plays and playwriting: the liberation playwrights’ collective

8/14/2019 Plays and Playwriting: The Liberation Playwrights Collective

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Plays and Playwriting:The Liberation Playwrights Collective

Before I write down one word, I have to have the character in my mind through and

through. I must penetrate into the last wrinkle of his soul.

-HENRIK IBSEN

Instructor: John Powers (Mr. Powers. Mr. P, John, JP)Email: [email protected] Hours: Mon. Thurs. 8:30 9:00 or by Appointment

Welcome: Please keep this Course Syllabus handy throughout the semester.

Course Description: Students will receive comprehensive drama instruction inreading, writing, and thinking about plays.

Learning Outcomes:1. Students will understand the tone and the purposes of drama.2. Students will make and support inferences and conclusions by locating contextualhints and clues, and develop interpretative skills when reading selected plays and

criticism.3. Students will demonstrate an understanding of the basic elements of fiction asthey relate to reading and writing plays.4. Students will recognize common literary terms and devices (plot, character,theme, setting, simile, metaphor,) and understand why a playwright would use them.5. Students will draw connections and identify relationships between what is readand other experiences, texts, and issues in personal life, the community at large, andthe world.6. Students will write several well-developed five paragraph literary essaysemphasizing the importance of the thesis and topic sentences, point of view,supporting detail and paragraph structure.7. Students will write a number of short dramatic scenes as well as a one act play.8. Students will explore and employ a number of creative writing strategies that will

allow them to complete their creative, dramatic assignments.9. Students will be able to use computers to word process and format their scenesand plays.

My Assumptions about and Expectations of Students1 All of my students have great potential.2 All of my students are worthy of respect, from me and from each other.3 Students take responsibility for their own learning

4 All written work is proof-read before it is turned in.


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Absences and Latenesses: In order for you to pass this class you must be here.You take responsibility for your own learning. Realize, however, that if you miss aclass it is your responsibility to find out what you missed from another classmate or

visit my blog site at playsandplaywriting.blogspot.com

All major assignments/homework must be typed. Here is theformat for scenes and plays:

Drafts and final versions of scenes and plays that are collected by me must be typedon a computer.

Paper should be white, 8 1/2 X 11.

Type only on one side of each sheet.

Margins should be standard (1 inch top & bottom, 1 inch or 1.25 inch left/right).

Put a heading at the top of your first sheet:

your name and datecourseinstructors namename of assignment

Submitting Your Scenes, Plays, Literary Essays and Criticism

Papers should be stapled or paper clipped.

The following grade explanation is for Literary Essays and Criticism only. Scenes and

plays will be evaluated using an individualized rubric system.

An A(DP Competency 5 / Advanced) paper is so well writtenthat the reader feels an assurance that the writer knows whatshe/he is writing about. The papers information is clearlyexplained, organized, analyzed, synthesized, evaluated, andcompared. The various drafts of the writing process reveal adevelopment of thought, logic, and organization. Its sentences

are varied and read aloud smoothly without hesitation orawkward pauses and are without clutter and repetition. Thewriter is in control of the grammar, punctuation, spelling, andmechanics in writing.


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The B(DP Competency 4 / Proficient) paper has the sameessentials of an A paper except that some of the papersinformation may not be clearly explained, organized, analyzed,synthesized, evaluated, and compared. The various drafts of thewriting process reveal a development of thought, logic, and

organization, but the reader may not know how the writerachieved her/his conclusions. Sentences tend to be of the samelength and do not always read aloud smoothly, without hesitationor awkward pauses and may contain clutter and repetition. Thewriter sometimes lacks control of the grammar, punctuation,spelling, and mechanics in the writing.

The C(DP Competency 3 and 2 / Bridging / Competent)paper is adequate. While the information is adequate, it is notclearly explained, organized, analyzed, synthesized, evaluated,and compared. The writing reflects a writer in a hurry to finish a

paper rather than a writer attempting to develop thought, logic,and organization. Its sentences tend to lack variety and areoften awkward. The writing does not read aloud smoothly andcontains clutter and repetition. The writer tends to exercise verypoor control of the grammar, punctuation, spelling, andmechanics in the writing.

The D(DP Competency 1 / Emerging) paper is a hasty,careless affair which is not clearly explained, organized,analyzed, synthesized, evaluated, and compared. The

information is scattered and lacks organization, analysis,synthesis, evaluation, and comparison. The writing reveals ahasty attempt to satisfy the requirements of the assignment.The writer has difficulty drafting sentences of any complexity,and the writing read aloud very roughly with many hesitationsand awkward pauses and contains clutter and repetition. Thewriter generally has very little control of the material, grammar,spelling, or mechanics in the writing.

An F paper has been plagiarized, simply has not been done well,is incomplete, or reveals the flaws of a D paper to a greaterextent.


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Supplies:-One marble notebook that will be used as a writers journal (you must carrythis with you to school every day(I WILL NOT STORE IT FOR YOU)-One folder to hold handouts (you must carry this with you to school every

day(I WILL NOT STORE IT FOR YOU)-One pen and pencilDO NOT USE YOUR NOTEBOOK FOR OTHERCLASSES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Classroom Rules1. Please be in your seat and working within three minutes of the bell ringing.2. Do not use profanity or any other language intended to tease, badger, orbelittle another.3. The use of cell phones and other electronic devices (IPODs, MP3 players,digital cameras, etc.) are prohibited. Also, do not have make-up, combsand/or brushes, or books and magazines irrelevant to course discussion out in

class.Do not throw objects or leave objects behind. Clean your areas when youleave.4. No food or drink allowed in class.

Be prepared each day with the appropriate attitude, books, andsupplies.

Basic Weekly ScheduleMonday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

-Vocabulary

-CreativeWritingMini-

Lessons andExercises

-CreativeWriting

AssignmentHanded Out

-ReadingPlays

Critically

-Sometimeswe will setaside timeto work on

writing

-ReadingPlays

Critically


writing

-ReadingPlays

Critically


writing

-CreativeWriting

AssignmentCollected

-Reflectionsand SharingAloud ourWriting

plays and playwriting: the liberation playwrights’ collective

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