Staging The Text
| Module title | Staging The Text |
|---|---|
| Module code | DRA2067 |
| Academic year | 2020/1 |
| Credits | 30 |
| Module staff | Dr Kara Reilly (Lecturer) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 6 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 120 |
|---|
Module description
In this module you will be tasked with staging a dramatic text and will critically reflect on this process. You will work in small groups of up to 12 students on a selection from the works of a particular playwright or group of playwrights with a view to interpreting, rehearsing, and staging this text. You will be given guidance through a programme of lectures . You will also receive tailored supervision for your group during your process. You will receive formative feedback from your tutor, the teaching team, and your peers.
The material you will work with changes every year, but you might, for example, work on selections from any of the following:
- Ancient Greek Drama
- Restoration Drama
- Shakespeare
- Molière, Corneille and Racine
- Goethe, Schiller and Kleist
- Ibsen
- Beckett
- 20th Century Irish writers
- 1980s British Drama
- Postdramatic Texts
If your group is not able to stage your production due to exceptional circumstances, you will submit a portfolio that outlines what your production would have been and provides examples of your creative process in preparing to stage it.
Module aims - intentions of the module
This module aims to give you the opportunity to engage in depth with the works of a particular playwright or period of dramatic writing through studying historical concepts and dramaturgical approaches and by staging selected excerpts independently and in small groups.
The module will familiarise you with a range of strategies to address the transformation from page to stage, both conceptually and practically, and in a range of roles as directors, actors, facilitators, collaborators and dramaturges.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Understand, reflect on and practically explore different approaches to staging text of a playwright or group of playwrights
- 2. Engage in close dramaturgical analysis and creative conceptualisation of text-based theatre practice
- 3. Explore and negotiate different roles in the process of transforming, adapting and interpreting a dramatic text for the stage
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 4. Relate to others in theatrical processes and performances; work effectively with others in small task-orientated groups and initiate and sustain creative, analytic and interpretative work within strict time limits and basic technical competence
- 5. Utilise research tools effectively and translate theory into practice
- 6. Engage critically and analytically with physical discipline; develop thoughtful creative processes and understanding of physicality in performance
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 7. Develop group cooperation skills, including the ability to give and receive constructive critical feedback and improve communication skills and analytic abilities in discussions
- 8. Express and communicate creative ideas and images; develop the ability to initiate and sustain creative work, both group and solo
- 9. Collaborate in various groups and group sizes; learn elements of teamwork and presentation
Syllabus plan
Whilst the content may vary from year to year, it is envisioned that it will cover some or all of the following topics:
- Lectures on script analysis and key skills for understanding dramatic texts, introduction, historical context, approaches to the writer(s) in question
- Technical introduction and basic training
- Work-in-progress showings
- Independent Rehearsals (with weekly supervision)
- Final Performance
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 30 | 270 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching | 30 | A combination of staff-led lectures, and supervised rehearsals that will include analysis, tasks and discussion |
| Guided Independent Study | 230 | Rehearsal and preparation for performance |
| Guided Independent Study | 40 | Reading and individual preparation for final examination and individual viva |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work-in-progress showing | 10 minutes, including a scratch scene or sample of performance, to indicate the approach to the dramaturgical and performance tasks. | 1-9 | Oral feedback from the teaching team and peers |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Process into performance | 70 | continuous assessment including a 15-25 minute performance or a portfolio of 3000 words (or equivalent) | 1-9 | Written feedback |
| Individual viva | 30 | 12 minutes (approx.) | 1-9 | Written feedback |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group performance or portfolio | Portfolio (3000 words or equivalent) | 1-9 | Referral/Deferral period |
| Individual viva | Viva | 1-9 | Referral/Deferral period |
Re-assessment notes
Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.
Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to submit a further assessment as necessary. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Basic reading:
- Barba, Eugenio (2009). On Directing: Burning the House. New York, Routledge.
- Bogart, Anne (2001). A Director Prepares: Seven Essays on Art and Theatre. London, Routledge.
- Bradby, David (1988) Directors' theatre . Basingstoke: Macmillan.
- Edgar, David (2008) How plays work : the theory and practice of playwriting . London: Hern, 2008
- Fuchs, Eleanor (2004). "EF's Visit to a Small Planet: Some Questions to Ask a Play." Theater 34(2): 5-9.
- Lennard, John (2002) The drama handbook: a guide to reading plays . Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- Luckhurst, Mary (2006) Dramaturgy: a revolution in theatre . Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
- Meisel, Martin(2007) How plays work: reading and performance . Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press.
- Merlin, Bella (2010) Acting: the basics . London: Routledge.
- Pfister, Manfred (1991) The Theory and Analysis of Drama. Cambridge: CUP.
- Turner, Cathy and Synne Behrndt (2008) Dramaturgy and performance . Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
- Waters, Steve (2010). The Secret Life of Plays. London, Nick Hern Books.
Specific reading for each year’s playwright(s) will be indicated via ELE before the start of the module.
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
Indicative learning resources - Other resources
- Exeter Digital Archive
| Credit value | 30 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 15 |
| Module pre-requisites | DRA1004 |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 5 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 2011 |
| Last revision date | 07/07/2020 |
