MODERN DRAMA
SPRING SEMESTER 2012
English 4403, CRN 26207 and English 5103. CRN 26208
Instructor: Christopher F. Givan
Office: 101 F, LA building
Office hrs. : MTW and THURSDAY 7pm to 8pm
And Tuesday 9:45 to 10:45 a.m.
Also by appointment. Office phone: 974 5574
E mail : kitgivan@gmail.com
You will get a faster resply using that e mail rather than the UCO one.
Meets M and W. 5:45pm to 7pm in room LA 215
Christopher F. Givan
Givan is a professor in the English Dept. at UCO .He earned a B.A. from Yale and
a Ph.D. from Stanford. His dissertation was entitled “ Thematic Doubling in
Shakespeare’s Plays” and was directed by Virgil K. Whitaker. Givan has taught at
UCO since 1986. Before coming to UCO, he taught at UC Santa Barbara, Univ of
Bucharest, Romania, University of Puerto Rico (Mayaguez, then Rio Piedras) Univ of
California, Los Angeles; he was Dean of Franklin College in Lugano, Switzerland,
and then Academic Dean of The American College of Switzerland, Leysin,
Switzerland. Then he moved to Eastern New Mexico State University in Portales, N
M. then he became Dean of Morse College at Yale, and finally was spirited to
Edmond, to serve for 7 yrs as Chair of the Dept. of Creative Studies.
He was awarded three Fulbright lectureships to teach American literature abroad:
Bucharest, Romania (76-78); Hong Kong (92-93); and more recently at the
University of Antananarivo, Madagascar (2000-01).
Givan’s favorite sentence about writing is : “No surprise for the writer, no surprise
for the reader.” A quotation he used to favor was Blake’s comment: “The road of
excess leads to the palace of wisdom.” How long is that road?
Required Texts: Please note: Although there are eleven titles, three cost two dollars
a piece or less. Some of the texts, of course, are available in public libraries etc.
1.Ibsen, A DOLL’S HOUSE (Dover Thrift editions)
2.Wilde, THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST (Dover Thrift edition)
3.Chekhov, THE CHERRY ORCHARD, (Dover Thrift)
4. Lane, Eric editor: LAUGH LINES
5.Orton, Joe COMPLETE PLAYS
6.Stoppard, Tom PLAYS (pub by Hephaestus Books)
7.Williams, Tennessee, CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF,
8.Letts, Tracy, AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY
9.Durang, Christopher DURANG TELLS ALL, (SIX PLAYS).
10. Wasserstein, Wendy THE HEIDI CHRONICLES
11. Parks, Suzan-Lori TOPDOG
GOALS of the course:
To acquaint the student with the origins of modern drama and to offer an overview
of representative modern playwrights. By studying Ibsen, Wilde, and Chekhov, the
student will have a chance to see the foundations of the modern theatre as well as to
analyze three recurring forms of the modern play, namely, the thesis play, the farce, and
the family play. Students will be required to write many short papers and either a long
essay or a ten min. comic play to be presented in class.
Required Work and points counted for each.
1. 1-2 typed pages on A DOLL’S HOUSE = 5pts
2. 1-2 typed pages on Wilde’s THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST=5pts
3. Quiz on THE CHERRY ORCHARD 10pts
4. Short essay (3-4pages) on Orton or on what you will 15 pts
5. 2-3 pages comparing LOOT to Sister Ignatius Explains all=10pts
6. 3-4 pages on Orton or Stoppard. Recommended: ARCADIA= 15 pts.
7. In class quiz on BEYOND THERAPY 5pts
8. HEIDI CHRONICLES quiz 10
9. Review of part of film compared to the play: CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF-10
10. Your original ten min. comic play OR your essay= 20pts
11. one paragraph written on each of your colleagues play or essay( copy for
instructor and one for your classmate)= 1 pt each.(total pts avail depends on
number in the class.)
TOTAL points available 105 plus reviews of classmates work= approx. 115pts.
Grade equivalency
95 plus = A
85 plus = B
75plus = C
65 plus =D
Below 65= F
To earn full credit, the work must be handed in on time. Late work with lose
50% of its value.
Extra credit opportunities
1. Go to a current production of any play in the OK C area, or anywhere, and write a
1 page review = 5pts
2. See a film of any of the plays assigned or indeed by any of the authors and write a
1 page review =5pts. (There are several films by Williams in our library and on
Netflix too.)
(Joe Orton’s ENTERTAINING MR SLOAN is on dvd , as is a biopic about him
called PRICK UP YOUR EARS)
Seeing any film related to these authors and writing a review=5pts.
Shakespeare in the Park plus OCU are presenting HAMLET April 11th and that
weekend which while not a modern play, would be worth seeing.
Other recommendations: Harold Pinter’s film BETRAYAL with Jeremy Irons, Ben
Kinglsey, and Patricia Hodges warmly recommended.
Also, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead by Tom Stoppard with Billy Crystal
also very good.
Finally, Chekhov and Wilde s plays have often been filmed
AUGUST : OSAGE COUNTY will come out as a film with Meryl Strep and Julia
Roberts, but hasn’t yet been released.
Maximum points to be earned by extra credit: No limit .
P.S. you must, however, turn in all regular assignments in order to pass the class
Attendance policy: If you miss more than 6 classes, you cannot pass the class. If you
miss 5 classes, your grade will most likely be lowered a full letter grade. If you miss four
classes your grade may be lowered a half letter grade.
Coming late to class, or leaving early, or having your cell phone go off during
class will count as a third of an absence. Not having the text we are looking at could
begin to count as half an absence if it is a frequent issue. But, it is always better to come
to a class than to miss one.
Schedule of Meetings
JANUARY
Monday 9 Introduction
At least three kinds of play: the thesis play ( A DOLL’S HOUSE), in this
instance, a crisis of individual morality; the farce (comedy carried to the
point of satire where the dialogue might be slightly surreal ,even
nonsensical, and the characters move in and out of focus, appearing in one
moment as a recognizable “realistic” character and at the next moment a
satiric caricature. A third kind of play which of course overlaps with the
other two categories is : the family play. At least since Shakespeare in the
English tradition and certainly going back to the three Greek tragedies
(Aeshylus, Sophocles, and Euripedes) this has been a major form for drama.
The international popularity of Shakespeare and the Greeks rests partly on
the universality with our obsession and entanglement with family. Modern
drama makes use of the family play mightily too.
Wednesday 11 Read all of Ibsen, A DOLL’S HOUSE (Written in 1879.) Bring in one
to two typed pages in which you discuss what you think the thesis or the main
theme of the play is. Also include in this work, a comment on the role of
one of the secondary characters, not including the husband. Comment if you
wish on the alternative ending which will have been given to you in class.
Monday 16 . HOLIDAY. ML King Day
Wed. 18 Read, Oscar Wilde THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST. This is one of
great farces in the modern period. Written in 1895,It has been filmed twice, most recently
in
. For this class, bring in a page or two in which you discuss what you take to be
the major themes of the play. Can you also discuss how it is a farce, in your view?
Monday 23 Complete our discussion of IMPORTANCE. For this class read all of
Anton Chekhov’s THE CHERRY ORCHARD (1904). This is a family play, probably,
but it contains elements of the thesis play and of the farce. It is Chekhov’s last work and
has baffled many viewers and critics who cannot decide whether the play is dripping with
nostalgia or whether the characters are treated with satiric detachment. To help us
formulate our own ideas, we will watch some of a film version of it with Antony
Hopkins.
Wed. 25 More discussion of THE Complete THE CHERRY ORCHARD, pick up quiz
and critical article on this play.
Monday 30 Bring back quiz on THE CHERRY ORCHARD
FEBRUARY
Wednesday 1 Joe Orton. Read THE RUFFIAN ON THE STAIR
Monday 6 Read, Joe Orton, WHAT THE BUTLER SAW
Wed. 8 Orton, Read Joe Orton, LOOT. More discussion here too of WtheBSAW
Monday 13 Hand in a short essay, perhaps 3-4 pages offering some new insights into one
the plays read so far. Orton is recommended as he will be fresh in our minds. If you wish,
you could write a short essay using all three of the Orton plays studied. Be prepared to
discuss your essay in class without reading it except for a key passage or two.
For this class, read from LAUGH LINES, “Best Daddy,” and “The Blueberry Accord.”
Wed. 15 If needed, more time for your essay presentations. Also read in LAUGH
LINES, Christopher Durang’s “Wanda’s Visit.” And “Have a seat , I will be with you in
a minute.” And “Wedding Duet.”
Monday 20 Read Joe Orton, LOOT
Wed 22 Read Christopher Durang, SISTER IGNATIUS EXPLAINS IT ALL FOR YOU
Monday 27 Write a 2-3 commentary in which to compare LOOT to SISTER
IGNATIUS. Make a judgement about which is the better play and why; or you may each
has its particular strengths. Quote from each play at least once. Read Act One of WHAT
THE BUTLER SAW
FEB Wed. 29. Complete WHAT THE BUTLER SAW
MARCH
Monday 5 Tom Stoppard, TRAVESTIES
Wed 7 Stoppard, read TRAVESTIES and a shorter Stoppard play in our book TBA
Monday 12 Stoppard, ARCADIA
Wed 14 Read Stoppard, ARCADIA ,in class quiz on this play.
Monday 26 ARCADIA.
Wednesday 28 April
Hand in a 3-4 page essay in which you discuss one of the plays studied. Possible topics:
Orton’s WHAT THE BUTLER SAW and Stoppard’s TRAVESTIES both rely to some
degree on a knowledge of Wilde’s THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST. To
what extent is Wilde’s play an influence on Orton and what is the effect of Stoppard
parodying or alluding to the Wilde play in his play. But any topic, with a title and thesis
statement, is fine. You may want to write about ARCADIA
Be prepared to present your essay to the class without reading much of it. I.e. Talk it.
Wed. 28 Christopher Durang, BEYOND THERAPY short in class quiz on this play.
APRIL
Monday 2 Wasserstein, Wendy, THE HEIDI CHRONICLES. Pick up quiz on this play
Wed. 4 Bring back Wasserstein quiz. More discussion of THE HEIDI CHRONICLES
Monday 9 Read all of Williams Tennessee CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF ( a family
play.)
Wed. 11 See last third or so of CAT in the film version with Elizabeth Taylor, Paul
Newman, and Burl Ives.
Monday 16 Bring back 2 page commentary comparing film of CAT to the play. Read
first half of AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY
Wednesday 18 Letts, Tracy AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY ( set in Oklahoma, this play
won the Pulitzer prize in 2004.)
Monday 23 AUGUST OSAGE COUNTY Bring back quiz on this play . Have read
TOPDOG by Suzan-Lori Parks.
Wed. 25 Parks, Suzan-Lori TOPDOG. See some of a documentary on this play and on
Parks. Volunteers will get extra credit if they hand in their essay or play today, so we can
get ahead on this project.
Monday 30 Here your ten minute comic play is due ( copies for us all) or a
short critical essay looking closely at one or two of the plays we have
studied. Essay should have a title, a thesis, and be about 6-10 pages long not
counting the bibliography. If you choose to do the essay, please use at least one or two
articles or book chapters or material from the internet in your essay. If you do the essay
or the play, bring copies for us all. Each class member must write a paragraph
reacting to a colleague’s play or essay. Hand in the paragraph the day we workshop
the play or essay with a copy for instructor and one for the fellow essayist or
playwright.
Please note : if you miss this class, it counts as two absences.
MAY
Wednesday 2 Last class work shopping your plays or essays. (Missing this class counts
as two absences.)
Final exam: We will use this exam period to conclude discussing your essay or ten min.
comic play. You must attend this exam in order to pass the class.