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D R A M 1 3 1 0 : I N T R O D U C T I O N T O T H E A T R E ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

CRITICAL REPORTS During the course of the semester you are responsible for writing two typed 3-4 page critical reports. These papers are critiques of a film and play that you watch, and should be written in the first person (example: I felt that the actress playing Olivia captured the part perfectly, with small gestures with her hands, showing Olivia’s tendency to be fussy.) When writing about plot, please keep the synopsis down to a few (2-4) sentences, no more than paragraph. You can use plot points, however, to emphasize a point about pacing, character development, lighting, costumes, etc… (example: When Wesley becomes enraged at finding his ice cream eaten after dreaming about it all day, the lights go red, and shift to under lighting, denoting that he’s really ticked off.) Papers must be:

1. Handed in at the BEGINNING of class. Late papers will be reduced by 10 points off for every class they are late. This includes turning paper in after class has started.

AND

2. Three to four FULL pages typed. Papers less than 3 full pages will receive 10 points off immediately.

HELPFUL HINTS

-This report is not about summarizing the story. You should assume that the reader is familiar with the subject matter in question and any story synopsis should be confined to NO MORE THAN A FEW SENTENCES. -You can earn an additional 5/10 points extra credit per paper for utilizing the Writing Center. Papers must have any suggested corrections completed. -Please make sure that you ITALICIZE or UNDERLINE the play or film titles. The general outline can be the following, based on the 6 Aristotelian points of dramatic criticism (theme, plot, characters, language, music, spectacle), and Critical Perspectives (social, human, aesthetic/artistic, and entertainment values):

1. Give a short introduction of the film/play you are critiquing. A. WHAT IS BEING DONE?

What is the production attempting to do? Is the production meant to criticize society or an individual? Is it meant to provide commentary or call to action? Educate or entertain? What are the characters attempting to do? (Use Theme and some Plot, Social and Human significances here.)

B. HOW WELL HAS IT BEEN DONE? Has the creator of the work reached their goals? Have the performers and director brought the work to life? Have the characters done what they set out to do? (Use Character, Language, Music, Spectacle here with Aesthetic/Artistic points here.)

C. IS IT WORTH DOING? Is this kind of production valid? Is it meaningful or significant to you…to others? (Use Entertainment value here.)

FILMS FOR THE MOTION PICTURE CRITICAL REPORT The critical report for a motion picture MUST be an Academy Award nominee or winner for Best Picture, Director, Actor, or Actress from the last 3 years (2016-2018). The following films are what you can choose: 2018: Call Me By Your Name, Darkest Hour, Dunkirk, Get Out, Lady Bird, Phantom Thread, The Post, The Shape of Water, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Roman J. Israel, Esq., I, Tonya. 2019: Black Panther, BlacKkKlansman, Bohemian Rhapsody, The Favourite, Green Book, Roma, The Post, A Star Is Born, Vice, At Eternity’s Gate, The Wife, Can You Ever Forgive Me?, Cold War. 2020: Pain and Glory, Once Upon a Time…In Hollywood, Marriage Story, Joker, The Two Popes, Harriet, Little Women, Bombshell, Judy, Ford V. Ferrari, The Irishman, Jojo Rabbit, 1917, Parasite. I will consider other films outside this list, but you must request an alternate movie to me BEFORE writing and submitting your paper. Otherwise, it must be from this list, or I will not accept the paper. What to consider: Location and Film: What movie did you see? Where did you see it? (Home, Theatre, Drive-in, etc.) Who directed it? What was the genre of the film: Sci-fi, Western, Kung Fu, Adventure, Comedy, Horror, Mystery, Romance, etc. Plot and story: What was the overall story and conflict of the film? (A brief plot summary-see hints below) Characters: Did the actors help in the direction of the end result? Discuss the few key characters that you think influenced the flow of the film and the actors that played them.

Cinematography: What was the primary look for the film? Bright scenes, dark shadows, muted or colorful moments? How were the camera angles used to illustrate the story? Were the important scenes shot in wide sweeping shots or close cuts? Design Elements: Was the set design elaborate or simple in the key scenes? Discuss aspects of the costumes and makeup if they were significant to the telling of the story. What about the music? Did it lend to the feel of the film? Overall impressions: Is this a film that was successful in telling a story without too many plot holes? Is this a film you would watch again or recommend to a friend?

GRADING FOR FILM CRITICAL REPORTS The film report is worth 50 points. For each day it is late 10 points will be deducted from the final score. The reports will be graded on the following scale: 0-10 points – Correctly following the instructions for the assignment. 0-10 points – For the structure of the report.

Did the report have a good beginning, middle, and end?

0-10 points – The report will focus, with specific examples from the material on these elements: acting; directing; scenery; costume/makeup; lighting; sound.

0-10 points – For the content of the report. Did the report have a good combination of subjective responses? Did the report answer the question, why?

0-10 points – For the grammar and spelling of the report. Was the report clear and free of run-on sentences and grammatical errors? Was the paper checked for spelling?

CRITERIA FOR THE PLAY CRITICAL REPORT You can write your report on any live theater/stage presentation that you attend during the 2020 Spring semester. PLEASE BRING A PROGRAM OR TICKET STUB FROM THE SHOW.

What to consider: Production: What was the name of the production and where did you see it?

Time Frame: When and where did the play take place (within the script)? Conflict: What was the plot and major conflict in the play? Tone: What was the dominant tone? Light, serious, moody, comical? Acting: Choose two or more character and describe their roles in the play. Where the actors cast appropriately and did they do their jobs conveying the characters they were playing? Set Design: Did the set (or lack of) contribute to the overall production? Costumes: How about the use of costumes and make-up? Lighting: Was there special lighting used or special effects? Sound: What about sound effects and music? Conclusion: What was your overall impression of the production? Did you go alone or with a friend? What were the general responses from the audience? Were they engaged: laughing, clapping, sighing? Or did they remain passive and unresponsive?

GRADING FOR PLAY REPORTS The play report is worth 100 points. If a student writes an additional theatre critical report it is worth up to 25 extra credit points. For each day it is late, 20 points will be deducted from the final score. The reports will be graded on the following scale: 0-20 points – Correctly following the instructions for the assignment. 0-20 points – For the structure of the report.

Did the report have a good beginning, middle, and end?

0-20 points – The report will focus, with specific examples from the material on these elements: acting; directing; scenery; costume/makeup; lighting; sound.

0-20 points – For the content of the report. Did the report have a good combination of subjective responses? Did the report answer the question, why?

0-20 points – For the grammar and spelling of the report. Was the report clear and free of run-on sentences and grammatical errors? Was the paper checked for spelling?