EA140-4-FY-SO:
Playwriting
2023/24
East 15 Acting School
Southend Campus
Full Year
Undergraduate: Level 4
Current
Thursday 05 October 2023
Friday 28 June 2024
15
09 March 2023
Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
BA W900 Creative Producing (Theatre and Short Film),
BA W900MV Creative Producing (Theatre and Short Film)
This module looks at the conventional art of developing character dialogue and story, while taking into consideration the working practices of the playwriting profession. Students will create short scenes and finish the module with a one-act play. Throughout the process students should organise to work with East 15 actors to read and workshop their scripts outside of normal teaching hours. Students will gain a broad understanding of different theatrical genres and develop the ability to work independently.
No information available.
By the end of this module students will be expected to have:
An understanding of:
- The narrative structure of a play
- How dialogue furthers character development and plot
- How theatrical conventions can further story
- Various genres of theatrical texts
The ability to:
- Craft a well written short scene
- Take on board feedback and respond in your writing
- Constructively critique your own and other's writing
No additional information available.
Playwriting will involve group seminars in which students will learn about narrative and dialogue etc and undertake readings of their writing. Students will also receive one-to-one supervision as they work on writing their one-act-plays.
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Peter Ansorge (no date) From Liverpool to Los Angeles. Faber & Faber.
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LaBelle, B. (2010)
Acoustic territories: sound culture and everyday life. New York: Continuum. Available at:
http://dx.doi.org/10.5040/9781501336225?locatt=label:secondary_bloomsburyCollections.
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David Sonnenschein (2001)
Sound Design: The Expressive Power of Music, Voice and Sound Effects in Cinema. Available at:
https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/universityofessex-ebooks/detail.action?docID=6188352.
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Banham, M. (1995) The Cambridge guide to theatre. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
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Bentley, E. (2008a)
The theory of the modern stage: from Artaud to Zola, an introduction to modern theatre and drama. [New ed.]. London: Penguin. Available at:
https://app.kortext.com/Shibboleth.sso/Login?entityID=https://idp0.essex.ac.uk/shibboleth&target=https://app.kortext.com/borrow/1095981.
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Bentley, E. (2008b)
The theory of the modern stage: from Artaud to Zola, an introduction to modern theatre and drama. [New ed.]. London: Penguin. Available at:
https://app.kortext.com/Shibboleth.sso/Login?entityID=https://idp0.essex.ac.uk/shibboleth&target=https://app.kortext.com/borrow/1095981.
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Cowgill, L.J. (2005)
Writing short films: structure and content for screenwriters. 2nd ed. Los Angeles, CA: Lone Eagle Pub. Available at:
https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&scope=site&db=nlebk&db=nlabk&AN=739969.
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Cooper, P. and Dancyger, K. (2004)
Writing the short film. 3rd ed. Boston, Mass: Focal. Available at:
https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/universityofessex-ebooks/detail.action?docID=232109.
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Donald C Farber (2006) Producing theatre. New York: Limelight Editions.
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Shore, A., Carfora, J.M. and SMRO. (2011)
The art of funding and implementing ideas: a guide to proposal development and project management. London: SAGE. Available at:
http://sk.sagepub.com/books/the-art-of-funding-and-implementing-ideas.
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Mitchell, K. and Hytner, N. (2009)
The directors craft?: a handbook for the theatre. London: Routledge. Available at:
https://doi-org.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/10.4324/9780203889701.
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Figgis, M. (2014)
Digital filmmaking. Revised edition. New York: Faber and Faber. Available at:
https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/universityofessex-ebooks/detail.action?docID=30270939.
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Bruce A. Bergner (30AD)
The Poetics of Stage Space: The Theory and Process of Theatre Scene Design. McFarland & Co. Available at:
https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&scope=site&db=nlebk&db=nlabk&AN=576885.
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Edgar, D. (1999) Playwrights on playwriting. London: Faber.
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Radosavljevic, D. and Palgrave Connect (Online service) Theatre and Performance 2013 (2013)
Theatre-making: interplay between text and performance in the 21st century. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Available at:
https://link.springer.com/book/10.1057/9781137367884.
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Thurlow, M. and Thurlow, C. (no date)
Making short films: the complete guide from script to screen. Third edition. London: Bloomsbury Publishing. Available at:
https://app.kortext.com/Shibboleth.sso/Login?entityID=https://idp0.essex.ac.uk/shibboleth&target=https://app.kortext.com/borrow/931714.
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Mamet, D. (1992) On directing film. New York: Penguin.
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Crispin Raymond (1998) Essential theatre. London: Arts Council of England.
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Marshall, K. (1998) Theatre Management: A Successful Guide to Producing Plays on Commercial and Non-Profit Stages. Studio City, USA: Scarecrow Press.
The above list is indicative of the essential reading for the course.
The library makes provision for all reading list items, with digital provision where possible, and these resources are shared between students.
Further reading can be obtained from this module's
reading list.
Assessment items, weightings and deadlines
Coursework / exam |
Description |
Deadline |
Coursework weighting |
Coursework |
Creative Writing Scene |
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30% |
Coursework |
Short One Act Play |
|
40% |
Coursework |
Log Book |
|
30% |
Additional coursework information
Assessment for this module is a combination of continuous assessment, critical evaluations and creative writing
Exam format definitions
- Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
- In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary,
for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.
Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.
Overall assessment
Reassessment
Module supervisor and teaching staff
No
No
No
Travel costs for UK - based unpaid, approved work placements and live projects which are an integral part of a module may be covered by your department. (NB this will usually exclude field trips and site visits). Please check with your module supervisor to ensure that the activity is eligible.
Ms Rosalind Maddison
Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
Head of Production
Available via Moodle
No lecture recording information available for this module.
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