TH388 - 01 Playwriting - CLARKE S20

COURSE TITLE: Playwriting l
COURSE NUMBER: TH388-01

INSTRUCTOR: Andrew Clarke
SEMESTER: Spring 2020
LOCATION AND TIME: Paramount 335, Tuesday/Thursday 2:00pm—3:45pm
OFFICE HOURS: Tuesday 6.00pm—7.00pm Paramount 433.(Or by appointment) Skype, Friday 9am—
10am. Skype name: andrewclarke704
EMAIL: andrew_clarke@emerson.edu
PHONE/TEXT: 508.264.5470
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
Working from the reading and analysis of plays and theory, from discussions of theatrical techniques, and
from writing exercises through which you gain access to personal material, the major focus of the semester
will be the writing and revision of a one-act play suitable for production on stage. Pieces, scenes, and whole
plays will be read and active participation in the workshop process is a required component of the course.
The primary focus of the course will be the ongoing workshop—you will all be expected to contribute as
writers and actors and respond as thoughtful critics. Ultimately this is a course about developing confidence
in your work and pushing to improve its quality.
REQUIREMENTS:
The course requirements are commitment to your work and respect for the work of your
colleagues. A draft of a one-act play (25-35 pages) is due on March 10. The final draft of the play is due on
April 30. You must e-mail your work to me by 12.00 p.m. on the day indicated. Late work will not be
accepted.
TEXTS:
Baker’s The Flick, DeLappe The Wolves, Gurgis’ Our Lady of 121st Street, Hall’s The Mountaintop,
Mamet’s Prairie Du Chien, Norman’s ‘Night Mother, Vogel’s How I Learned To Drive
Trifles. . . . . . . . . . . . . http://www.one-act-plays.com/dramas/trifles.html
That Serious He-Man Ball https://msac.org/sites/default/files/artist_work/pdfs/FINALThatSeriousHe-
ManBall.doc_.pdf
Cowboy Mouth……… http://www.sam-shepard.com/CowboyMouth-2.pdf
COURSE DETAILS:
You’ll receive written feedback on your first draft on the day your play is scheduled to be read.
Send your play to the class the night before its scheduled to be read. Let your classmates know which of
them will read your play and include any special instructions for the reading. Be sure to assign the job of
reading the stage directions. Be on time. Always. I take a very dim view of writers who wander in late.
DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION:

This class draws from the work of playwrights and essayists from divergent backgrounds, and their texts
have contributed to our understanding of the intellectual and social diversity of our age. The works of the
writers we’ll be reading aren’t definitive statements that should go unchallenged, but common starting
points from which our discussions of the variety of artistic expression can begin. To that end, I wouldn’t be
doing my job as a human being and a teacher if the following weren’t true: In this class you will be honored
and respected as an individual with distinct experiences, talents, and backgrounds. You’ll be treated fairly
regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identification, disability, socio-economic status, or
national identity. All of this should be a given, but there it is stated plainly. If you have any concerns or
suggestions for improving the classroom climate, please speak with me or to the Office of Diversity and
Inclusion at 617-824-8528 or by email at diversity_inclusion@emerson.edu
DISABILITY STATEMENT
Emerson is committed to providing equal access and support to all students who qualify through the
provision of reasonable accommodations so that each student may fully participate in the Emerson
experience. If you have a disability that may require accommodations, please contact Student Accessibility
Services at SAS@emerson.edu or 617-824- 8592 to make an appointment with an SAS staff member.
Students are encouraged to contact SAS early in the semester. Please be aware that accommodations
are not applied retroactively.
PLAGIARISM STATEMENT:
It is the responsibility of all Emerson students to know and adhere to the College's policy on plagiarism,
which can be found at: http://www2.emerson.edu/academic_affairs/policies/Plagiarism-Policy.cfm.
If you have any question concerning the Emerson plagiarism policy or about documentation of sources in
work you produce in this course, speak to me.
TITLE IX STATEMENT:
Please be advised that I am a "Responsible Employee" not a "confidential resource" according to Emerson's
Sexual Misconduct Policy (For more information go to http://www.emerson.edu/policy/sexual-misconduct)
As such I am required to report any information that may violate the SMP to Emerson's Title IX
Coordinator. If you would like to have a "confidential" conversation regarding an incident that may violate
the SMP please contact one of the following confidential resources: Violence Prevention and Response
(VPR) at 617-824-8857; Emerson Counseling and Psychological Services (ECAPS) at 617-824-8595; the
Center for Health and Wellness at 617-824-8666; or Emerson's Director of Spiritual Life and all College
chaplains at 617-824-8036. If you would like to report an incident directly to the Title IX Coordinator,
please contact Pamela White at 8 Park Plaza, Room 230; phone: 617-824-8999; email: titleix@emerson.edu
SCHEDULE:
Tues. 1/14 Introduction, first writing exercise

Thurs. 1/16 Reading: Orwell’s Politics and the English language. O’Brien’s Telling Tales.
Tues. 1/21 Monday Class Schedule
Thurs. 1/23 Reading: ‘Night Mother. Plot summary due.
Tues 1/28 Reading: Prairie Du Chien, Trifles
Thurs. 1/30 Individual Conferences, Paramount 335
Tues. 2/4 Individual Conferences, Paramount 335
Thurs. 2/6 Reading: Cowboy Mouth
Tues. 2/11 Reading: That Serious He-Man Ball
Thurs. 2/13 Reading: The Wolves
Tues. 2/18 Reading: How I Learned to Drive
Thurs 2/20 Reading: The Mountaintop
Tues 2/25 Reading: Our Lady of 121st Street
Thurs. 2/27 Reading: The Flick
Tues. 3/3 No Class Spring Break
Thurs. 3/5 No Class Spring Break
Tues. 3/10 First Draft Due. Class presentations.
Thurs. 3/12 Workshop
Tues. 3/17 Workshop
Thurs 3/19 Workshop
Tues 3/24 Playwright meetings, Paramount 335
Tues. 3/31 Workshop
Thurs. 4/2 Workshop
Tues. 4/7 Workshop
Thurs. 4/9 Playwright meetings, Paramount 335
Tues. 4/14 Workshop
Tues. 4/21 Workshop
Tues 4/28 Playwright meetings, Paramount 335
Thurs. 4/30 Final meeting, final draft due

TH388 - 01 Playwriting - CLARKE S20

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

TH388 - 01 Playwriting - CLARKE S20

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

TH388 - 01 Playwriting - CLARKE S20

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

COURSE TITLE: Playwriting l

COURSE NUMBER: TH388-01

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION:

Tues. 1/14 Introduction, first writing exercise

You might also like

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.