Theatre History Final Project GOALS OF THE ASSIGNMENT ⚫ Research a theatre tradition of your choice, practicing responsible research methods* • Develop a deep and thoughtful understanding of your chosen tradition • Create a project that effectively conveys your understanding of the tradition and considers its influence and impact • Reflect on the process and assess your work GRADING RUBRIC • Understanding of theatre tradition: 25% Quality of research (use of reliable sources, accuracy): 25%* • Execution of project (creativity, effort, presentation): 25% Reflection: 25% INSTRUCTIONS 1) Choose a theatre tradition, either one from past history or one that is alive today (or both). What IS a theatre tradition? It is a movement or style of theatre that: emerges at a particular place and time reflects a particular culture, aesthetic ideal, and/or historical period ⚫ lasts for a while • gives rise to a number of plays and productions that share common aesthetics, purpose, or content Examples of theatre traditions: Ancient Greek theatre, kabuki, Theatre of the Absurd, African American theatre 2) Create a project that explores the unique characteristics of the tradition and its significance to theatre past and present. You may work individually or as a group. Your project should: • Be factually accurate and responsibly researched ■ Include a list of references • Use reliable sources such as the textbook, academic institutions, historical institutions, theatre websites • Reflect a deep and thoughtful understanding of your chosen tradition: ■ What are its origins and history? Where and when did/does it exist? What was/is the architecture of the theatre spaces? ■ Who were/are the audience? Who were/are some of the important playwrights and what are the plays like? What was/is the style of acting? Who was/are some prominent actors? Who were/are some significant directors, or if there was/is no formal director role, who was/is responsible for organizing the productions? What is/was the style of design? Did this tradition give rise to any innovations in scenery, costumes, lighting or sound? How did/does this tradition operate in relation to diverse identies? Was/is participation restricted to certain genders, races, or classes? Were/are special efforts made to represent or include particular groups of people? Consider the bigger picture: How does this tradition shape or challenge or disrupt our ideas about theatre as a whole? What can we learn from it? The format of your project is open. Some ideas: • Live performance of scene/s from a play • Visual presentation or slide show Video with visuals and narration (5-7 minutes) Podcast (15-20 minutes) • Research paper (5-7 pages) 3) Write a 1-2 page reflection on your work, describing what it was like to do this project and what you learned, and assessing whether you achieved the goals of the assignment. Each student must do this, whether working individually or in a group.

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