THE GROUP PRESENTATION

The Groups

“A”: Sharayah Alkire; Cody Baggerly; Hannah Barnhart; Kate Carlin

“B”: Bryce Clark; Amber Deela; Madison Gaines; Ashley Gregory

“C”: Cynthia Hammonds; Maci Hanson; Kara Hodo; Taylor Johnson

“D”: Lauren Jolly; Preston Mann; Miranda Mullins; Abigail Nance; Rachel Wilson

“E”: Michael Oliver; Ashli Page; Destiny Paisley; Dana Perkins

“F”: Mitchell Potts; Avery Stev  ens; Austin Ward; Chandler Wilson

Choose a single scene from one of the plays in class (or another, if enough of your group has read it recently—Shrew, Macbeth, etc.), or part of a scene if the scene is particularly long. Your group will then discuss how to stage this scene for actors who have never performed Shakespeare before and don’t understand the language. Imagine you are presenting a workshop before this group of assembled actors as a kind of ‘Shakespeare 101’ for the play. Ideally, you should take them through several aspects of the scene to give them context, clarity, and comprehension (and any other C’s you can think of).

Your group should consist of the following members:

THE PRESENTER: This person assembles the group’s materials and presents them to the workshop. Though they don’t have to do the ‘grunt work,’ they do have to understand it sufficiently to present it to the class. He or she is also responsible for how they want to present it—handouts, Powerpoint, Prezi, poster, etc. NOTE that the Presenter is only responsible for communicating the material below, and does not have to create any of it (though he or she can give guidance and suggestions, of course). Make sure not to merely read the materials below, but synthesize them into a flowing, coherent account for the audience.  

THE DRAMATURG: This person is responsible for telling us something about the production history of the play itself. Give us an overview of when the play was believed to have been written and how it was received—was it popular? Was there a quarto version before the Folio? What famous actors played in it? What are some of the controversies/difficulties of the play? Briefly discuss at least one modern production and explain how they staged it (period, modern, etc.) and why this was effective. The Dramaturg should turn in a 2-4 page paper with this material along with citations for the sources used. NOTE that the Presenter shouldn’t read this, but should incorporate its ideas into his/her presentation.

THE SCHOLAR: This person should highlight key concepts unfamiliar to the audience which can include language (unfamiliar words, puns, allusions, prose/verse), conventions (aspects of tragedy, comedy, or Shakespeare’s theater), and class (distinction of rank we might be aware of or notice). Think about what aspects would most benefit the audience’s understanding and help them ‘see’ this. The Historian should turn in a 2-4 page paper (double spaced) highlighting the most important details from this scene with citations, which can be from the Folger edition, Wells’s book, or other sources. NOTE that the Presenter shouldn’t read from this, but should have this adapted in his or her presentation).

THE DIRECTOR: This person is responsible for close reading some part of the scene so we understand how it could be performed, and how to portray the characters through their language. Imagine that you’re instructing the actors what to see in the language and how it can act as their costume and props. Highlight the themes/ideas in this scene that resonate throughout the play, and consider the philosophical implications of their language (ideas we find in de Sousa, for example). You should consult at least TWO sources to help you with your reading, either de Sousa, Wells, The Sonnets, or another critical source. The Director should turn in a 2-3 page paper with his/her close readings and citations for the sources used.

NOTE: If your group has 5 members, then you can have co-directors: each one can choose a passage to highlight and do his/her own close reading. The Presenter can they decide which one to use, or to combine the two in the presentation.

IMPORTANT REMINDERS

• Only do ONE play and ONE scene from the play (co-directors can focus on different parts of the same scene).
• Each group should turn in a folder with the three short papers included, so I can accurately grade each member’s contribution
• The assignment is designed to the group can work pretty independently, but you should at least meet briefly once or twice (or e-mail frequently) to share material so one person’s source could help someone else’s. The Director might be inspired  by something the Dramaturg finds, or something the Scholar points out, and vice versa. And the Presenter should have all the papers in advance of the presentation date so he/she can understand it and synthesize the material.
• If you get stuck, I can help you—and indeed, I will post a blog for each play with some potential sources and ideas.
• DUE THE LAST WEEK OF CLASS, April 30^th and May 2^nd (we’ll sign up for these). All papers and the presentation must be ready on this date.

GOOD LUCK!