Syllabus
The University of Wisconsin Oshkosh
Departments of Theatre and English
Playwriting/Scriptwriting 374/375/529/ 530/329/330
Professor Richard Kalinoski
Spring 2012

Tuesdays 4 to 7 PM Arts and Communication North 213

Required Text : Elements of Playwriting, Catron, Louis E. (Waveland Press, 1993, 2002).

Recommended Text : Catron, Louis Playwriting: Writing, Producing and Selling Your Play (Waveland Press)

Other texts: Performances of plays on campus: Amost Maine by John Cariani (Feb. 15-19); Student One-Acts (titles TBA) ( March 8-10) ; Tartuffe by Moliere ( April 25-29); playwriting contest reading (May 2); Video of DEATH OF A SALESMAN by Arthur Miller (February 21)

OFFICE HOURS:

2:30 to 3:45 PM Tuesdays and Thursdays in office at 218 Arts and Communication West

Other hours by appointment

e-mail: kalinosk@uwosh.edu

Phone: 920 424 0937

CLASSROOM: AC North 213

Theatre as a part of the Liberal Arts

The liberal arts engage students in the study of the human condition by exploring the disciplines broadly defined by the sciences, the arts, culture, literature and history. THEATRE is a small component of these human endeavors but its reach is ambitious. Theatre has been historically dedicated to the act of imitating, replicating and representing our lives. In many ways it is the ultimate “liberal” art if one understands the word “liberal” to mean generous or broadly encompassing. Theatre is a collaborative art—painting, acting, directing, visual design, elocution, sound design and several allied crafts are all components of theatrical art.

Theatre’s mandate is to explore any and all facets of lives—it demands intellectual rigor and multifarious artistic abilities. Theatre is primarily interested in uncovering the truth about how we live. It is this search for truth that puts theatre into the very core of liberal pursuits. Theatre is a geniune liberal art.

Objectives of the Class:

1. Students will gain an intellectual understanding of the principles of writing for the stage:

--the play is a story enacted by actors who are interpretive artists

--a play depends on the action of a protagonist who makes a decision which impacts him/herself and others

--a play must exist in a confined space and must challenge the audience’s imagination to journey inside or beyond that space

--a play is not a tv program, not a film, not a novel

--plays must communicate with language, gesture, emotion, thought

2. Students will practice the art and craft of playwriting by conjecturing, writing, hearing a one-act play and revising that play.

3. Students will gain an enhanced understanding of the artistic opportunities of writing for the stage.

Key elements of the class:

--students are asked to bring sufficient copies of each of their drafts of their one-act play so that members of the class may read aloud. These copies must be formatted in the manner learned in this class.

--students should strive to offer criticism which is thoughtful and USEFUL….comments like “I don’t like this kind of play”, “this is bad writing” and “ I would do it this way” are not helpful. Your responsibility is to assess what is effective, what is not and make suggestions of issues for the playwright to ponder—as well as to ask probing and relevant questions. .

--Your responsibility in every case is to be present; to take part in readings as needed; to offer helpful criticism—to foster what is effective and working and to suggest what seems to not be working. You are an audience and a critic and a playwright in this class. And, you are a reader.

Challenges of PLAYWRITING

Playwriting is a public activity. The work of a playwright is almost always meant to be shared in a public arena, out loud, before an audience. The playwright has two fundamental audiences:

1. the cast and crew of her play

2. the audience that comes to see the community effort of the cast and crew and the playwright (together). Playwrights and actors share many of the same responsibilities—the actors carry the story the playwright has fashioned and the PLAYWRIGHT DEPENDS ON THE ACTORS.

Too, it is always fundamentally important to attempt to understand the limitations and opportunities presented by the theatre. Theatre is a place for imagination—where the playwright LEADS the audience toward empowering their aggregate imagination. Contemporary theatre, especially compared to film, is SMALL. This is not small in terms of size of story or in terms of potential greatness; this is small in terms of intimacy….a successful playwright will understand that uncovering the details of a few characters’ lives will most likely be more effective than trying to explore a great many characters in massive and panoramic settings.

Attendance: You should attend class because you have a responsibility in this course which is beyond your own immediate interest—you are being asked to help others learn by responding to the plays presented.

By thinking and speaking about the work of others you gain tools for evaluating your own work.

If you miss more than one unexcused class period your grade will drop by one whole point…upon the third unexcused absence another point drop and etc.

Grading :

Please know that I am acutely aware that as a creative class PLAYWRITING is very difficult to grade. Still, the university requires it:

Class participation and written critiques of performances 25%

Quizzes/tests 25%

Improvement from first exercises to final draft of one act play 50%. grade on your most final draft is the entire grade on your one-act play. Each draft

will receive a grade. (if your first draft earns a c and your next draft improves the play significantly the c is erased and you earn the improved grade only)

100 % total.

The schedule for Spring 2012:

January

31 Introduction to the class. Student profiles. Discussion of syllabus. Discussion of texts. The uses of attending theatre. The contract between audience and theatre artists. Lecture on concepts and 6 elements of drama (Aristotle). Discussion of community of artists.

In class writing exercise: dialogue between characters. Assignment: pages 1-16; collect writing exercise.

February

7 . Discussion of uses of liberal education. Discussion of pages 1-16. Discussion of major assignment—the one-act play—goals of the one-act play. Thoughts about the challenges of playwriting. Significance of re-writing (playwriting is re-writing). Return of previous in-writing exercise. In class writing exercise—monologues—show not tell. Assignment: read pages 17 thru 35. Meet with second year student.

14 Quiz on pages 1-35 Chapters one and two: Monologues due.

Discussion of chapters one and two. Assign :“a character who”. Assign pages 49 thru 63. Hand out guidelines for writing about main stage show.

Guidelines for formatting( re: dramatist guild guidelines).

21 Screening of Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller. Character concepts due. Assignment: official assignment of one-act play. Responses to Almost Maine due. Discussion of same.

28 Finish Death of a Salesman. Discussion of Death of a Salesman. What does Willy do? What does he want? Quiz on pages 49 thru 63. Discussion of pages 49-63.Assign pages 64 thru 91.

March

6 Discussion of pages 64 thru 91. Conversation about one-acts directed by students. Further discussion of character in action. Reminder: finish first drafts of play.

13 First drafts of one-act plays due. Conversation about your writing process. Reading aloud from 1st drafts of plays. (3) Responses to one-acts due. Discussion of one-acts.

20 Off Spring Break.

27 First draft readings (6)

April

3 FINISH first draft readings. (4-6)

10 Second drafts due for those who had plays read on 13 March. Reading of second drafts. Discussion.

17 Second drafts due for those who had plays read on 27 March. Reading of second drafts. Discussion.

24 Reminder to see Tartuffe; second drafts due for those who had plays read on 3 April. Reading of second drafts. Discussion.

May

1 Discussion of playwriting contest winner (May 2 is reading) . Discussion of Tartuffe; responses due. Reading of full length (Luke). Responses to Tartuffe due.

8 Last class—final drafts due. READING ALOUD FROM PLAYS.

Discussion of playwriting contest play.