Dramatugery paper

English 3313—Dramaturgy Paper Fall 2019

DUE: October 15 What is dramaturgy? Dramaturgy explains the specific interpretive moves presented in a play through careful and thorough research and textual analysis. The dramaturg provides the information needed to understand the context of the play, often content as well, for a contemporary audience. It is the dramaturg’s responsibility to address 3 “worlds” for the reader: ---The “world” of the play: that is the content of the play, its concepts, philosophies, ideologies, etc. Use and analzye quotes from the play to support your your thesis. ---The “world” of the playwright: or the social, cultural and/or historical context in which the play was written. Analyze the ways that the social, cultural and/or historical contexts inform the play’s meaning. ---The “world” of the audience: your readers or peers who may not be familiar with the play or its contexts. Your

analysis should anticipate questions your peers may have about the play, and provide background information so that your readers can better understand the play.

This is the dramatic version of a research paper. Your research and analysis will focus on one particular aspect of one of the plays we have studied. This is not plot summary or a summary of your scholarly articles. You need to establish and sustain a dramaturgical thesis. Come talk to me if you have questions. You must use at least four scholarly sources as source material for your paper. Scholarly sources must be at least 8 pages long. (The following are not scholarly sources: Explicator, Cliff’s Notes, Spark Notes, or any source that “explains” the play such as encyclopedias, book reviews, and websites.) Some exceptions will be made for valid primary sources, but you will need to clear those with me. Do not jeopardize your grade. If you are not sure if a source is a valid scholarly source, ask me. Choose from one of the following plays: Medea, Lysistrata, Noah’s Flood, or The Tempest. Specifics: Your paper must be 8-10 pages in length, with a minimum of 8 full pages, not including the works cited page. Use the standard MLA citation system to identify sources in your paper. The cover page and works cited page do not count toward the page minimum. If you have questions, ask. This paper is worth 200 points or 20% of your course grade. It may be useful to review copies of dramaturgical essays in playbills.