This is not a survey course of dramatic literature. We focus instead on reading 18 or so superb plays and simply put try to become enthusiastic, insightful scholars of dramatic literature. The class follows the curricular requirements described in the AP English Course Description. The kinds of writing in this course are varied – and many. You will be expected to write a response to almost all of the works we read, primarily an expository piece of (approx.) 900 to 1200 words that addresses one of a list of topics I will present to you or a question of your own. There will be several research based essays; and on occasion, you will be asked to gain a greater appreciation of master playwrights by writing short dramatic pieces. At the end of the first semester, you write a full one act play.
(Note that the actual reading list spelled out in the weekly syllabus is likely to change. Often, we will go to see three plays produced on local stages.)
Reading Assignments
This college level course is designed to expose students to the reading and study of great plays (both classic and modern). There are, however, a few situations in which we will read a relevant novel, such as Jane Smiley’s A Thousand Acres (a modern retelling of King Lear). Since all of you have read Shakespeare and plays by Aristophanes and Sophocles in 9th and 10th grades, there will be an emphasis on reading modern plays in the first semester and then working our way backwards, so to speak, to figure out how classic plays influenced 20th Century playwrights. When we begin in September, we will read two fascinating plays, Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf and Shaffer’s Equus. Many of you will be amazed and dumbstruck by the complex dialogue and psychological energy and anger of both pieces. Later in the year, it will be easy for you to see that Shakespeare’s word play of Mercutio and Romeo is not that different from George and Nick in Woolf or to see how Equus and Brecht’s The Caucasian Chalk Circle have performance styles based on familiar Greek plays. The course, however, is not just based on the reading of Pulitzer Prize and Elizabethan masterpieces. Units are designed that give you a sense of dramatic genres and types, such as realism, comedy, satire, and tragedy. For each unit, we usually read two to three plays so that you can truly understand the similarities and differences of play styles.
You will also need to get used to reading a full play in one week (though it may take us two to three weeks to read more sophisticated works). More so, if you are like the students that I have taught in the past, you will become a part of an English Socratic discussion arena where students can’t wait to offer ideas, enjoy making connections from one play to another, and believe it or not, groan when the class is over for the day. Though this is an English class, we will be reading sections of the plays out loud. This will help us gain some appreciation for those pieces that rely heavily on sound and rhyme, like August Wilson’s The Piano Lesson, or the nuance of language that can only be observed in performance, as in David Mamet’s Oleanna. In addition to class discussions, both weekly quizzes and full play literature tests will be used to evaluate your comprehension of the texts. Additionally, these assessments provide another opportunity for you to hone your in-class writing skills.
Literary terms come in handy when discussing and writing about plays. During the first semester, we will talk about and utilize many of these terms. For the second semester, you will be required to learn about 100 terms.
Writing Assignments
I will give you paper topics at least 7 days before essays are due. I urge you to begin early; the key to good writing is rewriting. For most of the papers, you will be required to hand-in outlines, rough drafts, introductory paragraphs, and first drafts which I will read over and either give you written feedback or require you to have a writing conference with me. Final drafts of essays are usually due about 4 days after the first draft phase is completed. I am happy to meet, too, after an essay has been returned, to talk more specifically about the comments I made on your paper. We will write a few creative pieces, mostly one page dialogue or stage direction exercises. For the one short play you are required to write, you will be placed in a group of 4 students that will help you by reading sections out loud, giving you character and story suggestions, and eventually rehearsing and acting a few pages of your piece. Additionally, you will write one personal narrative (that relates to a play concept). The goal of this paper will be to work on grammar and syntax; I have found that students increase their awareness of writing rhythms and punctuation with descriptive writing.
Most of the essays you write will be analytical and a few will ask you to research a playwright’s life to better understand how his or her personal experiences or philosophies influenced the dramatic art (such as with Oscar Wilde and The Importance of Being Ernest or Lillian Hellman and The Children’s Hour). Notice that paper topics are just that – topics. You will need to develop from those your own thesis, you own thesis statement. We will talk more about this (key!) difference in class. But the key to success here is a clear and focused thesis statement that your essay then goes to develop/show/prove. You will be graded on (among other things!) how well the essay demonstrates the validity of your thesis. I am less interested in seeing whether your reading of a work parallels mine, or others’, more interested in seeing that you can develop, support, show in your essay that what you claim is true is true.
Papers are due the day they are due, at the beginning of class. Late papers will be penalized a full letter grade for every day they are late. If for some reason you think you need an extension on a paper, talk with me before the paper is due; we can usually work something out. Please do not ask for an extension the day it is due; you won’t get it. If you are sick the day a paper is due, I assume you will bring it in when you return to school or email me an electronic version (hard copy when you come to school). Speaking of email, I am a little old-fashioned and frankly do not want to spend much of my afternoon printing your papers, and thus I require a hard copy of your essays.
I will let you take your essays home for a few days but will always collect them on Fridays and place them into your personal folder in my filing cabinet. I will be handing your folder back to you as we begin new essay assignments. I am hoping that – assuming that – you will use your essays to help yourself improve the one you are working on at the time. Look at my comments from previous papers and don’t make the same mistakes again. This is how one gets better at writing. I hope that by requiring you to keep all of your essays together you will find it easier to do this.
I too, will be doing that – looking at previous papers that is - trying to get a sense of your progress as a writer. And that’s the goal – progress. Please don’t panic if your first essays do not receive the grades you hoped/wished/expected. Remember it is college level work you are doing here/ The important thing is not how well you write in September, but it is how well you are writing in June.
In-class writing
Over the course of the year we will be doing some in-class writing in preparation for the AP test in May. These exercises are aimed at getting you ready for the test; they will be graded, but will not make up a major portion of your final grade. The aim of this class is to teach you to read closely, think critically, discuss literature intelligently, and write coherently and persuasively. All those are skills I believe will serve you well throughout your life. You will rarely again be asked to “write three essays in the next 2 hours.” So – we will practice a bit for the test – but the stuff of this course is the discussions we will have every day and the papers you will write about the books you have read.
Creative
Projects
I am a firm believer that one can gain a better appreciation of dramatic literature through some creative modeling and problem solving. In addition to the short play pieces already mentioned, you will be required to complete two other projects. One is a Director’s paper that asks you to produce: Play Concept, Individual Character Notes, Set Design/Model or Sketch, Costumes, and Music. Also, all students will be expected to perform in one rehearsed scene. This is not an acting class; your acting choices will be based on textual evidence (and you will write a short paper to explain these choices). Finally, when we do get a chance to see a play acted at The Folger Theatre Library or Arena Stage, you will be asked to analyze production choices in a short in-class paper.
Grading
--Grades are based on the averages spelled out in the Student Handbook, basically 90-100: A, 80-89: B, 70-79: C, 60-69: D, below 60: F.
--There will be five major writing assignments each semester; each will count 10% toward your grade for that semester.
--Discussion/participation will count 20% each semester. Please note that that says “participation.” I do not expect you to know the answer to every question; if you did you’d be wasting your time here. But I do expect you to interact with the readings. Remember – questions count! An answer can put an end to discussion, but a good question opens up all sorts of further discussion and questions. Active involvement with the reading is what I am looking for.
--Tests and quizzes will count 20%.
--Creative projects and literary term quizzes will count 10%.
I will be happy to meet with you every other week or so to go over my grading system. In particular, I write down a participation average once a week. If I sense that you have had a “bad week” with quizzes and/or participation, I will speak to you about this. Also, since papers are graded using different rubrics (to intentionally force you to focus on specific skills), I will keep you informed about your overall writing average. It is usually pretty clear as to how you are doing. There may be a grade for syntax and topic sentences/transitions, for instance, but there is always an overall essay grade as well.
AP Dramatic Literature General Syllabus
I will have a daily syllabus, listing specific readings, page numbers, due dates – that sort of thing, ready for you on the first day of class.
Semester One
Unit I. Weeks 1-4:
How to Read a Play (Realism)
Who's Afraid of
Virginia Woolf? by Edward Albee
Equus by
Peter Shaffer
A.
Students will explore the three main approaches to the study of Dramatic
Literature:
1. Academic Reading
2. Written Response 3. Dramatic Preparation
B.
Students will attend a performance of one of these plays.
Essay
Writing: With each play, students
will write at least one academic thesis paper (2-8 pages);
and other times they will write a creative/personal response, will
keep journal
entries of character and plot development, etc. and consider 3
"thinking quotations" or ideas presented each week. Once or twice, students will write research
papers relating to historical contexts, William Shakespeare, other
playwrights, theater space and acting habits. You will be given feedback on all
of your writing. Often, half of you will be requested to attend a one-on-one
writing conference and the other half will be given written feedback. For most
assignments, I will use a rubric sheet highlighting specific skills such as
organization, original thesis, deductive reasoning, syntax & diction,
grammar & punctuation, etc.
C.
Essay
Assignments:
a. For Woolf: you will be writing a 750 word analytic essay
on the religious symbolism presented in the text. We will spend 3-4 class days
working on different aspects of formal academic essays. For instance, I will be
asking students to use the in-class writing workshop time frames to develop
several thesis statements, topic sentences and concluding thoughts. You will
read out loud and use the marker board to present these statements to your
peers for feedback. (Note: I will be meeting each of you to go over the different
stages of this paper: thesis development, outline of supports, first paragraph,
and first draft.)
b. For Children’s Hour: to better understand the cerebral nature and
personality habits of Lillian Hellman, research her
life on the Internet. In 750-1000 words, explain whether her views, philosophy,
politics, etc can be seen in the play, The Children’s Hour. Also,
explore her personal connection to Karen or Martha and why she created these
two women as significant characters in a major play. Many of the lifestyle
choices that Hellman made late in life may help you
truly understand the artistic and thematic choices of The Children’s Hour.
The paper can be somewhat “loose” in structure and yet having one or two thesis
ideas would be good. However, you need to have proper parenthetical line noting
and a works cited page. We will relearn the MLA citation method as described in
your Everyday Writer handbook. Make sure you include several direct
quotations. (Note: all students will hand in a first draft. I will be giving
you both written and oral feedback.)
Unit II. Weeks 5-11:
Contemporary Tragedy
Fences by August Wilson
Cat on a Hot
Tin Roof by Tennessee
Williams
American
Buffalo by David Mamet
(Note: Depending
on what is being produced in DC, we often will read only three of these
titles.)
A.
Study of
psychological theory/clinical diagnosis for Equus
B.
Comparison
of Oedipus Rex by Sophocles (read in 10th grade) to Shaffer’s
staging of Equus.
C.
Exploration
of how Fences utilizes an archetypal tragic hero as seen in Shakespeare.
D.
Essay
Assignments:
a. Use of modern psychoanalytic theory to write
an in-class 5 paragraph essay on Equus. (Note:
a rubric sheet will be used to give you feedback based on specific paper
skills. See attached 5 paragraph paper rubric to get a good sense of what I am talking about.)
b. For Cat on a Hot Tin Roof: You will write a short paper that addresses the following statement: often, playwrights are lauded for their superb character interpretations. Explore the uniqueness of how Williams creates Big Mama and how other characters are developed in a similar manner. Refer to specific passages from both pages 50 & 51 and to other sections of the play in your supports. (Note: the class will be developing a rubric that focuses on skills that your class, in particular, needs to improve. I will use this rubric on your first and second draft.)
Unit
III. Weeks 12-14:
Contemporary Comedy & Satire
The Heidi Chronicles by Wendy Wasserstein
The Dining Room by A.R. Gurney
(Note: though it may seem more logical to study traditional tragedy after the last unit, I have found that the “heavy” themes presented in the first 5-6 plays give us a good reason to lighten things up with a comedy unit.)
A. We will consider Aristotle’s definition of comedy and examine how modern works continue to follow this model of plot and character development.
B. A quick study of some modern satirical essayists such as Jonathan Swift and Mark Twain. This will help us to decipher Gurney’s satirical tone.
C. We will act out scenes from both of these plays. You just won’t understand the full extent of the playwrights’ humor until you say, hear, block, and watch!!
D. Essay Assignment: You will begin to outline and develop script ideas (for your one act play). Some students find modeling after absurdism (in the next unit) to be useful. The actual first pages of your play will be completed after this unit.
Unit
IV. Weeks 15 & 16: Absurdism &
Comedy
The Bald Soprano by Eugene Ionesco & Aria Da Capo by Edna St. Vincent Millay
Or Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead by Tom Stoppard
A. We will do quite a bit of in-class reading and acting during this unit. It is very hard to understand the feeling, purpose, and intent of absurdist playwrights unless you “see” the words in a performance context.
B. Close comparison of absurdist technique in Ionesco and how this has spread into modern works such Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf.
C. Essay assignment: You will be completing two drafts of your one act play. During this unit, you will be assigned to be in a group of 4 students who read sections of your play, read and dramatize important “moments”, and who give general advice, brainstorm, etc. I will be giving formal written or oral feedback after you have completed your first complete draft. (You may continue to work on this project throughout the winter but this effort will be for the “love of writing” and will not be graded past the initial two drafts.)
Unit
V. Weeks 17 & 18 Comedy of Manners
The Importance of Being Earnest
A. We will follow a close study of this wonderfully funny play and compare its satirical tinges to A.R. Gurney.
B. At the beginning of the second semester, you will be continuing our study of Oscar Wilde by writing a long paper. To truly appreciate the Victorian era and Oscar Wilde’s social commentary, you will research his life and tie your findings back to the play. The assignment will follow these basic guidelines: this will be a 4-6 page Oscar Wilde research paper that follows the MLA citation method as described in your Everyday Writer handbook. (Note: a rubric sheet will be used to give you feedback based on specific paper skills. See attached Oscar Wilde Deductive/Research Paper Rubric to get a good sense of what I am talking about.) I will be meeting all of you during the drafting phases of this essay. I have found that students pace themselves very differently, and thus I will choose 2-3 day time frame in which I expect all students, regardless of where they are in the paper, to meet me during the 30 minute extra help time slot at the end of the day.) The essay should include a discussion of the following:
1. Victorian England and social patterns and mannerisms (cited by good sources.)
2. Oscar Wilde’s life and career as a writer. Does “Earnest” differ from the other works?
3. A discussion of
“Earnest” and connection to A and B above. Mainly, consider whether this
truly is just a lighthearted comedy. What does Wilde mean when he says it a
“Trivial Comedy for Serious People?”
Note: This will be a deductive paper--you will be discussing several ideas and ultimately coming up with a thesis idea that is analyzed in an extended conclusion.
Semester Two
Note: the formal
literary term unit will be introduced in January. You will be studying and
using about 10 words a week for most of the semester. You will be given weekly
quizzes.
Unit
VI. Weeks 1-2
Modern Wit and Comedy
Oleanna by David Mamet
A. We will be examining the incredible word play of Mamet and considering the themes of feminism, teaching paedogogy, masculine run institutions, the teacher/student relationship, etc.
B. There will be an in-class essay about the relationship/influence of Oleanna to Comedy of Manners (via Harold Pinter’s dramatic voice). You will have the rare opportunity to hear me lecture a few times on this subject. These lecture ideas will form the basis of your 5 paragraph essay.
C. Essay assignment: you will be writing the main section of your Oscar Wilde paper.
Unit VII. Weeks 3-5 Traditional Tragedy
King Lear by William Shakespeare
A.
Emphasis
on academic reading with research of Shakespeare's life. We will be once again be using Aristotle’s definition of tragedy (from the 10th
grade English course).
B.
Also, an
individual soliloquy to be studied and performed.
C.
Essay Assignment: with our slow reading pace, it
is a good time to work on your grammar and syntax and simply put, to write from
your own experiences. Thus, you will write a personal narrative essay. Small student groups, usually 3 or so, will
meet, read your paper, use a rubric sheet, and give oral and written feedback
on your papers. (See attached Personal
Narrative Rubric.)
Topic idea: choose one notable day in your SSFS career.
Use good detail (similes, analogies, dialogue, active verbs, etc.) to show us,
the reader, the tone and mood of the school and your place in it. You can add a
bit of commentary if you feel fit but this is not necessary. It should be 500-750 words in length. The
goal is to write a piece that captures the essence of your experience for your
own posterity and to help clarify your transition. You will also be evaluated
on your use of varied and interesting sentence types.
Unit VIII
Weeks 6-10 Modern Adaptations
of Shakespeare
A Thousand
Acres by Jane Smiley
Dogg’s
Hamlet, Cahoots Macbeth by
Tom Stoppard
A. This will help you to understand the creative brilliance of modern
story tellers who use class works to create narratives. (King Lear to A
Thousand Acres)
B. The comparative literature
element of this class continues as we compare the wit of Stoppard to Mamet and to Ionesco.
D.
Essay
Assignment: (Comparative Literature Essay) Similar to what we did in September,
we will spend 3-4 class days working on different aspects of formal analytic
essays. For instance, I will be asking students to use writing workshop to
develop several thesis statements, topic sentences and concluding thoughts. You
will read out loud and use the marker board to present these statements to your
peers for feedback. (Note: I will be meeting each of you to go over each stage
of this paper: thesis development, outline of supports, first paragraph, and
first draft.)
This should be a 500-750 word thesis paper that explores a particular idea. Many topics will compare Smiley’s novel to King Lear. Include many specific textual
Paper Topics:
1. Assume that the play, King Lear should not be used in an adaptation.
2. A Thousand Acres is not really an adaptation of Lear.
3. Besides obvious differences in language use and Shakespeare’s mastery of iambic pentameter, consider the idea that A Thousand Acres is a better story than King Lear.
4. The absence of the Fool and Kent has a significant effect on the actual story line in A Thousand Acres. Explain how the Fool and Kent are incredibly important in King Lear.
5. A Thousand Acres may be a good story, but the male characters are portrayed as bad people and thus the story is bogged down by negative feminism.
6. Ginny is a wonderful character who helps the story to be an excellent voice for feminist issues.
7. Compare A Thousand Acres to other feminist novels. Why is Smiley’s work a best seller and other feminist novels are read by a small population?
8. Consider one character, like Caroline, and explore how Shakespeare and Smiley use him/her in a similar fashion or how Smiley has created a different character (improved or weakened.)
9. Explore the destructive nature of issues like alcoholism, incest, and suicide. You could pick one or more of these topics.
10. Consider the idea that underneath the family drama, this is really a story about the modern farmer and his/her connection to environmental issues.
Unit
IX. Weeks 11-14 Contemporary/Performed Drama
A. We will have a chance to read modern masterpieces (most Tony and Pulitzer Prize winners) and to go see them on the stage. In the past we have read and seen:
The History Boys by Alan Bennett
The Piano Lesson by August Wilson
How I Learned to Drive by Paula Vogel
Buried Child by Sam Shepard
‘Night, Mother by Marsha Norman
“Master Harold” . . . and the boys by Athol Fugard
B. We will study 2 or 3 plays during this unit and pay particular attention to thematic evidence for differing production styles.
C. To better prepare for the actual AP exam, I will spend about a week giving you a time to practice reading comprehension questions and other multiple choice test questions. I have found that students do very well on the AP test with the regular course material. Most of my multiple choice questions will utilize passages from plays we have read. I like to keep the test preparation relevant.
D. Essay assignment: since this will be AP exam time, we will write two in-class essays on these plays (to get warmed-up for your AP exam). I will be using good essays from past classes to help explain what skills are necessary to write short papers. You will be given written feedback on the 5 paragraph rubric form. After you have completed the first essay, it is important for you to focus areas of weakness.
Unit X. Weeks 15-17 Adaptation/Screenplay
1. A Beautiful Mind by Akiva Goldsman (screenplay)
Selections from A Beautiful Mind by Sylvia Nasar (biography)
2. Shakespeare in Love by Tom Stoppard and Marc Norman (screenplay)
Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
A. You will have taken the AP exam by this point in the year. Many students find this unit to be enjoyable and rewarding. We study the modern art of adapting text into screenplays.
B. To keep the 12th graders honest, we have two “college” like in-class tests.
C. We will watch snippets of the movie versions.
D. In lieu of a traditional essay assignment, each student will complete a version of the following creative paper assignment:
Director’s Paper
Choose a play from units I-XIII and complete the following steps. I will be requiring each of you to meet after you have completed Part I and II (during the 30 minute extra help session).
Part I: (2 pages) Play Concept
Explain your overall vision of the play. Make sure you include 3 or 4 textual references to support your arguments.
Part II: (3 pages) Individual
Character Notes
Include descriptions of each character. Explain both the
type of personality and physical characteristics. Make sure it is clear enough
so that a casting director could use the notes to cast the play. All major
characters should be discussed. Again, textual supports would help. Then, cast
the play using well-known professional movie/stage actors.
Part III: (1-2 pages)
Set Design/Model or Sketch
Explain your set concept. Spend most of your time
discussing why Shakespeare’s story and your concept need this set. Remember
that people will spend 100K on most sets (even in DC.) Make a model or do a very thorough sketch.
Remember to mention lighting.
Part IV: (1-2 pages or sketches) Costumes
Describe or do sketches of each major costume.
Part V: Music
You need to provide a tape which highlights the type of music you would like for background. This may ultimately be composed. Provide at least 3 songs and where they would be in the text.
Part VI: Budget
Come up with an accurate estimate of costs for each section. You do not need to estimate actor’s or directors’ salaries.