University of Minnesota Morris
Fall 2006
10:30-11:35am
M, W, F
Siobhan Bremer
HFA 105D
Phone 6245
Office hours T, TH 2-3 or by appt.
This course is designed to acquaint the student with the problems and practices involved in production interpretation when directing for the stage. It will involve various directing theories and basic principles of stage direction and provide methodology for approaching the creation of 10-minute scenes and a full-length script. It will help the advanced student develop a working vocabulary for approaching all scripts.
Play Directing Analysis, communication, and Style by Francis Hodge and Michael McLain
Thinking Like a Director by Michael Bloom,
The Crucible by Arthur Miller,
Riders to the Sea by John Millington Synge (provided),
Attendance 50
Participation/
Discussion 20
Project 1 30
Project 2 30
Project 3 30
Quiz 1 10
Quiz 2 10
Directors research 25
Line interp. 5
Group style project 15
Student eval (5 each) 20
Crucible material 5
Total possible points 250
GRADING SCALE:
250-238 =A 189-181 =C
237-225 =A- 180-173 =C-
224-216 =B+ 172-160 =D+
215-207 =B 159-147 =D
206-199 =B- 146-0 =F
198-190 =C+
Students taking the course S/N must receive a C in order to pass.
Class Attendance/Participation: Attendance in class is mandatory. Participation is an essential part of this course. You are required to be prepared for and be an active participant in class. Much of the class relies on student involvement. If you are not volunteering, you will be volunteered. Students who are not in class cannot participate. Students who are late to class disrupt participation. Chancellor excuses will be accepted but the student remains responsible for the work missed, including notes, rescheduling of projects, make-up quizzes, etc. Health excuses will not be accepted unless you have the official Doctor approved heath excuse. Once you have reached 10 absences total whether excused or not you will FAIL the class. You get two absences before your grade is affected. After two absenceÕs, each absence is worth 3 points.
Quizzes: The quizzes are on the schedule. The quizzes can/will consist of matching answers, identifications, short answers, true/false, essays and/or multiple-choice questions. If you are absent of the day of a quiz, you will receive a Ô0Õ for that test. THERE WILL BE NO MAKE-UP EXAMS OR QUIZZES GIVEN without proper ChancellorÕs excuse. IF excused, you must make-up the quiz the next day class meets to receive full credit.
Scene Presentations:
You will direct three projects in this class. Two of which are a 10-minute scene from
a full-length published play and the third will be a full-length original
script. You will be performing in other class memberÕs scenes as well.
For the first project you are to
find a 10-minute scene of your choice from a published contemporary play with 2
characters that you will direct in the style the play was ntended to be
performed.
The second project will be a
10-minute scene from a full-length published contemporary play of your choice
that you will direct in a post-modern or absurd style. Again find a script with
2-3 characters. With this presentation it is important that you detail your
choices. Why did you choose the things you chose? Ibsen is a good playwright
for this project but others can be used if you choose. For this presentation
you can change the venue where the performance takes place. Be creative but
aware of other classes, weather etc.
You will need to be flexible.
For the third project you will be
working with a student playwright, and actors to revise and stage a 10-minute
original script. The paperwork for
this project will include a page detailing the cooperative process with the
playwright.
For each project you will put
together and hand in a promptbook. The promptbook should be organized with a
table of content and a bibliography of sources used. The promptbook is due at
the start of the class period in which you present your scene. Defend your
scene with detail and proof read the written work. All material should be typed
when appropriate
Assigned/Written Work: ALL ASSIGNED WORK MUST BE HANDED IN ON TIME OR IT WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. With the exception of the notebook, all written work MUST BE TYPED (12pt font, double spaced, 1 inch margin, use header for titles) or IT WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. All papers should be free of spelling, grammatical and typographical errors. Your grade will suffer if it is not properly proofread. If paper work isnÕt handed in at the start of class the day itÕs due your grade starts as a C. For your own protection, be sure to make copies of everything you turn in. Some promptbook material may be hand written (blocking, picturesÉ)
Academic Honesty: Any student found guilty of cheating on a quiz will forfeit the grade for that quiz. Any student found guilty of plagiarism, passing off someone elseÕs ideas, work, or words as your own, will receive an F in this course. All incidents of academic dishonesty will be reported and acted upon.
Extra Credit: No extra credit will be given to any student.
Incomplete: There will be no incompletes given in this course.
Policy: No smoking, eating, or gum chewing is allowed in
class. A water bottle is strongly
suggested. Comfortable, loose
clothing should be worn for class.
This class will require outside class work for rehearsals, readings, research and paperwork. We will be working with the Playwright students the second part of the semester.
Advanced Directing Calendar Fall 2006
Aug
M 28 Introduction/Overview read chpt 1-2
W 30 Class Activity with Riders to the Sea
Sept 1 Riders material due/Assign Director
Project/Assign Style Presentation read chpt 3-6
M 4 Labor Day NO CLASS
W 6 10-minute scene selection due from published play, Crucible script activity (character and script anal.)
F 8 NO CLASS
read
chpt 7-9
M 11 Crucible Activity-continue research discussion, style group work
W 13 Crucible Activity-blocking and floor plan
F 15 Waiting for Godot video, discuss style
M 18 Importance of Being Earnest video read
chpt 10-12
W 20 No official
class/Rehearsal day
read chpt 13-16
F 22 finish Importance video/discuss style
M 25 Rehearsal Day
W 27 present rough run of memorized scene for evaluation/rehearse
F 29 present rough run of memorized scene for evaluation/rehearse
Oct 2 play and line iterp. for Shakespeare due/present and discuss
W 4 Present scene for grade and discuss, prompt book due at start of class, anal. other student work
F 6 National Players
M 9 Present scene for grade and discuss
W 11 Student
evals. Due/Prepare for quiz/French
Neoclassic Video/ scene 2 script due
F 13 Quiz 1
M 16 NO CLASS Fall Break
W 18 Rehearsal
Day
read chpt 17-21
F 20 Director research Project
M 23 Director
research Project read chpt 22-25
W 25 Rehearsal Day (I will evaluate and advise)
F 27 Video on Victorian Style
M 30 Present Scene 2 for grade, promptbook due at start of class, anal. other student work
Nov 1 Present Scene 2 for grade
F 3 Meet with playwright outside
of class
read chpt 26-29
M 6 Analysis of student directed scene due/discuss (you will do 2 each)
W 8 Present style projects in groups, outline with bibliography due
F 10 Present style projects in groups, outline with bibliography due
M 13 Oedipus video
W 15 continue Oedipus video
F 17 Discuss Tips for Directors book use in previous scenes
M 20 Rehearsal
W 22 Quiz 2, rehearsal with props
F 24 NO CLASS Thanksgiving break
M 27 rehearsal
W 29 rehearsal day with beat changes
Dec 1 WhoÕs Afraid of Virginia Woolf video
M 4 Continue Virginia Woolf video
W 6 Evaluation Day/Final run of original script
F 8 Original script
presentation
M 11 Original script presentation
W 13 Public PerformanceÉpossibly an evening event.