Course specification for THE1001

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THE1001 Theatre in Context 1: Sophocles to Shakespeare

Semester 1, 2020 Online
Short Description: Theatre1 Sophocles Shakespeare
Units : 1
Faculty or Section : Faculty of Business, Education, Law and Arts
School or Department : School of Creative Arts
Student contribution band : Band 1
ASCED code : 100103 - Drama and Theatre Studies
Grading basis : Graded

Staffing

Examiner:

Other requisites

Students will require access to e-mail and have internet access to UConnect for this course.

Rationale

This course provides students with an introductory overview of some of the major plays, and socio-historical features of drama in performance from ancient Greece to the Renaissance.

Synopsis

This course is the first instalment of an historical and theoretical journey through theatrical and dramatic literature. Texts will be drawn from the Western theatrical performance tradition. The course will also provide students with some contemporary approaches to the study of performance, and will include a special study of the fundamental techniques of debate and scholarship in drama.

Objectives

On successful completion of this course students should be able to:

  1. demonstrate an understanding of cultural literacy through the way in which drama functions within specific theatrical and social contexts (TLO 6);
  2. research and evaluate specific dramatic and theoretical texts from Western traditions of theatre up until the 17th Century (TLO 2);
  3. analyse the processes which make up the performance event in specific historical contexts (TLO 2);
  4. apply fundamental principles of scholarly method to the writing of essays and examinations (TLO 3);
  5. interpret and communicate ideas in writing using the essay genre and examination format (TLO 4).

Topics

Description Weighting(%)
1. Defining performance 10.00
2. Ancient Greek theatre 30.00
3. Medieval theatre in Europe 25.00
4. Renaissance theatre in England and Spain 35.00

Text and materials required to be purchased or accessed

ALL textbooks and materials available to be purchased can be sourced from (unless otherwise stated). (https://omnia.usq.edu.au/textbooks/?year=2020&sem=01&subject1=THE1001)

Please for alternative purchase options from USQ Bookshop. (https://omnia.usq.edu.au/info/contact/)

Shakespeare, W, Othello.
(Any edition.)
Webster, J 2009, The Duchess of Malfi and other plays: the white devil; the Duchess of Malfi; the devil’s law-case; a cure for a cuckold, Oxford UP, New York.
THE1001 Introduction to history and theory of drama 1: external study book and selected readings, ¾«¶«´«Ã½app of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba.
(70% of the reading material for this course appears in the Selected Readings. Please make sure this is ordered and purchased through the USQ Bookshop).

Reference materials

Reference materials are materials that, if accessed by students, may improve their knowledge and understanding of the material in the course and enrich their learning experience.
Brockett, O 2008, History of the theatre, 10th edn, Pearson, Boston.
Hayman, R 1999, How to read a play, Revised and updated edn, Methuen, London.
Sidnell, M J (ed) 1991, Sources of dramatic theory: Plato to Congreve, Cambridge ¾«¶«´«Ã½app Press, Cambridge.
(Vol 1.)
Williams, R 1991, Drama in performance, Open ¾«¶«´«Ã½app Press, Milton Keynes.

Student workload expectations

Activity Hours
Directed ¾«¶«´«Ã½app 39.00
Independent ¾«¶«´«Ã½app 126.00

Assessment details

Description Marks out of Wtg (%) Due Date Notes
ESSAY 1 100 20 27 Mar 2020
ESSAY 2 100 40 22 May 2020
TAKE HOME EXAM 100 40 End S1 (see note 1)

Notes
  1. This will be a take home exam. Students will be provided further instruction regarding the exam by their examiner via ¾«¶«´«Ã½appDesk. The examination date will be available via UConnect when the Alternate Assessment Schedule has been released.

Important assessment information

  1. Attendance requirements:
    Students must attend and complete the requirements of the Workplace Health and Safety training program for this course where required.

    External and Online:
    There are no attendance requirements for this course. However, it is the students’ responsibility to study all material provided to them or required to be accessed by them to maximise their chance of meeting the objectives of the course and to be informed of course-related activities and administration.

    On-campus
    It is the students’ responsibility to attend and participate appropriately in all activities (such as lectures, tutorials, laboratories and practical work) scheduled for them, and to study all material provided to them or required to be accessed by them to maximise their chance of meeting the objectives of the course and to be informed of course-related activities and administration.

  2. Requirements for students to complete each assessment item satisfactorily:
    Due to COVID-19 the requirements for S1 2020 are: To satisfactorily complete an individual assessment item a student must achieve at least 50% of the marks for that item.

    Requirements after S1 2020:
    To satisfactorily complete an individual assessment item a student must achieve at least 50% of the marks.

  3. Penalties for late submission of required work:
    Students should refer to the Assessment Procedure (point 4.2.4)

  4. Requirements for student to be awarded a passing grade in the course:
    Due to COVID-19 the requirements for S1 2020 are: To be assured of receiving a passing grade a student must achieve at least 50% of the total weighted marks available for the course.

    Requirements after S1 2020:
    To be assured of receiving a passing grade a student must achieve at least 50% of the total weighted marks available for the course

  5. Method used to combine assessment results to attain final grade:
    The final grades for students will be assigned on the basis of the aggregate of the weighted marks obtained for each of the summative assessment items in the course.

  6. Examination information:
    Due to COVID-19 the requirements for S1 2020 are: An Open Examination is one in which candidates may have access to any printed or written material and a calculator during the examination

    Requirements after S1 2020:
    The exam for this course is a CLOSED examination, and candidates are allowed to bring only writing and drawing instruments into the examination.

  7. Examination period when Deferred/Supplementary examinations will be held:
    Due to COVID-19 the requirements for S1 2020 are: The details regarding deferred/supplementary examinations will be communicated at a later date

    Requirements after S1 2020:
    Any deferred or supplementary examinations for this course will be held during the next examination period.

  8. ¾«¶«´«Ã½app Student Policies:
    Students should read the USQ policies: Definitions, Assessment and Student Academic Misconduct to avoid actions which might contravene ¾«¶«´«Ã½app policies and practices. These policies can be found at .

Other requirements

  1. Students can expect that questions in assessment items in this course may draw upon knowledge and skills that they can reasonably be expected to have acquired before enrolling in the course. This includes knowledge contained in pre-requisite courses and appropriate communication, information literacy, analytical, critical thinking, problem solving or numeracy skills. Students who do not possess such knowledge and skills should not expect to achieve the same grades as those students who do possess them.

Date printed 19 June 2020