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PLAY READING ASSIGNMENT 1

For this assignment, you will choose a play to read, the complete a reading report that will include pertinent information about the play, as well as your response.

Step 1: Choose a play from the following list. The plays listed are a variety of genres, styles, and time periods. Plays that have “PD” next to them are public domain, which means that no one owns the copyright to those plays and therefore you should be able to find a free online copy of the play. For all of the plays listed, you should be able to find a copy of them in a library (either FTCC’s or the public library). Another option you have is to borrow a copy from me; please let me know early in the assignment period if you need to borrow something from me; I will lend them out on a first-come-first-served basis.

·
Antigone by Sophocles; Greek tragedy, the third in the Oedipus Trilogy (PD)

·
Hamlet by William Shakespeare; tragedy (PD)

·
A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen; drama (PD)

·
A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry; 20th century drama

· The Laramie Project by Moises Kaufman and the Tectonic Theatre Project; based on the true story of the murder of Matthew Shephard in Laramie, Wyoming.

·
Tartuffe by Moliere; comedy, originally written in French (PD)

·
A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare; comedy (PD)

·
The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde; comedy (PD)

·
Private Lives by Noel Coward; comedy

·
Rumors by Neil Simon; comedy

Step 2: Read the play.

Step 3: Complete the Play Reading Report document that is attached.

Step 4: click on the title of this assignment to complete and submit the Performance Report. Two options for submitting your report:

· Option 1: complete the document (linked above), save it as a unique document (.docx or PDF), titled with your first and last name plus the name of the play you watched; then click on the assignment title, attach the appropriate document, then click Submit.

· Option 2: complete the document, then open the assignment, click on Write Assignment, then copy and paste your information from the document you completed; then click submit.

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Play Reading Report

Title of Play:

Playwright:

Date Written/First Performed:

Plot Synopsis (write a brief, 5-7 sentence description of the plot):

Characters (name and brief description/relationship to other characters)

Theme (discuss one major theme and how the playwright communicates this theme)

Diction (give 3-5 lines of dialogue from the play that illustrate the playwright’s use of diction)

Music (from your reading, what sounds do you imagine a production might include? These may be sound effects, literal music, qualities of the actors’ voices, etc.)

Spectacle (from your reading, what sounds do you imagine a production might include? These may be visual effects, lighting, scenery, costumes, etc.)

Response: What did you think of the play? Did you enjoy reading it? What specifically did you enjoy or not enjoy? (you may very well have aspects that you enjoyed, but others that you did not; include both here) Would you want to see a live performance of this

Part B

Performance Report

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For this assignment, you will watch a recording of a live performance, then write a report in which you identify the genre, style, and plot details of the play you choose to watch, along with your response to the play.

Step 1: Log in to Digital Theatre Plus (opens in a new window) using the following credentials:

username: dra111

password: island@5960

Step 2: search in DT+ for a play that you would like to watch. The easiest way to browse their selection (which is considerable) is to do the following:

· scroll to the bottom of the main page

· click on Table of Contents

· click on Productions

· you will notice that some productions are Blocked; this is due to mature language and/or content.

· some productions are audio only; for this assignment, you need to watch a full performance, one that includes audio and video.

· you are welcome to narrow your search if you are more interested in watching a particular genre or style; you can do so by selecting the genre/style in the left-hand menu on DT+ website.

Step 3: watch your chosen play. Most plays are 1.5-2 hours long, so make sure you leave yourself plenty of time. It may be helpful to preview the assignment and take notes on what you will need to include in your Performance Report.

Step 4: click on the title of this assignment to complete and submit the Performance Report. Two options for submitting your report:

· Option 1: complete the document (linked above), save it as a unique document (.docx or PDF), titled with your first and last name plus the name of the play you watched; then click on the assignment title, attach the appropriate document, then click Submit.

· Option 2: complete the document, then open the assignment, click on Write Assignment, then copy and paste your information from the document you completed; then click submit.

2.
Performance Report

3.
Title of Play:

4.
Playwright:

5.
Location of Performance:

6.
Creative Team:

7.
Director:

8.
Set Designer:

9.
Costume Designer:

10.
Lighting Designer:

11.
Sound Designer:

12. *note: in DT+ there is someone listed as the “Capture Director;” that refers to the person who directed the recording, or capturing, of that one performance that you watched. The director I want you to list is the production’s director, simply listed as “Director.”

13.
Plot Synopsis:

14.
Characters (name and brief description/relationship to other characters; name of actor who played each character; focus on the
6-8 primary characters if the play has more that that.)

15.
Theme (discuss one major theme and how the playwright communicates this theme)

16.
Diction (give 3-5 lines of dialogue from the play that illustrate the playwright’s use of diction)

17.
Music (examples of things the audience hears; these may include sound effects, literal music, qualities of the actors’ voices, etc.)

18.
Spectacle (examples of things the audience sees; these may be visual effects, lighting, scenery, costumes, etc.)

19.
Response: In 1-2 complete paragraphs (approximately 150 words) answer the following: What did you think of the play? Did you enjoy watching it? What specifically did you enjoy or not enjoy? Would you recommend this play to someone?

PART C

Why The Live Arts Matter

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Watch the Ted Talk, ”

Why the Live Arts Matter
” with Ben Cameron.  You may also want to open the transcript, attached here:  

Transcript Why the Live Arts Matter.docx
  

Transcript Why the Live Arts Matter.docx – Alternative Formats

 Being able to read along as he speaks, or read it after watching the talk may help you to better comprehend his points, make notes, etc.

In at least 200 words, respond to the video. What surprised you or intrigued you? What ideas or sentiments resonated with you? Was there something that you disagreed with or thought was odd? You don’t have to answer each of these questions specifically; they are intended to help guide your response.

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