PAPER GUIDELINES


Guidelines to follow when writing your papers for this course:



GENERAL FORMAT (both play reviews and script reviews)

Your papers should be:

* a minimum of two pages

* typed and double spaced

* nothing larger than a 12 font

* sent to me via my email address in a document. (NOT in the body of the email)

The papers should include your name and the word "online" as a heading in the upper right hand corner. NO COVER PAGE is necessary. Utilize a simple "Introduction / body/ conclusion" format when crafting your papers.



PAPERS ON SCRIPTS:

Papers should be based on the following:



a) Plot * a note on this! Keep this area to one or two small paragraphs. DO NOT make the entire paper a synopsis of the plot!

b) Characters * note- discuss the main or principal characters of the piece. What did you like or dislike about them? How do they effect the story? Are there any peripheral characters discussed that we never see or hear from but who still have an impact on the story?

c) Theme * note- this is YOUR INTERPRETATION. There is no right or wrong, so long as you can back it up.

d) Difficulty to produce * note- imagine you run a Theatre and want to produce this play. What would make it difficult to do so? Some examples of this:

- Large cast (more than ten characters)

- Age of characters (are there any children in the cast or elderly people? Is it a cast of 70 year olds?)

- Multiple locations (would you have to build elaborate sets or change scenery every other scene)

- Language ( Is there a lot of cursing or offensive language? Are there stron ethnic or regional dialects?



CRITIQUES OF LIVE PERFORMANCES:

These papers should, very simply, be based on your opinion of the shows you attended. What did you like or NOT like, and more importantly WHY! It's not enough to say "The play was Great...I loved it" or "The play stunk! I hated it!". You must tell us what you loved or hated. This is strictly YOUR OPINION. There is no right or wrong, so long as you can articulate why you did or did not appreciate the performance.

Some areas you might want to address:

* Acting

* Technical elements (scenery, lighting, costumes, etc)

* Plot (but DO NOT make the papers a retelling of the plot! This is a great way to make a bad grade on this assignment. Simply discuss whether you thought the plot was interesting, moved at a good pace, was clear and easy to understand, etc.)

* Audience reaction- How did the audience at this event affect the outcome? Were they into the show and reacting, or were they lifeless, or rude, etc...



The due date for these papers is on the syllabus!! All must be sent to my email address AS A DOCUMENT, not in the text of the email.


If you have any questions regarding these assignments, use the comment function of this posting to ask them, and I'll reply with all due haste.