| Unit name | Reading Drama |
|---|---|
| Unit code | THTR10016 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | C/4 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Dr. Mark France |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | Department of Theatre |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
Why is this unit important?
This unit provides foundational skills in reading plays from a variety of periods and genres. It will teach you how to understand dramatic texts in relation to their potential for performance and provide practical skills in dramaturgy that will inform both your theatre practice and your conceptual understanding of the ways in which dramatic texts work to create meaning.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
This unit provides an introduction to the practices, theories and histories that scholars and theatre makers engage with when studying and working with dramatic texts. You will develop both your conceptual vocabulary and your understanding of practical and theoretical frameworks. You will learn to read the performance possibilities implied by a script and consider ways these possibilities might be realized in performance.
An overview of content
This unit will use a range of play texts taken from different periods, genres, nationalities, and/or contexts to illustrate the range and potential of the play text as a source of theatrical performance. It will cover models of play analysis and dramaturgy and practical frameworks for applying those models through discussions and exercises in seminars. Lectures will support these will these by providing context for both the play texts and the practices explored, as well as developing understanding of relevant theoretical and conceptual approaches. Throughout the unit, independent group work will be supported through play readings and online discussion groups on Blackboard.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit
Students will learn to read, analyse, and consider potential interpretations of play texts. They will gain theoretical understanding for the ways they might operate in performance and will have experienced a range of practical approaches to dramaturgical practice. It will develop their analytical skills, their experience of productively collaborating with others, and their ability to present clear and coherent analyses and arguments both in written and spoken form.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
Learning activities will include synchronous, asynchronous, collective and independent activities, including: lectures to build foundational knowledge of key concepts in dramaturgy and play analysis in relation to the plays being studied on the unit; seminars to provide opportunities for discussion, reflection and analysis, develop collaborative skills, and prepare students for their assessment; reading and discussion groups, both online and in-person.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
500-word written analytical exercise (0%, not required for credit)
This will help prepare the student for the summative essay, and elements of it can be incorporated into the later summative work. It will be submitted through Blackboard and feedback returned to the student without a mark.
Individual and group seminar-based analytical tasks.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
15-minute small group presentation (40%) [ILOs 1, 2, 4]
Essay, 1500 words (60%) [ILOs 1-4].
When assessment does not go to plan
When required by the Board of Examiners, you will normally complete reassessments in the same formats as those outlined above. However, the Board reserves the right to modify the form or number of reassessments required. Details of reassessments are normally confirmed by the School shortly after the notification of your results at the end of the academic year.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. THTR10016).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
