WORLD THEATRE WRITING
GUIDELINES
Objectives in Writing
AUDIENCE:
Though the instructor will grade
the assignments, you should write
with your classmates in mind as the intended audience. Thus, you
are
trying to inform others who lack past experience in theatre studies
about
cultural developments that you perceive to be significant to an
understanding of theatre history.
GRADING FOR ALL ASSIGNMENTS:
A:
Well organized; sentences smooth,
carefully crafted, tight, not wordy; no errors in punctuation,
spelling,
grammar; words chosen with precision; informal or dialect used only
when
appropriate; essay avoids triteness and generalizations; language fresh
and
vivid;
B: Organized, but
paragraph
structure sometimes disjointed; a few awkward passages and errors in
mechanics;
language sometimes general, lacking freshness and precision;
C: Not well organized;
paragraphs
often disunited; writing is wordy, general, imprecise, or trite;
sentences
awkward, but meaning is clear; errors in mechanics but not highly
distracting.
D: Poorly organized; meaning
not
clear in many sentences due to poor construction; words imprecise,
trite,
vague; but essay is understandable.
F: Lacks a thesis;
language
muddled and unclear; errors are distracting.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY:
Plagiarism:
Do not copy phrases from the text or research works you consult without
placing quotation marks around them and including a citation at the end
of the sentence. Even with a citation that tells the source of
the phrases, the absence of quotation marks constitutes
plagiarism. Such academic dishonesty will only cause you to lose
a significant amount of points. To avoid plagiarism, take notes
while you read the research material, and then close the book (or exit
the web site) so that you can write your paragraphs in your own
words! This assignment is designed to help you write original
work. Read this example on how to
avoid plagiarism in writing college essays.
WRITING ASSIGNMENTS:
Purpose: The
writing assignments for World Theatre (THE 355 or THE 357) are
designed to give students an opportunity to 1) explore the expression
of a particular culture through its theatre productions, 2) to develop
a profound understanding of one area of theatre production, and 3) to
enhance their writing proficiency by the use of a semester-long
discipline in writing development that includes creative as well as
professional assignments.
Documentation: You can draw from sources in our
library (click on our "Bibliography" button) or on the internet. To
search online, go to a search engine like Yahoo or Google and type a
short phrase for your item and surround it with quotation marks. Be
selective in your choice of items from the search; not every link will
apply to our needs for theatre history. Students are required to
include citations and a List of Works Cited for both papers, according
to proper MLA bibliographic form. Click here for examples of
bibliographic entries, or use our "Web Sites" button to locate online
help like Purdue or Diana Hacker.
Playwright Fan Letter
This assignment combines research,
analysis and creativity in order to give you an in-depth understanding
of one playwright from theatre history. After selecting a
playwright (the text is a good source to help you decide), students are
encouraged to first use the optional Playwright Report posted on the
Discussion Board to guide you in learning about your playwright.
Listed below are some of the questions:
• Describe the background of the playwright.
Where they come from, how much education, or any social, economic or
political factors that influenced their developments.
• What were some of the common themes or subjects in
their works? What issues did they focus on in their plays?
• Describe the main characters and their dramatic
conflict in one play.
• Describe the dramatic action (what happens in the
play):
After completing the research and analysis, write a three-page Fan
Letter to your playwright (700 word minimum), and express your
admiration for them. Tell him or her why you like their work, and
use examples from your analysis of one of their plays, including
details from your research of their life. Avoid general
descriptions of praise, and focus more on the reasons that you
appreciate their work. You might use a quoted section from
the play and present why you think the quote is significant. Or
you could compliment them by telling how you were impressed with the
way they closed the first act, and include why. This gives you
the chance to present your analysis of the play, and reflect on how
they devise their plots or characters. Even though normally you
would pose questions in a letter to someone, avoid merely expressing
your curiosity, and instead, offer clear reasons why you are one of
their fans. Discuss moments from the play, or from their
life. Perhaps you see a theme running through their work, or you
appreciate how they developed as an artist, or maybe you see their work
as a reflection of their particular culture. You might want to
show how you identify with one of their characters, but focus on what
you recognize in that character rather than turning the letter into a
chance to tell someone else about your life details.
Audience: Though the instructor will grade the
assignment, you will post it on the Discussion Board in Blackboard for
your classmates as the intended audience. Thus, you are trying to
inform others at your level about cultural developments that you
perceive to be significant to an understanding of theatre history and
that they would find interesting.
Process: It may be helpful to outline your letter
first, by writing a single-sentence summation of what compliments you
will write to your playwright about his or her plays. Use the
compliments to write the rough draft of the letter. Try to keep
each paragraph focused on one point that you are making, and allow the
examples within the paragraph to support that point. Write the
final draft and proof it for mechanics (grammar, spelling, punctuation,
and documentation). Remember to include citations within the
text, as well as a List of Works Cited at the end. On the
Discussion Board, post your entry by the due date into the “Writing
Assignment #1” forum.
Grades: Grades for these papers are determined by the
student's adherence to deadlines, thoroughness of research, writing
ability, and clarity of logic:
RESEARCH PAPER
Purpose:
The research paper for World
Theatre (THE 355 or THE 357) is designed
to give students an opportunity to 1) explore the expression of a
particular
culture through its theatre productions, 2) to develop a profound
understanding
of one area of theatre production, and 3) to enhance their writing
proficiency
by the use of a semester-long discipline in paper development.
This
process is intended to help students develop a paper that is accurate
in
research, well organized in structure, clear in comprehension, and
creative in its intention.
Creative Papers:
Students are encouraged to pursue
imaginative ways to motivate the paper's
purpose by writing as or about an imagined historical character writing
his/her
diary, journal, business letter, letter to the editor, letter to
personal
friend, autobiography, play, news story, interview, etc.). One
student
wrote as the daughter of Aeschylus and described his productions at the
City
Dionysia in 5th Century B.C. Greece. Another used a diary format
to
present the observations of an imagined actress from Restoration
England.
Still another analyzed three different Hamlets from different eras
(Richard
Burbage's, David Garrick's, and Mel Gibson's). Each paper,
however,
organized, summarized, and enhanced understanding of their topics with
extensive
use of analysis and documented sources in order to provide a refreshing
way
to perceive theatre history.
Process:
1) Select a general topic by combining a period of theatre
history (Elizabethan,
19th century, the 60's, etc.) and one element of production (acting,
directing,
costuming, architecture, plawriting, etc.).
2) Gather a bibliography and begin reading. Take
notes; ask
yourself questions (e.g. what is unique about this playwright, actor,
etc.).
Try summarizing what you've read in a paragraph.
3) Narrow your topic and construct a Central Idea for
the Paper (Thesis). Write a two or three sentence summation of
what you attempt to accomplish and what you will focus on in the paper.
4) Draw up an organizational scheme - either an outline
or a concept map (clustered ideas represented visually on a piece of
paper). The purpose of an outline is to enable you to think
critically through your topic
and organize it logically before you begin to write.
You may choose three main points to support your thesis
or central idea. For instance, if the central idea of your paper
is to describe the significance of the work of the British stage
director, Peter Brook, you
might structure three main points: A) His theory on theatre and acting
and
the sources he drew from, B) Some of his most significant productions,
and
C) His influence on other artists, especially at the Royal Shakespeare
Co.
in England). Each of these main points will be supported by your
evidence
(so, you might quote from Brook's "The Empty Space" to support Main
Point
#1, you could refer to magazine articles about his shows for Main Point
#2,
and you could quote a director from an interview about Brook for Main
Point
#3.
5) Share your outline with the class (see Daily
Schedule). Present your central idea in the opening and your main
points for the progression of the paper.
6) Write the Rough Draft. Mechanics are not
the primary concern here (spelling, punctuation, footnotes, etc).
Stick with your
outline but let anything roll out onto the paper, even your own
opinions and
feelings about what you're speaking about. Do not edit or look
back
(in fact, refuse to stop until you reach page five). It will be
rough,
but it will document your impulse to write the paper and inform you
about
what is important in your paper.
7) Write the Final Draft. After receiving feedback
from
the instructor and the class, focus your final draft on organization
(does
each paragraph state one single idea?) and mechanics (grammar,
spelling, punctuation,
and documentation).
Specifics:
The research paper is a 7 to 10
page, typewritten paper which utilizes at
least 3 to 5 works as sources and includes at least 3 to 5 references
(quotes)
to those sources. The paper can focus on any area of theatre
history
prior to 1980. Grades for these papers are determined by the
student's
adherence to deadlines, thoroughness of research, writing ability, and
clarity
of logic (refer to grade scales).
The format for the paper should reflect the writer's intention for
clarity. Use a new black ribbon on white, 8 1/2 X 11" paper, with
a
clear, 12 point font without italic style. The margins at top,
bottom
and sides of the text need to be exactly one inch, no more or
less.
Double-space the paper, including the text, quotations, and
bibliography.
USE PAGE NUMBERING.
Mechanics:
Students must use the proper
mechanics of good writing:
1) Spelling - no
excuse for misspelled words or typos;
2) Punctuation - learn the required uses of commas, colons,
semi-colons, hyphens and quotation marks and use them
consistently (Commas and periods are placed inside quotation marks; all
others
go outside; indent quotes over four lines in length; underline only
larger
works like books, plays, newspapers, magazines, films, paintings,
operas,
and ballet but use quotation marks for smaller works like articles in a
newspaper
or essays in a book).
Suggested Areas for Topics:
Reconstruction of a production, setting it in historical context
and analyzing
its aesthetic values: Oedipus at Colonus, The Bacchae, The Wakefield
Cycle,
Peach Blossom Fan, The Mandrake, Macbeth, The Miser, Fuente Ovejuna,
The
Rivals, Fashion, Ubu Roi, Mother Courage, etc.
Analysis of the theory and practice of a major director,
designer or theoretician: Jean Bouchet, Moliere, Duke of Saxe
Meiningen, Elia Kazan, David
Belasco, Goethe, Wagner, Antonin Artaud, Edward Gordon Craig, Trevor
Nunn,
Bertolt Brecht, Ming Cho Lee, etc.
Analysis of the social and aesthetic significance of a major
theatre company: The English Stage Society, Moliere's Troupe du
Monsieur, Lord Chamberlain's
Men, The Abbey Theatre, The Group Theatre, The Federal Theatre Project,
The
Berliner Ensemble, The Royal Shakespeare, The San Francisco Mime
Troupe,
etc.
Analysis of the social and aesthetic significance of a major
theatrical style: Classical, Presentational, Naturalism, Symbolism,
Expressionism, Surrealism,
Absurdism, Epic, Performance Art, Chicano Theatre, Agitprop, etc.
Former Creative Research Papers:
Moliere's letters to a
publisher, The Diaries of Aphra Behn, love letters from Maestro Claudio
Monterverdi, Spanish Golden Age actress
writing home to her mother about performing in La Vide es Sueno,
Rolling
Stone Interview with Richard Burbage, Euripides writing letters to his
sister
to explain his reasons for writing Medea, two Commedia dell'arte
actresses
having lunch, The Diary of Minnie Wright (character in “Trifles”).
Documentation
Practices and Examples of Bibliographic Entries
Citing your sources not only
avoids plagiarism, but gives your paper more credibility by revealing
your exploration of research and proving your main points with insights
from outside authorities. By following established practices, you
assist your reader to comprehend your writing and consider your work
more seriously.
SOME RESEARCH TOOLS:
Encyclopedias:
The Oxford Companion to the Theatre, Phyllis Hartknoll -
PN2035
H3 1967
McGraw-Hill Enclyclopedia of World Drama - PN1625 M3
Reviews:
Modern Drama, Adelman and Dworkin - PN1861 A3
New York Theatre Critic's Reviews - PN1601 N4
The New York Times Theatre Reviews
Current Theatre Periodicals:
American Theatre
Educational Theatre Journal
The Drama Review
General Sources:
History of the Theatre. Oscar Brockett.
Theatre Pictorial. George Altman et al.
A History of the Theatre. Bamber Gasgoine.
Masters of the Drama. John Gassner.
A Concise History of the Theatre. Phyllis Hartnoll.
The Oxford Companion to the Theatre. Phyllis
Hartnoll.
The Making of Theatre History. Paul Kuritz.
A History of Theatrical Art. Karl Mantzius.
Sources of Theatrical History. Alois Nagler.
The Development of the Theatre. Allarydce Nicoll.
World Drama. Allarydice Nicoll.
On Stage. Vera Mowry Roberts.
AN
EXAMPLE FOR AVOIDING PLAGIARISM
Take notes on your reading,
and then write your
identification from your notes with your book closed!
Exact Original Source
The identification item is Cazuela from Living Theatre by Edwin Wilson,
p. 218:
In the back wall opposite the
stage, above the main entranceway in the yard, was a gallery known as
the cazuela, or "stew pot." This was an area where unaccompanied
women could sit; it had its own separate entrance and was carefully
guarded to prevent men from entering. Above the cazuela, there
was a row of boxes for local government officials; above these boxes
was a larger gallery for the clergy, which may also have been divided
to provide another section for unescorted women. At the back of
the patio, on one side of main entrance, was a refreshments box, the
alojero, from which food and drinks were sold.
Examples of Plagiarized Identifications
If phrases are borrowed (verbatim from the source), then you need
quotation marks and a citation at the end of the sentence. The
following identification has a number of borrowed phrases (marked in
bold); they would be plagiarized without quotation marks:
The cazuela was a gallery opposite
the stage at the back wall of the Spanish theatres, which stood above
the main entranceway. This "stew pot" was where unaccompanied
women could watch the show after they came in from their own separate
entrance.
Also, only changing and realigning a few words in the original source
would be considered plagiarism of structure. The underlined
phrases that follow are not significantly different from the original
to be considered appropriate paraphrasing:
This was done to keep men from
getting in and was well guarded. Officials from the town and
religious people sat in a row of seats above the cazuela, and some
women without escorts may have sat in the section with the
clergy.
Taking Notes
To avoid the temptation of copying from your reading, try taking notes
on a separate card or paper, like the following examples:
- women without an escort could
watch from a gallery in the back (like the balcony in our theatres)
- why weren't women allowed to watch from anywhere in the theatre?
- men must have walked into the entranceway and then looked up as
they passed under the women in their cazuela - keeping them caged like
that must have made them more attractive.
- the cazuela was furthest from the action of the play - not the
greatest seats!
- cazuela means stew pot (possibly because it meant
"trouble"? Something hot?)
- women had to enter from an entrance separate from everyone else
(so that they wouldn't be seen coming in?; to keep them safe?)
- the cazuela was guarded so that men couldn't get to the women;
there must have been problems in the past with men trying to get in!
- above the women were the priests and the local officials; a man
would have to be pretty bold, or wildly in love, to attempt to get into
the cazuela!
Identification Written from the Notes
When you write your identification from these notes, you will be
speaking with your own voice, explaining in your own words why you
think this concept is important. But since you did take the ideas
from another writer, you would still include a citation!
Where women sat
in Spanish theatres says a lot about the post-Islamic attitudes toward
them during the Golden Age of Spain, and it clearly shows that
women got the worst seats in the house. The cazuela was a
separate gallery for women who did not come with a man to the Spanish
corrales. Why women should have been kept separate was perhaps to
protect them from the advances of men (guards were posted) or more
probably to keep them under control (the name means "stew pot").
Control is certainly a factor when the women were also brought in from
a different entrance and seated directly below the priests and
officials of the town so that no one could raid the cazuela without the
mayor or "god" intervening (Wilson 218).
Bibliographic entry
Your source finally needs to be included at the end with the author,
title, and publication information:
Wilson, Edwin, and Goldfarb,
Alvin. Living Theatre. 3rd edition. Boston: McGraw
Hill Publishing Company, 2000.