Syllabus for ENGL 4333 / 5413: Study Away: Shakespeare
This syllabus is subject to announced
changes.
TERM: Last week of Summer Intersession 2008 (May 31-June 7, 2008)
INSTRUCTOR: Dr. John Mercer, Professor of English, Department of Languages and Literature, College of Liberal Arts, Northeastern State University
Mailing address: NSU-BA, 3100 E.
Office phone: 918-449-6541 Home phone: 918-745-2363 Cell phone: 918-576-4949
E-mail: mercer@nsuok.edu or mercer25@cox.net
Faculty Web site: http://arapaho.nsuok.edu/~mercer
Alternative path to Web site: www.nsuok.edu > Academics > Faculty Web sites > Mercer
COURSE DESCRIPTION: You will see six plays – four by
Shakespeare, two by leading twentieth-century American playwrights – at the
Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF), the premier Shakespearean repertory theatre
in the
EXPECTED COURSE OUTCOMES: You will demonstrate your ability to
(1) discuss and explain the scripts of the plays.
(2) discuss and explain how theatrical elements—such as casting, blocking, gestures, facial expressions, the spoken word, theatre architecture, design, set, stage properties, music, sound effects, and lighting—create the experience and meaning of stage productions.
(3) discuss and support your own responses to and evaluations of the productions you see.
(4) respond to the perspective of actors and designers associated with the productions.
TEXTBOOKS
(1) Shakespeare, William. The Comedy of Errors. Ed. Bevington & Kastan. Bantam Dell, 2006. ISBN-13: 978-0-553-21291-4
(2) Shakespeare, William. A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Ed. Hammersmith & Turner. Bantam Dell, 1988. ISBN-13: 978-0-553-21300-3
(3) Shakespeare, William. Othello. Ed. Bevington & Kastan. Bantam Dell, 2005. ISBN-13: 978-0-553-21302-7
(4) Shakespeare, William. Pelican Shakespeare: Coriolanus. Ed. Braunmuller & Orgel. Penguin, 1999. ISBN-13: 978-0-140-71473-9
(5) Wilder, Thornton. Our Town: A Play in Three Acts. Perennial Classics. HarperCollins, 2003. ISBN-13: 978-0-060-51263-7
(6)
CLASS SESSIONS: When you are not attending performances or educational programs at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, you will participate in a total of approximately eighteen (18) hours of class sessions to discuss the plays before and after we see them. Class sessions will be held in various meeting rooms in Cox Hall, our dormitory on the campus of Southern Oregon University.
(1) Pre-performance class sessions will focus on discussion of
a. background information about the plays, including the supplementary reading in the textbooks.
b. the plays themselves, including your own comments and questions about the plays. To enhance class discussion, bring, in writing, to each pre-performance session a list of at least three (3) questions and at least three (3) comments about the play and/or the supplementary readings about the play in the textbook.
c. examination of specific passages and/or scenes in the plays. Bring up specific passages and/or scenes you would like to discuss.
d. theatrical elements to look for in the performance of the plays. Bring up aspects of the plays that you think will be difficult to stage or the staging of which will greatly influence the audience’s interpretation of the plays.
(2) Post-performance
class sessions will focus on discussion of
a. the
theatrical choices made in the productions.
b. how
theatrical elements of the productions serve to construct the experience and meaning
of the plays for the audience.
c. your
responses to and evaluations of the productions. To enhance class discussion, bring, in writing, to each post-performance
class session a list of at least three (3) questions and at least three (3)
comments about the performance. Bring
a pocket-sized notebook to each performance and/or write down notes in your
room immediately after each performance.
OSF EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS: You will attend the following educational programs presented by actors, designers, and other professionals at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival:
(1) Prologue: A 30-minute introduction to Coriolanus
(2) Workshop: A two-hour program of participatory exercises exploring themes, characters, and language of this season’s plays
(3) Discussion: A one-hour group discussion about a play we have seen
(4) “Exploring Design: A Midsummer Night’s Dream”: A one-hour presentation about the process of creating the stage design for the current production of this play
(5) Backstage Tour: A guided tour of the theatres of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival
As time permits, class sessions will include discussion of important issues or questions related to these programs.
COURSE GRADE: Your course grade will be determined by the following three (3) criteria, each of which will be given equal weight:
(1) Attendance: Because this class is based on experience and discussion, attendance is required at all performances, educational programs, and class sessions. Absence from any of these activities will be reflected in your course grade.
(2) Participation: Active participation in class sessions is required. Demonstrate your fulfillment of the EXPCTED COURSE OUTCOMES (see first page of syllabus) by the quality of your oral contributions to group discussion.
(3) Papers: Two (2) papers are required. Write your papers as soon as possible after the trip, while your memories are fresh, and submit the papers in hard copy or by e-mail attachment no later than Friday, June 27, 2008. In both papers, follow the instructions in the document “Computer Format and Manuscript Form,” accessible from the home page of my faculty Web site.
(a) Paper 1: Write a response to the OSF production of Othello. Since we will see this play Friday evening and have to leave for home Saturday morning, we will not be able to have a post-performance discussion. In your written response to the OSF production of Othello, refer to specific details from the production. See the document “Writing a Video/DVD Critique,” accessible from the home page of my faculty Web site.
i. Minimum length for undergraduate students: two (2) full pages
ii. Minimum length for graduate students: three (3) full pages
(b) Paper 2: Write a synthesis of what you learned in the course. Integrate specific references to various plays, educational programs, and class discussions throughout your paper. Do NOT organize your paper play by play, program by program, and/or class session by class session.
i. Minimum length for undergraduate students: three (3) full pages
ii. Minimum length for graduate students: five (5) full pages
I previously told some
of you that no papers would be required in this class. However, because your course grades are not
due until later in the summer, because we have to leave Oregon without
discussing the Othello production, and because many students demonstrate
their knowledge better in papers than in oral discussion, I have decided to
require these two short papers. Writing
them should not be burdensome and should help you to reflect about the learning
experiences you have had in the course.
Grade scale:
A = 90-100% Excellent, superior
B = 80-89% Good, above average
C = 70-79% Average, satisfactory
D = 60-69% Below average, minimum pass
F = 0-59% Unsatisfactory, failure
DISABILITIES: If you have a disability and need special accommodations in this class, please let me know before we leave on the trip.
SCHEDULE OF CLASS ACTIVITIES: By e-mail attachment you have already received a tentative schedule as part of an informational document about the trip. You can also access this document from my NSU faculty Web site. By the beginning of the trip you will receive a revised schedule of activities.