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Home My WebLink AboutENG-208Bergen Community College Division of Humanities English Department Course Syllabus ENG 208: Creative Writing Workshop – Playwriting Semester and Year: Meeting: Days/Times/Locations Instructor Name Office Location and Phone Email Address WebEx Link Course Description This course is a workshop-style course that allows students to experience and practice the creative process involved in writing. This course provides students with an understanding of dramatic text, their ability to create character, relationship, dialogue, and dramatic action. In addition, the course introduces students to the process of stage performance and managing their scripts for this medium. Credits: 3; Lecture 3 Prerequisite: ENG-101 Composition I Corequisite: None Student Learning Objectives As a result of meeting the requirements in this course, you will be able to: 1. Identify the special genre demands of the art and craft of playwriting by reading and analyzing the creative work of professional writers. 2. Utilize the elements of craft in the drama genre. 3. Develop a greater appreciation for the creative process. 4. Incorporate critical approaches and develop aesthetic sensibilities through immersion in the creative process. 5. Understand the conventions and apply standards of professional manuscript preparation. 6. Incorporate the unique conventions and requirements intrinsic in scripts made for theatre performance. Means of Assessment 1. Complete a portfolio of your writing, including weekly journals, exercises, scenes, and a one-act play. (SLO 1-6) 2. Compose at least 4 dramatic scenes. (SLO 2, 4, 6) 3. Produce revisions of at least 2 of those 4 above scenes. (SLO 2-6) 4. Produce a minimum of a revised and edited Act I of a play. (SLO 2-6 5. Complete weekly writing for workshop and provide weekly constructive criticism on fellow students writing for workshop. (SLO 2, 4, 5,) 6. Read and discuss weekly assigned readings of published authors. (SLO 1, 3, 5) Attendance Policy BCC Attendance Policy: “All students are expected to attend punctually every scheduled meeting of each course in which they are registered. Attendance and lateness policies and sanctions are to be determined by the instructor for each section of each course. These will be established in writing on the individual course outline. Attendance will be kept by the instructor for administrative and counseling purposes.” Instructor’s specific attendance policy must be included in the syllabus distributed to students. Course Texts and Other Required Materials Specific required textbook(s) will be included in each instructor’s syllabus. Example: Waldrep, Mary Carolyn, Ed. Twelve Classic One Act Plays. Dover Thrift Editions, 2010. BCC Statement on Academic integrity (2022-23 Catalog): Bergen Community College is committed to academic integrity – the honest, fair, and continuing pursuit of knowledge, free from fraud or deception. Students are responsible for their own work. Faculty and academic support services staff will take appropriate measures to discourage academic dishonesty. The College recognizes the following general categories of violations of academic integrity. Academic integrity is violated whenever a student does one or more of the following: 1. Uses unauthorized assistance in any academic work. ● copies from another student’s exam ● uses notes, books, electronic devices or other aids of any kind during an exam, when doing so is prohibited ● steals an exam or possesses a stolen copy of any exam 2. Gives unauthorized assistance to another student ● completes a graded academic activity or takes an exam for someone else ● gives answers to or shares answers with another student before or during an exam or other graded academic activity ● shares answers during an exam by using a system of signals 3. Fabricates data in support of an academic assignment ● cites sources that do not exist ● cites sources that were not used ● submits any academic assignment which contains falsified or fabricated data or results 4. Inappropriately or unethically uses technological means to gain academic advantage ● inappropriately or unethically acquires material via the Internet or by any other means ● uses any devices (electronic or hidden) for communication or unauthorized retrieval of information during an exam Accessibility Statement Bergen Community College is committed to ensuring the full participation of all students in its programs. If you have a documented disability (or think you may have a disability) and, as a result, need a reasonable accommodation to participate in this class, complete course requirements, or benefit from the College’s programs or services, contact the Office of Special Services (OSS) as soon as possible at 201-612-5270 or www.bergen.edu/oss. To receive any academic accommodation, you must be appropriately registered with OSS. The OSS works with students confidentially and does not disclose any disability-related information without their permission. The OSS serves as a clearinghouse on disability issues and works in partnership with faculty and all other student service offices. Support Services Distance Learning Office Room C 334 201-612-5581 psimms@bergen.edu English Language Resource Center Room E- 156 201-612-5292 http://www.bergen.edu/pages/2182.asp Writing Center Room L 125 201-447- 7489 http://www.bergen.edu/pages/1795.asp Office of Specialized Services Room L 116 201-612-5270 www.bergen.edu/oss Sidney Silverman Library Room L- 226 201-447-7131 www.bergen.edu/library Sample 15-Week Syllabus Week Assignments for next Class 1 Introductions and analyses of Syllabus. Establishing a writer’s pattern and commitment. Understanding the workshop process. Understanding theatre rather than cinema: No readings assignment. Sossaman: 6-11 How to be a Playwright: 12-13. Exercise: Where plays come from? P.17-19 2 What is Dramatic Writing? Understanding the difference between narrative and dramatic writing. Showing rather than telling: creating scenes where story is told mostly through action. Exercises: Relationships: How do characters dramatically express fear, love, hate, anger etc. Establish Workshop schedule according to groups of students: Student groups will be established on Moodle, for submissions. Read the following: Act 1 of A Doll’s House Continue the exercise from class. Submit for Workshop: Group 1(Students who are presenting their scenes for each week must (MUST) have their work in progress uploaded to Moodle by day/time TBA) Any student who fails to do so will get a zero for the assignment and will not be able to submit late – No Exceptions! Also, students must bring copies of work in progress to their scheduled workshop. 3 Basic Plot Structure: (exposition, inciting incident, rising action (Dramatic Questions), climax, falling action) p. 37-40 Exercise: Finding and generating Stories (Group Exercise) Read the following: Act II A Doll’s House Submit for Workshop: Group 2 Exercise: Use what you learned in the class exercise and generate 2 storylines for next class. (Stories must have exposition, rising action etc) 4 Creating Characters: Exercise: Creating a backstory for protagonists; motivation of characters; objectives of characters. P. 26-28. Exercise: 30-31. Read the following: Act III A Doll’s House Submit for Workshop: Group 3 Finish today’s exercise at home. 5 Dialogue: Major functions of dialogue. Creating distinguishing characters through dialogue. P.57 - 65 Exercise: Eavesdropping. Movie: “Sunset Limited” followed by discussion. Read the following: Waiting for Godet, Act I & II Submit for Workshop: Group 1 6 Stage management: Understanding that a play is continuous, and has limitations. p. 41-44 Exercise: Writing Stage Directions for Sunset Limited. Read the following: Finish Godet Exercise: Finish the exercise at home. 7 Movement, stage directions: Putting your characters to work: Characters rarely sit and talk, give them movement. P. 55-57 Exercise: Characters can perform a task while on stage. Read the following: Nothing Submit for Workshop: Group 2 8 Setting: understanding the era, Minor Characters: Their roles! Read the following: The Cherry Orchard Act I Submit for Workshop: Group 3 9 Building Conflict, tension, rising and Falling action. P.47-53 Exercise: Scenes with power/pleasure/duty/identity conflicts Read the following: The Cherry Orchard Act II Submit for Workshop: Group 1 10 Dramatic Questions: Keys to holding the audience’s attention. Exercise: Developing Suspense plot AND Emotional Plot. Read the following: The Cherry Orchard Act III Submit for Workshop: Group 2 11 Themes: Developing themes naturally. P.7074 Exercise: Respecting the audience and putting subtext behind the dialogue, and not in the dialogue. Read the following: Look Back in Anger, Act I Submit for Workshop: Group 3 12 Revising: What do you want to say? Are you saying it? How do you say it? Exercise: p.80-84 Editing your Script: Checklist p. 93-96 Performance We will try to see a play on Broadway. Read the following: Look Back in Anger, Act II SUBMIT FOR PERFORMANCE. Students can cast their characters and provide a script for performance next week. 13 Performance Read the following: Look Back in Anger, Act III SUBMIT FOR PERFORMANCE. 14 Performance SUBMIT FOR PERFORMANCE. 15 Performance Classes End Submit: All writing must be submitted in final portfolio.