Prof. Hedrick Office: Parlin 226
E359 W (Honors) Spring, 2010 Office Hours: TTH 11-12:30
Unique #34885 and by appointment
TTH 12:30-2 Office Phone: 471-8705
PAR 305 eahedrick@mail.utexas.edu
Course Policy
I. Objectives.
In this course we will read plays written and produced in England between 1660 and the early 20th century. Because the theater reflects and responds to the culture of its time to an unusual degree, we will examine the plays on the reading list with an eye to several matters: the political and historical contexts in which the plays appeared; the regulation of the stage and the publication practices of playwrights; questions of staging--e.g., acting, scene design, and costuming; and the belletristic qualities (or lack thereof) of the plays themselves. As an effort to think about the plays as more than purely literary documents, we will read portions of scenes from many of them in class and discuss at length the larger question of what it means to “read” a play.
II. Texts.
A. British Dramatists from Dryden to Sheridan, ed. George Nettleton and Arthur Case. SIU Press.
B. Wycherley, William. The Country Wife. Norton edition.
C. Behn, Oroonoko, The Rover and Other Works. Penguin edition.
D. Garrick, David, and George Colman. The Clandestine Marriage. Broadview edition.
E. Centlivre, Susannah. A Bold Stroke for a Wife. Broadview edition.
F. Speedway packet, containing plays and other materials.
III. Requirements.
A. Two ten-minute presentations, each of which will address the ways in which an assigned essay illuminates a scene in or a problem raised by the play scheduled for discussion. (A student making a presentation will effectively help lead class discussion on the day on which he or she presents.) 20 % (10% each)
B. One three to five-page essay, which will critique an article on a play scheduled for discussion. 20%
C. One 15 to 20-page paper, on a topic of your choice, selected with Prof. Hedrick's guidance and approval. (For due dates, see schedule.) (40%)
D. A draft of this essay, which will be commented on and returned to you for revision. (The grade you get on your finished paper will replace the grade you get on your draft.)
E. Participation in class discussions. 20%
Note: You must complete all the above assignments, including the paper draft, in order to pass the course.
Students with disabilities may request appropriate academic accommodations from the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement, Services for Students with Disabilities, 471-6259.