Course syllabus
Drama 202B: History and Performance
Course Information 2019 – Semester 2
Class Times: Tuesday and Friday12-13:30
Drama Studio, Room 325, Level 3 Arts 1 Building
Convenor/Lecturer: Dr. Rina Kim (Room 641, Arts 1 Building)
Phone: 3737599 ext-87348
Email: rina.kim@auckland.ac.nz
Office Hours: Thursday 2-3pm, or by appointment
Course Content:
Drama 202 explores a range of major plays from ancient Greek tragedy to contemporary New Zealand drama. This course aims to study plays in their historical context and as texts for performance. We examine plays with reference to the original staging conventions and to modern productions, and introduce different film and stage productions. More importantly, Drama 202 encourages students to develop skills in the staging of dramatic texts through practical sessions. These staging exercises are designed to help students build up necessary skills for our stage production in September. This course examines a number of theories of drama, with reference to their practical applications in play-texts and productions. We also explore dramatists’ engagement with the existing genres and traditions.
Aims and Outcomes:
By the end of the course you will be expected to have –
- good knowledge of the dramatic tradition and conventions and of the work of historically significant playwrights
- gained some familiarity with theoretical debates including Stanislavski and Brecht
- developed a sense of the expressive possibilities of different dramatic languages, such as naturalistic dialogue, poetic rhetoric, mise en scene and movement
Text List:
Bertolt Brecht, Life of Galileo –Also available online as an e-audio through Library
(Available Online: http://www.socialiststories.com/liberate/Life%20of%20Galileo%20-%20Bertolt%20Brecht.pdf)
Samuel Beckett, Endgame - Edition available from the bookshop. (Available Online: https://edisciplinas.usp.br/pluginfile.php/3346220/mod_resource/content/1/ENDGAME%20BY%20SAMUEL%20BECKETT.pdf)
Caryl Churchill, Top Girls – Edition available from the bookshop.
* The texts for the New Zealand Theatre Project will be announced later.
LECTURE AND TUTORIAL TIMETABLES
Semester 2
Week 1: Peer Gynt
Tuesday: Aba’s session continued -Reading+ Discussion
Friday: Auditions
Week 2 Bertolt Brecht’s Life of Galileo
Tuesday: Lecture
Friday: Group Work + Discussion
Week 3: Lighting Session + Workshop
Tuesday: Lighting Session by Nik Janiurek
Friday: Indian Ink Jacob Rajan’s Workshop. Please note the session begins at 12:20 and ends at 1:50pm.
Week 4: Lighting Session + Workshop
Tuesday: Lighting Session by Nik Janiurek Continued
Friday: Jo Randerson’s Workshop
Week 5: Samuel Beckett’s Endgame
Tuesday: Lecture
Friday: Group Work + Discussion
Week 6: Caryl Churchill’s Top Girls
Tuesday: Lecture
Friday: Group Work + Discussion
Mid-semester Break from
Saturday 31 August to Sunday 15 September
Week 7: Production Week – Peer Gynt – Yeah!
Tuesday and Friday sessions might be used for rehearsals
Week 8: Debrief & Discussion
Tuesday: NO CLASS
Friday: we will have a post-production debrief & discussion
Week 9: Introduction to New Zealand Theatre
Tuesday: Introduction to New Zealand Theatre
Friday: Class-time will be used for groups to prepare their final presentations for week 12
Please make sure that by the beginning of this week you have read The Tree, The Big Planet Earth Show, Bare, and When Sun and Moon Collide (there might be a change in one of the texts).
Week 10: NZ Theatre Project
Tuesday: Class-time will be used for groups to prepare their final presentations for week 12
Friday: Class-time will be used for groups to prepare their final presentations for week 12.
Week11: NZ Theatre Project
Tuesday: Class-time will be used for groups to prepare their final presentations for week 12
Friday: Class-time will be used for groups to prepare their final presentations for week 12.
Week 12: NZ Theatre Final Presentations
Tuesday and Friday class will be used for staging exercises presentations
Course summary:
| Date | Details | Due |
|---|---|---|