ACTING 1  DRAM 2020  Spring 2017

 

Mondays and Wednesdays   3:30—4:45pm             Drama Education Building, Helms Theatre

 

Instructors:  Chiquita Melvin (csm6up) and Colleen Kelly (jk2s) 

Office Hours: Mondays and Wednesdays, 4:45-5:30pm

 

Course Description:

DRAM 2020 (Acting 1) explores basic theories and techniques of acting through exercises, improvisation and scene work from contemporary and classic dramatic literature.

 

Course Objectives:

    •    Master the principles and techniques of level one acting

    •    Absorb and integrate theatre and performance terminology

    •    Expand creative, collaborative and communication skills

    •    Demonstrate vocal and physical abilities and choices for application to individual and scene work

    •    Analyze dramatic texts in order to interpret roles and create characters

    •    Memorize texts, make clear character choices, and perform those choices in an actor/audience relationship

    •    Respond critically to a live dramatic performance

 

Text and Materials:

    •    The Actor in You by Robert Benedetti, 6^th Edition

    •    Readings and resources as posted on Collab and handed out in class

    •    Folder and notebook or 3-ring binder

 

 Course Requirements:

 

Category	Point Value
Prompted Responses	20 points
Critical Analysis of Live Performance	20 points
Performances (plus written work)	45 points
Final Exam (includes performance and written components)	15 points

 

(20 points) Daily/Weekly Responses to in-class instruction and online resources:  to include, but limited to:

•5 prompted responses

Prompted responses are based on activities and events that occur in class.  If a specific question references a specific event, and you weren’t there, do not attempt to answer that question.  Instead, for that question write:  “I wasn’t in class.”

 

All written work must be submitted on Collab. Do not email work to me.

Late work will be penalized like this:  one letter grade off for each 24-period, with no work being accepted after 48 hours.  

Changes in a grade would occur only in the event of an error in calculation, and no grades will be rounded up. 

 

 

 

How to label/submit your work:

Save as PDF and then include your name, the course, and the assignment…for instance, for Performance Response 1, your document should be saved as:

Lastname.2020.abbreviatednamefortheassignment

Ex.:  Swift.2020.PR1

 

 

(20 points) Critical Analysis of Live Dramatic Performance Attendance at  both  of the plays (listed below) in the UVA Department of Drama’s Spring 2017 season is required, and then you will write 2 written responses (1 intuitive, detailed mindmap using Design Thinking and 1 traditional paper:  3-5 pages, double-spaced…more guidelines for the paper will be posted on Collab). 

 

Play	Production Dates	Due Date for the paper
Blood Wedding by Federico Garcia Lorca Translated by Langston Hughes Adapted by Melia Bensussen	Culbreth Theatre: February 23-25 February 28 March 1-2 All performances at 8pm	March 15
Shipwrecked! An Entertainment — The Amazing Adventures of Louis de Rougemont (As Told by Himself) by Donald Margulies	Ruth Caplin Theatre: March 30-31     8pm April 1                 8pm April 5-8            8pm   April 8 (also at 2pm)	April 12

 

 

GETTING YOUR FREE TICKET INSTRUCTIONS:  U.Va. student ticket reservations for Arts$ supported events, including the Department of Drama productions listed above, music and Virginia Film Festival events, can be made online and end the day before an event or when the allocation of complimentary tickets is exhausted. Student tickets are not transferable, and U.Va. students must present their student ID at the Arts Box Office or at the venue box office to pick up their ticket. Free U.Va. student tickets that are not picked up at least 30 minutes before an event may be released to allow other patrons at the door the opportunity to purchase tickets. U.Va. students must present their tickets and student IDs at the door for admission.

 

U.Va. Arts Box Office is located in the lobby of the U.Va. Drama Building and is open Monday through Friday from 12 pm to 5 pm.

 

(45 points) Performances/Written work for each performance

    •    Monologue 

    •    Open Scene

    •    2-person scene

    •    multiple-character scene (also performed during final exam period)

 

 

(15 points) Final Exam  

 Thursday, May 11 from 2pm-5pm.

 Multiple-character scene plus a written exam

 

 

 

 

 

 

Course Grade Thresholds:

A+        100%

A          95-99%

-A         90-94%

B+        87-89% 

B          83-86%

-B         80-82%

C+        77-79%

C          73-76%

-C         70-72%

D+        67-69%

D          63-66%

-D        60-62%

F          below 60%

 

 

Class Preparedness Expectations

    •    Dress:  Wear clothes and shoes you can move in.  No hats, no flip-flops.

    •    Food and drink:  Please make sure to eat before you come to class and bring a bottle of water.  No other food or drink allowed.

    •    Housekeeping:  Always restore the room.

    •    Technology:  Scenes or monologues may call for you to use cell phones or laptops, but generally, you won't need them in class.  

 

Students with Special Needs

Accommodations for test-taking (e.g., extended time) should be arranged at least 7 days before an exam. The SDAC is located in the Department of Student Health and can be contacted at 243-5180/5181.

 

 

ACADEMIC HONESTY AND PLAGIARISM

Work independently on assignments except sectional projects. Be careful in speech and action.  Do not make verbal or written claims to your instructor(s) that are untrue.  Plagiarism is presenting another person’s work as your own. Examples of plagiarism include copying another person’s paper, restating ideas from a book or article or lecture without citing the source, or copying from a book or article without noting with quotation marks and identifying the source of the quotation.  These examples do not exhaust the possibilities. A NOTE on ATTENDANCE and PUNCTUALITY: Faculty   members have the right to establish attendance and participation requirements in
each of their courses.  A student with more than four absences, regardless of reason, may be asked to withdraw from the course.

 

• Rehearsals outside of class will be a necessary part of your “homework”.  In scene work, you will have to coordinate with classmates to make this happen. 

 

 

Course Calendar

Schedule is subject to change, and additional readings and/or assignments may be added.

 

Unit			Date	Class Plan	Work Due All readings indicate the readings you should do PRIOR to class.  All written work has an 11pm due date  on Collab.
Unit 1	1		We., 1/18	Introductions & Reviewing Syllabus
Unit 1	2		Mo., 1/23	Getting Out of the Box: Using the body
Unit 1	3		We., 1/25	Getting out of the box: Using the voice	Read Chapters 1 & 2 before class Attend Daniel Beaty performance of Emergency at Newcomb Hall Theatre — 1/24 at 5pm http://mlk.virginia.edu/daniel-beaty
Unit 1	4		Mo., 1/30	Monologue performance techniques: Projection and Public Solitude	Read Chapter 3 before class. Submit Prompted Response 1 (by 11pm)
Unit 1	5		We., 2/1	Monologue rehearsing Script Analysis: Word Choice, Rhythm, and the Music of Speech	Chapter 4
Unit 1	6		Mo., 2/6	Monologue run-thru (part 1) Script Analysis: Objectives & Actions	Memorized monologue  (arrive to class ready to perform your monologue without your script) Chapters 5 & 6
Unit 1	7		We., 2/8	Monologue run-thru (part 2) Script Analysis: Beats, Scenes & Superobjectives	Chapter 7 Submit Prompted. Response 2 (by 11pm)
Unit 1	8		Mo., 2/13	Monologue run-thru (part 3)
Unit 2	9		We., 2/15	Monologue run-thru (part 4)
Unit 2	10		Mo., 2/20	Monologue Performance Receive open scene assignments	Submit monologue scoring/text work (by 11pm)
Unit 2	11		We., 2/22	Creating Character, Part One: Needs, traits, and recognition Open scene run-thru (part 1)	Chapter 8
Unit 2	12		Mo., 2/27	Creating Character, Part Two: Inside out and Outside in Open scene run-thru (part 2)	Chapter 9
Unit    2	13		We., 3/1	Open Scene Performances	Submit open scene scoring/text work (by 11pm)
			Mo., 3/6	NO CLASS/Spring Recess
			We., 3/8	NO CLASS/Spring Recess
Unit 3	14		Mo., 3/13	2-person scene Cold Readings	Audition Technique; Things to remember when directing your own scene
Unit 3	15		We., 3/15	2-person scene Cold Readings	Critical Response due for: Blood Wedding (by 11pm)
Unit 3	16		Mo., 3/20	2-person scene run-thru (part 1)	Chapters 10, 11, 12
Unit 3	17		We., 3/22	2-person scene run-thru (part 2)	Prompted Response 3 Due (by 11pm)
Unit 3	18		Mo., 3/27	2-person scene run-thru (part 3)	Memorized 2-person scene
Unit 3	19		We., 3/29	2-person scene run-thru (part 4)	Prompted Response 4 Due (by 11pm)
Unit 3	20		Mo., 4/3	2-person Scene Performances	Submit scoring/text work for 2-person scene (by 11pm)
Unit 4	21		We., 4/5	Play Reading (Part 1)
Unit 4	22		Mo., 4/10	Play Reading (Part 2)	Creating Character
Unit 4	23		We., 4/12	Script Analysis Techniques Multi-character scene assignments and read-thrus	Critical Response due for: Shipwrecked! An Entertainment- The Amazing Adventures of Louis De Rougemont (As Told By Himself) (by 11pm)
Unit 4	24		Mo., 4/17	Multi-character scene rehearsals (Part 1)	(TBD due to Showcase)
Unit 4	25		We., 4/19	Multi-character scene rehearsals (Part 2)	Prompted Response 5 Due (by 11pm)
Unit 4	26		Mo., 4/24	Multi-character scene rehearsals (Part 3)	Memorized multi-character scene
Unit 4	27		We., 4/26	Multi-character scene rehearsals (Part 4)	Submit scoring/text work for multi-character scene (by 11pm)
Unit 4	28		Mo., 5/1 (LAST DAY OF CLASS)	Multi-character scene Performance/Peer Feedback	Submit Peer Feedback (by 11pm on 5/2/17.)
			Th., 5/11	FINAL EXAM  2pm-5pm	Multi-character scene presentations plus written exam (bring laptop or blue book)

 

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