DRAM10010 Theatre Context and Conventions

Academic Year 2024/2025

This module offers students the opportunity to develop their skills in reading dramatic texts from diverse periods in the European theatrical tradition, and to trace the development of theatre from the Greek classical period, through the Elizabethan and Restoration periods, and into the nineteenth century. Students will discuss and analyse theatrical conventions at play in a range of texts, and examine the relationship between space, audience, language, and convention.

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Curricular information is subject to change

Learning Outcomes:

On completion of this module students should be able to: identify and discuss a range of theatrical conventions, evaluate and situate the different historical genres covered, analyse theatrical texts in terms of performance conventions, test and practically investigate how conventions work on stage.

Indicative Module Content:

Lecture Schedule

Class 1: Introduction –Theatre Context and Conventions

Class 2: Greek Tragedy: Oedipus the King (Sophocles)

Class 3: Oedipus the King Scene Analysis

Class 4: The Pageant Play: The Second Shepherds’ Pageant (Wakefield)

Class 5: Scene Analysis: The Second Shepherds’ Pageant (Wakefield)

Class 6: Restoration Drama: The Rover (Behn)

Class 7: Scene Analysis: The Rover

Class 8: French Farce: Tartuffe (Moliere)

Class 9: French Farce: Tartuffe Scene Analysis

Class 10: Naturalism: Miss Julie (Strindberg)

Class 11: Miss Julie, scene analysis

Class 12 Recap and Exam Preparation

Student Effort Hours: 
Student Effort Type Hours
Specified Learning Activities

16
Autonomous Student Learning

60
Lectures

12
Small Group

6
Tutorial

6
Total

100
Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
Small group learning involving discussion, short question sheets, and one-on-one feedback on assignments. Also lectures where broader contextual themes will be outlined and the plays put into historical perspective. 
Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations
Learning Requirements:

Leaving Cert Higher Level or equivalent


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 
Assessment Strategy  
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade In Module Component Repeat Offered
Exam (Open Book): At the end of the trimester you shall sit for a summative online 2-hour examination. The examination will be availed to you 72 hours ahead of the examination End of trimester
Duration:
2 hr(s)
 Standard conversion grade scale 40% Yes

60

 Yes
Assignment(Including Essay): The Mid-semester Assignment comprises of a critical commentary/scene analysis. In your mid-semester assignment, you will do a close reading of one of three texts from the first section of the course. Week 7 Standard conversion grade scale 40% No

30

 No
Participation in Learning Activities: Continuous Assessment. You earn these cumulative credits by completing the short tasks that are meant to help you revise and consolidate what you learn in class and tutorials. Week 12 Standard conversion grade scale 40% No

10

 No

Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 
Resit In Terminal Exam
Spring Yes - 2 Hour
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 
Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment
• Self-assessment activities

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Feedback on individual progress is given in SGT's and through continuous assessment actitives. Mid-term assignment feedback to students will be provided post-asssessment. This can be through different approaches such as oral, audio, video and or written/annotated feedback, either in-class, out of class, in meetings, through the VLE, by email, using rubrics, etc.

Indicative lecture Schedule

Class 1: Introduction –Theatre Context and Conventions

Class 2: Greek Tragedy: Oedipus the King (Sophocles)

Class 3: Oedipus the King Scene Analysis

Class 4: The Pageant Play: The Second Shepherds’ Pageant (Wakefield)

Class 5: Scene Analysis: The Second Shepherds’ Pageant (Wakefield)

Class 6: Restoration Drama: The Rover (Behn)

Class 7: Scene Analysis: The Rover

Class 8: French Farce: Tartuffe (Moliere)

Class 9: French Farce: Tartuffe Scene Analysis

Class 10: Naturalism: Miss Julie (Strindberg)

Class 11: Miss Julie, scene analysis

Class 12 Recap and Exam Preparation

Required reading

Plays
Oedipus the King
The Second Shepherds’ Pageant
The Rover,
Tartuffe
Miss Julie

Critical Reading
Weekly critical reading handouts will be posted on blackboard for students. In addition to this students should read the following:

Aston, Elaine and George Savona, Theatre as Sign System (London: Routledge, 1991).

Brockett, Oscar, The Essential Theatre, (London, Wadsworth, 2003)

Fischer-Lichte, Erika, History of European Drama and Theatre (London: Routledge, 2002)

Wickham, Glynne, A History of the Theatre (new edition) (London: Phaidon Press, 1992).

Williams, Raymond, Drama in Performance (Milton Keynes: Open University Press, 1991).

Worthen, W.B., The Wadsworth Anthology of Drama, Fourth Edition (

Zarrilli, Phillip, et all., Theatre Histories: An Introduction (London: Routledge, 2006).

Name Role
Dr Paul Halferty Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Justine Zapin Lecturer / Co-Lecturer