Guide Syllabus
English 386 Western Drama 1870-1945 Sping 2015
INSTRUCTOR: THOMAS A. GREENFIELD
Office: Welles 219
Class, MW, 4:00-5:15 Welles 134
Tel:245-5273 tag@geneseo.edu
Office Hours: Tues 10-11; 2:00-3:00. Fri. 2:30-3:30
Learning Outcomes. Students will:
Perfom analyses of assigned plays, including close readings and
explications of key scenes and speeches as well as linguistic and aesthetic
features of the texts;
Discuss and write analytically in response to major critical and theoretical
readings on the drama and theater of the late 19th century- mid 20th century;
Write two analytical papers (including one criticism/research-based
paper) of no less than 4000 words total in accordance with conventions of
academic criticism;
Read, discuss, and write about plays in the context of historical, social and
cultural movements; social and cultural categories; and artistic trends pertinent to
the time period and location of authorship and/or first performances of assigned
plays. These will include, but not be limited to: the rise of theatrical naturalism
and the challenge of modernism; socio-economic class conflicts; European
nationalism [including the rise of the “national theater”]; iconic women dramatic
characters and the emerging role of European and American women from in the
19th thru mid-twentieth century.
Texts & Readings (Required)
All texts Dover Thrift editions unless otherwise noted.
Ibsen, A Doll's House, Ghosts
Chekhov, The Cherry Orchard
Barrie, What Every Woman Knows
Shaw, Pygmalion; Arms and the Man
Strindberg, The Father
Pirandello, Six Characters (online edition acceptable)
Lady Gregory, “Spreading the News,” “The Rising of the Moon.” MyC
Barlow (ed). Plays by American Women, 1900-1930. Applause
Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest, The Ideal Husband
Synge, The Playboy of the Western World and Riders to the Sea
O’Neill, Three Great Plays.
Brecht, Three plays by Brecht: Baal, A Man's A Man, The Elephant Calf. Grove.
1
Beckett, Waiting for Godot (any edition including library reserve and online as available )
Other plays and/or critical and theoretical readings as assigned on MyCourses, online, etc.
Time Period. This course may be applied to the “Recent” period requirement for the Literary
Track of the English Major.
Class Preparation
All reading assignments (including reserve, MyC, and online readings) are to be completed in
their entirety prior to the date on which they appear on the course calendar (attached). Students
are expected to have prepared material so that, at a minimum, they are capable of:
a) describing the major plot lines (such as they can be discerned), characters,
theme(s), or “angle” etc. of plays as well as the major points of argument in critical
and theoretical essays;
b) drawing fundamental comparisons and contrasts between/among assigned plays and
playwrights;
c) rendering appropriate applications of assigned critical and theoretical readings to
assigned plays and other critical readings;
d) identifying the title, date, author (name and nationality) of plays and
critical/theoretical essays:
e) passing a quiz (usually 60%) on a, b, c, and d.
Grades
Grading is based on the A thru E, plus/minus system as described in the College Bulletin.
Grades will be computed as follows:
Exam 1
20%
Exam 2
20%
Paper #1 (Focused argumentative analysis: one play/one scholar)
20%
Paper #2 Research/secondary source based
20%
*Preparation and Professionalism Grade)
20%
(*Includes quizzes, absenteeism, participation, in class
group projects, etc. See below under “Attendance,
Professionalism, and Decorum.”).
Journal (Out of class): Critiques of films, productions
events, etc. (**Threshold grade and enhancement/penalty)
S/U Threshold **
**Out of Class Requirements and Grade: 2500 word
minimum total critiques/review of five approved events (film
adaptations of plays, productions [on campus or
off-campus], lectures, presentations, etc.) Journal
grading will be S+ (B+-A), S (B or B-), S- (C), or U
(D or F). Final course grade claculation may be enhanced
or diminished by up to .5 on the basis of a S+, S or Sjournal grade. A student must receive an S- or above as
a threshold for achieving a final grade of C (2.0) or higher.
2
Paper Format
Unless otherwise specified, papers are to submittee in class on hard copy. Place your name, date,
campus address, email, English 386, and a shorthand topic/assignment note (“Scene Analysis I,”
etc.) in the upper right-hand corner. Staple the paper in the upper left-hand corner. Do not: a)
use a title page; b) include an outline; c) put the paper in a cover; d) paper clip or “dog ear” the
paper. (I do not bring staplers to class. Staple the paper before you hand it in.)
Documentation
Unless otherwise noted, Modern Language Association, 6th ed. guidelines apply in the
preparation of assigned papers. Models for paper documentation are available in Course
Materials on MyCourses. Purdue online MLA Guide
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_mla.html
is also acceptable as a source for MLA citation guidelines.
Paper Submissions
Unless otherwise specified, papers (including take-home exam if any) are to be submitted in
class on the due date by the author. This is the only “approved” method of submitting a paper.
Students submitting papers by proxy, through mail or email, to work study students or
secretaries, etc. do so at their own risk. All students submitting papers are advised to keep a
second or back-up copy. Students who submit papers by means other than the “approved”
method assume full responsibility for loss or misplacement of the paper and must produce a
duplicate upon request.
Late Papers. I have no objection to receiving late papers without explanation or excuse. You
can just take the late penalty noted below at your discretion. You do not have to request this but
you should probably let me know the day or so before (email is fine) so there is no confusion
when papers are handed in.
Extensions without penalty must be requested at least 48 hours in advance of paper deadlines
and are granted or denied by the instructor on a case by case basis. Among the factors
considered in the instructor’s decision are: reason for extension, length of extension, student’s
class attendance (and/or promptness) , and overall performance in class.
Penalties for late papers: 1-4 school days (M-F) = 1 letter grade penalty
5 or more class days = F for paper
Late papers, excused or not, are likely to take longer to return and likely to have fewer comments
than those handed in on time.
3
Quizzes
Quizzes are unannounced and cannot be made up even if students miss them for valid reasons.
(They are a given to assess daily preparation of material and, therefore, make-up quizzes serve
no purpose.) Students missing a quiz for a valid reason (see below under attendance) receive
“Credit” for that quiz. There are two types of quizzes.

Preparation quizzes – test students’ basic knowledge and retention of daily assigned reading
and/or recent class discussion and lecture (in class or “email’ lecture). These quizzes are
graded A-E and are recorded as part of the preparation grade.

Parimutuel quizzes – Pass/Fail are brief and are intended to remind people who do not attend
class as often as they might how much I miss them. These are graded Credit or E. The E
counts as if it were an E (Fail) in a Preparation quiz.
Quizzes are generally, but not always, given at the beginning of a class period. In any case, I
reserve the right to lower the grade or decline to give a quiz to any student who enters the class
more than five minutes after a quiz has begun.
Attendance, Professionalim, and Decorum.
Attendance may be taken as part of the course history. Although no final grade penalty is
assessed for a fixed number of absences per se, attendance is a factor in your overall
“Preparation and Professionalism” grade, which also includes quizzes, participation (including
verbal participation, “appropriate non-verbal atmospheric participation,” appropriate verbal and
non-verbal decorum [i.e., the silencing of electronic devices, maintaining consciousness the
majority of the time, general courtesy to instructor and fellow students, etc]). Attendance is a
factor with respect to granting requests for work extensions,* forgiveness and penalties for late
or missed work, resolution of “borderline” grades, forgiveness of course problems arising from
human error and the vicissitudes of life, to say nothing of the overall cheerful disposition of the
instructor, etc. In other words, show up!
*The only 100% valid excuses for missing
coursework (including regularly scheduled class meetings) without penalty and/ or
opportunities for extensions and make-up work are religious holidays (per state law), Geneseo Office of Disability Services
authorized accommodations, military service and/or medical or authorized emergency service (documented) where the student
renders these services in an official capacity. In almost all cases, I will also excuse documented illness, serious illness or death in
immediate family, and selected approved off-campus, college-sponsored events (e.g., intercollegiate athletic ‘away’ events,
model UN conference, etc.) if overall class preparation and attendance are fully satisfactory and/or the shear number of “valid
excuses” does not become excessive in and of itself. Excuse approvals may be withdrawn retroactively on an individual basis if
such requests are excessive or abused.
Generally, not excused (i.e., extensions or excuses not granted, make up opportunities not provided -- even if other professors are
ok with it) are rides home; weddings, reunions, social gatherings, employment opportunities and obligations that conflict with
the semester; in many cases “required” on campus or local meeting or activity for another class or college function; too busy;
Late arrivals. Lateness to class, although sometimes unavoidable, is invariably inconvenient
and potentially disruptive. If you must be late, please enter quietly and without ceremony.
4
Out of Class Requirements. Students will be required to attend and critique (in writing) several
special events, including play productions on or off campus. Students will be required to pay any
reasonable admission price at those events.
Note
The syllabus and calendar of reading material represent the instructor’s best estimate of the
structure of the course. The instructor reserves the right to modify syllabus and assignments.
Changes in the syllabus will be announced in class and emailed. Students are responsible for
such changes.
5
READINGS. Readings are to be completed in their entirety prior to the class date for which
they are assigned. It will generally serve you well to prepare all readings for the week on
Tuesday although discussion and readings for quizzes will follow the daily syllabus. Out of
class required activities and assignments will be announced throughout the semester.
Jan 17. Martin Luther King Day,
No Classes.
Ibsen, A Doll’s House, all of
Jan 24
Jan
19
Jan
26
Course Introduction, Bring A Doll’s House to
class.
Finish A Doll’s House, Zola and Gassner
cont’d.
Jan 31
Ibsen, Ghosts, all.
Feb
4
Finish Ghosts. Krutch, “The Modern
Temper.”
Feb. 7
Strindberg, The Father
Feb. 14
Finish Cherry Orchard;
Begin Shaw, Arms and the
Man
Shaw, Pygmalion.
Feb.
9
Feb
16
Chekhov Cherry Orchard Acts I-III
Green, “Chekhov and Ibsen”
Shaw, Arms and the Man. Essay: Shaw “A
Dramatic Realist to his Critics”
Feb
25
Mar
2
Finish Pygmalion. Gregory, “Rising,”
“Spreading”
Paper #1 Due. Finish discussion on Playboy.
MyC: Short selections on early mod. 20th
Century drama.
it. MyC: Zola, “On
Naturalism.” Gassner, “Forms
Of Modern Drama (MW).”
Feb 21
Feb 28
Finish Gregory if nec.
Synge, Playboy of Western
World (all).
Mar. 7
TBA
Mar 21
March
28
April 4
April
Mar Exam #1
9
Spring Break March 14-18
Wilde, Finish Earnest, Ideal Husband
Wilde, Importance of Being
Earnest
Modernism attacks
Naturalism. Glaspell,
Trifles (Barlow)
Pirandello, Six Characters
in Search of an Author (Act
I only). Theoretical
readings, TBA
Crothers, A Man’s World
(Barlow)
Brecht A Man’s A Man;
O’Neill, The Hairy Ape; Treadwell,
Machinal (Barlow)
April
6
Apr
Barrie, What Every Woman Knows
Finish Brecht
6
11
MyC “On Epic Theater”
(MyC)
13
http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/ger342/brech
tet.htm
April
18
April
25
Beckett, Godot. Esslin
“Absurdism of the Absurd”
MyC
Review for Exam. Paper
#2 Due
Apr
20
Finish Beckett and Esslin Journal of Out of
Class Activities Due.
7