Category: Drama and Theatre

This is a design course so be thoughtful about the look of your portfolio – it should be cohesive and “flow”
Much of the material will relate to the script you’ve been using for many of the module topics.
Design an opening page – including:
Your name, the course (MPT285OL) and the name of the script – this can be the Title Treatment 
Your Initial Presentation (Module 4) of your ideas for the story – Vision Board & statement about your approach to visual style of the project.
Color Palette – the colors and a simple statement about your choices of colors (emotional tone, etc.)
Set Decorations
Props
An original Design of a Graphic or Sign to be used in the movie
Technical Drawings (floor plan, optional elevations)
Concept Sketch/Perspective Drawing/Images showing Depth
Your Business Card – name, title (“filmmaker” is ok), email, phone number (you can use generic email & phone number)
check attachments for some of the script, template for project, and others.

Your name here
Play Review
Instructor name here
Today’s date here                                                                                                       
Essay title here, for example: Play Review of Hamlet at Boston Court Theatre
Indent each new paragraph apart from your very first one. Your essay should be typed, double-spaced and use 12-point Times New
Roman font just like the example you’re reading right now. Number your pages just I have. The play review should be five sides long.
Use spell check and good grammar throughout. Your essay needs to be printed and handed in by the due date. No electronic
submissions will be accepted.
In the first paragraph briefly outline what you saw, when, and who directed it.
Briefly outline the plot in a couple of sentences. For example, if I wanted to summarize Romeo and Juliet I could say: ‘Set in the
Italian city of Verona it tells of a long-running hatred between two families, which results in the tragic death of the two young lovers,
Romeo and Juliet.’
The strange thing is that although it’s called a ‘play review’ you should be reviewing a production of a play not the play itself,
so don’t fall into the trap of explaining what happens in the story by exploring the plot, themes, or language of the drama. Those
things are fixed and never change. Write instead about what the production did with the play. Talk about the acting, lighting,
costume, set, music and any other element of the production and explain if they did a good or bad job. Feel free to share your
opinion and make bold statements about what you’ve seen. For example, I could that ‘I thought the Romeo actor was terrible,’ BUT
because a critical essay is about demonstrating your ability to build a strong argument, YOU NEED TO SUPPORT YOUR
STATEMENT with a clear and well-argued explanation. For example, explain how and why the Romeo actor was so terrible and if you
have any suggestions about how to fix this problem. For example, ‘I thought the Romeo actor was terrible because the character of
Romeo is supposed to be torn apart by love. We didn’t see that in actor’s physicality because the Romeo actor in this production was
too relaxed to make his performance believable. An example was in the scene where Romeo is banished and must leave the city
forever. The character talks about wanting to commit suicide and he’s furious he’ll never see Juliet again, but the Romeo actor
delivered the lines in a such a relaxed way that Romeo didn’t appear to care about his predicament. Also, the actor didn’t speak
clearly or loudly enough and I missed much of what he was saying. A simple solution to this would have been to mic the actors or for
the director to simply tell the actors to speak louder.’
Talking about specific moments like that will improve your essay and demonstrate that you engaged critically with the
production. But don’t just make one point and spend the entire essay talking about it. Aim for ten clear points about the acting and
other production elements. Consider how design and lighting helped or hindered the production. Did the costumes and set work well
or not? How did all the separate parts of the production fit together? Did some parts work better than others?
When writing your essay tell us what you thought AND always back it up with a strong argument then move on to the next
point. Do this again and again throughout your essay and you’ll maximize your grade. You might want to focus on the two or three
most successful aspects of the production and then counter this with what you thought were the worst parts.
What is the main theme or idea of the play and did the production put that across well? You should also write about how the
play is relevant to audiences today. Is the play relevant to your life? Explain why or why not.
Include some of the key terms from our book such as suspension of disbelief, fourth wall, climactic, episodic, Realism etc. That
will also improve your grade.
Finish your essay by summing up your overall response to the production and remember, your essay needs to be 5 sides long.
If your page count is slightly short or long (less than half a page) your grade won’t be affected but 5 sides is your target so that is
what you should aim to hand in. If your essay is more than half a page short or long, points will be deducted.
If, due to Covid-19, we cannot go and see a live theatre production, I will provide links to two theatre productions by Week 5.
Choose ONE and write your essay on that production.
Overview of Instructor Grading Methodology
All papers that include plagiarized materials will be graded zero.
5 point deductions to be made for the following errors:
The essay does not meet the requirements regarding word count i.e. the essay is either too long or too short (5 points may be deducted)
The layout does not conform to the suggested parameters as set out in the Play Review Guidelines and Outline (5 points may be deducted for each)
Spelling errors (5 points may be deducted for each)
Poor syntax, word choice, and grammar (5 points may be deducted for each)
Insufficient critical argument (5 points deducted for each missing argument)
Lack of clarity and/or detail in each of the critical arguments made (1 – 5 points deducted as per the instructor’s critical judgement)
Failure to include any of the key theatre terms from the program (5 points deducted)
Here are notes from the play: Peter and the Starcatcher which Im writing about in this play review: 
What stood out for me:
The gag of Captain Tash smashing the mirror.
Stage lighting and how it helped tell the story effectively.
The use of parasols to create the ocean.
The set 
based in 1885
the stage was a Proscenium stage
And here are some questions I had about the show?
The performance was full of energy and everyone was loud but I still couldn’t understand about 50% of what was being said. Why? And what could have been done to improve that?
Were moments when the 4th wall was broken effective? If so, why? If not, why? How could it be fixed if needed?
Did you like the way the actors helped change the scene by shifting bits of the set around or the use of parasols to create the effect of the sea? Was it effective?
How did lighting, set, costume help tell the story? 
What specific moments stood out for you? Why?
What about costume?
What about the direction? It’s not easy to organize such a large cast. 
How was the staging effective/ineffective in the telling of the story? Think about the tableaux that were made and the movement of actors across the stage. 
Inevitably, some actors were stronger than others. Who were they and why were their performances stronger? What could have been done to help those actors who were struggling in their roles? 
My notes (I was scribbling away during the performance). You may not agree/understand with any/all but this is what stood out for me as I watched the show:
Very first line lost (couldn’t hear the last word, didn’t get the meaning)
Diction bad, can’t understand what they are saying
giant sheets above stage like billowing sails
how they showed the orphans behind bars
staging — use of boxes to create different levels
lighting – sunshine, danger, blue skies
miming pulling the ropes 
recorded piano odd, not live, singing weak/out of tune etc
toy ships
SFX of creaking ship and ocean sounds
can’t see/hear when actors facing upstage, dialogue lost
SFX fart sounds, why not actor make sound?
scenes behind doors in various parts of ship
flashback to orphanage done with white screens and silhouettes
actors as narrators/break 4th wall/talk to audience
one of the orphans is really good
God save the Queen! Gag. Everyone stands and shouts God Save Her!
sick bucket, comic timing
Tash – crack mirror gag
Smee and the severed hand
parasol waves, ship’s wheel, lighting used to show switch from one ship to other
red light, chase scene
costume/one actor wear brand new Doc Martens / my suspension of disbelief shattered
the croc sounds more like a lion / use of silhouette
use of spotlights
use of gobo lighting at intermission to project stars on stage floor
gender and casting 
suddenly live music Smee and ukulele…why? Seems at odds with the recorded music
Peter flying 

Production History 8-10 Pages
Choose a play from history. You may include modern plays and musicals that started on the stage. NO MOVIES!
rInclude 3-4 productions. You may include visuals in your report. 
Be Organized! Include a summary about the play and playwright. Why is it important in theatre history? Use sources that are reliable! Use the library!
Use MLA Style!
Include a thesis statement in your introduction.
Make sure you support your claims with evidence from the text—use quotes.  
Underline your thesis statement in the first  paragraph
Pages typed double spaced—12point times new roman
Quoting Evidence from Sources
Quoting is one of the ways you can incorporate evidence from a source into your research paperor other writing assignment.
Quoting means using the exact words of the source, rather than a summary or paraphrase in yourown words. This is also called a direct quote.
To incorporate a direct quote effectively, you need three things:
1.    Introduction
This tells the reader that a quote is coming up.
2.    Quoted text
This is the actual text reproduced exactly as it appears in the original source.
3.    Explanation of relevance
This tells the reader why the quoted text is important for your argument.
In the following example, the introduction is marked (1), the quoted text is marked
(2)  and the explanation of relevance is marked (3). (The numbers are just forclarification; you would not use them in an actual writing assignment.)
(1)  In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson includes a list of god-givenrights, including (2) “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
(3) These words indicate an important shift in emphasis from the First ContinentalCongress of 1774, which had issued a declaration of rights in which stated that thecolonists were entitled to life, liberty and property.
How to Format Direct Quotes
Brief quotes should be set off from the surrounding text with double quotation marks as inthe example above. If your quoted text is more than four lines, use a block quote. A div begins on a new line, doesn’t have quotation marks, and is indented about one inchfrom the left margin.
Quoted evidence must come from reliable sources and be properly cited. In additionto using direct quotes, you can also iincorporate evidence by
paraphrasing or summarizing.

10 Total sources: 6 internet sources, 4 non-internet sources
No Plagiarism
MLA Format
Times New Roman Font – 12pt
Topic: Martin McDonagh’s love for stage violence and how it fits his style of writing. Pick a scene or two from each play that makes a choice about staging and violence.
Use this Introduction:
In the world of contemporary theater, there are few playwrights who can wield the power of a pen that is as sharp and swift as Martin McDonagh. Acclaimed for his darkly comedic yet profoundly unsettling portrayals of violence, McDonagh’s works serve as compelling reflections of the human mind, societal norms, and the typical fork in the road of moral uncertainty. Through plays like The Pillowman, a writer of short stories that depict child murders who finds himself being interrogated by detectives due to recent child murders and A Behanding in Spokane, a man who has been searching for his left hand for twenty seven years who comes across a couple that claims to have it, McDonagh skillfully navigates the deafening territory  of human nature, inviting audiences to confront uncomfortable truths with a potent blend of graphic imagery and biting humor.
Also how Martin McDonagh is staging his violence or stage violence made an impact on the world of theatre.

This is comparative FOOD film analysis essay. Focus on family and food.
Need to have some analysis about specific sequence and scenes in the films. 
Family Dynamics: Both films use meals as pivotal scenes that highlight family tensions, secrets, and bonds. Compare how food serves as a symbol of unity and discord within families.
Cultural Identity: Analyze how food is used to explore cultural identity and generational clashes within families of different backgrounds (African-American in “Soul Food” and Chinese-American in “The Farewell”).
Conflict and Resolution: Explore how major conflicts in both films are centered around family gatherings and how food plays a role in resolving these conflicts.

Instructions are uploaded
Each student is required to view one production and write a 2-3 page (500 -750 words)  response, paying particular attention to the representation of the body and violence. You will not be required to see a live performance. A list of live and filmed options is provided below. Students will see the transformation from the page to the stage and reflect on this experience by writing a review.
pick one flim 
Invisible Women
Written by Pamela Russell
Here is a link to the taped performance:
Invisible Women
(Running time 1hr 5 min)
Presented by the John Lion New Plays Festival
After years of stealing wallets from wealthy men, slip-and-fall lawsuits, credit card fraud and all-around grifting, two septuagenarians decide to up their game by volunteering at a local homeless shelter. Posing as kind old ladies with hearts of gold, they befriend a few down-on-their-luck homeless men and appear willing to do anything to help them get back on their feet. But things get a little less charitable and a lot more sinister when the men start turning up dead!
Filmed Professional Productions
A Woman in Waiting
Written by Yael Farber and Thembi Mtshali-Jones
Directed and Created by Yael Farber
Farber Foundry Company
A semi-autobiographical one-woman show about Thembi Mtshali-Jones and her life growing up in apartheid South Africa.
Here is a link to the taped performance:
A Woman in WaitingLinks to an external site.
(Running time: 1 hr, 13 min)
* For full screen, click on the farthest bottom right button
Step 2: Questions to Consider:
You can focus on the questions that interest you the most, but you should address the question(s) from each section.
Description: describe the production (what you saw and heard)
Include basic details: titles, director, major performers
Describe the audience and the performance venue, if shown
Describe the acting or performance style and performances that stood out to you
Describe the world of the piece (sets, lighting, costumes, etc.)
Describe staging conventions (example: do performers acknowledge the spectators?)
Interpretation: interpret the production (you can refer to programs and other sources to support your interpretation)
What was it about to you? (Do not include a plot synopsis. You can assume your reader is familiar with the play.)
Does the performance relate to any of the styles or plays we have discussed at in class? If so, how?
How is the theme of violence represented? (ie graphically, or subtly, onstage or offstage?)
What do you think were the artists’ intentions through their depiction of violence? 
Evaluation: evaluate what you saw within the context of what you think they were attempting
Was the intention worthwhile?
How effectively did it fulfill what you believe was the intention?
How did the spectators respond? 
Would you recommend the production? Why or why not?                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      
*Step 3: Remember to organize your response into paragraph form and pay attention to spelling and grammar!

After reading this entire module,  watch and comment on  three  rough cuts of your classmates  Final Projects that were uploaded last module.   Constructive respectful compliments, comments/suggestions  as they work on their revised, final cut. At least 100 words each
It’s recommended to say something positive about the film first then offer any respectfully  worded, constructive suggestions.

Instructions
Write a review of one of the plays on film offered on “The List” below. You need to offer a critical perspective of the acting, directing, and design taking advantage of the theatrical language you have learned in this course. It also should give us basic information about the film/play and share general observations from the perspective of an audience member.
Your critique must include:
Develop a strong HEADLINE for your review. Throughout the piece find ways of tying back into the premise of your headline (ex. New Play by John Smith a Frightening Masterpiece). Obviously the writer of this headline will emphasize why they thought the production was so scary and why they think the writing is worthy of the term masterpiece.
Paragraphs covering each of these 5 elements: 
The Basic Information
Name of film, where it is available, how long it ran, and a short (couple of sentences) synopsis.
The Acting/Singing
A couple of performances positive or negative (+ or -) which stood out in your mind. Name the performers. Provide relevant background on them.
The Direction
Did the director stage the peice effectively? Was the story and the narrative clear? Present a couple of examples (+ or -). Name the director. Provide relevant background on this person.
The Design
Did the production design, music choices suit the film, the period, and the production. A couple of strong examples (+ or -). Who was on the production team? What have they designed before?
Your Overall Reaction
Was this a thumbs up or thumbs down? Was it a great film, too long, too short, could you understand it, (+ or -), etc??
Writing that makes it evident that you DEFINITELY SAW THIS FILM. Avoid speaking in generalities or attempting to load up the paper with synopsis or other materials readily available online. Read the articles provided on criticism, critical writing, and reviews in major publication (NY Times) as a way of understanding this form. 
A clear critical POINT-OF-VIEW.  Again, read the articles provided on criticism, critical writing, and reviews in major publication (NY Times) as a way of understanding this form. 
Utilize the theatrical language you have learned in this course. Talk about the 5 elements using the vocabulary presented in learning activities in this course.
Reviews must be 100% your original writing. Do not quote or paraphrase and source. Reviews will be checked for plagiarism and ANY sequence of words (longer than 12 words) that matches any source or previous student review will result in an automatic zero and referral to the Dean of Academic Affairs.
Reviews must be posted online as a Google+, YouTube, Rotten Tomatoes, Amazon, or other online review platform.
A screen-shot of your posted review must be submitted with your text in this assignment area (NOT A LINK TO THE REVIEW).20 points (of 100) will be deducted if there is not proof you have posted an online review. Please allow processing time for some websites or take a screenshot of your submission page BEFORE you hit submit.
This review must be a minimum of 700 words. Remember papers that reflect minimum writing effort get average grades.
Important Note About Authorship:
One feature common to many pieces written by or with the assistance of AI are sentences that run-on, contain mixed participles, confused noun/pronoun combinations, and other grammar that is best described as “gobbledygook.” I simply won’t grade papers that contain multiple sentences like this. The entire paper will be returned to you ungraded. You will have an opportunity to proof-read the paper, and return it free of these mistakes. I will not remind you to do this. If you do not return the paper in corrected form as soon as possible, you will receive a zero for this assignment and potentially fail the course.

Theater Arts Play Report
This essay is expected to be 3-5 page analytical paper in MLA format (double spaced). 
Written on the live play – crazy for you
Introduction:
Begin with a statement that draws in the reader, (commonly known as a ) (Examples: A quote of dramatic dialogue or an impressive technical effect.) 
Report is not a plot synopsis of the play, but an analytical paper that reports your observations on a specific production.
Be sure to cite the venue of theatrical performance, the name and author of the play and the date you attended it in your introduction.
If you are using other sources in addition to the performance, be sure to include a works cited page. This is a measure to prevent accidental plagiarism. 
Thesis Statement: Your intro should include a thesis. A thesis is an encompassing statement that identifies the main idea of your paper, usually outlining the 3-4 main points to be discussed.   The thesis statement should tie together the major ideas you have put forth in your introduction and is usually placed at the end of the introduction paragraph.        
Body Paragraphs:
Essay should contain three to four (depending on the number of points outlined in your thesis statement) body paragraphs each outlining one main point.
Each point should have two to four sub-points with evidence / specific examples from the performance that support your idea/point. These are your observations on specific elements of the production and are the most important part in making an essay yours.  They are the “why” behind your essay.
You don’t have to like a production or its elements, but you must be able to articulate “why” something did or did not work for you.
Below is a possible example of the Body of a paper with the following thesis statement: “’Dracula’ was a highly entertaining production that explored the central idea of man’s eternal struggle with his passions through the use of elaborate technical enhancements (costumes, scenery, lights, sounds, etc) and dynamic performances.”
Body Paragraph 1: Your first body paragraph should be about the central ideas of the performance. 
Why was the play written? What was the author’s motivation for writing the play?
What are the themes of the play? (not the plot!) 
How does the author and director use imagery in the writing and on stage and what kind of symbolism is used to convey a message to the audience?
Body Paragraph 2: Your second paragraph should cover the technical aspects of the play. 
Include lighting, scene design, costuming, makeup, and/or any other technical aspects of the play.
Much is communicated in a play using technical aspects; analyze what technical aspects the director/designers and the various technical departments used and more importantly why you believe they used these techniques and if they worked, or not, to enhance or otherwise take away from the production.
Body Paragraph 3: In your third body paragraph you should analyze the performances of the actors. 
Consider the acting, the blocking, monologues, and any other specific performance related examples.
Give very specific examples and be sure to explain what exactly the actors did to catch your eye (vocal variety, physical intensity, emotional range, etc).
This paragraph runs the highest risk of being “plot” driven instead of analytical of the acting so be sure to stay focused on the what specifically made a good or non-effective performance and not the “what happened next”.
Conclusion:
Your conclusion should both revisit and wrap up your essay.
Your thesis should be restated along with each of your main
Use different wording to avoid sounding repetitive.
Close your paragraph with a statement that offers a point to your whole essay, possibly referring back to your “hook.”
Reminders:
The complete essay will contain:
A clear thesis statement clearly expressed
Developed (Substantial) paragraphs
Topic sentences and Transitions for each body paragraph
Specific observations from the play for each point
Analysis and Synthesis of each observation being made
A conclusion that unifies the essay

Theater Arts Play Report
This essay is expected to be 3-5 page analytical paper in MLA format (double spaced). 
Introduction:
Begin with a statement that draws in the reader, (commonly known as a ) (Examples: A quote of dramatic dialogue or an impressive technical effect.) 
Report is not a plot synopsis of the play, but an analytical paper that reports your observations on a specific production.
Be sure to cite the venue of theatrical performance, the name and author of the play and the date you attended it in your introduction.
If you are using other sources in addition to the performance, be sure to include a works cited page. This is a measure to prevent accidental plagiarism. 
Thesis Statement: Your intro should include a thesis. A thesis is an encompassing statement that identifies the main idea of your paper, usually outlining the 3-4 main points to be discussed.   The thesis statement should tie together the major ideas you have put forth in your introduction and is usually placed at the end of the introduction paragraph.        
Body Paragraphs:
Essay should contain three to four (depending on the number of points outlined in your thesis statement) body paragraphs each outlining one main point.
Each point should have two to four sub-points with evidence / specific examples from the performance that support your idea/point. These are your observations on specific elements of the production and are the most important part in making an essay yours.  They are the “why” behind your essay.
You don’t have to like a production or its elements, but you must be able to articulate “why” something did or did not work for you.
Below is a possible example of the Body of a paper with the following thesis statement: “’Dracula’ was a highly entertaining production that explored the central idea of man’s eternal struggle with his passions through the use of elaborate technical enhancements (costumes, scenery, lights, sounds, etc) and dynamic performances.”
Body Paragraph 1: Your first body paragraph should be about the central ideas of the performance. 
Why was the play written? What was the author’s motivation for writing the play?
What are the themes of the play? (not the plot!) 
How does the author and director use imagery in the writing and on stage and what kind of symbolism is used to convey a message to the audience?
Body Paragraph 2: Your second paragraph should cover the technical aspects of the play. 
Include lighting, scene design, costuming, makeup, and/or any other technical aspects of the play.
Much is communicated in a play using technical aspects; analyze what technical aspects the director/designers and the various technical departments used and more importantly why you believe they used these techniques and if they worked, or not, to enhance or otherwise take away from the production.
Body Paragraph 3: In your third body paragraph you should analyze the performances of the actors. 
Consider the acting, the blocking, monologues, and any other specific performance related examples.
Give very specific examples and be sure to explain what exactly the actors did to catch your eye (vocal variety, physical intensity, emotional range, etc).
This paragraph runs the highest risk of being “plot” driven instead of analytical of the acting so be sure to stay focused on the what specifically made a good or non-effective performance and not the “what happened next”.
Conclusion:
Your conclusion should both revisit and wrap up your essay.
Your thesis should be restated along with each of your main
Use different wording to avoid sounding repetitive.
Close your paragraph with a statement that offers a point to your whole essay, possibly referring back to your “hook.”
Reminders:
The complete essay will contain:
A clear thesis statement clearly expressed
Developed (Substantial) paragraphs
Topic sentences and Transitions for each body paragraph
Specific observations from the play for each point
Analysis and Synthesis of each observation being made
A conclusion that unifies the essay