About
the Course
About
the Course
We will examine closely three playwrights – Tennessee Williams, Edward Albee and Sam Shepard – whose writing both reflected and shaped five decades (and counting) of the American theatre. While their plays may initially seem disimilar, all three use the paradigm of American realism as a point of departure in creating works that incorporate magic realism, absurdism, performance art, and any number of other prominent 20th Century theatre movements. Above all, these are writers whose voices are grounded in deeply personal, poetic language and imagery -- and whose dramas both form and inform the canon of modern American theatre. I shall expect that each and every student in the class is interested in the application of thoughtful, scholarly analysis to the plays we read. It is possible to be both fans and scholars, but the goal and methodology of this course are inquiry and analysis.
Class Format and Attendance
This class meets once a week – Mondays 4:30-7:10pm. It will be conducted as a seminar: that is to say that collective discussions involving my input as well as yours will be the mode of each session. As such, attendance and participation are crucial factors for your success. In a once-a-week course, I permit one absence: more will adversely affect your grade. You are also expected to show up for class on time, and to remain for the entire session. In addition, all students are expected to complete the required reading and (where applicable) writing assignments or oral presentations for each session. In a small group such, each member of the class has the right to expect others in the group to be present and prepared.
Major Assignments and Grades
There are three research papers of approximately ten pages each due in the course (one on each of our playwrights), as well as one 30 minute group oral presentation (on a play to be determined). There will be no exams in this course, but I reserve the right to give pop quizzes (and factor them into the grade) if I find students aren't doing the necessary preparation. In final grading, I will weigh all factors equally: papers, oral presentation, class participation.
A Word on Incompletes and Late Work
Incompletes are not good for either students or professors, and should be used only in extreme situations. Of course, these situations do arise -- but be aware that I grant incompletes rarely, and only if both the following conditions are met: 1) there is a verifiable personal or medical emergency; and 2) the student has done all the course work except for one outstanding assignment. Any late work will be automatically downgraded, unless special arrangements have been made before the due date. Finally, all incompletes must be made up by the first week of the semester following this course. After that, the grade will lapse to a fail and I will not accept make-up work.
Schedule
(This of course is subject to review. It may be that an interesting discussion on a particular topic or show lasts longer than planned; or that we find we have little to say on another topic. We will adjust accordingly throughout the semester.)
Papers Due
(Papers are due on the Thursday following the last class session devoted to each playwright. Papers may be turned in to my office mail box in Hamilton 112 [not Bennett Hall]. They may also be emailed to me. If you choose that option, please send me an attachment in Word, and also cut-and-paste the text into your email note, just to be sure. Papers are due by 5pm.)
EMail Group
This course has an established listserve: (as I write this, it will probably be fox275@english.upenn.edu, bu I’ll confirm this). I will use this forum to disseminate announcements and update assignments, as well as to converse and ask questions between class meetings; and you will be responsible for checking this information. Participants should be aware that all communications posted to this EMail box will automatically be made public to every subscriber; any private correspondence intended for me should be sent directly to my EMail address (dfox@mail.sas).
Book List
I have asked to have copies of the following books ordered by both the Penn Book Center (222-7600). All but Seascape (which is published by Dramatist's Play Service) should also be available through internet sources (amazon.com or barnesandnoble.com, for example). Please note: you may subsitute another text of the same play for the one listed; but wherever possible I have tried to find the least expensive, paperback edition. Using a different version of the text will also be a bit more cumbersome as we work together to locate and discuss specific passages. (Also be careful with Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, which exists in two versions.)
Assigned and Supplementary Readings
Reading assignments by and large will be plays by our three authors.
For the most part, the entire class will read the same plays, but in a few cases
we may work in smaller groups, with each group focusing on a particular – and
different – play. Your reading list also includes a biography
of each of our three playwrights. I highly recommend that you read it during
the course of our discussions; you are expected to use and cite each one as
part of your paper on each playwright.
Using the World Wide Web
By this time, it should be no surprise to anyone that the worldwide web is a signficant resource for research. But like all useful tools, it is wise to know the its limits, and I want to say here and now that the web (and other internet catalogs) does not substitute for library research and for reading conventionally published materials. Also, be forewarned: many web sites are maintained by earnest fans rather than experts, and while much information is often helpful not all of it is accurate. Any research done via web should be double-checked against other, more reliable sources. The web works best when used in conjuction with other kinds of research: for example, it is a superb place to look for initial bibiliographies and listings of current periodical references – but such references inevitably lead (or should lead) back to the library. Plan to spend time in Van Pelt, and get to know one of the excellent research librarians on staff.
Having said all this, you might want to take a look at the following websites, all of which have links to additional information on their writers:
Films
All three of the playwrights we cover have seen substantial numbers of their works translated to film; all three have also written works for the screen. In the case of the stage adaptations, they are often useful and illuminating: I plan to use sections from a number of them in-class, and I’ve asked the resnet channel to arrange showings of many (see asterisks below, and them check the on-line resnet movie schedule). But – be aware that in most cases, the films substantially alter the shows as written for the stage. Sometimes these changes are minor (often done for reasons of censorship), but in some cases the alterations are substantial and substantive. All of this is to say that while watching these films can be very helpful, it is not a substitute for the assigned reading.
Tennessee Williams: