THS1000 Introduction to History and Theory of Drama 1

Contents

• Staffing
• Synopsis
• Objectives
• Topics
• Texts
• Reference materials
• Student workload
• Assessment details
• Important assessment information
• Assessment notes
• Production date
• PDF version

STAFFING

SYNOPSIS

This course provides students with an introductory overview of some of the major plays, and socio-historical features of drama in performance from ancient Greece to the Renaissance. Texts will be drawn from both the Eastern and Western theatrical performance traditions. The course will also provide students with some contemporary approaches to the study of performance, and will include a special study of the fundamental techniques of debate and scholarship in drama.

OBJECTIVES

On successful completion of this course students will have:

1.

an understanding of the way in which drama functions within theatre and society;

2.

a knowledge of specific dramatic and theoretical texts from various traditions of world theatre up until the 17th Century;

3.

an ability to recognise and analyse the processes which make up the performance event;

4.

an understanding of the fundamental principles of scholarly method as it applies to the drama.

TOPICS

TEXT and MATERIALS required to be PURCHASED or accessed

ALL textbooks and materials are available for purchase from USQ BOOKSHOP (unless otherwise stated). Orders may be placed via secure internet, free fax 1800642453, phone 07 46312742 (within Australia), or mail. Overseas students should fax +61 7 46311743, or phone +61 7 46312742. For costs, further details, and internet ordering, use the 'Textbook Search' facility at http://bookshop.usq.edu.au click 'Semester', then enter your 'Course Code' (no spaces).

Shakespeare Othello,
(any edition)

Sophocles 1999, Four dramas of maturity: Aias, Antigone, Young Women of Trachis, Oidipous the King, Everyman, London.
(edited by Ewans, M)

Webster, J 1972, Three plays: The White Devil, The Duchess of Malfi and the Devil's Law-case, Penguin Books, Harmondsworth, England.

Worthen, W B (ed.) 2004, The Wadsworth anthology of drama, 4th edn, Thomson Wadsworth, Boston.

REFERENCE MATERIALS

Reference materials are materials that, if accessed by students, may improve their knowledge and understanding of the material in the course and enrich their learning experience.

Aston, E & Savona, G 1991, Theatre as sign system: a semiotics of text and performance, Routledge, New York and London.

Banham, M (ed) 1995, The Cambridge guide to world theatre, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
(new edition)

Bate, WJ (ed) 1970, Criticism: the major texts, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, San Diego.
(enlarged edition)

Berthold, M 1991, A history of world theater, Ungar, New York.
(trans. Edith Simmons)

Brockett, O 1999, History of the theatre, 8th edn, Allyn and Bacon, Boston.

Dukore, BF 1974, Dramatic theory and criticism: Greeks to Grotowski, Holt, Rinehart and Winston, New York.

Harwood, R 1984, All the world's a stage, Little Brown and Co, Boston.

Hayman, R 1977, How to read a play, Methuen, London.

Mackerras, C 1975, Chinese theatre in modern times: from 1840 to the present day, Thames and Hudson, London.

Sidnell, MJ (ed) 1991, Sources of dramatic theory: Plato to Congreve, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, vol 1.

Tadashi, S 1986, The way of acting: the theatre writings of Tadashi Suzuki, Theatre Communications Group, New York.
(trans. J Thomas Rimer)

Williams, R 1991, Drama in performance, Open University Press, Milton Keynes.

Zeami 1984, On the art of the noh drama, Princeton University Press, Princeton.
(trans. Rimer, J T & Masakazu, Y)

STUDENT WORKLOAD REQUIREMENTS

ASSESSMENT DETAILS

NOTES

1.

This assignment is aligned with Objectives 1, 2, 3 and 4.

2.

This assignment is aligned with Objectives 1, 2 and 4.

3.

Students will be advised of the exact examination date when the timetable has been finalised. This assessment is aligned with Objectives 1, 2 and 4.

IMPORTANT ASSESSMENT INFORMATION

1. Attendance requirements:
   There are no attendance requirements for this external course. However, it is the student's responsibility to study all material provided to them or required to be accessed by them to maximise their chance of meeting the objectives of the course and to be informed of course-related activities and administration.
2. Requirements for students to complete each assessment item satisfactorily:
   To successfully complete an individual assessment item, a student must achieve at least 50% of the marks or a grade of at least C-. This statement must be read in conjunction with Statement 4 below.
3. Penalties for late submission of required work:
   If students submit assignments after the due date without extenuating circumstances and without prior approval, then a penalty of a maximum of 5% of the assigned mark may apply for each working day late, up to a maximum of 10 working days, at which time a mark of zero can be recorded for that assignment.
4. Requirements for student to be awarded a passing grade in the course:
   To be assured of receiving a passing grade, a student must achieve at least 50% of the total weighted marks available for the course.
5. Method used to combine assessment results to attain final grade:
   The final grades for students will be assigned on the basis of the aggregate of the weighted marks obtained for each of the summative assessment items in the course.
6. Examination information:
   The exam for this course is a CLOSED examination, and candidates are allowed to bring only writing and drawing instruments into the examination.
7. Examination period when Deferred/Supplementary examinations will be held:
   Any deferred or supplementary examinations for this course will be held during the next examination period.
8. University Regulations:
   Students should read USQ Regulations 5.1 Definitions, 5.6 Assessment, and 5.10 Academic Misconduct for further information and to avoid actions which might contravene University Regulations. These regulations can be found at the URL http://www.usq.edu.au/corporateservices/calendar/part5.htm

ASSESSMENT NOTES

This version produced 28 Aug 2009.