Fourth Paper Guidelines:
For this paper you will need to see a streamed live performance of a play within this quarter. You can find some recommendations for this quarter. See “What’s Streaming” in the Resources section. If you choose Hamilton on Disney Plus, make sure to see the notation also on that page.
Before you write, please read the directions carefully and follow them exactly.
Please maintain the order of questions with your responses, but write in essay format–so not in bullet point or subsections. Be sure to review the requirements for written work in the syllabus before you write your response.
Once you have chosen your topic, compose your paper in a word processing program, then go to “Submit Assignment” and upload your file as a .doc, .docx, or .pdf.
Reminder, run a spelling and grammar check before you submit. And don’t forget, referencing a play is a proper title and needs to either italicized or underlined, not in quotation marks.
Remember also to make sure your choice fits within the course criteria for seeing a live show found both in the syllabus as well as in PLAY VIEWING in Module #1.
Stylistically, please remember a few things:
Make sure you underline or italicize play titles (not quotations marks) whenever you reference the play’s title. That is the preferred stylistic reference technique. You will be nominally marked down otherwise.
If you reference an actor, director or designer, include their character or function and then full name in your first reference. Last name only in subsequent references.
**(An Amendment to the above note for streaming) Many of the more professional productions will have the cast and production team listed at the end of the recording. In that case note the actual names of the contributors and site them in your writing. If that information is not available, because you may not have access to a program for these productions, when you need to reference an artistic contributor in your paper, identify the person by job title, aka: the director, the lighting designer, the actor playing XXXX. Please note if you are just mentioning a plot point in the story, you can just mention the character name. When you are referencing an observation of the performance, identify it as “the actor playing XXXX.”
Remember you can only speak for your experience, not the entire audience. You cannot validly claim, “The audience felt sympathy.” You can’t possibly know that. You can claim, “Most of the audience erupted into a standing ovation.” That’s a factual statement that you witnessed.
See below for detailed instructions.
Your paper should be at least 700 words in length. Again, this does not include your performance information.
See Assignments for specific dates
Reminder! Because we are at quarter’s end, NO late papers accepted.
Final Paper: Summation (200 points)
Instructions/Essay Prompt:
Regard that you are a critic and have an assignment to review the show that you have witnessed (please make sure you check the stylistic requirements listed above). It is your job to promote audiences to want to see it or discourage them from seeing this second show. Be sure to distinguish the elements between writing, acting, directing and design elements. Make specific connections between your opinions and samples of what you witnessed. Describe with details elements from the production that you found exhilarating, provocative, evocative and the like or what you found disappointing, unfulfilling or distracting, etc. Answer the why? Answer the how?
Question 1 requires simple information only about the second live play you attended. Then proceed to address the following four questions/prompts. Prompt one should be a list, but the rest (prompts 2-4) should be rendered in essay form. In other words, NOT in a bullet point format other than section one.
1. Performance information:
a. Name of play and playwright (if this info is not readily available in you chosen broadcast, Google it)
b. Producing organization (theatre company, if available)
c. Venue (name of the building/theatre where the performance took place) and city (both if available)
d. Date of performance you viewed (if available, posting date of video acceptable too)
e. Director’s name (if available)
f. For Musicals: Composer and lyricist (again, Google it if not readily available)
g. Essential – Include the URL of the link you viewed. If a subscription service, please include the home page. If viewed in another format (such as a DVD) please describe/indicate that.
Give a BRIEF description of the second play you attended–a concise description of plot content, themes, perceived messages upon the audience. This section is not intended to be the crux of your essay–the next section is. Avoid revealing spoilers.
Include specific opinions about the elements we have covered this term with samples from what you observed – writing, acting, directing, design. How did it or did it not appeal to you? What can you tell your reading audience to convince them to see it or deter them from wanting to see it? Again, be specific.
Compare the two live shows you witnessed this term and explain to your reading audience which experience made a greater impact on you and why. Break down at least two tangible reasons with specific support instances as to why you found one experience more rewarding than the other. Even if you experienced a similar response to both, choose one to represent your top choice.
Use citations from the plays, examples from your reading or experiences you have had to justify your choices in the questions above.
The thoughtfulness and depth of your answers, supported by the insights youve gained this quarter and the examples will be the basis for your grade.
