Drama & 101
Room 118, 9:30-10:20 a.m.
Fall 2013, M-F
Instructor: Kimberly Tolson
Office: 126B
Email: kimberly.tolson@wwcc.edu; tolsonator@gmail.com
Office Hours: TBD
Contacting Me:
I highly encourage you to visit my office. If you cannot meet with me personally, the best way to
contact me is through email. I will respond to emails in a timely fashion and will schedule any
office appointments if you are unable to attend my office hours.
Required Texts:
Patterson, Jim, Jim Hunter, Patti P. Gillespie, and Kenneth M. Cameron. The Enjoyment of
Theatre. 8th ed. Allyn & Bacon, 2011.
Kelly, Joseph. The Seagull Reader: Plays. 2nd ed. Norton, 2009.
Materials:
-Notebook paper and/or spiral notebook for notes and possible in-class responses
-Pencil or pen
-A pocketed folder to keep handouts and assignments
-Approximately $5.00 (or possibly more, depending on student choice) to attend plays
Course Description and Objectives
Students will watch film and live performances of theatrical productions, read representative
dramatic literature, and learn the history, theory, and practice of the theatrical arts - playwrights,
acting, design and directing. By reading, viewing, and discussing theatre, students will enhance
their appreciation of the nature and place of theatre in contemporary culture.
Course Outcomes
 Articulate a definition of theatre and discuss its various elements intelligently.
 Explain the individual responsibilities, duties, and tools of theatrical artist collective
(designer, playwright, director, etc.)
 Analyze and discuss a play intelligently from a variety of perspectives (designer, director,
actor, etc.) utilizing knowledge of theatre history, the elements of dramatic literature,
dramatic genres and styles.
 Respond critically to a theatrical production, expressing both personal preferences and an
appreciation for the aesthetic experience.
 Identify and discuss the impact/contributions of defining moments, artists, and works that
emerged in the time periods relevant to the course.
 Develop an enduring critical approach to theatrical performance.
Class Expectations
Because this class is designed around discussion and participation, you will greatly benefit from
your time in class, and failure to attend will adversely affect your ability to perform satisfactorily
on the assignments. While there is no attendance policy, your participation and attendance grade
will be adversely affected by your absences.
I will accept late or missed assignments at a grade reduction (partial points) starting with a 5%
grade reduction for each calendar day it is late. I expect all of the typewritten assignments and
responses to be completed in 12 pt. font size, Times New Roman font, double-spaced, with 1
inch margins. Lacking to fulfill those general qualities will result in a deduction in your score.
You should behave in a courteous and professional manner at all times. If you behave
inappropriately (e.g. sleeping, reading the paper, playing/talking on your cell phone, doing other
homework, being disruptive, etc.), I will count you absent for the day and notify you that you
may leave the classroom. Please turn off your cell phones before you enter the classroom and
resist the urge to use your cell phone while in class.
Note: If you have a disability for which you may need an accommodation, please contact
Claudia Angus, Coordinator of Disability Support Services, in the Student Development Center,
527-4262. Please see her as early as possible in the quarter.
Grade Scale:
93-100 A
80-82 B68-69 D+
90-92 A78-79 C+
63-67 D
88-89 B+
73-77 C
60-62 D-
83-87 B
70-72 C59 and below F
Class Disclaimer: Due to the nature of this course, we will discuss and research controversial
topics. If you do not feel comfortable discussing the nature of the world (i.e. life, death, political
and ethical topics, social conditions, ethnicity, sex, gender and racial issues), please speak with
me the first week during my office hours. If you cannot resolve these issues, you might consider
taking the course at a later date or from a different instructor.
Class Components
Participation: You will be expected to engage with class discussion daily as well as interact
with the instructor when called upon. Doing outside work, sleeping, or not staying focused in
class will be detrimental to your grade. When we attend plays, read plays in class, or discuss the
book chapters, you will actively engage yourself in that activity.
Definition Journals: You will be expected to keep a definition journal of words from plays that
we read in which you needed to look up to understand the line and or meaning. These journals
will be collected at the end of each play we read and will be graded on completion. If you
complete the journal to satisfaction, you will receive full points.
Short Responses: These will follow the five plays we read in class and will be a critical
response to your process and reaction to reading that play.
Play Reviews: After we see a live play, you will write a play review noting the “life” of the play
in real space (directing, acting, costuming, props, lighting, sounds, etc.).
Quizzes: After we read a chapter from The Enjoyment of Theatre, you will complete a quiz in
class. You will get to drop your lowest quiz score at the end of the quarter.
Final Exam: This essay will be an in-class exam taken over the plays we’ve read and seen as
well as the content/information from our textbook.
Extra Points: There might be several opportunities for extra points. Do not ask for these.
Course Distribution of Grades
200—Attendance and Participation
50—Definition Journals
200—Quizzes
250—Short Responses (5 total)
— Oedipus the King by Sophocles
— A Doll House by Henrik Ibsen
— The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
— Trifles by Susan Glaspell
— A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry
150—Play Reviews (3 total)
— Young Frankenstein at The Lewiston Civic Theatre
— Is He Dead? at The China Pavillion, Walla Walla Campus
— The Dog in the Manger at The Silverthorne Theatre, LCSC
150—Final Exam
1000 Points Total
Schedule
(This is tentative. I will announce changes with enough time to prepare for them, so
attending class and preparing appropriately is always your responsibility.)
Date
Sept. 22-26
Assignments, Daily Activities, Reminders
Monday: Syllabus, Read Chapter 1 in class, finish for Tuesday
Tuesday: Quiz Chapter 1, Read Chapter 2 for Wednesday
Wednesday: Quiz Chapter 2, Read Chapter 3 for Thursday
Thursday: Quiz Chapter 3, Read xi-xl in The Seagull Reader
Plays for Friday
Friday: Discuss Preface material (xi-xl), Begin reading Oedipus
the King by Sophocles in class
Sept. 29-Oct. 3
Monday: Continue reading Oedipus the King in class
Tuesday: Continue reading Oedipus the King in class
Wednesday: Finish Reading Oedipus the King in class
Thursday: Discuss OTK, Read Chapters 4 and 5 for Friday
Friday: Turn in Definition Journals over Oedipus the King,
Chapter 4 Quiz, Chapter 5 Quiz, Read Chapters 6 and 7 for
Monday
Oct. 6-10
Monday: Turn in Response over Oedipus the King, Chapter 6
Quiz, Chapter 7 Quiz, Read Chapter 8 for Tuesday
Tuesday: Chapter 8 Quiz, Read Chapter 9 for Wednesday
Wednesday: Chapter 9 Quiz, Read Chapter 10 for Thursday
Thursday: Chapter 10 Quiz, Read Chapter 11 for Friday
Friday: Chapter 11 Quiz, Read prefatory material and Act I of A
Doll House by Henrik Ibsen for Monday
Oct. 13-17
Monday: Discussion of prefatory material and Act I of A Doll
House, Read Act II of A Doll House for Tuesday
Tuesday: Discussion of Act II of A Doll House, Read Act III of A
Doll House for Wednesday
Wednesday: Discussion of Act III of A Doll House, Read Chapter
12 for Thursday
Thursday: Chapter 12 Quiz, Read Chapters 13 and 14 for Friday
Friday: Turn in Definition Journals over A Doll House, Chapter
13 Quiz, Chapter 14 Quiz, Read Chapter 15 and Chapter 16 for
Monday
Oct. 20-24
Monday: Turn in Response over A Doll House, Chapter 15 Quiz,
Chapter 16 Quiz, Read Chapter 17 for Tuesday
Tuesday: Chapter 17 Quiz, Read Chapter 18 for Wednesday
Wednesday: Chapter 18 Quiz, Read Chapter 19 for Thursday
Thursday: Chapter 19 Quiz, Read Chapter 20 for Friday
Friday: Chapter 20 Quiz, Read Chapter 21 for Monday, Read
prefatory material and Act I of The Importance of Being Earnest
by Oscar Wilde for Monday
Oct. 27-31
(Oct. 29 Civic)
Monday: Chapter 21 Quiz, Discussion of prefatory material and
Act I of TIOBE, Read Act II of TIOBE for Tuesday
Tuesday: Discussion of Act II of TIOBE, Read Act III of TIOBE
for Wednesday
Wednesday: Discussion of Act III of TIOBE, Attend the musical
Young Frankenstein at The Lewiston Civic Theatre
Thursday: Watch The Importance of Being Earnest in class
Friday: Finish watching The Importance of Being Earnest in class,
Turn in Definition Journals for TIOBE, Read Trifles by Susan
Glaspell for Monday
Nov. 3-7
Monday: Discussion of Trifles
Tuesday: Continued discussion of Trifles, readings from Trifles,
Turn in Response over The Importance of Being Earnest (play)
Wednesday: Readings in class from Mamet and style for GG
Thursday: Turn in Definition Journal over Trifles, Start viewing
Glengarry GlenRoss
Friday: Complete viewing of Glengarry GlenRoss, Read prefatory
and Act 1.1 of A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry for
Monday, Turn in Review for Young Frankenstein
Nov. 10-14
(No Tues.)
Monday: Turn in Response over Trifles, Discussion of prefatory
material and Act1.1 of ARITS, Read Act 1.2 of ARITS for
Wednesday
Wednesday: Discussion of Act 1.2 of ARITS, Read Acts 2.1
and 2.2 of ARITS for Thursday
Thursday: Discussion of Acts 2.1 and 2.2 of ARITS, Read Act 2.3
of ARITS for Friday
Friday: Discussion of Act 2.3 of ARITS, Read Act 3 of ARITS for
Monday
Nov. 17-19
(No Thurs. or Fri.)
Monday: Discussion of Act 3 of ARITS
Tuesday: Discussion of ARITS as a whole
Wednesday: Turn in Definition Journal over A Raisin in the Sun,
In-class group project of compare/contrast with previous plays
Friday: Turn in Response to A Raisin in the Sun (play)
Nov. 24-28
(Nov. 30 WW)
Thanksgiving Break – No class this week
Attend WWCC play Is He Dead? on Sunday
Dec. 1-5
(Dec. 5-8 LCSC)
Monday: Start viewing A Raisin in the Sun in class
Tuesday: Continue viewing A Raisin in the Sun
Wednesday: Finish viewing A Raisin in the Sun
Thursday: Discussion of film ARITS
Friday: Study Guide for the final, in-class discussion, Turn in
Review for Is He Dead?
Attend LCSC play The Dog in the Manger (any night), Dec. 5-8
Dec. 8-11
Final Exam Week (No regular classes held on Tuesday,
Wednesday, and Thursday)
Monday: Preparations for the Final Exam
Thursday: Turn in Review for The Dog in the Manger
Final Exam on Thursday, Dec. 11 from 9:30-11:30 a.m.
No late work accepted after the final exam.