Course Syllabus

 

Image:

Jesus Christ Superstar.JPG

 Intro to Theatre THAR 2  Section 6134

Meeting Times: T/TH 10:30 - 12

Instructor: John Shillington

Office Hours: T/Th 12:00 - 12:30 and by appointment

Office Phone: 707-486-4228

Email: jshillington@santarosa.edu  but I check my home email more often jshillington@sbcglobal.net

**photo by Jeff Thomas of Jesus Christ Superstar

 

Course Description

Catalog Description:

An introduction to theatre as both an art form and social forum, emphasizing the interrelated processes of playwriting, acting, directing, design, technical theatre, theatre criticism, theatre management, and theatre architecture. Students will study theatre from a variety of perspectives through lectures, attending plays, reading scripts, and hands-on experiences. Required attendance at three to four assigned theatre productions (discounted admission; students provide own transportation).

 

Online Class Requirements

This class requires the use of Canvas through the SRJC website. This online delivery differs from a traditional face-to-face setting in several ways. First, your success in this class depends entirely on your ability to keep up with the required readings and complete all assignments on time. Second, this class requires that some of your work be submitted trough the Canvas system--you must have a basic understanding on how to upload or paste your work onto Canvas. Here is a link to a complete set of Canvas Guides (Link to an external site.) that you can use as a starting place; it is imperative that you watch those videos and contact me if you have any questions or issues.

By the first day of class, you should log on to the Canvas class site and explore the Getting Started Module.If you have any issues, concerns, or if you have any suggestions on how your experience can be improved, please contact me through email or a post on one of the forums. My primary goal is to help you succeed in this class.

I will do my best to help you stay on track. If I notice that you are missing assignments or your grades are low, I may contact you to check if you are participating or if there might be an issue with your ability to complete the work.

 

Textbook

Text: The Theatre Experience Edwin Wilson, 13th Edition, McGraw-Hill Publishers

Wilson’s 13th edition. 

 

Attendance & Participation

  • The attendance policy on Zoom will be discussed in class.  You are allowed a total of 3 absences for the semester without point penalty. These include both excused and unexcused absences, work conflicts, the Russian River flooding, family emergencies, etc. I recommend that you use them only for such events.
  • Send me an email if you cannot make it and I can send you a recording of the class.  After you watch the recording and the various video clips from that day, two days of absence IN CLASS will be excused if you send a paragraph that you watched it and your response to the class recording.
  • Excessive absence for the course: Your final grade for the course will be reduced one full letter grade for the fourth absence, another full letter grade for the fifth absence, and three full letter grades for the sixth absence. If you have six absences (excused or not), the best grade you would be able to receive for the course would be a D. 
  • Any anticipated absences for the semester (class/team events, work conferences, personal responsibilities, etc) must be discussed with me within the first two weeks of class and will count as part of your three absences.
  • For the purpose of late work, an ‘Excused Absence’ is defined as: illness or hospitalization accompanied by a note from your doctor for an office visit or hospitalization.
  • Please call in when you are ill. We are a team now. We need to know where you are.

 

If you are going to be absent, call or email me before class. Remember it is your responsibility to find out any missed information, handouts, etc. Don’t ask me, “What did I miss?” Find out!

 Participate! The secret to a great learning experience is your own active participation in the class environment!!

 This syllabus and course calendar have been carefully prepared to serve needs of all students to allow your Instructor enough time to prepare and evaluate student work. No student will be allowed to reschedule a quiz, exam or major assignment, except in the case of documented illness or family emergency.

 You are required to watch on Zoom two Theatre Arts Department Productions this semester and one outside production. You are to critique one of the shows (She Kills Monsters) . Arrange your work schedules now!

 

You will be given a free pass to the entire Theatre Arts season this semester!!

If, at the end of the semester, your grade is borderline (A- to B+), these factors will be taken into consideration:

  1. Your promptness getting to class. Tardiness is not tolerated.
  2. Your contribution to/detractions from the group experience.
  3. Your personal effort to improve and do the best that you can.

For an absence to be excused you must have a written excuse from your doctor. Emergencies are excused at my discretion… but that’s it! Work conflicts are not excused.  Late papers are not accepted. Period. Quizzes and tests may be made up only for excused absences.   Late ads must see me about make-up work.

Dropping the Class

Since this is a college course, you are responsible for dropping yourself from this class; I will not drop you, you will simply fail the course if you stop showing up. However, for face-to-face courses, students who fail to attend the first class meeting may be dropped by the instructor. 

Important Dates

 Last day to drop semester length class and be eligible for a refund February 7, 2021

Last day to register/add semester length class with the instructor’s signature or add code February 7, 2021

Last day to drop a semester length class without “W” symbol February 8, 2021

First Census Day February 11, 2021

(No classes) February 12, 2021 Lincoln’s Day Holiday 

February 15, 2021 Washington’s Day Holiday (No classes)

February 28, 2021 Last day to opt for P/NP for a semester length class

March 22-28, 2021 Spring Break (No classes)

Midterm progress indicators posted in student portal March 26, 2021

 April 25, 2021 Last day to drop a semester length class with “W” symbol 

FINAL EXAM is Tuesday May 25 10 am - 12:40

 

Assignments

Expect to complete 6 hours of homework per week from reading text or reader.

  • First Thoughts  - essays on your perspective
  • Playwriting (approx. 4 - 5 pages)
  • Write a review of She Kills Monsters  (2 – 3 pages)
  • We usually do production hours but instead I will assign four videos of plays to watch and discuss response
  • Participation in group questions/ acting exercises
  • Worksheet and Quizzes
  • Director/Designer Project (5 pages)
  • Final Exam

 

Click the “Grades” link in Canvas to keep track of your grades. I grade your submitted assignments once a week and post grades and comments in the Canvas gradebook.

 

Grades:Quizzes
Writing Assignments                                  40%

Playwriting, Review of Hamlet reviews, Review of She Kills Monsters, Designer/Director project, Your History 

Objective examinations   The Final            15%

Skill demonstrations/participation                25% 

Discussing plays watched, acting scenes

Other methods of evaluation/ 14 Quizzes      20%

 

 

Quizzes

There are 14 quizzes in this course - one for every Chapter in Edwin Wilson's text. There is also a " You can turn the quizzes in anytime between the first week of class to the time the quiz is due. The quizzes will serve as a study guide for the written final.

 

Late Assignment Policy                                                                                                 

Make up work for medical emergencies is due at the beginning of the next class period. Late assignments (or assignments due on days you have an unexcused absence) will be accepted anytime before 11 PM on the day they are due. You may email or fax these assignments by 11 PM. Or you may drop off the assignment to the Theatre Arts office anytime before 5 PM on the day it is due. Be sure to have someone in the Theatre Arts office initial the drop off time.

 

Pass‐No Pass (P/NP)

You may take this class P/NP. You must decide before the deadline, and add the option online with TLC or file the P/NP form with Admissions and Records. With a grade of C or better, you will get P.

You must file for the P/NP option by the proper date. Once you decide to go for P/NP, you cannot change back to a letter grade. If you are taking this course as part of a certificate program, you can probably still take the class P/NP. Check with a counselor to be sure. 

 

Standards of Conduct & Academic Honesty

Students who register in SRJC classes are required to abide by the SRJC Student Conduct Standards. Violation of the Standards is basis for referral to the Vice President of Student Services or dismissal from class or from the College. See the SRJC Student Code of Conduct page.

You are encouraged to work with your fellow students to study for exams, quizzes, and review materials; however, any graded project or exam must be entirely your own work—you may work together on an assignment but you may not submit the same homework with different names if you worked together. If you turn in another person’s homework as your own, neither student will receive credit for that particular project. The same restrictions apply for material from the internet, you may use the internet as a resource but you are not allowed to copy and paste material and turn it in as your own. You will receive a zero for any submitted work that is not your own.

See these links on Plagiarism:
SRJC Writing Center Lessons on avoiding plagiarism
SRJC's statement on Academic Integrity

Special Needs

Every effort is made to conform to accessibility standards for all instructor-created materials. Students should contact their instructor as soon as possible if they find that they cannot access any course materials.

Student Health Services: Health issues (physical and mental) can interfere with your academic success. Student Health Services is here to support you. Details are at shs.santarosa.eduIn addition, they have a great new 3-minute video that details all of their services.

Students with Disabilities: Upon identifying themselves to the instructor and the college, students with disabilities will receive reasonable accommodation for learning and evaluation. Link to SRJC Disability Resources Department.

 

 

Course Summary:

Date Details Due