FIRST YEAR DRAMA, THEATRE AND PERFORMANCE MODULES 2017/2018

Semester 1

KEY DATES for 1BA DTP STUDENTS

Introductions to Years

31 August / 1BA DTP orientation 12-2, STUDIO 1

Other Important Dates

4 September / Week 1 of teaching
30 September / Dublin Theatre Festival outing: The Suppliant Women. 14.30 at the Gaiety Theatre.
16-22 October / Baboro International Arts Festival for Children (performances in O’Donoghue Centre)
Friday 24 November / end of teaching.
27 November – 2 December / study week – no exams, assessment or classes may be scheduled during this week.
15 January 2018 / teaching resumes
19-23 February / Theatre Week
22 April / End of teaching
23-28 April / Study week

Course Layout

  • In semester one, all students take Acting 1 and Theatre Histories 1.
  • In semester two, all students take Stagecraft 1 and Theatre Histories 2
  • In both semesters, students take a tutorial, in which they engage in writing and discursive tasks that complementtheir two modules by allowing for more time to be spent on practical work in class.

TIMETABLE

DTP DT1100: Acting 1 / Ian R. Walsh and Justine Nakase / Tuesday 11-1 / Studio 1 (Group 1)
Studio 2 (Group 2)
DT1108: Theatre Histories 1 / Patrick Lonergan and Emer McHugh / Wednesday 1-2 / STUDIO 2
Thursday 11-12 / CR1
TUTORIAL / Emer McHugh and Justine Nakase / Monday 10-11 / Studio 2 OR
BOI Theatre

Second Semester Modules:

Core: Theatre Histories 2 (Tuesday 11-1); Stagecraft 1 (Wednesday 1-2; Thursday 11-12); tutorial Monday 10-11

COURSE OUTLINES

DT1100 ACTING 1, First Year BADTP

Teaching Team: Ian R. Walsh (IW) and Justine Nakase (JN)

TIME: Tuesday 11 -1 VENUE: STUDIO 1

The objective of this course is to provide an introduction to the fundamentals of an actor’s process, an approach that is rooted in the dramatic works and teaching approaches of the contemporary Western theatre, with an emphasis on realistic acting technique and texts. You will be engaged in an active and experimental process that draws on your artistic and intellectual skills in order to furnish you with an understanding of basic realistic acting terminology and processes.

CLASS SCHEDULE

Week 1: Introduction: Historical and Theoretical Contexts (IW & JN)

Reading:

Sharon Carnickie, “Introduction,” “Demythologizing Stanislavsky,” “in Stanislavsky in Focus: An Acting Master for the Twenty-First Century, 1-17

J.L Styan, ‘The Naturalistic Revolt’ in Modern Drama in Theory and Practice 1: Realism and Naturalism

Week 2: Physical and Psychological Senses (JN)

Reading: Harold Pinter, Betrayal

Uta Hagen, “The Physical Senses” and “The Psychological Senses,” A Challenge For The Actor

Week 3: Units, Objectives and Given Circumstances (IW)

Reading: Stella Feehily, Duck

Bella Merlin, ‘Mining the Text’ in The Complete Stanislavsky Toolkit.

Week 4: The Magic IF and Physical Actions (JN)

Reading: Diane Son, Stop Kiss

Konstantin Stansislavksi, “Faith and A Sense of Truth,” from An Actor Prepares

Week 5: Rehearsing Scenes and Writing Critical Reflections (IW & JN)

Reading: Konstantin Stansislavksi, “Chapters 2, 3, 4,” An Actor’s Work On A Role, translated by Jean Benedetti, 45-90.

Week 6: Showing of Scenes (JN & IW)

Week 7: Communion & Audience (IW)

Bella Merlin, ‘Introduction to Active Analysis’ in Routledge Perfromance Practitioners: Konstantin Stanislavsky.

Week 8: Problematising Stanislavski 1: Gender (IW)

Reading: Rosemary Malague, “Chapter One: The ‘Given Circumstances,’” An Actress Prepares: Women and the “Method,” 1-29.

Week 9: Problematising Stanislavski 1: Disability & Diversity (JN)

Reading:Carrie Sandahl, ‘The Tyranny of Neutral: Disability and the Actor’ in Bodies in Commotion: Disability and Performance ed. Carrie Sandahl and Philip Auslander.

Richard Schechner, ‘Race Free, Body-Type Free, Age Free Casting’. TDR Vol 33, No 1 (Spring 1989), pp. 4-12.

Week 10: Rehearsing of Scene & Writing Preparation (IW)

Week 11: Rehearsing of Scene & Writing Preparation ( JN)

Week 12: Final Showing of Scene. (IW & JN)

ASSESSMENT

Please note that all files will be submitted as .doc or .docx via Turnitin on Blackboard.

1. Mid-term assessment (1000 words)- 30%

Students will submit:

  • Marked up breakdown of their scene with overall objective, beat shifts and playable actions identified.
  • 1000 word account of their rehearsal process identifying acting methods and approaches used from core texts and classroom exercises to prepare scenes.

2. Scene Showing- 30%

Showing One (Mid-term)- 15%

Showing Two (End of term)- 15%

3. Final Research Paper (1500 words)-40%

Theatre Histories 1

Teaching Team: Patrick Lonergan (PL), Emer McHugh (EMCH)

This module offers students the opportunity to develop their skills in analysing and staging dramatic texts from diverse periods in the European theatrical tradition. They will trace developments in theatre from the Ancient Greek through to the middle ages and the Renaissance in Europe. Students will discuss, stage and analyse theatrical conventions in a range of texts, and examine the relationship between space, audience, language, and convention.

The course aims to foster active learning and creative thinking through developing the practice of analysis in practical sessions, and in the discussion of lecture materials.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the course, students will be able to do the following:

  • identify and discuss a wide range of theatrical conventions,
  • evaluate and situate the different historical genres covered
  • analyse theatrical texts in terms of performance conventions
  • test and practically investigate how conventions work on stage
  • develop a specialised critical vocabularly for theatre analysis
  • recognise the importance of historical and cultural context in the development of dramatic convention

Features of Teaching

This module will consist of one-hour lectures followed by a two-hour practical teaching workshop. In the practical workshops you will test and explore the practice implications of your analysis for staging and performance.

Reading

Tobin Nelhaus (editor) Theatre Histories Third Edition (Routledge)

Most plays are available online via Drama Online (library website) or will be provided on blackboard.

Digital Theatre Plus – many plays are available to view online via the library website.

Assessment

Mid-term assessment: Critical commentary on performance issues in a dramatic text: 30%

Staged Scene: 20%

End of semester essay 50%

Theatre History Timetable

Week 1 (PL)

Wednesday: No class

Thursday: context and conventions of theatre history in theory and practice (TH, 1-17); introduction to Greek Drama (TH, 50-65)

Week 2 (EMCH)

Workshop: Ancient Greek theatre – practical elements

Lecture: Oedipus

Watch: Oedipus the King (BBC) -

Week 3 (PL)

Workshop: Greek theatre in practice (2)

Lecture: Lysistrata and Athenian Comedy

Week 4 (EMCH)

Workshop: Commedia Dell’Arte

Lecture: Commedia and The Servant of Two Masters

Watch: Tim Supple on Performing Goldoni

Week 5 (EMCH)

Workshop: Performing Shakespeare (1)

Lecture: Context and Conventions of The Elizabethan Stage

Week 6 (PL)

Workshop: Performing Shakespeare (2)

Lecture: Much Ado about Nothing

Viewing: David Tennant production of Much Ado -

Week 7(PL)

Workshop: Much Ado

Lecture: The Restoration and the coming of the Actress

Week 8 (PL)

Workshop: Restoration theatre in practice

Lecture: Behn’s The Rover

Week 9: (EMCH)

Workshop: Allocation of Final scenes

Lecture: Moliere’s Don Juan

Week 10 (PL)

Workshop: Preparation of Final Scenes

Lecture: Moliere’s Don Juan to Mozart’s Don Giovanni – developing characters through theatre history

Watch: Don Giovanni -

Week 11 (PL/EMCH)

Preparation of Final Scenes

Week 12 (PL/EMCH)

Performance of Final Scenes

Weekly Tutorials

Every week, students take an hour-long class that provides support for their two main lecture courses. Attendance at tutorials is compulsory and marks for participation in class go towards the final grade for the two core modules.

WK1: Introduction: What is Performance? (JN & EmcH) – starts 11 September.

WK2: How to Read a Play for Performance? (JN)

WK 3: Understanding Context and Conventions? (EmcH)

WK 4: Acting 1 Mid-Term Assignment Preparation (JN)

WK 5: Theatre Histories 1 Mid-term Assignment Preparation (EmcH)

WK 6: How to Read a Play for Performance? (JN)

WK 7: Understanding Context and Conventions? (EmcH)

WK 8: Essay Writing Skills – the Good, the Bad and the Ugly. (JN & EmcH)

WK 9: Acting 1 Final Assignment Preparation (JN)

WK 10:Theatre Histories 1 Final Assignment Preparation (EmcH)

WK 11: Troubleshooting and Semester in review (JN & EmcH)