Course coordinator
Miss Caitlin West
Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 2, 2024 (22/07/2024 - 18/11/2024)
- Study level
- Undergraduate
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Communication & Arts School
This course will consider the development of drama from the scripted Medieval plays, through the Elizabethan and Spanish Golden Ages, to neoclassicism and the Sturm and Drang movement. The course covers examples of theatre from Portugal, England, Spain, France, and Germany, and is particularly interested in the role of witchcraft, magic, and the supernatural in the historical European theatrical tradition (1500-1800).
The triumph of reason across Europe from the Renaissance, through the Enlightenment, to the revolutions that closed the eighteenth century, is marked by anxieties about magic and the supernatural, as well as the establishment of fixed gender, racial, and sexual roles. Yet the European theatre in this period from 1500 to 1800 remains fascinated with witches, outlaws, and other agents of chaos. In this course, we investigate the historical European theatrical tradition through examining how the major movements in performance style, space and production across this period responded to anxieties about race, sex, science, and the supernatural. In filling in the historical gap between the Early Modern period and the avant-gardes of the twentieth century, this course also considers the development of the Western theatre canon, and the ways in which European theatre has been received in the English-language tradition.
Course requirements
Assumed background
Students are expected to have completed eitherﾠDRAM1010 orﾠDRAM1100 as aﾠprerequisite course. Some introductory material covered in thoseﾠcourses will be assumed as background knowledge. Incoming Exchange students are exempt from thisﾠrequirement.ﾠ
Prerequisites
You'll need to complete the following courses before enrolling in this one:
DRAM1010 or DRAM1100
Incompatible
You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:
DRAM2020
Restrictions
Course offering may be cancelled unless a minimum of 20 students enrol.
Course contact
Course staff
Lecturer
Miss Caitlin West
Course coordination overseer
Dr Emma Cole
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Additional timetable information
Whilst every effort is made to place students in their preferred activity, it is not always possible for a student to be enrolled in their tutorial of choice. If you require assistance, please ensure that you email timetabling.commarts@enquire.uq.edu.au from your UQ student email with:
- Your name
- Your student ID
- The course code
- A list of three tutorial preferences (in order of preference)
- Reason for the change – e.g. timetable clash, elite athlete status, SAP
Teaching staff do not have access to change tutorials or help with timetables; all timetabling changes must be processed through the Timetabling Team.
Aims and outcomes
This course aims to familiarise students with the major movements in European Theatre between 1500 and 1800, with reference to how historical European dramatists and conventions have affected the development of the Western theatre canon. Specifically, the course aims to allow students to:
- Read widely in a range of historical European theatrical traditions, and the specific arrangements of theatre space they developed;ﾠ
- Appreciate theatre and performance's relationship with science, sex, and the supernatural before, during and after the scientific revolution;ﾠ
- Consider how translation and adaptation have facilitated the reception of European classics in the English-language tradition; and
- Collaborate with others to produce a group performance that recontextualises historicalﾠEuropean Theatre for a present-day audience.ﾠ
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Understand some of the major phases of historical European staging traditions and conventions and how they operate textually and performatively.
LO2.
Recognise how shifting historical movements, especially in relation to science, sex, and the supernatural, interact with and are figured in dramatic and theatrical conventions and developments.
LO3.
Comprehend the importance of political and social contexts, genre expectations, and specific spaces on audience reception of historical European theatre.
LO4.
Understand the critical context (both then and now) for historical European theatre.
LO5.
Recontextualise historical European theatre for a present-day audience through group performance.
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Participation/ Student contribution |
Class Participation
|
20% |
Week 2 - Week 12
NOTE: Participation is not assessed in week 11 due to the public holiday. |
| Essay/ Critique | Essay | 40% |
20/09/2024 4:00 pm |
| Performance |
Group Performance Project
|
40% |
14/10/2024 - 18/10/2024
Performances will take place in regular tutorial hours. |
Assessment details
Class Participation
- In-person
- Mode
- Activity/ Performance
- Category
- Participation/ Student contribution
- Weight
- 20%
- Due date
Week 2 - Week 12
NOTE: Participation is not assessed in week 11 due to the public holiday.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05
Task description
A mark out of twenty will be awarded to you based on your participation during in-class discussions and tutorial activities throughout the semester. You are graded on participation in classes for this course; attendance itself is not sufficient to constitute 'participation'. Participation means willing involvement, active engagement with the text, the critical reading and the tasks at hand, asking questions, working well in groups, and demonstrating evidence of having listened to the lecture. Acting ability is not assessed. It is your responsibility to ensure that your attendance has been recorded. Central to group work is accountability, and the relationships that you develop with your peers. Peer accountability will be considered when determining the group work aspect of your participation grade when preparing for your group performance.
This assessment task is to be completed in-person. The use of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT) tools will not be permitted. Any attempted use of AI or MT may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You cannot defer or apply for an extension for this assessment.
If you are absent from your tutorial through documented illness or other documented circumstances beyond your control, and supply this documentation to your tutor, you will receive a pass mark (in the range of a four) for that week’s participation. If your reason for absence falls under one of UQ’s acceptable reasons for an extension, you can evidence your engagement with the learning activities by submitting a summary of or response to the reading/s (max. 200 words) to your tutor, in addition to evidence of your circumstances, for the opportunity to be graded above a four for this part of the assessment.
Late submission
Late submission is not possible for this piece of assessment.
Essay
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Essay/ Critique
- Weight
- 40%
- Due date
20/09/2024 4:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04
Task description
In this Research Essay, you will demonstrate your acquired knowledge and research skills by writing about a contemporary realisation of one of the plays studied in this course.
This task will assess your ability to:
- answer (or produce) a relevant and compelling research question;
- provide an analytic approach to the topic and its relevant issues;
- construct a strong argument; and
- provide evidence from one required text and secondary material to support this argument.
The referencing style used for Drama assignments is MLA, 9th edition.
A detailed assignment brief will be made available via Blackboard in due course.
This assessment task evaluates students' abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT). Students are advised that the use of AI or MT technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Students will submit on Turnitin via Blackboard.
TurnItIn Receipts:
- Assignments for this course will be submitted electronically via Blackboard and using TurnItIn. Before submitting any assignments for this course you must ensure you have completed UQ's compulsory online Academic Integrity Tutorial.
- When you successfully submit your assessment to TurnItIn you will see text confirming your submission is complete, before being redirected to your Assignment inbox. On this page you can:
- View the name of the submitted file
- View date and time of the upload
- Resubmit your paper (if necessary)
- Download your submitted paper
- Download digital receipt.
- If you cannot see your submission in your Assignment inbox you should regard your submission as unsuccessful. Students are responsible for retaining evidence of submission by the due date for all assessment items, in the required form (e.g. screenshot, email, photo, and an unaltered copy of submitted work).
- If the submission was not successful:
- Note the error message (preferably take a screenshot).
- Go to your assignment page and see if it is possible to submit again.
- If you cannot submit again email your course coordinator immediately with the assignment attached.
- Please visit this webpage for further advice on how to submit your TurnItIn assignment.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Students may apply for an extension via the UniTask portal.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Group Performance Project
- In-person
- Mode
- Activity/ Performance
- Category
- Performance
- Weight
- 40%
- Due date
14/10/2024 - 18/10/2024
Performances will take place in regular tutorial hours.
- Learning outcomes
- L05
Task description
Working in groups, this task will invite you to produce a performance response to the three major themes of the course; that is, the relationship between science, sex and the supernatural, and how these are interrogated through the spatial conventions of the historical European theatrical tradition. Drawing on the texts that we have studied in the course, you will produce a performance of approximately ten minutes' duration. This performance may be staged in a non-traditional venue. This task invites you to respond to the course in an embodied way, while maintaining the critical and analytical rigour of your interrogation.
This assessment task is to be completed in-person. The use of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT) tools will not be permitted. Any attempted use of AI or MT may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Recording of Oral and Practical Assessment
- All presentations will be recorded for marking purposes via recording facilities available where the assessment takes place (eg. ECHO360, Zoom, camera device)
- Recordings will be retained by the School of Communication and Arts for at least 12 months from the release of the final grade for the course.
- Recordings will be stored in a secure manner and will only be accessed by authorised school staff for the purposes of:
- Moderation of marking;
- Provision of feedback to the student(s) recorded; and/or
- Re-marking following a successful re-mark application.
Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You cannot defer or apply for an extension for this assessment.
Please note: this is an in-class assessment item and students are NOT able to apply for an extension via the Unitask portal. Please contact your tutor/course coordinator directly to see if alternative arrangements are available.
Late submission
Late submission is not possible for this piece of assessment.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Cut off Percent | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) | 1 - 24 |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 2 (Fail) | 25 - 44 |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) | 45 - 49 |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes |
| 4 (Pass) | 50 - 64 |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 5 (Credit) | 65 - 74 |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 6 (Distinction) | 75 - 84 |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 7 (High Distinction) | 85 - 100 |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
Additional course grading information
- Where fractional marks occur in the calculation of the final grade, a mark of x.5% or greater will be rounded up to (x+1)%. A percentage mark of less than x.5% will be rounded down to x%.
- Where no assessable work is received, a Grade of X will apply.
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is not available for some items in this course.
Additional assessment information
- Further information regarding the assessment, including marking criteria and/or marking rubrics are available in the ‘Assessment’ folder in Blackboard for this course.
- Marks Cannot Be Changed After Being Released: Marks are not open to negotiation with course staff. If you wish to discuss the feedback you have received, you should make an appointment to speak with the Course Coordinator.
- Assessment Re-mark: If you are considering an Assessment Re-mark, please follow the link to important information you should consider before submitting a request.
- Integrity Pledge: Assignments for this course will be submitted electronically via Blackboard and using Turnitin. Before submitting any assignments for this course, you must ensure you have completed UQ's compulsory online Academic Integrity Modules.ﾠIn uploading an assignment via Turnitin you are certifying that it is your original work, that it has not been copied in whole or part from another person or source except where this is properly acknowledged, and that it has not in whole or part been previously submitted for assessment in any other course at this or any other university.
- Withholding marks prior to finalisation of grades: Per UQ Assessment Procedures – Release of Assessment Item Marks and Grades: The final assessment item and the marks for the assessment item are to be released only after the final grade for the course has been released.
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Week 1 (22 Jul - 28 Jul) |
Lecture |
Week 1: Introduction This lecture will introduce the structure of the course, and think about how staging superstition and anxiety around sex and gender roles shaped Early Modern theatrical culture.. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Tutorial |
Week 1: NO TUTORIALS |
|
Week 2 (29 Jul - 04 Aug) |
Lecture |
Week 2: Outdoor Bodies (1) In this lecture, we use "Richard III" to think through how 'othered' bodies were represented on the outdoor stage. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Tutorial |
Week 2: Disability In this tutorial, we consider interactions between the human body and the outdoor playing space, with reference to Richard III. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
|
Week 3 (05 Aug - 11 Aug) |
Lecture |
Week 3: Outdoor Bodies (2) This lecture will use "Othello" to introduce various elements of Early Modern performance practice, especially as they relate to sex and gender. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Tutorial |
Week 3: Early Modern Bodies This tutorial will focus on staging (and interrogating) the various kinds of bodies required in Early Modern performance, particularly in relation to gendered bodies. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
|
Week 4 (12 Aug - 18 Aug) |
Lecture |
Week 4: Indoor Magic This lecture uses Shakespeare's late play "The Tempest" to illustrate the metaphorical role that magic and conjuring perform across the Early Modern period. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Tutorial |
Week 4: Fairies In this tutorial, we will investigate the figure of the fairy on the Early Modern and historical European stage through the figures of Prospero, Caliban and Ariel in "The Tempest". Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
|
Week 5 (19 Aug - 25 Aug) |
Lecture |
Week 5: Staging the City In this lecture, we position "The Alchemist" as part magic show and part City comedy to consider a more satirical position on magic in the indoor theatre. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Tutorial |
Week 5: Magicians In this tutorial, we look at the superstition surrounding maigicians in the Early Modern era, and the specific anxieties they represent. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
|
Week 6 (26 Aug - 01 Sep) |
Lecture |
Week 6: Outdoor Illusions This lecture introduces our exploration of early attempts at meta-theatre, using the case study of Calderon de la Barca's "Life is a Dream" and its mixing of illusions and dreams. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Tutorial |
Week 6: Heroes This tutorial will focus on the figure of the hero in the historical European theatrical tradition, with specific reference to Segismundo from Calderon's "Life is a Dream". Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
|
Week 7 (02 Sep - 08 Sep) |
Lecture |
Week 7: Indoor Illusions This week's lecture introduces the figure of the sexual outlaw through Moliere's "Don Juan" in this iteration, in the form of a sexually voracious man and his supernatural comeuppance. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Tutorial |
Week 7: Outlaws This tutorial will focus on agents of chaos in the historical European theatrical tradition, with specific reference to the sexual outlaw in "Don Juan". Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
|
Week 8 (09 Sep - 15 Sep) |
Lecture |
Week 8: Enter the Actress (1) This week's lecture turns its attention a play that interrogates the gendered and sexualised expectations of the outlaw-figure, in Aphra Behn's "The Rover". Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Tutorial |
Week 8: Women In this tutorial, we consider women and the feminine allure as an agent of chaos in the historical European theatrical tradition, through the case study of Behn's "The Rover". Group allocations will also be finalised for the Group Performance Project. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
|
Week 9 (16 Sep - 22 Sep) |
Lecture |
Week 9: Enter the Actress (2) This lecture considers the male playwright's response to the arrival of women on- and off-stage, through the case study of William Congreve's "Love for Love" which helpfully also includes a mad, superstitious figure coded as male. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Tutorial |
Week 9: Rehearsals This tutorial will introduce the Group Performance Project task, and assign groups so out-of-class rehearsals can be scheduled across the following fortnight. Learning outcomes: L05 |
|
Mid Sem break (23 Sep - 29 Sep) |
Lecture |
Mid-Semester Break: NO LECTURE |
Tutorial |
Mid-Semester Break: NO TUTORIALS |
|
Week 10 (30 Sep - 06 Oct) |
Lecture |
Week 10: Triumph of Reason (1) In this week's lecture, we begin our conclusion of this period of theatre history by considering a play that depicts the triumph of reason, Marivaux's "The Dispute". Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Tutorial |
Week 10: Rehearsals This tutorial will be used for rehearsals for the upcoming Group Performance Project. Learning outcomes: L05 |
|
Week 11 (07 Oct - 13 Oct) |
Lecture |
Week 11: Triumph of Reason (2) In this final lecture, we look at a play that moves from the excess Sturm und Drang movement into the reason and order of Romanticism, Schiller's "Mary Stuart". Please note this lecture will be pre-recorded due to falling on a public holiday. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Tutorial |
Week 11: Rehearsals This tutorial will be used for rehearsals for the upcoming Group Performance Project. As the regular tutorial time falls on a public holiday, students will instead book supervised rehearsal time with the drama technician for their upcoming group performance project on an alternate date in Week 11. Bookable dates and times will be communicated during semester via Blackboard. Learning outcomes: L05 |
|
Week 12 (14 Oct - 20 Oct) |
Lecture |
Week 12: Technical Rehearsals Students will do tech and dress rehearsals for their group performance assessment in the usual lecture slot. Learning outcomes: L05 |
Tutorial |
Week 12: Performance The Group Performance Project will be delivered in this tutorial slot. Learning outcomes: L05 |
|
Week 13 (21 Oct - 27 Oct) |
Lecture |
Week 13: No Lecture |
Tutorial |
Week 13: No tutorials |
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.