Main Body
Open Theater Assignment 2 – Analysis of a Live Performance
By Lisa Bernd, PhD
Lisa Bernd
The student will provide a written analysis of a character at an important moment within a play they have attended during the semester and allow it to be posted on the CSU Pressbooks@MSL site called “Introduction to Theater – Learning Resources,” to share publicly. The analyses will be added to a chapter in the Pressbook called “Analyses of Local Live Productions in and around Cleveland, OH.” Each student will create a title before his or her analysis which starts with “Analysis of” followed by the name of the performance and character/moment they choose. He or she will give their name for credit as the author of the article. Choice of professional production is up to the student, but the live performance must be at a professional level. This means the students can’t pick high school or church plays for this analysis assignment. Professional level productions can be those within the CSU Allen Theater Complex at Playhouse Square, or another professional level setting. For this project, the student will develop an analysis essay centered on one character, at one specific point in the play. The student will explain how the theatrical elements of acting, lighting, set design, blocking, props, music, costumes, and makeup work together to tell us who this character is and what the character is thinking at this moment. The student will evaluate how well, or to what extent, do these elements reflect the character’s personality or function in the play. The student will develop a thesis for the paper by choosing a moment that she or he thought was important in the play. This can be a turning point, or a moment that revealed something compelling about the character. She or he will explain what the character recognized or what was revealed at that moment. She or he will explain how the theatrical elements contributed to that meaning, describing what they saw that supported that meaning. An introductory paragraph will state the play they attended, who directed the play, where and when they saw it, the name of the character, the name of the actor who played the character they will write about, as well as their thesis statement. Subsequent paragraphs will focus on the theatrical elements (setting, lighting, acting) that worked towards the character development of the moment.
Assignment 2 supports the learning objective, “By the end of the course, the student will be able to analyze theatrical elements, including lighting, set design, costume, makeup, acting and directing and explain how these work towards character development and communicating the nature of a character.
Aligning course materials include Theatrical Worlds, Chapters 1-6 (Intro to Theater, Acting, Directing, Set Design, Costume Design, and Lighting Design).
Students will also upload their analysis paper to Blackboard’s assignment area, for grading purposes.
| Criteria | A Paper – Excellent | B Paper – Very Good | C Paper – Satisfactory | D Paper – Needs Improvement | F Paper – Needs Improvement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Introductory Paragraph | An introductory paragraph exists that very clearly explains which play they saw, where and when they saw it. The student explains who directed the play, which character they chose and who played the character. There is a very clear thesis statement about the chosen character and moment. | An introductory paragraph exists that contains all but one of the following. It clearly explains which play they saw, where and when they saw it. The student explains who directed the play, which character they chose and who played the character. There is a clear thesis statement about the chosen character and moment. | An introductory paragraph exists that explains most of the required information: which play they saw, where and when they saw it, the director, which character they chose and who played the character. A thesis statement is present, but may need some clarification. | An introductory paragraph is present, but missing much of the required information, such as which play they saw, where and when they saw it, who directed the play, which character and moment they chose, and who played the character. The thesis statement isn’t clear or identifiable. | The introductory paragraph is missing or missing most information, and a thesis statement isn’t present. It’s not clear the student focused on one character at an important moment. |
| Supporting Paragraphs | Supporting paragraphs very clearly explain what the student saw that supported the character and meaning at the chosen moment, and how the theatrical elements supported the character at the moment. Every paragraph contains a topic sentence and centers around one main idea. All of Goethe’s criteria/ questions are answered in regards to the performance. See: https://www.slideshare.net/garrets/goethes-three-questions | Supporting paragraphs clearly explain what the student saw that supported the character and meaning at the chosen moment, and how the theatrical elements supported the character at the moment. Most paragraphs contain a topic sentence and center around one main idea.Goethe’s criteria/questions are answered. | About half of the paragraphs explain what the student saw that supported the character and meaning at the chosen moment, and how the theatrical elements supported the character at the moment. Around half of the paragraphs contain a topic sentence and center around one main idea. 1 -2 of Goethe’s criteria/questions are answered. | Supporting paragraphs don’t explain what the student saw or heard that supported the chosen moment and character. Paragraphs lack main topics and don’t focus on one main idea. An attempt was made to address one of Goethe’s criteria/question. | There is little or no supporting paragraphs or evidence of what the student saw and heard to support the character at the chosen moment. Paragraphs may stray off topic and aren’t relevant. No attempt was made to address Goethe’s criteria/questions. |
| MLA format | Citations all follow MLA formatting as referenced at Purdue: OWL site (see: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/). | 2 or fewer mistakes in citation, referencing, and page formatting, following the Purdue OWL site for MLA Formatting (see: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/). | 3 – 5 mistakes in citation, referencing, and page formatting, following the Purdue OWL site for MLA formatting (see: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/). | 5 – 7 mistakes in citation, referencing, and page formatting, following the Purdue OWL site for MLA formatting (see: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/). | 8 or more mistakes in citation, referencing, and page formatting, following the Purdue OWL site for MLA formatting (see: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/) |
| Grammar, spelling, sentence structure | No mistakes in grammar, spelling, or sentence structure. | 2 or fewer mistakes in grammar, spelling, or sentence structure. | 3 – 5 mistakes in grammar, spelling, or sentence structure. | 5-7 mistakes in grammar, spelling, or sentence structure. | 8 or more mistakes in grammar, spelling, or sentence structure |
| Thoroughness | The analysis essay contained 500-750 words. | The analysis essay contained slightly less than 500 words. | The analysis essay contained 301 – 400 words. | The analysis essay contained 201 – 300 words. | The analysis essay contained less than 200 words. |
Instructions for Students:
Writing an Analysis: Due 11/15/2017
Click on the underlined title above to open the dropbox. You MUST turn in this essay as a .docx attachment through the dropbox. Your document should be labeled LASTNAME.docx
Your essay should be 500-750 words. Yes, it matters. Yes, I count.
An analysis of a production that you see is due 11/8. This assignment is worth 100 points. You MUST see a production in a theater. There are NO SUBSTIUTIONS and no MAKE-UP assignments, so please plan your calendar according.
First, you must see a play. Then you must write an essay that follows the instructions below. (Scroll Down)
SEEING THE PLAY
You have a choice: You can either see the CSU production below OR a professional production of your own choosing (NOT high school production, or children’s show)
Company
October 26-November 5, 2017
CSU Arts Campus, Outcalt Theatre
At the
Allen
Theatre
Complex
at
Playhouse
Square,
1407
Euclid
Avenue,
Cleveland,
OH
44115.
See
additional
instructions.
(100
points)
DUE:
11/8.
To
order
tickets, call
216 ¬241¬ 6000,
866 ¬546 ¬1353
or
purchase
online
at
www.playhousesquare.com.
Show
Pricing
‐$10
Adult
‐$8
College
Students
(non‐CSU)
‐$5
CSU
Students
/
Alumni
‐$5
CSU
Faculty
/
Staff
‐$5
Seniors
(age
65+)
This project has 4 parts (This should be more than just 4 paragraphs. )
FIRST: You will introduce the play and the production along with all the personnel relevant to your paper. Introduce the director, designers, and the actors that you will be discussing. If they are not part of your discussion, don’t introduce them. Include a thesis in your introduction.
Write about the theatre or theatre company and its role in Cleveland, where it is, what it does (new plays? classics? education? outreach? Every theatre has a mission.). What does it look like? What was the experience you had in the theatre before the play started? The purpose here is to give other students some understanding of the theater itself rather than just the production.
NEXT: I want you to write a description centered on one particular character at one particular point in the play. How do the theatrical elements of acting, lighting, set design, blocking, props, music, costumes, and makeup work together to tell us who this person is and what they are thinking at this moment? How well or to what extent do these elements reflect that character’s personality or function in the play?
LAST: Evaluate the play according to Goethe’s criteria. We studied this in our CRITICISM section. DO NOT make up your own criteria (ex. “I like shiny things, so I give this show an A+.”) Do not use meaningless superlatives–AWESOME, GREAT, MARVELOUS, GOOD JOB, and such words do not belong in this assignment.
QUESTIONS???? Let me know!
Step One: At the theater
1) Get a copy of the program.
2) Be prepared to write notes at intermission and then do it. NOT DURING THE PERFORMANCE.
Step Two: After you leave the theater
1) Go someplace quiet and immediately begin transcribing your notes and fleshing them out.
2) Make decisions about which things you will emphasize.
3) Organize things into categories such as “acting,” “set,” or “directing.”
4) TAKE A BREAK. Let things percolate.
Step Three: Begin to develop a thesis
1) To do this, you will have to choose one moment that you thought was important. It could be a turning point, or a moment that revealed something compelling about a character. What did the character recognize or what was revealed? How did the theatrical elements contribute to that meaning? The body of the paper should be evidence from the production (what you SAW) that supports your ideas about that meaning. In other words, I should be able to visualize the performance from your description of it. 80 percent of this assignment is description, 20 percent is solid analysis.
Step Four: Draft the Body Paragraphs
1) Reassess the situation: Go back and look at your categories. Do you have evidence from the performance that supports your thesis? Are you emphasizing the elements that most obviously need emphasis?
2) Develop your major categories into paragraphs. Each paragraph should contain only one main idea.
3) Identify the topic sentence in each paragraph.
Step Five: Write the introduction
1) Begin to write a paragraph that introduces the play. State when and where you saw it, who directed it and who played the character that you will be writing about.
2) Adjust your thesis to fit the draft of the body paragraphs.
Step Six: Cite your outside sources, if you have any
1) According to MLA guidelines. See http://webster.commnet.edu/mla.htm, the MLA guide in the Reference Area of the library, or Purdue OWL site for MLA Formatting (see: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/).
An example of the rubric for Heather Caprette’s analysis of The Country House in Chapter 2 follows:
| Criteria | A Paper – Excellent |
|---|---|
| Introductory Paragraph | An introductory paragraph exists that very clearly explains which play she saw, where and when she saw it. The student explained who directed the play, which character they chose and who played the character. There is a very clear thesis statement about the chosen character and moment. The student expressed the thesis statement about Elliot at the end of the first paragraph. |
| Supporting Paragraphs | Supporting paragraphs very clearly explain what the student saw that supported the character and meaning at the chosen moment, and how the theatrical elements supported the character at the moment. Every paragraph contains a topic sentence and centers around one main idea. All of Goethe’s criteria/ questions are answered in regards to the performance. See: https://www.slideshare.net/garrets/goethes-three-questions The students explained the epiphany the character had when his emotions came to a head. She explained the acting that supported the moments toward the end when the character is crying for love from his mother. The student explained the blocking of the character, who frequently hung out upstage from other actors. Goethe’s questions were answered. The purpose of the play was expressed in the beginning. How well the performers achieved the range of emotions was explained, as well as the value of the play. |
| MLA format | Citations all follow MLA formatting as referenced at Purdue: OWL site (see: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/). The student cited the author of the play, director, performers, location and date of the play. |
| Grammar, spelling, sentence structure | No mistakes in grammar, spelling, or sentence structure. None found. |
| Thoroughness | The analysis essay contained 500-750 words. The analysis was thorough and of appropriate length. |
