| Unit name | Early Modern Theatre Practice |
|---|---|
| Unit code | THTR20013 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Reimers |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | Department of Theatre |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
Students will encounter a range of performance texts and contexts from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries in a unit which emphasizes modes of staging and early modern performative practices, while examining how we can respond to classical drama as contemporary practitioners. Students will develop understanding of indoors and outdoors performances in amphitheatres such as The Globe and private playhouses such as The Blackfriars. Through workshops they will develop their interpretative and performance skills, focusing on, for instance, early modern rehearsal and acting techniques; uses of space in the early modern drama; and the production of gender, race, and class on the stage. By the end of the unit, students will have a thorough understanding of the historical and cultural contexts of early modern theatre, as well as a detailed knowledge of early modern practices of playing including verse-speaking, stagecraft, and stock characterisation. In addition, students will have the confidence to intervene, reinterpret and reimagine texts from the past having studied contemporary responses to and interpretations of early modern plays.
Unit aims:
On successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
1) demonstrate knowledge and critical understanding of early modern playing contexts and how these inform playwrighting of the period
2) demonstrate understanding of the key theoretical and theatrical concerns in both current and contemporaneous criticism of the early modern drama as appropriate to level I.
3) apply a range of critical approaches to reading and interpreting early modern playtexts,
4) demonstrate knowledge of early modern performance techniques and understanding of their practical application
5) conceptualise and perform a collaborative group project based on an early modern playtext, and develop their skills in acting and/or dramaturgy and/or directing
Teaching will be delivered through seminars, practical workshop activities and self-directed exercises.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative)
1. Critical reflection, 1000 words (25%)
2. Group Performance (75%)
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. THTR20013).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
