DRMA 251 Syllabus

Acting: Contemporary Scene Study

Fall 2014

Instructor: Tammi (Tammis) Doyle

E-mail: Phone: 425-564-2319

Office location: E100a

Office Hours: M/W 2:30-3:30, Tu/Th 11:30-12:20 and as scheduled

Course Information▪ Course Outcomes

Analyze a contemporary script
Identify a character's objective and obstacle in a play and scene.
Perform a variety of warms ups for rehearsal and performance.
Maintain concentration while acting onstage.
Engage an acting partner with focus
Confront personal physical and vocal habits with honesty.
Present contemporary scenes

▪How Outcomes Will be Met

This is a scene study class for the focused student actor

-3-4 plays will be read. These plays must be obtained by given deadlines and scenes copied.

-An acting text is used

-Warm up and focus exercises are used almost every class

- A journal and portfolio of work will be kept, collected and given a response/grade

-Research tools are investigated to help understand the culture of the play, playwright and characters

AIR: A cycle of Analysis, Imagination and Research (in any and every order) that must be visited and revisited as you prepare a role.

SCHEEP: The tools needed to research a role: the time and place dictates the: Society, Culture, History, Education, Economics, and Politics. The little Scheep are all kept in the corral by the fence of Time and Place.

Uta Hagen’s 9 Questions to go deeply into your character

-Background paperwork and character autobiographies are written and handed in

-Scenes are assigned, lines are memorized, worked on in class and presented with props and rehearsal clothing.

In this class and on stage we will work primarily on: Playing your objective: what do you want from your scene partner? In order to perform the scene you will use a variety of tactics to achieve your objective and identify obstacles to achieving your objective.

There is a textbook and two-three scripts that will be used this quarter. They shall be read, studied and at times memorized. There will be papers and quizzes on the material.

We will investigate the art and craft of acting through exercises, scene analysis, scene preparation, reading, discussion, and your outside work on text, observation and study.

▪ Grading

Coming to class is crucial. This class is built upon your willingness to stretch yourself, to challenge yourself and to accept others in the class without judgment. Your absence will often curtail not only your learning but that of your scene partner. If you miss more than 5 classes your grade will be automatically dropped an entire grade. Constant tardiness will also cause your grade to droop, as will any more than two absences. Absences can be explained, they are very rarely excused.

20%Attendance and Behavior as outlined in this syllabus

5%See Dead Man’s Cell Phone and write a one page response paper on the acting. If cast in the show then you will write a one page reflection of your own process and acting. Performances are Nov. 13-15 and 20-22.

Tickets available at

10%Test on Text

50%For each scene: The scenes are weighed more heavily as they progress:

Research on character using tools discussed in the text and class

Memorization: on time and how well

Work on scenes: taking direction from instructor and collaboration with partner

Preliminary showing

Final presentation

15%Final Presentation of all scenes

100% Total

The link to the College Grading Policy is located on page 10 of the Course Catalog and also on the web at:

▪ Books and Materials Required

Respect for Acting by Uta Hagan(Needed the first day of class)

Plays that you will be required to buy and have by Monday Sept. 29:

Oleanna by David Mamet

Dead Man’s Cell Phone by Sarah Ruhl

You must have a 251 Acting Binder/Journal by the end of the first week. This is a binder with 20 pages of binder paper and 5-6 dividers. This is dedicated to you work in this class. All paperwork: your scenes, quizzes.and research will be punched and put in this binder. You will do written work in class that will also go into the binder.

Classroom Learning Atmosphere

▪Instructor’s Expectation

CLASS ETHICS:

- In this course, college students are expectedto read, explore, practice, and perform adult material. This is the kind of material being performed at the college, semi-professional, and professional levels. Though it may challenge your politics, values, religious beliefs and/or personal comfort level, I encourage you to welcome and explore those challenges. If, at any time, you are uncomfortable with the class or the material, please don't hesitate to come and talk to me.

-This class requires that each student take emotional, intellectual, and some minor physical risks. It is imperative that students maintain a high level of respect and support in and out of class. It is up to the student to make sure that their physical and emotional health is maintained in and out of rehearsal and performance.

-As so much of this class and therefore your grade, is dependent upon your work with your fellow actors, director and designers, it is crucial that you stay on task and on time with regards to memorization, rehearsal and in class performances.

Preparation:

Bring the script or text on which we are working to class. You must come to class prepared, in clothes in which you can move and are comfortable. Be sure to eat and drink before class. Cell phones must be turned OFF before class. No gum or food in class (water only.)

Assignments:

You must have your scenes memorized on time and you must make time to rehearse with your scene partner outside of class at least 2 hours a week.

-For each show we will read a little in class, you must read a lot at home and you will memorize a monologue or scene.

-You will present that scene in front of the class for feedback. You will give a final presentation with all rehearsal props and costumes.

-At the final performance of each scene you will hand your scored script, your character autobiography, your SCHEEP research, your written analysis of the play and your character (one page) and your rehearsal notes in a folder.

Cell phones are to be turned off and put in your bag (never carried on your person) during class.

Should you have concerns about any aspect of the class, I encourage you to come to me with them. If for any reason you don’t feel comfortable raising your concerns with me, thenext step is to talk with the program chair. As I am Chair, you are welcome to bring your concerns about the class to the Arts and Humanities Division Dean, Maggie Harada () or the Assistant Dean, ScottBessho () in the Arts and Humanities division office (R230). An additional resource for concerns you find aren’t being addressed by faculty or administration is theOmbuds Office. (

▪Affirmation of Inclusion

Bellevue College is committed to maintaining an environment in which every member of the campus community feels welcome to participate in the life of the college, free from harassment and discrimination.

We value our different backgrounds at Bellevue College, and students, faculty, staff members, and administrators are to treat one another with dignity and respect.

▪ Division Statements

Student Concern

Cheating, stealing, and plagiarizing is not only intellectually unethical but will result in your failure of the assignment and a discussion of further action. This action may include a failure in the class, removal from the show and a referral to the Dean of Students.

Information about BellevueColleges copyright guidelines can be found at:

A good resource for Plagiarism is the Writing Lab:

For The Arts & Humanities Procedures and Expectations page:

For the Arts and Humanities Commitment to Student Growth and Development::

To find out more about the Reading and Writing labs

▪ Student Code of Conduct and Academic Integrity

Cheating, stealing, and plagiarizing (using the ideas or words of another as one’s own without crediting the source) and inappropriate/disruptive classroom behavior are violations of the Student Code of Conduct at Bellevue College. Examples of unacceptable behavior include, but are not limited to, talking out of turn, arriving late or leaving early without a valid reason, allowing cell phones/pagers to ring, and inappropriate behavior toward the instructor or classmates. The instructor can refer any violation of the Student Code of Conduct to the Dean of Student Success for investigation. Specific student rights, responsibilities, and appeal procedures are listed in the Student Code of Conduct at

Important Links ▪ Bellevue College E-mail and access to MyBC

All students registered for classes at Bellevue College are entitled to a network and e-mail account. Yourstudent network account can be used to access your student e-mail, log in to computers in labs and classrooms, connect to the BC wireless network and log in to MyBC. To create your account, go to: .

BC offers a wide variety of computer and learning labs to enhance learning and student success. Find current campus locations for all student labs by visiting the Computing Services website.

▪ Disability Resource Center (DRC)

The Disability Resource Center serves students with a wide array of learning challenges and disabilities. If you are a student who has a disability or learning challenge for which you have documentation or have seen someone for treatment and if you feel you may need accommodations in order to be successful in college, please contact us as soon as possible.

If you are a person who requires assistance in case of an emergency situation, such as a fire, earthquake, etc, please meet with your individual instructors to develop a safety plan within the first week of the quarter.

If you are a student with a documented autism spectrum disorder, there is an additional access program available to you. Contact or 425.564.2764. ASN is located in the Library Media Center in D125.

The DRC office is located in B132 or you can call our reception desk at 425.564.2498. Deaf students can reach us by video phone at 425-440-2025 or by TTY at 425-564-4110. Please visit our website for application information into our program and other helpful links at

▪ Public Safety

Public Safety and Emergencies

Public Safety is located in the K building and can be reached at 425-564-2400 (easy to remember because it’s the only office on campus open 24 hours a day—2400). Among other things, Public Safety serves as our Parking Permits, Lost and Found, and Emergency Notification center. Please ensure you are signed up to receive alerts through our campus alerting system by registering at

If you work late and are uneasy about going to your car, Public Safety will escort you to your vehicle. To coordinate this, please phone ahead and let Public Safety know when and where you will need an escort.

Please familiarize yourself with the emergency postings by the door of every classroom and know where to go in the event of an evacuation. Your instructor will be asked if anyone might still be in the building, so check in before you do anything else. Emergency responders will search for anyone unaccounted for.

If a major emergency occurs, please follow these two rules:

1) Take directions from those in charge of the response -We all need to be working together.

2) Do not get in your car and leave campus (unless directed to)- Doing so will clog streets and prevent emergency vehicles from entering the scene. Instead, follow directions from those in charge.

Please do not hesitate to call Public Safety if you feel safety questions or concerns at any time.

▪ Final Exam Schedule

Monday December 8 at 1:30-3:20

▪ Academic Calendar

The Bellevue College Academic Calendar is separated into two calendars. They provide information about holidays, closures and important enrollment dates such as the finals schedule.

Enrollment Calendar - . On this calendar you will find admissions and registration dates and important dates for withdrawing and receiving tuition refunds.
College Calendar - . This calendar gives you the year at a glance and includes college holidays, scheduled closures, quarter end and start dates, and final exam dates.

Course Calendar

Tues./Thurs. in StopGap / Mon. in N208 / Wed. in E224

Month/Year September 2014
WK / Sun / Mon / Tue / Wed / Thu / Fri / Sat
1 / 22
Welcome
Job of Actor / 23
Exercises
Discuss Auditions / 24
Exercises
Auditions Dead Man’s Cell Phone / 25
Exercises
Callbacks Dead Man’s Cell Phone / 26 / 27
2 / 28 / 29
Ch 1 &2 / 30
Oleannaread in class
Month/Year October 2014
Sun / Mon / Tue / Wed / Thu / Fri / Sat
2 / 1 Oleanna analyze play / 2
Oleannaget scenes and scene partners / 3 / 4
3 / 5 / 6
Ch 3 -5
Talk about POWER / 7
Oleannawork scenes / 8
Oleanna reflection done in binder in class / 9
Oleanna
Auditions Carnival / 10 / 11
4 / 12
Callbacks Carnival / 13
Ch 6-10 / 14
OleannaFIRST presentation OFF BOOK / 15
Work Character Research:Hagen Questions/ SCHEEP in class / 16
Oleannawork scenes / 17 / 18
5 / 19 / 20
Introduction and Ch 11-15 / 21
Oleanna Final Pres and Binder check in / 22
NO CLASS / 23
Discuss/work Oleanna scenes / 24 / 25
6 / 26 / 27
New play(s) read in class, scenes and partners assigned / 28
Work on Scene #2 / 29
Individual
Mid-quarter conferences / 30
Work on Scene #2 / 31
Month/Year November 2014
WK / Sun / Mon / Tue / Wed / Thu / Fri / Sat
1
7 / 2 / 3
Ch. 16-20 / 4
Work Scene #2 / 5
Scene #2 Character Research DUE / 6
Scene #2 Frist Presentation OFF BOOK / 7 / 8
8 / 9 / 10
Read Dead Man’s Cell Phone in class and discuss / 11
HOLIDAY / 12
Work Scene #2 / 13
Work Scene #2
Dead Man’s Cell Phone / 14
Dead Man’s Cell Phone / 15
Dead Man’s Cell Phone
9 / 16 / 17
Discuss Text / 18
Scene #2 Final Presentation Binder Check / 19
Discuss and work Scene #2 / 20
Read Play(s) #3
Get scenes
Dead Man’s Cell Phone / 21
Dead Man’s Cell Phone / 22
Dead Man’s Cell Phone
10 / 23 / 24
Work scene #3 / 25
Work scene #3 / 26
Dead Man paper DUE
Discuss / 27
HOLIDAY / 28
HOLIDAY / 29
Month/Year december 2014
Sun / Mon / Tue / Wed / Thu / Fri / Sat
11 / 30 / 1
Scene #3 Analysis / 2
Scene #3 First Presentation OFF BOOK / 3
Work Scene #3 / 4
Work Scene #3 / 5 / 6
DIRECTions
12 / 7
DIRECTions / 8
FINAL
1:30-3:20
Scene #3
Scene #2
Best way to do Oleanna / 9 / 10

The schedule is subject to change due to missed rehearsals, illness, or pace of work.

Every scene will be used to work on the following:

Voice BodyAbility to Concentrate Ability to analyze a script

Objectives, obstacles, tactics, focus, concentration, connection, endowment, simplicity, physicality, intimacy, and vocal and physical storytelling.

You will constantly be made aware of your need for technique: a voice that can be heard and understood and a body that relates that which you wish it to relate for your character in the scene.

SyllabusPage 111/15/2018