Introduction to Theatre - Course Syllabus | THTR 1020, Study notes of Theatre

Download Introduction to Theatre - Course Syllabus | THTR 1020 and more Study notes Theatre in PDF only on Docsity! Course Syllabus THTR 1020 sect - 03: Introduction to Theatre Spring 2012 9:10 – 10:30 Tuesday and Thursday Williams room 215 Professor: Jim Murphy Office: 375 M&DA Building Office Hours: 8:00-9:00am Monday and Wednesday or by appointment Phone: (225) 578 3543 E-mail: jlmurphy@lsu.edu Mailing Address: Department of Theatre 105 Music and Dramatic Arts Building Louisiana State University Baton Rouge, LA 70803 Required Text: The World of the Theatre: Tradition and Innovation, by Mira Felner & Claudia Orenstein Objective: This course provides an introduction to all areas of theater. The primary focus will be on developing an understanding of and appreciation for the theater craft, its history and its place in society. Upon successful completion of this course the student should: 1. understand the roles and contributions of the collaborative theatre artists in the production process. 2. appreciate theatre practices and conventions in various cultures and time periods. 3. have developed the skills and concepts that will enable responding to and the informed evaluation of a theatrical event (and the artistic choices therein). 4. recognize how theatre fosters encounter with social issues and cultural debate. Requirements: Students are expected to prepare the readings prior to class as well as attend and participate in the classroom lectures/ exercises/ projects/ and discussions. The student should have loose leaf paper and a writing implement for every class. Each student will be required to attend one performance of the following five productions: Production location performance dates and curtain times 1. Pride and Prejudice Shaver Theatre Feb. 1-4, 8-11 & 15-18 at 7:30pm Feb. 5, 12 & 19 at 2pm 2. Mud Studio Theatre Feb. 28-March 4 at 7:30pm March 4 at 2pm 3. The Brothers Size Studio Theatre March 21-24 & 28-31 at 7:30pm March 25 & April 1 at 2pm 4. Putnam County Spelling Bee Reilly Theatre April 25-28 & May 1-5 at 7:30pm April 29 & May 6 at 2pm 5. Outworks Studio Theatre May 1-6 at 7:30pm May 6 at 2pm Students are urged to arrive at performances in the Studio (productions 2 and 5) up to 30 minutes prior to curtain in order to secure their ticket for admission. For productions 1, 3 & 4 tickets can be purchased at the box office (in the lobby of the M&DA Bldg or Reilly Theatre) daily from noon-4:30pm or at the theatre prior to the performance. Ticket prices are $15 for productions 1 and 3; $12 for production 4; and $10 for productions 2 & 5. Students are urged to arrive for these productions at least 10-15 minutes prior to curtain in order to find their seat and prepare for viewing the performance. At the end of each show the student is required to have their student ID scanned to confirm attendance at the performance. Each Student is required to usher one performance during the semester. Ushering gives you free admittance to the performance also. The Usher request form and additional information about ushering can be found on the LSU Theatre website. Ushering spots will go quickly so sign up early. Grading: There will be four sectional exams, one production research essay relating to a performance attended, a group project dealing with production process, five productions to attend and a cumulative final exam for this course. Any student who misses an exam without a valid excuse (as per PS 22) will receive a zero grade for that exam. All exams will be taken in the computer testing labs in Himes Hall. Missed classroom exercises can not be made up without a valid LSU excuse (as per PS 22). Production response papers will not be accepted after 9:10 am on April 5. The student is required to make the instructor aware of any LSU approved trips or religious observances well in advance (at least two weeks) of the event. The final grade will be broken down as follows: 20% Section Exam grades 20% Production research essay 20% Group Project 20% Attending Productions 20% Final Exam Grade scale A 89.5 – up; B 79.5 – 89.4; C 69.5 – 79.4; D 59.5 – 69.4; F < 59.5 Disruptive behavior will result in being asked to leave the classroom. Incompletes: The Dean of your major College at LSU—not the professor—determines whether extenuating circumstances justify granting an Incomplete. In general, Colleges follow strict criteria, granting Incompletes only when convinced that a student has completed most of the course successfully but cannot finish due to an extreme emergency, which the student must be able to document. Disability Statement: Any student with a disability should contact me during the first week of class with a Semester Accommodation Letter from the Office of Disability Services. I will make necessary accommodations in consultation with the ODS. Academic Dishonesty/Plagiarism: Unless explicitly noted, none of the assignments in this course requires you to consult any source but the textbook, the plays, your class notes, and the performances you see. I therefore expect all work you turn in for this class to be your own, individual work. The LSU Code of Student Conduct defines plagiarism as “the unacknowledged inclusion of someone else's words, structure, ideas, or data” (CoSC 5.1). In other words: do not present someone else’s work— their words, their ideas, or their structure—as your own. This includes (but is not limited to) copying, cut-and-pasting, paraphrasing, or borrowing from a web page/Wikipedia entry, encyclopedia, dictionary, book, newspaper, journal, or someone else’s assignment. I take academic honesty very seriously and will not hesitate to bring any suspected instances of plagiarism to the attention of the Dean of Students. Any infraction of this type will result in failing the assignment in question and may