Spring
Semester, 2005
Class
meets T TR 11:00-12:20
Instructor:
Professor Cheri Vasek
Office:
115 Shoup Hall
Office
Telephone: 885-4383
E-mail:
cvasek@uidaho.edu
Office Hours: TBA
Prerequisites:
Completion
of TH 101, Introduction to Theatre, or equivalent
Required Texts:
Arvind Sharma & A. L. Basham, The Little Clay Cart
James R. Brandon, On Thrones of Gold
Karen Brazell, Traditional Japanese Theater
Additional
Readings can be found on the class website, at:
http://www.class.uidaho.edu/asiantheatre/index.htm
Course Objectives:
This class should serve to introduce the student to
the structure and form of traditional Asian theatre. The Asian theatrical
heritage is unique and rich in variety, and its influence on historical and
contemporary Euro-centric theatre is significant.
Historical
background will be traced in order to provide the proper religious, cultural,
sociological and aesthetic framework for the study of these traditional
theatrical forms.
In
the Asian theatre tradition, culture, text and performance are wedded into a
powerful and evocative whole. A
study of the literature, separate from the performance context, compromises the
vitality of these extraordinary theatrical forms. Therefore, our exploration in this course will address many
elements. We will study the common
literary foundations, as well as dramatic texts from each of the major regions.
We will also explore historical antecedents, visual elements (masks, costumes,
scenery), acting style, music, stage space and the evolution of aesthetic
sensibility within each form.
The
material in this course is arranged geographically, by region:
South Asia India
Sanskrit
Drama
Classical Dance forms (Bharata Natyam
Dance
Drama forms (Kathakali)
South East Asia Indonesia
Wayang
Topeng (masked dance drama)
Wayang
Kulit (shadow puppet theatre)
Wayang
Golek (rod puppet theatre)
East Asia China
Early
theatrical forms
Jingxi
(Beijing Opera)
Japan
Noh
Kabuki
Joruri
& Bunraku (puppet theatre)
Anticipated Student
Outcomes:
Develop an understanding and
appreciation of Asian Theatre as a unique cultural expression.
Acquire specific knowledge of
visual elements, performance styles and literary characteristics of the various
dramatic forms studied. Demonstrate
this acquired knowledge by identifying and describing the characteristics of the
various theatrical forms studied.
Observe and be able to discuss the relationships between the forms in various regions.
Observe and be able to discuss the regional variations in theatrical forms that have evolved from shared literary traditions and a shared religious and/or philosophical heritage.
Understand the larger religious context of Asian theatre and dance forms, which transcends geographic regions.
Synthesize information presented in lectures, discussions and video presentations. Demonstrate this synthesis of knowledge through the student’s performance in class discussions, quizzes and examinations.
Effectively
articulate ideas, as evidenced in class discussions, quizzes and examinations.
Course Conduct:
1. Role of the instructor: I will facilitate your accomplishment of the course objectives by creating learning opportunities, presenting information and guiding discussions. I will assess your development with the evaluation of quizzes and exams, regularly throughout the semester.
2. Role of the student: You are expected to take personal responsibility for your learning through regular attendance, preparation for class, participation in classroom learning opportunities and completion of all reading, exams and quizzes.
3.
Use of class time:
In class, we will a) introduce and develop topics, b) view videos of
performances c) discuss plays and foundational epic literature.
The format combines approaches you may be familiar with from art history
and literature classes.
4.
Reading:
Theatrical literature and commentary from representative texts and
scripts, as assigned from textbooks and website.
5.
Reading Questions:
After each major reading assignment, you will be required to submit a
question based upon your reading. These
questions will be used in the creation of the periodic quizzes.
6.
Exams: There
will be three mid-term exams and a
final exam of equal value. These
are take-home examinations. That
means I am expecting thoughtful analysis, integration, synthesis and thorough
comprehension of the material we study. The
final exam will include some questions involving a synthesis of the information
covered during the course. You will
have 1 ½ weeks to complete each mid-term exam and 1 week to complete the final
exam. Consult the class schedule
for exam due dates.
7.
Quizzes:
There will be several quizzes (one on each of the countries and / or
major theatrical forms that we study). Quizzes
will be composed of the reading questions you submit, as well as questions the
instructor prepares. Consult the
class schedule for quiz dates.
8.
Attendance:
The scope of this course is extensive.
Much of the terminology is unfamiliar.
Much of the material presented in class provides visual context for the
information you encounter in reading and lectures. Given these perameters,
regular attendance is clearly in your best interest.
9.
Absences:
If you must be absent, I expect you to be courteous & responsible.
I expect you to call or email either ahead of class time or as soon as is
reasonably possible, to advise me of an absence.
I also expect you to make arrangements with your classmates to catch up
on the session(s) you have missed.
10. Communicate!: If you have special needs or circumstances, or if you have questions or concerns that are not addressed to your satisfaction in class, please let me know as soon as possible. I don’t know unless you tell me. I cannot address any issues or concerns of which I am unaware.
11.
Please turn off cell phones during class.
REALLY!
Evaluation:
Final
grades will be calculated using the following (approximate) formula:
Attendance
and class participation 05%
Quizzes (7) 25%
Midterm # 1 (India) 15%
Midterm # 2 (Indonesia) 15%
Midterm
# 3 (China)
15%
Final Exam (Japan & Summary) 25%
Total: 100%
Additional responsibilities for Graduate Students, taking this course as TH 504:
You
are required to present a topic to the class, either as an individual presenter
or as part of a group. You must
make a choice of topic by THURSDAY, January 20.
Available topics and dates are:
2/10
Use of Mask in Indonesian Dance Drama
2/24
Contemporary Puppet Theatre In Indonesia - Politics / Social Change
3/3
Southeast Asian Dance Drama & Puppetry Forms
Cambodia, Thailand,
Vietnam, Laos, Burma
3/24
Actor Training in Chinese Opera
(vocal, physical) &
Folk Drama Forms of East Asia (China, Korea)
4/21
Actor Training In Traditional Japanese Theatre & Dance (vocal,
physical) &
Butoh
5/5
Asian Theatre Influences Western Theatre Artists
504 students may also elect to assist in guiding discussions of
the various
literary forms, on these dates:
1/25, 3/1, 4/12, & 5/3
ALL
STUDENTS: Your attendance and
participation are extremely important, and will be evaluated as part of your
final grade.
Should any
modifications to the syllabus or schedule be necessary, I will communicate those
changes to you in class and via e-mail. Please make sure your university
email address (on Banner) is up to date.
