Introduction to Drama
| Code | School | Level | Credits | Semesters |
| EDEN1005 | School of Education and English | 1 | 20 | Spring China |
- Code
- EDEN1005
- School
- School of Education and English
- Level
- 1
- Credits
- 20
- Semesters
- Spring China
Summary
This module introduces students to the extraordinary variety of drama in the Western dramatic tradition. Students will examine the theatre of ancient Greece; medieval mystery and morality plays; the drama of Shakespeare and the Restoration; and nineteenth-century naturalism. We will explore dramatic texts produced by writers from Sophocles to Ibsen, and will also consider a variety of extra-textual features of drama, including the performance styles of actors, the significance of theatre locations, and the composition of various audiences.
Students will study the selected plays in workshops, seminars and lectures, during which we will explore twentieth-century adaptations and interpretations of the texts through use of video extracts. This course of study will also provide the opportunity to engage in practical theatre-making, and students will spend time acting and directing short extracts from the selected play-texts. By the end of the module, students will thus be able to recognise some of the key moments in the theatrical canon; understand more about the practical process of making performance happen; and analyse the social, historical and cultural contexts of various play-texts.
Please note: This module is assessed at the end of Spring semester. First sit/ Re-sit exams are scheduled normally in the summer and can take the same form as the missing/ failed component of the assessment (exam, essay etc.) or other form, as decided by the School.
Target Students
Students on BA English Language and Literature or English and Applied Linguistics. Open to English with Business or Exchange or other Arts and Education students. Available to JYA/Erasmus students.
Classes
- One 1-hour-30-minute seminar each week for 10 weeks
- One 1-hour-30-minute lecture each week for 10 weeks
One lecture hour per week, one 2-hour seminar alternate weeks.
Assessment
- 50% Coursework 1: 1500-word essay to be written following video viewing, mid-Spring semester
- 50% Coursework 2: 1500-word Director’s Log and Reflection, at end of Spring semester
Educational Aims
This module aims to provide students with• an understanding of drama as a performance medium, in which real people and objects are presented to other people in real, shared space• an introduction to a range of historical performance conventions, including Ancient Greek tragedy and nineteenth century naturalism• the ability to recognise and begin to analyse the varied elements which constitute performanceLearning Outcomes
Knowledge and understanding of
• the issues of performance and analysis specific to drama, including some key elements in performance practice from Ancient Greek tragedy to contemporary performance
Professional skills
• the ability to construct and communicate an analysis of performance texts verbally and in writing
• the ability to carry out research in a range of media and make use of that material Transferable skills
• the ability to communicate effectively by oral presentation
Conveners
- Dr Derek Irwin