SPRING 2016
ENGL2390: Introduction to Drama
28172 FYS (MWF 12-12:50 Irby 313)
28173 (MWF 2-2:50 Irby 303)
Course Focus:
In this class, we will read, watch, discuss, and write about plays in a way that considers their formal
elements (plot, characterization, setting, dialogue, music, movement) as well as their contexts and value
(social, historical, aesthetic). We will build our base of knowledge collectively, through discussion, in both
large and small groups.
Because our discussion will sometimes address complex and potentially
sensitive subjects that may be personal to some of us, it’s important to come
to the conversation with an open mind, a willingness to listen and consider
alternative points of view, and respect for one another, the playwrights, and
the people represented in the plays.
Class meetings will consist of brief lecture, full-class and small-group
discussion, and various other activities (presentations, in-class writings, slide
shows, video and audio recordings).
Catalog Entry:
“Satisfies the humanities requirement in the general education program.
Students will learn to read plays carefully and analytically and be encouraged
to see the ways drama both reflects and enhances our understanding of life.
Lecture, discussion, writing. Prerequisite: None. Fall, spring.”
Plays
Oedipus Rex
Everyman
Much Ado About
Nothing
Tartuffe
A Doll’s House
The Importance of
Being Earnest
Cat on a Hot Tin
Roof
Angels in America
Required Text:
The Compact Bedford Introduction to Drama, 7th ed., by Lee A. Jacobus (2013). ISBN 9781457606335.
Readings:
Class discussion is an important part of this course. Please read and be prepared to discuss the material
on the day that it is due. Bring the text of that day’s reading with you to each class. Supplemental readings
may be provided by the instructor via Engrade. You must be able to access Engrade to receive these
and other important course materials.
Students will receive a paper copy of the syllabus and the course outline, but all other handouts will be
posted on Engrade. The syllabus and course outline may change. The version appearing online
supersedes all others.
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SPRING 2016
Please make yourself familiar with the syllabus, which contains everything you need to know to be
successful in this class:
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It details what you will be learning and when it will be covered.
It makes clear what is expected of you as a student.
It allows you to know what to expect of your instructor.
It outlines the organization of the course and when assignments are due.
It explains how grading will be accomplished.
It states the attendance requirements.
One Writing Center tutoring session is required for the Angels in America Essay and Critical Review
assignments. You may use your tutoring session at any point during the drafting and revising process
(brainstorming, revision, or editing) and as many times as you wish. There are a limited number of
appointment slots, though, so please plan ahead and make your appointments early. To make an
appointment, submit a paper for online tutoring, or to find out about drop-in hours, visit
http://uca.edu/writingcenter/home. The Academic Success Center is also available to help you with all
aspects of college work: http://uca.edu/success.
Coursework:
Coursework consists of daily work as assigned, an essay, a critical review, two tests, and a final exam.
There are 1000 total possible points in the class:
Daily Work (combined)
Critical Review
Angels in America Essay
Exam one
Exam two
Final Exam
This syllabus may change.
250 points
150 points
150 points
150 points
150 points
150 points
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SPRING 2016
DAILY WORK may or may not be graded. Combined, daily work is worth 250 points and consists
of the following:
Daily Work
Combined
Responses 160
Quizzes
50
Daily Work 40
250
Reader Responses: For each of the 8 plays you read, please write a 750-word
response to the prompt given in the course outline. See Appendix B for specific
instructions. 20 points each.
Reading Quizzes: Quizzes are administered at the beginning of class and
cannot be made up if you are tardy or absent. At the end of the semester, two
random quizzes will be chosen from these for inclusion in the total grade. 25
points each.
In-Class or Exploratory Writing and Activities: Writing or working alone or in
a group in response to a prompt about the reading assignment. This work cannot
be made up if you are tardy or absent. Point values vary to total 40 points.
ANGELS IN AMERICA ESSAY: Write an essay responding to a prompt. This assignment is worth
150 points and is due at the beginning of class on Monday, April 18. See Appendix C for specific
instructions.
CRITICAL REVIEW: Attend a live theatre performance of Sarah Ruhl’s Dead Man’s Cell Phone
in UCA’s Black Box Theatre, Snow Fine Arts Center on February 11, 12, 18, or 19 at 7:30 pm, or
at 2:00 pm on February 13. Write a critical review of the production and turn it in no later than 7
days after the performance you attend. Tickets are available through UCA Ticket Central located
in the box office at Reynolds Performance Hall. Admission is free, but tickets are required. See
Appendix D for specific instructions. This assignment is worth 150 points.
EXAMS: There will be two exams (February 26 and March 18) and a comprehensive final. Each
exam is worth 150 points. These exams will cover readings, discussions, films, and lectures. On
each exam, you may be asked to identify and write substantially about quotations from the works
and respond briefly to short answer questions. There is no “study guide,” but we will review
material in class prior to each test. Missed exams cannot be rescheduled; students who present
proper documentation for missed exams may take a comprehensive makeup exam during the
final week of the course.
Workload:
It is generally accepted that students will need at least 2 hours of course
preparation outside of class for every credit hour taken. For a three-hour course
such as this one, you should plan to spend a minimum of six additional hours
each week outside of class reading, thinking, and writing.
Assessment:
To discuss a grade, please meet with me in person during office hours. Although
you may choose to use email to make an appointment to speak with me, let us
not discuss grades by email.
The objective in this course is to master the material. Although grades are meant
to represent your level of achievement in that goal, the grade itself is not the
objective. Therefore, there are no extra credit opportunities.
This syllabus may change.
Grading
900-1000 = A
800-890 = B
700-790 = C
600-690 = D
590 & below = F
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Writing assignments will be graded using the following standards, bearing in mind that other factors—
such as failure to follow instructions or formatting guidelines, lack of revision, or missing due dates—may
also affect your grade:
A/Excellent: Shows originality of thought in stating and developing a central controlling idea. Its ideas
are clear, logical, and thought-provoking; it contains all the positive qualities of good writing listed
below:
 Concentration on a main purpose, with thorough development and firm support of evidence
using concrete detail and specific examples.
 Careful construction and organization.
 Careful choice of effective words and phrases.
B/Superior: Has a clearly stated central purpose, logically and adequately developed. Its ideas are
clear because it contains some of the qualities of good writing described under A above. It is relatively
free of errors in the use of English. Although indicating technical competence, the B paper lacks the
originality of thought and style which characterizes the A essay.
C/Average: Has a central idea stated and organized clearly enough to convey its purpose to the
reader; it avoids serious errors in the use of English. It may, in fact, have few correction marks on it,
but it lacks adequate and strong use of supporting details as well as the vigor of thought and
expression which would entitle it to an above-average rating.
D/Unsatisfactory: Indicates below-average achievement in expressing ideas correctly and
effectively. Most D papers fail to present a clear central idea and or to develop it adequately. Typically,
they will contain numerous serious errors in the use of English. With a clearly stated central idea,
fuller development, and more careful proofreading, many D papers might be worth at least a C grade.
F/Failing: Is the result of poor writing, which usually includes one or more of the following problems:
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Failure to state and develop a thesis or to use some equivalent organization appropriate to
the topic;
A lack of unity, coherence, and development within the individual paragraphs or the paper as
a whole;
A mass of vague generalizations that essentially restate the thesis without offering specific
details as support;
Little or no relation to the assignment;
Inadequate length;
Frequent misspelling of words;
Sentence-structure errors (fragments/run-ons);
Lack of agreement between subject and verb or pronoun and antecedent;
Lack of clear pronoun-antecedent reference;
Verb form errors (including tense, voice, and mood).
Papers that are plagiarized, in whole or in part, will earn a Failing grade.
Attendance:
Punctual class attendance is mandatory. In addition to contributing to understanding, in-class discussion,
quizzes, and other activities constitute a portion of your grade and cannot be made up if missed.
This syllabus may change.
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SPRING 2016
If it is absolutely necessary to miss class in order to keep an outside appointment, please schedule that
appointment during someone else’s class. In the event of unavoidable absence, check with another class
member to find out what you missed before returning to class.
Check with a classmate to see what you missed BEFORE returning to class.
There are no “excused” or “unexcused” absences in this class. Students who miss more than two weeks'
worth of classes—i.e., six class meetings in a MWF course—and/or miss a week's worth of classes
consecutively without contacting the instructor may be dropped for non-attendance and assigned a WF,
WP, or W grade as appropriate. Any combination of three late arrivals or early departures will count as
one absence. Arriving more than 15 minutes late or leaving more than 15 minutes early will constitute an
absence.
I call roll every day. If you arrive to class late, I may have already counted you as absent. You should get
with me immediately after class is over to make sure that you get credit for having been in class. Do not
do this via email. The roll book is the official record of attendance.
EASTER EGG: Write down a question about this syllabus and bring it with you to the second
class meeting. This is a graded assignment and will not be accepted after the second class
meeting.
If you expect to miss class for university-sponsored events (choir, band, orchestra, debate, sports),
please speak with me about it at the beginning of the semester. In addition, I ask that you:
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Be sure I receive written official notification from your coach, director, or sponsor;
Submit an email reminder to me immediately before each absence;
Turn in assignments that come due during your absence on or before the due date;
Check with another student to see what you’ve missed before returning;
Recognize the importance of being in class when you aren't traveling.
Student athletes: remind your instructor (via email) before each sponsored absence.
Late Work:
Assignments are due at the beginning of class. Late assignments, if accepted, receive a whole letter
grade reduction per calendar day.
Conduct:
Research shows that students who text and hang out on social media during class are less likely to
remember details about lectures and more likely to earn a lower grade than students who pay attention.
Please do not use your phones during class; silence your phone and put it away. I may ask you to leave
if you are unable to comply with this request.
Students who exhibit behavior that interferes with my ability to conduct the class and foster student
learning, or who exhibit behavior so outrageous as to severely impede the conduct of the class may be
dropped with a WF grade.
This syllabus may change.
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SPRING 2016
If you are asked for any reason to leave class, you must meet with me in my office before you will be
allowed to return.
Laptops/Tablets:
Students who take notes during lectures score higher than those who don’t, but recent studies have
shown that taking notes by laptop results in shallower processing and decreased ability to answer
questions about ideas, thoughts, and concepts. Therefore, I ask that you please take notes in longhand
for this class. If you feel that your learning will be hampered by not having access to your laptop for notetaking or other legitimate purposes, please speak to me outside of class.
Please take notes in longhand, rather than on your laptop or tablet.
UCA Policies:
Please take the time to familiarize yourself with all the academic policies in the Student Handbook. If you
are a new student, you can pick up a copy at 210 Student Health Center. A PDF version is available at
http://uca.edu/student/files/2014/09/Student-Handbook-2014-2015.pdf
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY STATEMENT: The University of Central Arkansas affirms its
commitment to academic integrity and expects all members of the university community to accept
shared responsibility for maintaining academic integrity. Students in this course are subject to the
provisions of the university's Academic Integrity Policy, approved by the Board of Trustees as
Board Policy No. 709 on February 10, 2010, and published in the Student Handbook. Penalties
for academic misconduct in this course may include a failing grade on an assignment, a failing
grade in the course, or any other course-related sanction the instructor determines to be
appropriate. Continued enrollment in this course affirms a student's acceptance of this university
policy.
In this class, any student who turns in an assignment that includes a passage that has been either
written for him or her by someone else for pay or as a favor or passages copied from a print or
electronic source written by another author (even if some of the words have been changed), will
immediately be dropped from the course and will receive a WF grade.
Any student who turns in a paper that has borrowed from other sources and fails to give complete
and unambiguous credit to every source (e.g. quotation marks, in-text citations, or missing or
incomplete bibliography), will receive a grade of 0 (zero) on that paper.
COUNSELING: All students are entitled to free, confidential, professional counseling. Please
contact the University Counseling Center at 450-3138. They are located in the Student Health
Center, suite 327.
DISABILITY POLICY: The University of Central Arkansas adheres to the requirements of the
Americans with Disabilities Act. If you need an accommodation under this act due to a disability,
contact the UCA Office of Disability Services at 450-3613.
EMERGENCY PROCEDURES: An Emergency Procedures Summary (EPS) for the building in
which this class is held will be discussed during the first week of this course. EPS documents for
most buildings on campus are available at http://uca.edu.mysafety/bep. Every student should be
This syllabus may change.
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SPRING 2016
familiar with emergency procedures for any campus building in which he or she spends time for
classes or other purposes.
EVALUATIONS: Student evaluations of a course and its professor are a crucial element in
helping faculty achieve excellence in the classroom and the institution in demonstrating that
students are gaining knowledge. Students may evaluate courses they are taking starting on the
Monday of the twelfth week of instruction through the end of finals week by logging in to myUCA
and clicking on the Evals button on the top right.
HARASSMENT POLICY: Harassment by any faculty member, staff member, or student is a
violation of both law and University policy and will not be tolerated. Please read the appropriate
pages of your Student Handbook for the policies, definition, and procedures concerning
harassment. If you have questions or concerns, please contact me or the chair of the department.
Individuals who believe they have been subjected to harassment should report the incident
promptly to their academic dean or to a departmental chair or directly to the university’s Affirmative
Action officer, legal counsel or assistant vice president for human resources
Title IX Disclosure: If a student discloses an act of sexual harassment, discrimination,
assault, or other sexual misconduct to a faculty member (as it relates to “student-onstudent” or “employee-on-student”), the faculty member cannot maintain complete
confidentiality and is required to report the act and may be required to reveal the names
of the parties involved. Any allegations made by a student may or may not trigger an
investigation. Each situation differs and the obligation to conduct an investigation will
depend on those specific set of circumstances. The determination to conduct an
investigation will be made by the Title IX Coordinator. For further information, please visit:
https://uca.edu/titleix. *Disclosure of sexual misconduct by a third party who is not a
student and/or employee is also required if the misconduct occurs when the third party is
a participant in a university-sponsored program, event, or activity.
This syllabus may change.
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SPRING 2016
Appendix A: Course Outline
Discussion
What’s Due (at the beginning of class)
Date
Day
Jan 8
F
Class Overview:
Introduction to the Course
Thinking about Drama
Jan 11
M
Q&A: The Syllabus
Writing Expectations for This Class
Reader Responses
The Critical Review
Angels in America Essay
The Writing Center
Read the syllabus.
Jan 13
W
Reading Drama
Writing About Drama
Dramatic Conventions
Read Anne Lamott’s “Shitty First Drafts”
(Engrade)
Jan 15
F
Jan 18
M
Read textbook, pp. 1-29
Read textbook, pp. 30-39
Class does not meet.
Jan 20
W
Dramatic Elements
Aristotle on Tragedy
Dr. Martin Luther King Day
Greek Drama
Oedipus Rex, Sophocles
Jan 22
F
Continued
Jan 25
Jan 27
Jan 29
M
W
F
Continued
Medieval Drama
Feb 1
Feb 3
M
W
Feb 5
F
Feb 8
M
Continued
Continued
Renaissance Drama
Italian Theater
Commedia dell-Arte
Elizabethan Drama
William Shakespeare
Everyman, Anonymous
This syllabus may change.
Read textbook, pp. 41-66
READER RESPONSE PROMT:
Oedipus meets and kills his birthfather
at a place where three roads converge.
Typically symbolic of a decision,
“crossroads” imply the protagonist has a
choice to make. Does Oedipus kill his
father as a result of free will or fate?
Does Oedipus have choice? Explain.
Read textbook commentaries, pp. 67-79
Complete the film before class.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZUCgq
8LfhY
Read textbook, pp.104-121
Read textbook, pp. 122-132
READER RESPONSE PROMPT:
How might this play be staged? How
would YOU do it?
Read Everyman, pp.133-145
Read textbook pp. 146-158
Page 8
SPRING 2016
Feb 10
W
Much Ado About Nothing by William
Shakespeare
Watch Joss Whedon Adaptation
(109 mins)
Feb 12
Feb 1
F
M
Continued
The Restoration
Late-Seventeenth- and EighteenthCentury Drama
Feb 17
W
Moliere’s Tartuffe
Feb 19
F
Continued
Feb 22
M
Nineteenth-Century Drama through
the Turn of the Twentieth Century
Romantic Drama
Melodrama
The Well-Made Play
Realism
Feb 24
Feb 26
W
F
Review for Exam
EXAM ONE
Feb 29
M
Henrik Ibsen, A Doll’s House
Watch a portion of the BBC version with
Juliet Stevenson.
This syllabus may change.
Read Shakespeare, Much Ado About
Nothing (Engrade)
READER RESPONSE PROMPT:
Draw a diagram of the play showing the
movement of the mood (mood shifts)
occurring during the action. Write an
explanation of your diagram.
Read textbook pp. 300-311
Read Tartuffe, pp. 317-341
READER RESPONSE PROMPT:
Molière as a comic playwright was
influenced both by traditional French
farce (an unscripted popular form of
comedy which featured robust attitudes
and vulgar ways, and emphasized a
strong physical style of performance)
and commedia dell’arte (an Italian
comedy
style
that
features
improvisational skills, highly physical
playing, clowning and the use of
masks). Where in the course of the
play are these influences apparent?
Watch RSC version:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzAKreb4DI&list=PL9GGOMDkACVTmA_ycgC2Bv1
9hYhuVYm8E
Read textbook Commentaries, pp. 341-342
Read textbook pp. 361-374
EXAM ONE
No Critical Reviews accepted after this date.
Read A Doll’s House, pp. 375-408
READER RESPONSE PROMPT:
Helmer’s pronouncement that “before
all else, (Nora is) a wife and mother” is
contradicted by Nora’s “before all else,
I’m a human being.” Is this issue
significant today, or is it only a sign of
Ibsen’s time? Explain.
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SPRING 2016
Mar 2
W
Continued
Complete the film version of A Doll’s House:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m81oiq5
yvCc&index=1&list=PL-fTn7WfJbNWVOQx0zC8Hp1QfWdWvZrq
Read textbook Commentaries, pp. 409-413
Mar 4
F
Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being
Earnest
Mar 7
M
Drama in the Early and MidTwentieth Century
Mar 9
Mar 11
W
F
Continued
Tennessee Williams, Cat on a Hot Tin
Roof
Mar 14
M
Continued
Mar 16
Mar 18
W
F
Review for Test
EXAM TWO
Mar 21
Mar 23
M
W
Spring Break
Spring Break
No Class
No Class
Mar 25
F
No Class
Mar 28
Mar 30
M
W
Spring Break
Contemporary Drama
Tony Kushner’s Angels in America:
Millennium Approaches
This syllabus may change.
Read The Importance of Being Earnest,
pp. 434-461
READER RESPONSE PROMPT:
Algernon and Jack seem to espouse a
fairly hedonistic attitude toward life in
Act 1—live for pleasure: "my duties as a
gentleman have never interfered in my
pleasures" (which may be both a
Victorian attitude and very modern one
as well). What are the duties of a
gentleman? Are they the public duties?
Are pleasures private? How does the
society of the play seem to treat these
issues? How does our society treat
these issues? Does one's social status
or presence in the public arena or public
eye matter?
Read textbook Commentary, pp. 462
Read textbook pp. 494-510
Read Cat on a Hot Tin Roof pp. 620-660
READER RESPONSE PROMPT:
What kind of statement is Williams
making about sexuality in this play? Do
you consider this to be a “gay play”?
Why or why not? How have attitudes
toward sexuality, especially homosexuality, changed since the play was
first performed in 1955? How have they
remained unchanged?
Read textbook Commentaries pp. 661 and
663
EXAM TWO
Read textbook pp. 812-833
Read Angels in America: Millennium
Approaches p. 926-960
Page 10
and Angels in America: Perestroika
SPRING 2016
Watch portions of the HBO Mike
Nichols Film, Angels in America
READER RESPONSE PROMPT:
The play opens with the funeral of
Louis’s grandmother. The rabbi tells her
family that she came from across a
great ocean: “You can never make that
crossing she made, for such Great
Voyages in this world do not anymore
exist. But every day of your lives the
miles that voyage between that place
and this one you cross. Every day. You
understand me? In you that journey is.”
How does the play move that journey
forward?
April 1
F
Continued
Homework: What moments in the play are
particularly pivotal for you? Make a list of
the most outstanding scenes for you.
April 4
M
Continued
Homework: Map out an overview of the
play. Make a diagram plotting the shape of
the work (include acts and scenes and label
them with given titles, or if none, with your
own). Briefly, in 1-2 sentences, describe the
narrative action. How do the titles help you
understand the content and purpose of each
act or scene? Map out the different
relationships. Which characters appear
together in each scene?
April 6
W
Continued
Homework: Identify key speeches – very
briefly paraphrase the content. Make sure
you think through the opening speeches in
each play and any moments of revelation,
prophecy, or political insight.
April 8
April 11
F
M
Continued
Continued
April 13
W
Continued
April 15
April 18
F
M
TBA
TBA
April 20
April 22
April 27
W
F
W
Review for Test
Study Day
April 29
F
This syllabus may change.
Homework: Briefly, what does Kushner
seem to be saying about history? Identify
key histories invoked in the play.
Angels in America Paper Due
28172 Final Exam
11:00-1:00
28173 Final Exam
10-12
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Appendix B: Reader Responses
For each play assigned, please write a 750-word response to the prompt given in the Course Outline.
Each Reader Response is worth 20 points and is due at the beginning of class on the day the reading is
due. Because the objective of this assignment is to prepare you to participate in class discussion, late
submissions will not be graded.
All responses should be in MLA Format:
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Typed in Times New Roman 12-point font
Be double-spaced, on an 8.5 x 11 inch sheet, with margins of one inch or less
Be free of errors (use spell and grammar check; proofread and edit carefully)
Measure one full page, minimum
Have a proper heading (your name, course, my name, date, and a title)
Begin each reader response with a one-line synopsis of the material: “Oedipus Rex tells the story of
Oedipus, a man who becomes the king of Thebes, whilst in the process unwittingly fulfilling a prophecy
that he would kill his father Laius and marry his mother Jocasta.” Do not further summarize the material.
Reader Responses are meant to deepen your understanding, encourage you to make connections, and
enable you to discuss the text in class. You will receive credit only if the response meets the above
technical requirements, fulfills the given assignment, and if you are in class on the day the assignment is
discussed. Late submissions, those that consist solely of plot summary, or those that are inadequate in
length will receive a 0 grade.
I recommend the following for assistance with MLA Formatting:
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The UCA Writing Center
o Thompson 109
o Summer Hours: Monday-Friday: 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM
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The OWL at Purdue: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/
This syllabus may change.
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Appendix C: Angels in America Paper
Your topic and argument will challenge the reader with your interpretation of Kushner’s play. Choose
one of the following prompts to stimulate your research and development of the subject matter. Use the
questions that accompany the prompts to derive a working thesis, and then prove your thesis using
evidence from the play.
This is not a research paper; do not use outside sources in your analysis.
Assume that you are writing for an audience of readers like yourself: that is, those who have read the
work, share your knowledge (and sense of humor), and want to know how you view the material. Use,
then, an accessible, natural language—one that is neither too elevated (avoid jargon and academic
formality, use the first person if appropriate, introduce relevant current or personal material), nor too
informal (avoid slang; be clear and direct).
In offering your own reading of the material, you must explain by showing how you derived it from
passages in the text. Quotations judiciously chosen will support and amplify your point, but they require
interpretation. Quote what you need (remember to close your quotation with quotation marks, give the
page reference in parentheses, and then give the closing punctuation), and explain its relevance to the
main point you're making.
Please remember to use present tense. The events you're writing about took place in the past, but the
act of reading and talking about them takes place in the present.
This assignment is worth 150 points. Papers will be graded on the quality of the ideas and argument, the
clarity of the writing, the effectiveness of the organization, and the understanding of concepts from the
course. Grading standards for written assignments are included in the syllabus.
You will receive credit only if the essay meets the above technical requirements, fulfills the given
assignment, and is properly submitted by the due date. Late submissions, those that consist solely of plot
summary, or those of inadequate length will not be graded.
A UCA Writing Center tutoring session (Thompson 109) is required for this assignment. To make an
appointment, submit a paper for online tutoring, or to find out about drop-in hours, visit
http://uca.edu/writingcenter/home. The Academic Success Center is also available to help you with all
aspects of college work: http://uca.edu/success.
Due Date is April 18 at the beginning of class. Do not email your essay.
Prompts:
1. Explore the themes of “identity” and “ideology” in several of the characters in
Kushner’s Angels in America. Who among Kushner’s characters are in crisis and conflict? How would
you approach the identity issues of these characters as they struggle with sexual, religious, racial, ethnic,
political and other issues? Select several to compare or contrast for a well-focused exploration of
“identity.” How are they portrayed as if “in motion,” transforming through stages of identity reinvention
and redemption? For example, Prior is blazingly honest and humiliated as he accepts his mortality and
imminent death, abandoned by his lover. He opens to angelic revelations and prophetic vocation, yet
rebels against divine destiny. Ultimately, he fearlessly embraces human suffering with compassion,
resurrecting as a protean man. Or consider Harper’s identity crisis as she faces abandonment by Joe.
How does she change by recognizing her dysfunctional dependence on a repressed homosexual
husband and anaesthetizing drugs to escape her pain? Harper’s visionary and unearthly vista of life takes
her through metamorphosis, liberation and redemption. What other characters portray a process of
transformation in their evolution of self-identity, whether positive or in a downward spiral of demise (e.g.,
Roy)? How do Kushner’s characters explore themes of redemption, forgiveness, judgment, compassion,
This syllabus may change.
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etc., emerging from painful and disturbing autobiographical journeys? Examine their awakening identities
as they are transformed by events and relationships. What does this teach us about ourselves?
2. Who are the “angels” in Angels in America? What are their concerns and intentions in the world of
the play? How does Kushner imagine both heavenly and earthly varieties of angels? What is the nature
of the knowledge that they’re wrestling into this world? What kind of new vision do they herald for life in
the new millennium? How does Kushner describe them, and what is their role as messengers between
God and humanity? How does Joe’s image of “Jacob wrestling the Angel” function in the play? How do
the characters respond to the angels? What do you find interesting about their responses? How does
Kushner redefine the phenomenon or experience of revelations or apocalypse? You might want to
consider Kushner’s “theological” interpretations of God, of angelic interventions in human history, the
influence of Mormonism and Judaism, and other religious influences and themes.
3. Kushner’s work serves as both a cautionary tale and a vision of hope in the midst of a major
social upheaval challenging traditional views. What does the play tell us about the nature of sexuality
and about the societal, and personal costs of homophobia? What kind of American society does Kushner
re-imagine? How might a new social paradigm emerge and find expression? In answering, you’ll want to
discuss this question broadly and then focus specifically on how two or three characters illuminate these
issues and concerns. How does this dynamic play out individually, interpersonally, religiously and
politically? Make good use of dialogue, examples, and cite your quoted passages correctly to support
your argument.
4. Examine the “threshold of revelation” scenes when characters are crossing between the realm
of humanity and the realms of dreams or heaven. How does the play explore mysterious dimensions
of human experience to bring new interpretive light to human suffering and social change? (e.g., Harper
and Prior, and Harper and Mr. Lies; visitations of angels, etc. How do these “mythical” threshold worlds
function in the world of the play? What kind of knowledge do characters grapple with in the shadows and
the light? What is revealed in these scenes as interpenetrating revelations (to us as audience and to the
characters themselves)? How does Kushner use these thresholds of the imagination to advance his
vision?
5. What is Kushner arguing about the role of history(ies) in America’s past, present, and hoped
for future? Kushner works against the background of social upheaval and change, a “new paradigm” or
new “millennium” emerging effecting a historical transformation in American society. Can you explore key
moments in several characters’ and their ancestors’ histories as signs of historical shifting and the hope
of social reform? How does Kushner’s historical vision find expression in the play? How does Kushner
envision a new framework for contemporary American society that over-rides the “old world” of the past?
How does this vision still resonate into our contemporary American society in the 21st Century?
6. A key theme that Kushner engages is “abandonment”: God abandoning humanity, humans
abandoning each other, humanity abandoning God, individuals experiencing abandonment. What
is Kushner arguing about abandonment, religion, politics, and the reinvigoration of American society?
Some characters seem to grow through their experience of abandonment, they change through suffering
and become a stronger person with a new vision. How does this teach us about the nature of suffering
and abandonment, about compassion for ourselves and others, and about the contemporary experience
of humanity’s responsibility for making a better world to live in?
7. Identify a constellation of characters played by a single actor. How do the characters, as a
composite, work to comment on or caution us about the present, and bring in the new order that
Kushner imagines? How do they contradict, augment, and intensify each other? In addressing this
question, you’ll want to make a claim about what Kushner’s vision is, how each character contributes,
and how they work together. Are the different characters played by the same actor closely related? How
and why?
This syllabus may change.
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Appendix D: Critical Review
Attend a live theatre performance of Sarah Ruhl’s Dead Man’s Cell Phone in UCA’s Black Box Theatre,
Snow Fine Arts Center on February 11, 12, 18, or 19 at 7:30 pm, or at 2:00 pm on February 13. Write a
critical review of the production and turn it in (along with a ticket stub or selfie that proves your attendance
at the play) no later than 7 days after the performance you attend. Critical Reviews will not be accepted
after February 26.
This assignment is worth 150 points.
Tickets are available through UCA Ticket Central located in the box office at Reynolds Performance Hall.
Admission is free, but tickets are required. All reviews should be in MLA Format:
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Typed in Times New Roman 12-point font
Be double-spaced, on an 8.5 x 11 inch sheet, with margins of one inch or less
Be free of errors (use spell and grammar check; proofread and edit carefully)
Measure one full page, minimum
Have a proper heading (your name, course, my name, date, and a title)
Provide a very brief summary of the play, a close objective analysis of the performance, and an
interpretation and evaluation of the entire ensemble of staging, acting, and directing. Your objective
analysis will focus on the relative success or failure of the performance—not the text—of the play.
Consider the actors’ performances, the overall direction of the production, and individual elements of
staging.
Your review should include information about the time and place of the performance, a short summary of
the plot, and remark on the play’s stage history. It should evaluate the actors and the production, and
comment on both the strong and weak parts of the production. Please include the names of the director
and any actors whose performance you discuss. Support general statements with specific examples from
the performance. Model your review on those we have studied this semester.
You will receive credit only if the review meets the above technical requirements, fulfills the given
assignment, and is properly submitted by the due date. Late submissions, those that consist solely of plot
summary, or those that are inadequate in length will not be graded. You must see the play that is
assigned; there are no alternative plays for which you can receive credit.
A UCA Writing Center tutoring session (Thompson 109) is required for this assignment. To make an
appointment, submit a paper for online tutoring, or to find out about drop-in hours, visit
http://uca.edu/writingcenter/home. The Academic Success Center is also available to help you with all
aspects of college work: http://uca.edu/success.
This syllabus may change.
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