ENGL 338.001

Modern Drama

NOTE: This is representative of the syllabi for this course. It is not necessarily the syllabus being used in any one semester.

BY THE END OF THE COURSE, YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO--

Identify and discuss the use of dramatic conventions.

Analyze, compare, and contrast plots, characters, and themes.

Compare and contrast various playwrights' styles.

Discuss problems in adapting plays to the screen.

TEXTS: (in order of use)

Tennessee Williams: The Glass Menagerie

August Wilson: Fences

Arthur Miller: Death of a Salesman

Edward Albee: The American Dream

John Pielmeier: Agnes of God

Paula Vogel: How I Learned to Drive

Stephen Sondheim & James Lapine: Into the Woods

[You'll also be reading and viewing additional material on your own.

GRADES

1. Activities—see below (50%)

2. Tests (50%)

A. Reading Quizzes

B. Midterm

C. Final

3. I'll use attendance and participation as borderline determiners.

4. And speaking of attendance...

A. More than two absences is likely to cause your grade to suffer.

B. You may not make up missed assignments.

C. I will not accept late papers. If you can't get to class, send your paper with someone.

D. Should class be canceled for any reason, be prepared, at the next class, to cover the work from both classes. (University of Baltimore closings will be announced on the university web site www.ubalt.edu and on the university's weather line 410-837-4201.)

5. I interpret the grades I give you in the following way:

F —UNACCEPTABLE.

D —ACCEPTABLE: below average.

C —AVERAGE: turned in on time; fulfilled assignment; not particularly insightful or inspired.

B —ABOVE AVERAGE: either one element was outstanding or the paper in general was better than average.

A —EXCELLENT: entire assignment exceptional!

0 —assignment not turned in; counts as TWO "F"s.

ACTIVITIES (BRIEF EXPLANATIONS)

1. Attend an [approved] play and write about it:

A. List The Facts: title, author, production location, date

B. Briefly summarize the play (about one-half page).

C. Discuss what made the production succeed or fail, and what the production [apparently] added to what you assume the original script to have been (about two pages).

D. DUE: one week after you see the play; no later than May 1.

2. Read one additional [approved] play and write about it.

A. List The Facts: title, author, publisher, copyright.

B. Briefly summarize the play (about one-half page).

C. Compare and contrast it to plays you've read and seen as part of this course.

D. DUE: Wednesday, April 17.

3. Write a "missing scene" from one of the class plays in the style and with the characters of the original. DUE: one week after the play is due.

4. Write a two-to-three page analysis of a TV series' representation of The Family. The series may be a comedy, drama, soap opera, etc., current or past. You'll need to have watched enough episodes of the series to be very familiar with it. DUE: February 11 (identify program); April 29 (paper).

PRESENTATION OF ASSIGNMENTS

1. All out-of-class papers must be typed and double-spaced.

2. All papers must reflect mechanical writing competence. A poorly written paper will lower your grade.

3. You may revise written, out-of-class assignments. The revision is due at the next class meeting after the original paper has been returned to you. [NOTE: I will not grade a revision unless the original paper—with grade and comments—accompanies it.] Your final grade on that assignment will be the average of the original and revised grades.

PLAGIARISM

It's illegal and unethical to use someone else's work without properly crediting the source. If you are not sure where that line is between needing to credit a source or not or between quoting, paraphrasing, and original language, please ask me in advance or err on the side of over-citing. If I discover that you've plagiarized material for this class, I will ask you to withdraw from the course and submit the case to the University's disciplinary board for action up to and including expulsion.

OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION

1. My classroom manner tends to be casual and easygoing, loose, and seemingly disorganized. Don't let those cues mislead you! I am very serious about this course and about the caliber of your work. Anything short of excellent will be graded accordingly.

2. Occasionally, students take some of my remarks or humor as sarcastic. And some of those students take it personally. Please know that I have high regard for each of you as students and as human beings.
ENGL 338/MODERN DRAMA

Class Schedule

MONDAYS	WEDNESDAYS
1/28 INTRO & OVERVIEW	1/30
2/4 READ: The Glass Menagerie	2/6
2/11 READ/VIEW: A Raisin in the Sun I.D. TV SERIES	2/13
2/18 READ: Fences	2/20
2/25 READ: Death of a Salesman	2/27
¾	3/6
3/11 READ/VIEW: Neil Simon: Brighton Beach Memoirs or Lost in Yonkers	3/13 MIDTERM EXAM
3/18 READ Albee: The American Dream
3/25 NO CLASS: SPRING BREAK!	3/27 NO CLASS: SPRING BREAK!
4/1 VIEW: Sam Shepard: True West	4/3
4/8 READ or VIEW: David Mamet: Glengarry Glen Ross or American Buffalo	4/10
4/15 READ: Agnes of God	4/17 DUE: RELATED PLAY PAPER
4/22 READ: How I Learned to Drive	4/24
4/29 DUE: TV SERIES PAPER	5/1 READ: Into the Woods
5/6	5/8
5/13 11:30am-1:30pm FINAL EXAM