you begin the assignment. When you write your papers, use Times Roman 12 point type, separate your answers with correct punctuation and paragraph form, and most of all, answer all questions listed under the assignment in the syllabus. Each paper (review/essay) should be e-mailed to me at: billhuey@theatre-arts.net If you do not have Microsoft word, make sure your word processor documents can be saved as (rich text format).rtf documents. Example: huey review 1.rft All papers (review/essay) are due on weeks shown in course calendar but may be submitted at will if completed early DO NOT send papers as part of your email text. DO NOT send by fax or snail mail. Papers will not be accepted after the deadline posted above.

Include in the review Your Name, Course # and Date Play Title and playwright when you saw the play (date:dd,mm,yr) where; both town/city and theatre, it was presented who (college, high school, community theatre, etc.) produced it History of the play (where/when it was first produced) Include at least 2 reviews from previous productions of the play(s) you are reviewing). Do not write a synopsis of the play.

Build your review around the following questions: Did I enjoy the show? Would I recommend it to a friend? Was the play appropriate for both the actors and the audience? Was the play worth doing? What was the playwright trying to say? Was it well said? • Was it worth saying? Was the acting convincing? Did the scenery, lights and costumes help me enjoy or better understand the show? These 2 reviews are 20% of your total grade.

Live Theatre Links in the Texas Panhandle. Clarendon College Theatre-http://www.theatre-arts.net/pages/home.htm Amarillo Little Theatre- http://www.amarillolittletheatre.org/ Amarillo College Theatre- http://www.actx.edu/theatre/index.php?module=article&id=2 West Texas A&M University Theatre, Canyon: - http://www.wtamu.edu/academics/bit-current-season.aspx Texas Tech Theatre, Lubbock: http://www.depts.ttu.edu/theatreanddance/ Wayland Baptist University Theatre, Plainview: http://www.wbu.edu/news_and_events/2012/august/wbutheatreseason.html Midwestern State University Theatre, Witchita Falls: http://finearts.mwsu.edu/theatre/index.asp (Plays listed at these sites may or may not meet the criteria for review credit)

Alternate (Substitute) Assignment One Play attendance may be satisfied with a Play Essay and a Movie Review (This assignment is due on the same deadline schedule as the play review it is the substitute for) This essay and review are 10% of your total grade View a movie based on a play: look for Shakspeare, Neil Simon, Sam Shepard, etc. A. Read the play that the movie is based on and write an essay on the play Include in your essay, answers to the following questions. Your Name, Course #, Date Name of play read What was the writer attempting to say? What mood did the play create? What was your feeling at the end of the script? Which scene stood out most clearly? Which character was most memorable? Which characters, if any, were difficult to understand? If you were directing this script for the stage, who would you cast (actors, friends, family, etc.) in the two major roles? Do you think this play would attract an audience in your community? Do not write a synopsis of the play. B. Write a compare and contrast review on the treatment of the movie to the play script Build your compare and contrast review around the following questions: What does the title mean in relation to the film/play as a whole? How are the opening credits of the film presented? Do they relate to meaning in the play? Why does the film/play start in the way that it does? Are there any motifs (scenes, images) of dialogue which are repeated? What purpose do they serve? Is sound used in any vivid ways either to enhance the film? (i.e. Enhance drama, heighten tension, disorient the viewer, etc.) How does the film use color or light/dark to suggest tone and mood in different scenes? Are there any striking uses of perspective (seeing through a character's eyes, camera angle, etc.) How does this relate to the meaning of the scene in the play? What specific scene constitutes the film's/play's climax? How does this scene resolve the central issue of the film/play? Does the film/play leave any disunities (loose ends) at the end? If so, what does it suggest? Why does the film/play conclude on a particular image? (film/play indicates compare and contrast) How to Submit a Substitute Assignment Paper: Read the assignment criteria carefully before you begin the assignment. When you write your papers, use Times Roman 12 point type, separate your answers with correct punctuation and paragraph form, and most of all, answer all questions listed under the assignment in the syllabus. Each paper (review and essay) should be e-mailed to me at: billhuey@theatre-arts.net If you do not have Microsoft word, make sure your word processor documents can be saved as (rich text format).rtf documents. Example: hueyreview 1.rtf All papers (review/essay) are due on weeks shown in course calendar but may be submitted at will if completed early DO NOT send papers as part of your email text. DO NOT send by fax or snail mail. Papers will not be accepted after the deadline posted above.

Play Essays

2. Read plays assigned and write two short essays (2 to 3 pages) read and write your first essay on Tartuffe, by Moliere, or She Stoops to Conquer by Oliver Goldsmith Ist Essay Due: September 12, 2012 read and write your second essay on Pygmalion by G. B. Shaw, or The Master Builder by Henrik Ibsen. 2nd Essay Due: November 5, 2012 These essays are 20% of your total grade. Include in your essays, answers to the following questions. Your Name, Course #, Date Name of play read What was the writer attempting to say? What mood did the play create? What was your feeling at the end of the script? Which scene stood out most clearly? Which character was most memorable? Which characters, if any, were difficult to understand? If you were directing this script for the stage, who would you cast (actors, friends, family, etc.) in the two major roles? Do you think this play would attract an audience in your community? Do not write a synopsis of the play.

How to Submit a Paper: Read the assignment criteria carefully before you begin the assignment. When you write your papers, use Times Roman 12 point type, separate your answers with correct punctuation and paragraph form, and most of all, answer all questions listed under the assignment in the syllabus. Each paper (review/essay) should be e-mailed to me at: billhuey@theatre-arts.net If you do not have Microsoft word, make sure your word processor documents can be saved as (rich text format).rtf documents. Example: huey essay 2.rtf All papers (review/essay) are due on weeks shown in course calendar but may be submitted at will if completed early DO NOT send papers as part of your email text. DO NOT send by fax or snail mail. Papers will not be accepted after the deadline posted above.

More plays online: http://www.gutenberg.org: http://www.bibliomania.com/0/6/4/1049/frameset.html

Exemplary Educational Objectives
To demonstrate awareness of the scope and variety of works in the arts.
To understand those works as expressions of individual & human values within an historical/social context.
To respond critically to works in the arts.
To engage creative process & understand the physical & intellectual demands required of the artist.
To articulate an informed personal reaction to works in the arts.
To develop an appreciation for the aesthetic principles that guide or govern the arts.
To demonstrate knowledge of the influence of the arts or interculteral experiences.

WITHDRAWAL PROCEDURE: A student who drops a course after the first 12 class days of instruction will receive a grade of “W.” No classes may be dropped after the 12th week of a fall or spring semester or the 5th week of a summer term. To drop a class, the student must obtain the written consent of the instructor. Drop forms are available in the Student Services Office.

CLASSROOM CONDUCT: Failure to comply with lawful direction of a classroom instructor is a disruption for all students enrolled in the class. Cheating violations include, but are not limited to: (1) obtaining an examination by stealing or collusion; (2) discovering the content of an examination before it is given; (3) using an unauthorized source of information during an examination; (4) entering an office or building to obtain unfair advantage; (5) taking an examination for another person; (6) altering grade records; (7) plagiarism. Plagiarism is the using, stating, offering or reporting as one’s own, an idea, expression, or production of another person without proper credit.

AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT STATEMENT:  It is the policy of Clarendon College to provide reasonable and appropriate accommodations for individuals with documented disabilities.  This college will adhere to all applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and guidelines with respect to providing reasonable accommodations as required to afford equal educational opportunity.  It is the student's responsibility to contact the student services office in a timely manner if he/she desires to arrange for accommodations.