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Shakespeare From Page to Stage

English/Theatre Arts 256
Spring, 2004

Gino DiIorio and Virginia Vaughan

Texts: Richard III, ed. John Jowett (Oxford)
Twelfth Night, ed. Bruce R. Smith (Bedford)
Macbeth, ed. William Carroll (Bedford)
The Winter's Tale, ed. Stephen Orgel (Oxford)

This seminar will provide a forum for what director John Barton describes as the opening up and narrowing down of four of Shakespeare's most commonly performed plays. Barton contends that ³In rehearsal we open ourselves to as many possibilities as we can but in performance we have to define and be specific² (p. 190 in Playing Shakespeare [London, 1984]). In classroom discussions of each text, we will seek to open up the widest possible range of interpretations of each play; in the performance of individual scenes, however, each student will define the role for him or herself and make specific choices.

The ultimate goal of the course is for students to gain and understanding of the text through performance. All students are therefore required to participate fully in Monday evening laboratory sessions and in our Monday-Wednesday discussion sessions.

Assignments:

The final grade will be based on three factors:

  1. (40%, 20% each)
  2. Two 8 pp. papers on a particular character, scene or issue, one due Feb. 25, the other April 26. Graduate student
  3. papers should be 10-12 pp. and include research.
  4. (40%) Performance
  5. Regular attendance at performance workshops and participation on a final presentation
  6. (20%) Classroom participation
  7. Since this is a seminar, it is crucial that students attend regularly and participate with their own questions and observations.
Schedule Reading
Jan. 21 Introduction
Jan. 26, 28 Shakespeare's History Richard III
Jan. 26, 28 Shakespeare's History Richard III
Feb. 2, 4 Critical Issues in Richard III Jowett, 1-131
Feb. 9, 11 Shakespearean Comedy Twelfth Night
Feb. 16, 18 Gender Bending Smith, 115-395
Feb. 23 Critical Issues in Twelfth Night
Feb. 25 Paper #1
March 1, 3 Summing up
March 15, 17 Shakespearean Tragedy Macbeth
March 22, 24 Patriarchy and Politics Carroll, 115-368
March 29, 31 Critical Issues in Macbeth
April 5, 7 Shakespearean Romance The Winter's Tale
April 12, 14 Gender and Patriarchy revisited
April 19, 21 Critical Issues in Winter's Tale Orgel, 1-83
April 26 Paper # 2
April 28, May 1 Summing up

 

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Additional Resources
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Interview with the Professors
Interview with Students
Sample lesson with Professor DiIorio
Course Structure
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Professor Gino DiIorio

Professor Virginia Vaughan

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