TH241-5-FY-CO:
Theatre and Performance Makers
2024/25
Literature, Film, and Theatre Studies
Colchester Campus
Full Year
Undergraduate: Level 5
Current
Thursday 03 October 2024
Friday 27 June 2025
30
28 March 2022
Requisites for this module
TH141
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
BA W401 Drama,
BA W402 Drama (Including Year Abroad),
BA W403 Drama (Including Placement Year),
BA W408 Drama (Including Foundation Year),
BA QW24 Drama and Literature,
BA QW25 Drama and Literature (Including Placement Year),
BA WQ28 Drama and Literature (Including Foundation Year),
BA WQ42 Drama and Literature (Including Year Abroad),
BA P400 Film and Drama,
BA P401 Film and Drama (Including Year Abroad),
BA P402 Film and Drama (Including Placement Year),
BA P403 Film and Drama (Including Foundation Year),
MLITQ394 Drama and Scriptwriting,
BA V114 History and Drama,
BA V115 History and Drama (including Foundation Year),
BA V116 History and Drama (including Placement Year),
BA V117 History and Drama (including Year Abroad),
BA WW80 Drama and Creative Writing,
BA WW81 Drama and Creative Writing (Including Foundation Year),
BA WW82 Drama and Creative Writing (including Placement Year),
BA WW83 Drama and Creative Writing (including Year Abroad)
This module will afford students the opportunity to explore a diverse and eclectic range of historical and contemporary models of practice in different areas of theatre and performance-making, and in different global contexts.
In common usage, the word ‘model’ can mean something regarded as an ‘excellent example of a specified quality’ or a ‘thing used as an example to follow or imitate’ (Oxford Dictionary). While working in very different political, cultural, and historical contexts, the pioneering practitioners that will be explored each week on this module have all made lasting and influential contributions to the way in which acting, writing, directing and live art-making are studied and performed – each week, we will focus on a practitioner or cultural institution that has developed ‘models’ of working that have influenced approaches to theatre-making or challenged previous ideas of what theatre can be, or what it might do in the world.
The aims of the module are:
1. To develop knowledge of a range of models/approaches to theatre practice in different global, historical, social, cultural and political contexts
2. To develop an understanding of relevant theories
3. To gain practical insights through discussion and by test-benching a variety of different creative processes, rehearsal techniques, writing exercises etc.
By the end of this module, students will have had opportunities to gain:
1. knowledge of different models, techniques and styles of performance in a diverse range of international and historical contexts
2. the ability to appreciate, engage critically, and develop work creatively, in a variety of theatre and performance modes, forms, and genres
3. experience of engaging in performance-making, based on an acquisition and understanding of appropriate creative vocabularies, skills, structures, and working methods
4. the ability to work collaboratively, sharing responsibility, delegating, and where appropriate leading teams
5. skills in independent research
6. skills in critical writing on practice/methodology
No additional information available.
Anticipated teaching delivery:
Weekly 1-hour online lecture and 2-hour workshop with an intensive week in the summer
- (no date) Ex Machina / Robert Lepage - 887 - YouTube.
- Schechner, Richard. (2012) 'What is Performance?', in Performance studies: an introduction, London: Routledge., pp.28-51
- Chekhov, Michael. (2002) To the actor, London: Routledge.
- Boal, Augusto. (2008) Theatre of the oppressed, London: Pluto.
- Bogart, Anne; Landau, Tina. (2014) The viewpoints book : a practical guide to viewpoints and composition, London: Nick Hern Books.
- Boal, Augusto. (2002) Games for actors and non-actors, New York: Routledge.
- Barker, Howard. (1985) The castle; Scenes from an execution, London: Calder. vol. 110
- Kim Durham. (2000-) 'Acting on and off: Sanford Meisner reconsidered', in Studies in Theatre and Performance: Taylor & Francis. vol. 23 (3)
- De-lahay, Rachel. (2011) The Westbridge, London: Methuen Drama.
- (no date) Episode 5: Method vs. Meisner - YouTube.
- Schechner, Richard. (no date) Performance Processes - YouTube.
- Albacan, Aristita I. (2016) Intermediality and Spectatorship in the Theatre Work of Robert Lepage, Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
- Dundjerovic, Aleksandar Saša. (2008) Robert Lepage, Abingdon: Routledge.
- Schechner, Richard. (no date) Ritual - YouTube.
- Albacan, Aristita I. (2016) 'Robert Lepage and the Context of Theatre in Québec', in Intermediality and spectatorship in the theatre work of Robert Lepage: the solo shows, Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing., pp.37-71
- Dundjerovic, Aleksandar Saša. (2008) 'Performance Text - The Dragon's Trilogy', in Robert Lepage, Abingdon: Routledge.
- Hodge, Alison. (2010) Actor training, London: Routledge.
- Schechner, Richard. (no date) What is Performance Studies? - YouTube.
- Rabey, David Ian. (©2009) Howard Barker: ecstasy and death : an expository study of his drama, theory and production work, 1988-2008, Basingstoke [England]: Palgrave Macmillan.
- Turley, Richard Marggraf. (©2016) Writing essays: a guide for students in English and the Humanities, London: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.
- (no date) Schechner's Rasaboxes - YouTube.
- (no date) Playwright and Director Robert Lepage's Unique Creative Style - YouTube.
- Williams, Roy. (2002) Sing yer heart out for the lads, London: Methuen.
- Schechner, Richard. (1994) Environmental theater: an expanded new edition including 'Six axioms for environmental theater', New York: Applause.
- (no date) La trilogie des Dragons / The Dragon's Trilogy - YouTube.
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 |
Formative seminar presentation/practical workshop (during class time - week TBC) |
|
0% |
| Coursework |
Choice of Independent Project: 3,000-word essay OR a Practical Assignment and a 1,000-word Critical Reflection (Practical work to take place during class time - week TBC) |
|
50% |
| Coursework |
Participation |
|
5% |
| Practical |
One-week Intensive (In-class in week TBC) |
|
45% |
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
Dr Liam Jarvis, email: ljarvis@essex.ac.uk.
Dr Liam Jarvis
LiFTS General Office - email liftstt@essex.ac.uk.
Telephone 01206 872626
No
No
Yes
Dr Christina Papagiannouli
University of South Wales
Research Fellow
Available via Moodle
Of 285 hours, 45 (15.8%) hours available to students:
240 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
0 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s).
* Please note: due to differing publication schedules, items marked with an asterisk (*) base their information upon the previous academic year.
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