THEA 4910.01: Play and Scriptwriting

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THEA 4910.01: Play and Scriptwriting

Continuation of THEA 4460

Spring 2011 – Dr. Andrew Harris

Tuesdays 3:30-6:20, RTFP. Rm. 223

And by appointment.

Campus Phone: X- 2306, Office RTFP 223

Email:

Office Hours: TR 1:00pm-2:00pm

(To schedule an appointment, call during office hours or see me after class)

Texts(required)

• Playwriting, Writing, Producing and Selling Your Play by Louis E. Catron. ISBN: 0881335649.
• The Little Foxesby Lillian Hellman, Dramatists Play Service.

On Reserve (suggested)

• Playwriting in Process (a series of exercises)by Michael Wright. ISBN: 0435 0703 47.

Professor will lead discussions on playwriting form and structure, but the heart of the course is intensive examination of the student's writing. The grade is based largely on the writer'scommitment to working and re-working his/her play.

Each student in this course will be required to write and complete a substantial play (not less than 40 minutes in playing time nor longer than one hour forty minutes). The play will be developed under the supervision and upon approval of the instructor. Since the work for this course involves a process, students will be required to participate fully in the course.

Prior to committing the script, students will be asked to write a three paragraph treatment. At least one scene from the play needs to be written before the instructor will approve the projected script.

Students should also keep a “Dream Journal,” recording his/her dreams and thoughts to refer to in the writing process.

Your gradewill be computed as follows:

50% of your grade will be related to the play written during the semester,
30% of your grade will be related to the scene assignments, exercises, and treatment,
20% of your grade is for work done in sessions critiquing, and working with others in the class. Attendance is important since the value of the class consists in the interaction with the instructor and with other students. PARTICIPATION REQUIRED BY ALL STUDENTS. BE READY TO HELP OUT!!!

Class Schedule(texts should be read by the date indicated)

Week 1.Introduction. Discussion of form and structure of the "well-made" play. Reading from William Archer's Playmaking. First Exercise the treatment. 3 Paragraph form. Discussion of the three act structure.

Week 2Exercise 1 Due. Start first round of readings in class. Assign: scenario (breakdown into scenes) and 3 pages of dialog. Read Catron, 45-82.

Week 3Exercise 2 Due. The Opening Scene and its relationship to the "big scene." Read Catron, 97-122

Week4How to handle exposition 2. Discuss the first act of The Little Foxes.

Week 5Exercise 3 Due. Extend the short scene. Read Catron, 153-186
Introducing the play's central character.

Week 6 Continue Exercise 3. Pre-scene of the short scene. Read Catron, 187-225 Application of Stanislavsky's magic "if" to playwriting.

Week 7 Continuing the flow of energy to scene two. Using auxiliary characters to set off the major conflict. Continued discussion of The Little Foxes.

Week 8First draft of act one due.

Week 9Conceiving the play's final scene and/or tableau. First draft of final scene assigned. .

Week 10Preliminary draft of the final scene due. Mapping out the middle: work on the second act begins.

Week 11 Re-writing the first act, with reference to the play's final scene. Scenario for act two (reconsidered).

Week 122nd draft of act one due.

Week 13Final scene, 2nd draft. First draft of second act due.

Week 14Draft of the entire play. Critique: getting from here to there.

Week 15RewriteFinal Manuscripts of play due.

REQUIREMENTS:

You must provide enough copies of your work for your fellow classmates and for the instructor every week. It is your responsibility to run off the scenes BEFORE class meets. Please, please, please DON'T WAIT FOR THE LAST MINUTE.

ATTENDANCE IS REQUIRED IN THIS COURSE. You are allowed

2 absences without penalty. After that, 10 points will be subtracted from

Your course grade total for every absence. There are no excused absences, nor

Can any be made up, so don’t squander your allowance. Save it for a true

Emergency.

Lateness policy: If you are more than 10 minutes late to class, do not walk into the classroom. You are absent. If possible, I will have the door closed at that time. When you see a closed door, do not enter. Late arrivals are rude and disruptive, and therefore they are banned.

Leaving class early will also count as an official absence. Leaving early is also disruptive and is grounds for administrative withdrawal from the class.

Students are also banned from leaving and returning during class, except for emergencies.

Cell phones and pagers must be off during class. Violators may be asked to leave, and will lose credit for attendance.

Because of the high demand for this course, students who miss the first class without consent of the instructor are liable to be dropped from the course so that other students may be added.

Policy on grades of “Incomplete”:Essentially, “No Incompletes.” But a grade of “Incomplete” for the course can be given, but only if

a)the student is passing the course; and

b)the only missing work is the final draft of the play; and

c)the reason it is missing is extended illness or extended family emergency; and

d)Thestudentrequests the incomplete in writing.

Frankly, I have never experienced a positive outcome to an Incomplete. Once the semester ends, students never get back to the work and improve it.

Make a copy of any assignment before you turn it in to me. Also, keep all graded work I hand back to you until the end of the semester.

If you need help, please talk to me! Please inform me of any difficulties you may be having. I will be available during office hours and, if necessary, will make special

Arrangements.

This syllabus is not a contract. The instructor may change requirements, change the class schedule and change the due dates as he deems appropriate.

Course-related Academic Adjustments in Compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act

The UNT Department of Dance and Theatre Arts does not discriminate on the basis of disability in the recruitment and admission of students. THEA 2440 is a lecture-participation course that requires the reading of scripts at home and in UNT facilities, the composition and typing of exercises, the presentation of a group project and the taking of a written examination. The student has the responsibility of informing the instructor of any disabling condition that will affect his or her completion of the course assignments. It is the policy of the Department of Dance and Theatre Arts to make reasonable accommodations to help such a student perform well in the department’s courses.