THEAT 100: INTRODUCTION TO THEATRE
Spring 2005

If any student needs course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, or if an emergency medical situation should be shared, or if special arrangements must be made in case of the building being evacuated, please make an appointment with me as soon as possible.

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All written material on this Web Site is the property of Dr. Michael M. O'Hara unless otherwise noted. Use of the material in this Web Site without permission of the author is strictly forbidden. © 1997 - 2005

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To navigate within this Syllabus, click on an area below or use the scroll bar on the side of this frame.

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I. COURSE RATIONALE:

Theatre 100 is a University Core Curriculum requirement (Fine Arts distribution) that focuses on cultural, aesthetic, and moral facets of theatre as exemplified in its literature, history, and contemporary performance. By requiring the reading of plays, attendance at live theatre productions, and group project/exercises, the course aims at developing critical perceptions that will empower you to identify and communicate your ideas regarding the literary, visual, and performative nature of theatre.

For example, you should be able to view performative media and discern the conjunction of your values and opinions with the performance you witness. Rather than writing that "the play was good," you should be able to write, "The play had good acting because of X, Y, and Z." From this critical perspective, you are not passive receptors but rather become informed audience members. This course, therefore, requires you to engage performances in many ways, but in particular through written critiques of live theatre productions. The critique is more than a thumbs up or down evaluation and is an important step in developing critical thinking and intelligent communication skills.

The cultural heritage contained within theatre's long and diverse history is perhaps one of the best ways in which you can encounter problems and issues that different peoples and cultures faced throughout time. Because theatre has historically existed at the center of its respective culture, the study of theatre plunges us into a wide variety of cultures and historical periods. This course requires that you read and/or see plays that confront societal and aesthetic issues, and accordingly, you will learn about the moral, religious, political, and social norms of such societies so that the context of the play's meanings can be understood.

More importantly, these same issues and questions can be applied with equal vigor to our contemporary society. Indeed, in Aeschylus' Oresteia, we find the seeds of our own justice system, while in Sophocles' Oedipus Rex, students can discover how classical Greece wrestled with the questions of conflicting duties to self, to the state, and to the gods. Similarly, Moliere wrote about religious charlatanism in seventeenth century France, an issue that is still prominent today. Other cultures have asked these questions and others, and by drawing upon the considerable cultural knowledge within drama, you can gain insight into the problems and possible solutions that we all face.

Class discussions of each play read or viewed explore the aesthetic qualities of the script and promote an awareness of and a respect for the varied opinions offered by both your fellow students and the literature itself. Such exposure provides you with the tools by which you can assess your personal interests and values both during the course and in the years to come.

Finally, because theatre is a live performance event, it is always "about" its contemporary participants despite, or perhaps in addition to, its rich cultural past. Theatre is a combination of the talents and ideas of a wide variety of contemporary makers-writers, actors, scenic artists, costume artists, directors, lighting artists, special effects artists, technicians, etc. Theatre, therefore, is a powerful entry into the humanistic search for beauty, value, and understanding. By understanding the many arts that contribute to theatrical performance, you gain a foothold upon wide expanse of artistic expression.

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II. COURSE DESCRIPTION:

THEAT 100: A University Core Curriculum course, that, through a variety of activities including reading and watching a range of plays from the ancient Greeks through contemporary times and discussion of the theatrical, historical, and social elements that helped to shape them, offers an extensive introduction to the understanding and appreciation of the many faces of theatrical creativity. (3 hours credit)

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III. OBJECTIVES: OVERALL GOALS

Upon completion of THEAT 100, you should accomplish the following objectives:

1. Recognize the benefits and possibilities for continued cultural engagement throughout your lives through your exposure to the theatrical arts in this course's classroom activities and your participation as an audience member or practitioner in live theatre.

2. Improve your communication skills through your work in viewing, thinking, talking, and writing critically about theatrical events.

3. Clarify your personal values by studying the value systems presented in dramatic literature and contemporary theatre, and by drawing parallels between theatre's past and present practices to your contemporary culture.

4. Increase your sensitivity to the values of others through your exposure to diverse opinions in both the theatre you read and see and in the class discussions about those issues.

5. Develop skills in problem recognition through class lectures, discussions, and projects that highlight problems of living faced in both historical eras and contemporary society as such problems are expressed and explored in drama.

6. Develop skills in problem solving through your own analysis of, discussions about, and group projects on theatrical texts and performances.

7. Develop skills to cooperatively work in groups through your efforts in group projects and discussions, and participation in the social and collaborative experience of live theatre.

8. Examine your personal interests, talents, and goals through your exposure to and possible participation in the wide range of experiences inherent in live theatrical presentation (such as crafting, acting, teamwork, painting, management, etc.).

9. Move towards specialized learning experiences through your writing of criticism, enactment of drama, participation in live theatre, or in-class group exercises such as role-playing.

UNIVERSITY CORE OBJECTIVES: HUMANITIES AND FINE ARTS

Upon completion of THEAT 100, you should accomplish the following additional objectives:

1. Achieve basic understanding of theatrical performance and its position as a synthesis of many arts-playwrighting, acting, directing, design, music, and dance-that allows you to understand, interpret, and evaluate creative works.

2. Gain an historical and contemporary perspective upon the liberalizing role of theatre that allows you to discern and interpret both American and world culture as expressed in theatre.

3. Engage in critical and useful participation in theatre, as either a thinking member of the audience, or as a participant in the art itself both during the course and after its completion.

4. Develop aesthetic sensibilities that expand your understanding of truth, form, and beauty.

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IV. COURSE CONTENT AND FORMAT: A. Required Materials.

Kenneth Cameron and Patti Gillespie. Enjoyment of Theatre. 6th Edition. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 2004.
Michael O'Hara. Explore Theatre: A Backstage Pass. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 2004.

And the following plays:

Sophocles, Oedipus the King    (on-line ... click HERE).   [Don't buy this book unless you want to have a hard copy.]

Ibsen, Henrik, A Dolls House    (on-line ... click HERE).   [This version is an original and is ONLY available here.]

Shaw, G. B., Pygmalion   (on-line ... click HERE)   [Don't buy this book unless you want to have a hard copy.]

N.B. Please DO NOT print these versions out in the UCS Labs, or anywhere else.  These "free" editions are for reading on-line only, and you may be charged a paper fee if you print them out in a computer lab.

Attendance: The Department of Theatre and Dance has an official attendance policy to which this course subscribes. Regular attendance is required and you are responsible for any information discussed during class. You may miss up to three hours of classes with no penalty. After that quota has been reached, you receive a penalty for each additional absence. Exceptions are made for absences caused by official university business (such as athletic participation, field trips, etc.).  You must provide a written excuse/letter from the university official supervising that activity BEFORE you will be absent.

Attendance will be taken, and approximately one seventh of your grade in the course will be based on the following ratio:

All absences, other than official university business, are UNEXCUSED and will be counted to determine points earned. This policy includes all personal illnesses, personal holidays, family crises, etc. Should extended illness or other personal crises compel you to have excessive absences, you are advised to drop the course or make arrangements for an incomplete. You choose when to come to class and, thereby, choose your grade. This policy is in effect for two reasons: first, numerous studies have shown that student learning and performance are directly correlated to their class attendance and participation, and second, I value my own work in this class and hope that you will too.  If you have numerous absences, use the extra credit option to make up points lost or ace an exam (see next paragraph).

Earn Back Option: Because not everyone benefits equally from attending class, I offer the following "carrot" to all students. For every score 90% or better on each of the major exams for this class, students will "earn back" three (3) additional "free" absences. It is possible, therefore, that students could miss an entire month of classes with no penalty, provided they score over 90% on all of the exams. Please note that the average score on my exams has consistently been between 72% and 78%; few students, therefore, have typically qualified for this bonus. In fact, 94% of those students who score 90% or better have near perfect attendance. Please, be warned! This option gives you more than enough rope by which you can securely hang yourself!

Ethics in Attendance: Attendance is checked via a sign-in form that is passed during class time. If your name is forged by someone else, both you and the forger will receive an automatic "0" for the attendance grade (for the entire semester). Do not, under any circumstances write some one else's name on the attendance record.

Academic Dishonesty: Because honesty, trust, and personal responsibility are the fundamental attributes of both our university and civic communities, every effort will be made to uphold these qualities in this class.  Academic dishonesty threatens the foundations of an institution dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge.  Indeed, dishonesty erodes the quality of our government, our businesses, and our personal lives.  Any instance of academic dishonesty will be, therefore, vigorously pursued.

Classroom decorum: In order to facilitate a positive learning environment for all students, a minimum level of mutual respect and decorum will be enforced. Hate speech and other forms of disrespect will not be tolerated. Excessive talking during class or other distracting behavior such as leaving during class time (except in the case of an emergency) will not be allowed. If you must leave class, speak to me prior to the beginning of class and then sit near a door. If I have to ask you to stop talking, you will be counted as absent for that day.

Class Web Site: This class, as you obviously now see by virtue of reading this syllabus, employs a web site to facilitate learning. All material posted to this site (except for off site links) is part of the class, and everyone is expected to know this material.

There are many computer labs around campus and a 24 hour lab in the library. Additionally, all students are expected to have and to use their campus e-mail accounts. Failure to respond to an e-mail that I send is your responsibility. All students are expected to check their e-mail at least twice (as in 2 times) a week.

• If you use primarily non campus accounts, you should either forward your BSU account e-mail to your primary account or change your default account to the one you use (see the folks at RB 165 to learn how to do this).
• Any information I post to e-mail accounts is considered part of the required material of this class.
• If you fail to receive an e-mail from me because your account is full (because you haven't checked your e-mail or emptied your trash), this lack is also your responsibility.

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Group Project: You will be assigned to a group of five or six fellow students. Both the "Communication" and the"Group Projects"areas in this site will be updated soon after the start of the semester. Each group will meet both in class AND independently of class time and develop and perform before class a short, two to five minute script that will be adapted from the plot and characters of one or more of the plays the class watches (either on video or in the theatre) or reads. The grade will be determined by the level of commitment, professionalism, inventiveness, and timeliness displayed by each group. Individual grades within each group will vary from the group grade by up to two letter grades based on evaluations by the group itself, by the entire class, and by the professor (see below).

The script is to be a scene that might be added to the play, one that does not appear in the script (a different ending, a different beginning, a new scene in the middle, etc.) and can be funny, sad, tragic, silly, etc. Merely doing this performance, having your lines perfectly memorized, handing in your script, script review, and group evaluation on time, and being brave enough to stand up in front of everyone gives you minimum grade of 85%. No one will score lower than a 75% if they actually do the task (although a poor evaluation from your fellow group members or failure to turn in assignments will lower this threshold). Most groups should earn at about a 90% as long as you have fun and really try!

Points will be taken off for the following:

• Individuals do not have lines memorized or there is too much ad libbing.
• The scene does not last at least two minutes.
• The scene goes over five minutes (big points off here!).
• Individuals within the group do not have any lines (or just one or two words).
• The script is not handed in for evaluation on day noted in syllabus.
• The script is offensive or degrading to your classmates or your professor.
• No effort is made to include theatrical elements (costumes, props, etc.)
• The script merely imitates television formats, most especially trash talk shows, so-called 'reality TV,' game shows, etc.  The script must try to be "a play" or a piece of theatre.
• The script does not link strongly to the play(s) from which it springs.  In other words, we must be able to recognize the original play(s) in your scene (characters have the right names, the situations are similar or at least recognizable, the plot is linked to plot elements in the original(s), etc.).
• Your group did not give adequate feedback on another group's scripts.

To view the grading rubric for the "Group Grade," see the "Group Project Resources & Instructions" area of this site.

All scripts will undergo a review process.  Go to the course documents area to find the form to review scripts.  10% of all group scores will be based on the job they perform AS REVIEWERS.

• Everyone is required to exchange scripts and review forms via e-mail. See the Group Project or Instructions areas of this web site for directions to send scripts and review forms back and forth to groups.
• All members of the class will evaluate each day's performances. This evaluation will serve as the record of attendance for all individuals for that day. It is your own responsibility to bring The FORM "Group Rank" with you to class. Go to the course documents area to get the vote/attendance form for performance days.
• BEFORE the NEXT class day immediately after each group performs, all group members will electronically submit a one page, typed evaluation of all group members (including yourselves). Evaluations MUST follow the format illustrated by the "Individual Evaluation" form found in the course documents area.

Again, this one page, typed evaluation is due BEFORE the class period immediately following the group's performance. If any member of the group fails to turn in an evaluation, that individual will receive a "0" for that portion of their grade. Grades for the Group Project will be posted to Web Grade Book after all evaluations have been handed in. All evaluations will be confidential and will not be returned. You are required to hand in these forms electronically (see directions for electronic submission under the Course Information area).

N.B.  At the end of the semester, the five winning skits will be viewed on video, and the class will vote for the overall winner from among the five.  That winning group will receive an A for the class, regardless of any other grades those students have thus far earned.

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Theatre Attendance: You are REQUIRED to attend all productions this class arranges to attend. The shows will be announced during the first week of classes and are listed in the Class Calendar (in the Course Information area of this web site).  You must hand in all your ticket stubs with your name, e-mail, and class section clearly printed on the ticket.  If I catch you turning in a ticket for a show you haven't seen, you will automatically fail the class, regardless of your performance up to that point.  Web Grade Book will be periodically updated during the semester, and it is your individual responsibility to make sure you have been given credit for theatre attendance.  All tickets that are over one week late will not be accepted.  All late tickets must be handed in person and you must have a conversation with either the professor or the student assistant that demonstrates that you did, in fact, see the show in question.

Questions will appear on exams and quizzes that can only be answered by remembering what you have seen at the theatre. Questions will concern costumes, sets, actors, etc.

You can check out the Department of Theatre and Dance's web site for more information on the shows by clicking HERE.

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Quizzes: Six (six) objective quizzes will be given during the semester as noted on the Class Calendar. Each quiz will contain 20-30 objective questions (True/False, multiple choice, matching, etc.) covering the assigned reading (DVD, text, and plays) and/or the productions viewed. Each quiz will be worth twenty points each. Students may take each quiz as many times as they wish (up to the quiz deadline).  Their 'last' grade will be recorded (make sure that your last attempt is a good one).  No extensions of the quizzes will be allowed.  The lowest quiz grade will be dropped; the remaining quizzes will be added to tabulate grades as per the letter grades outlined below.  See the Class Calendar in Course Information for dates of Quizzes. Quizzes are open for approximately three days, and close just before class time on the day noted in the syllabus.

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Exams: Three objective exams will be given during the semester as noted on the Class Calendar. Each exam will contain 50-60 objective questions (True/False, multiple choice, matching, etc.) covering the assigned reading (text and plays), the productions viewed, and material presented in class.  The last exam is cumulative.  All grades will be tabulated as per the letter grades outlined below.

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Service Learning Option:  Individuals may sign up on a first come, first serve basis for a Service Learning Project (SLO).  Students will work for a approximately 40-80 hours during the semester performing "service" for one of the following theatrical organizations:  University Theatre, Strother Theatre, Cave Theatre, Muncie Civic Theatre, Muncie Center for the Arts, Muncie Central High School Theatre, and any other organization that is PRE approved by the instructor.

While students are performing their service, they will continue to attend class and take quizzes, but they will be exempt from ALL the exams.  Instead, they turn in a reflective essay (5 to 10 pages, typed) and their individual journal (see below).  To earn back missed attendance days, SLO students will have to take one or more of the exams and earn a 90% or better, just like anyone else.

SLO Projects may include: being cast in a play, working on a backstage crew, working in a stage shop, working in a box office, or working with school children in drama projects.  All projects must be pre approved by the instructor.

The grade for service learning projects will be based on the following ratio:
 

The Journal will be evaluated on the following criteria:

• a minimum of 15 entries, each of which is at least 250 words (which gives you a score of at least 75%, if you want the A, you better do more)
• began prior to the service and remained continuously in use throughout the service learning project
• demonstrated some attempt by the student to link their experiences in the project with the material being covered in class
• must be turned in electronically (see guidelines for electronic submission of critiques)

The Reflective Essay will be evaluated on the following criteria:

• typed, double spaced, one inch margins, numbered pages, no title page, 12 point font
• a clear essay, following appropriate format (beginning, middle, end) using a thesis
• a minimum of 5 pages
• proper grammar, spelling, etc.
• demonstrates clear links between the service learning and some material covered in class
• is an honest appraisal of the student's efforts
• must be turned in electronically (see guidelines for electronic submission of critiques)

The Supervisor Report will use the "Supervisor Report" form found in the course documents area.  All students are individually responsible for making sure their supervisors hand the instructor a report of the student's activities. All students must give their supervisors a copy of the goals for the service learning in this class. Click HERE for a copy of the goals for you to print and give to your supervisor.

N.B.  This option is not open to everyone.  The option will be granted on a case by case (first come, first served) basis.  Individuals who possess some experience or skill in acting or stage carpentry, or typically do worse on standardized tests, or are good with children can benefit from participation in a Service Learning Project. All SLO participants will sign a contract. If you sign a contract to undertake a Service Learning Option, you MAY NOT back out of it during the semester (you will receive an automatic 0 for those 300 points). The contract form may be found in the course documents area.

Writing: All people need to effectively communicate. Theatre, in particular, is about the creation, transmission, and apprehension of meaning. Communication includes, but is not limited to, speaking, writing, acting, drawing, and waving one's hand. While we cannot focus on all aspects of effective communication, we can focus on speaking and writing clearly and correctly in this class.  If you choose to see 'extra' shows for extra credit, you must write a critique on those shows to earn that extra credit.

If you write an extra credit critique, THINK before you engage in that activity, and revise your written work at least once. Click HERE to go to my "Writing Skills" web page.  The critiques, though short, will require careful organization, clear expository writing, and effective use of evidence. Sloppy writing often results from (and is a sign of) sloppy thinking. Therefore, great care will be taken in the evaluation of all written work. A handout is on this web site concerning the critiques (go to course documents).

Critiques will be assigned a point value based on the following criteria:

100 - 90 points (A): A reasonable (non-expert) critical judgment on the production abundantly and excellently supported by a wealth of specific details. Distinctly superior organization, analysis, and language mechanics.  No mistakes with regards to the assigned format.

89 - 80 points (B): A reasonable critical judgment on the production adequately supported by specific details. Command of organization, analysis, and language mechanics.  Minor mistakes with regards to the assigned format.

79 - 70 points (C): A reasonable critical judgment on the production minimally but convincingly supported by specific details. Adequate command of organizational, analysis, and language skills but flawed by misspellings, sentence fragments, etc.  Non standard format for the assignment.

69 - 60 points (D): A fair try at a reasonable critical judgment flawed by poor organization, lack of effective or specific support materials, and/or gross errors in language skills.  Non standard format for the assignment.

59 - 0 points (F): A clearly superficial piece of work which displays a lack of thought, little or no effective specific support materials, and such poor organizational, analytical, and/or language skills that communication breaks down.  No recognizable format for the assignment.

Further information on Critiques can be found by going to "Critique Guides" in the Course Documents area.

Grading: All grading will be based on the number of points you earn. There is no curve (except on individual quizzes or exams): period. Points can be earned as follows:

* Remember that any missed viewing of plays for this class will result in not only a zero for that missed play, but also an automatic failure for the entire class.

Your final grade will be determined by dividing the total number of points earned by total possible points. Your percentage scores will yield letter grades as follows:

Grading policy: All work is due at the beginning of class on the day noted. All late work will be lowered a full letter grade. Incompletes are given only in the most extreme circumstances, which does not include the sudden discovery in the final week that you are failing this class.

You can check your grades by going to Web Grade Book .

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Extra Credit: Up to 30 (or about 6% of your final grade) points may be earned by viewing live performances that have been PRE approved by me. You must submit a critique and turn in your ticket to receive credit. Each extra credit ticket is worth the cost of the ticket (e.g. a $35.00 ticket makes the critique worth up to 35 extra credit points, and if you earned an 80% on your critique, you would be awarded 28 points). Each critique will be graded and your points assigned on the basis of a percentage of the total possible points.  You must turn in your critiques within a week of having viewed the show, except at the end of the semester when all extra credit is due on the last day of class.   Your ticket stub must include your NAME, E-MAIL, and CLASS SECTION neatly printed on it to receive credit.  Approved productions include the following:

• All productions at Muncie Civic Theatre, click HERE for their home page
• All productions at Indiana Repertory Theatre, Theatre on the Square, American Cabaret Theatre, or other major professional and semiprofessional theatres in the area.
• Emens theatre shows.

Other Extra Credit: You may also earn extra credit if you are cast in or work in a major capacity for a University Theatre production. Jobs such as backstage crew, scene shop, costume shop, etc. are available for extra credit. Announcements will be made when such jobs become available. You will be asked to keep a journal of your contributions and write a final report before the end of the semester.

Integrating the Arts: Because theatre both uses and contributes to nearly all the fine and performing arts, you can double your extra credit possibilities by using Ball State University's own Art Museum.  If you include a comparison of one of the paintings in the art museum to the show you saw in a critique that is two pages in length (slightly longer than the one page minimum required), you can earn double the possible points (that means double the individual points, say a ticket that cost 10 dollars now equals a possible 20 points, AND double the possible points, you are normally limited to 30 points but by adding the art museum to your essay you can increase that possibility to 60 points)!  You must include clear citations (name of painting, artist, date, and location in the museum) at the end of your extra credit essay.  The painting or drawing you choose should help clarify for your reader the experience you had of the show, its colors or mood or pictorial narrative can suggest or reinforce themes or ideas from the original show that you saw.

Free "Right" Answers: Your instructor will, of course, make occasional mistakes (typos, errors in spelling, etc.). More rarely (hopefully), I may make more substantive errors. If you find an error, write it down, note the time you saw the error, and e-mail or hand the paper to me at the end of lecture. I will occasionally make small errors quite on purpose. I will give certificates good for one "free right answer" to the first few people who hand me notes. If I get several notes on a single mistake, a drawing will be held to determine the 'winners' of the free right answers for that instance. These certificates may be redeemed at any time in the semester. If I make a substantial error (really big goof up) during lecture, raise your hand to correct me, and if you are indeed correct (and I have made an error), you will receive two certificates!

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Folks, this class is not a "gut," but it is one that can be challenging, exciting, and even fun. I'll do my part to provide opportunities for fun, but if you don't want to think, work hard, and learn, there is little that I can do. On the other hand, if you do work hard and think, you will find it difficult not to earn a "C" or better. Your grade is the result of your own efforts and commitment. Good luck!

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To View the course Calendar, return to Course Information and select "Course Calendar."