University of Maryland  

Performance Project

The Performance Project and Discussion: Each student will assume a role -- actor, director, or designer (some discussion leaders will also have an adaptor). There can be more than one actor or designer in the group. The group will choose a play from a list provided by your discussion leader, read the entire play carefully, select an 8-10 minute scene from that play, and choose a production concept. Then using techniques of theatre addressed in class, the group will take a total of 15-20 minutes for their memorized performance and discussion in front of the class (this includes set up and breakdown of the scene).

Your scene should be a full production--with a production concept, blocking, memorized script, fully developed characters, and some set and costume designs (be resourceful – we do not expect this to cost a lot of money). Depending on the scene you choose, more than likely more than one person will need to act in addition to his or her other responsibilities for the scene. (The person or people who assume the role and research of the actor should have the biggest part(s) in the scene.) Depending on the number of characters in the scene, not everyone will need to act. But we do need to see each person’s contributions to the scene. (For example, a costume designer does not have to perform, but in performance we should see his or her costumes and in the post-performance discussion and in the paper he or she should show costume renderings.) In addition to the performance, each student should, in a brief question and answer period, be able to answer questions pertinent to his or her role in the production process. This assignment is an opportunity for each student to demonstrate his or her understanding of the concepts presented in lecture, collaborative skills, and creativity.

We recommend that the group immediately elect a group leader. This person is responsible for the organization of the group, setting meeting and rehearsal schedules, and overseeing the writing of group papers (the minutes (if required) and the production concept). It makes sense that the group leader is also the person who directs the scene, but this does not have to be the case. Keep in mind that you will probably need a minimum of 10-12 hours of rehearsal (working with lines, moving, blocking, and fine tuning) for the performance.

The Research and the Process Papers: As you have learned in class, all people involved in the theatre do research before mounting a production. This performance is not an exception. Your research will occur in a number of steps.

On March 7, each student will turn in an annotated bibliography with 5 sources and the group will turn in a statement of their production concept and present the concept to the class.

Concept Presentation: The groups will determine a “production concept” for their scene. The group will turn in a one-page statement of their production concept in which they explain the concept, explain how it applies to the play, explain the relevance of their choice to the audience, and give some preliminary thoughts as to how they will realize that concept in production. The statement will also outline the job responsibilities of each member of the group. Each group will turn in one group statement and make a brief presentation of their concept to the class. In that presentation each group member will speak about his or her specific contribution to the performance project and present the material from which he or she will draw inspiration for his or her work on the performance.

Annotated Bibliography: These sources should help the student prepare for his or her work in the performance. (i.e. An actor for Death of a Salesman might do research into how World War II affected job opportunities for men or what was expected of men in the post-war era. A set designer for Everyman might do research into medieval staging practices. A director for Top Girls might do some research into Caryl Churchill and her view of how feminist theatre differs from other forms.) Your bibliography can be in either MLA, APA or Chicago style (but it must conform to one of these styles and it must be consistent) and must be annotated. While you can (and should) cite the play and the textbook, neither can count as one of your five sources. And only one source may be from the Internet. (By Internet source we mean website. Some scholarly journals have online editions of their print journals—we do not count these or online databases accessed through the library web page as Internet sources.) Do not use variants on “Cliff Notes” -- Spark Notes, Pink Monkey, the Explicator, Wikipedia, etc. You may want to start your research with the THET 110 Library Resource Page on the course website.

On April 25 and May 2, students will perform their scenes in class and turn in their process papers.

Process Papers: On the day of his or her group’s performance, each individual will turn in a 3-4 page paper in which he or she describes how his or her research informed choices in the group’s production.

For example, if your group wants to explore the social consequences of the climate of fear present in America post-9/11, you might choose to perform Arthur Miller’s The Crucible. The director might do research into the War in Iraq, the Patriot Act, or the execution of Saddam Hussein to transform the concept into performance. The costume designer might do research into American military uniforms to inform his or her ideas on costume renderings. A dramaturg might do research into Congress challenging President Bush during the recent battle over the extension of the Patriot Act, or the actions/motivations of President Bush in determining that war was necessary, to work with the director on concept or adapting portions of the play to reflect this period. An actor may study important players in the war to inform her choices in creating character.

Or perhaps your group has chosen to set A Doll’s House in a Southern household during the 1960s to draw a connection between Nora’s struggle and the rise of the American feminist movement. The set designer would research what a middle class household in the 1960s American South would have looked like, including in his or her paper relevant pictures and descriptions of typical homes he or she discovered in the course of his or her research and describing how those were incorporated into his or her final design. The actor playing Nora may choose to read feminist literature from the period and in his or her paper explain how that that helped him or her interpret Nora’s actions and her fateful decision at the end of the play. A director might find it useful to research middle class homes during the period to help the actors understand how they must interact with each other and to determine if this might have been any different than during Ibsen’s time.

In writing this paper, focus on the ways in which your research informed the choices you made when you put together the performance. Your paper must use a minimum of five different sources. While you can (and should) cite the play and the textbook, neither can count as one of your five sources. And only one source may be from the Internet. (By Internet source we mean website. Some scholarly journals have online editions of their print journals—we do not count these or online databases accessed through the library web page as Internet sources.) Do not use variants on “Cliff Notes” -- Spark Notes, Pink Monkey, the Explicator, etc. You should also think of appending images (your own renderings or images from outside sources) to support your research. Be sure you cite all sources fully and accurately according to MLA, APA, or Chicago style.

The Group : It is vital that you be a strong and contributing member of your group. It is also important that you let your discussion leader know immediately if there are problems within the group. The group may be asked to turn in a packet that includes minutes and attendance for all rehearsals and meetings, signed by every member of the group. Students will also use a peer evaluation form to distribute points to other group members.