COURSE SYLLABUS (GENERIC)Page 1

HUM 131

OAKTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE

GENERIC COURSE SYLLABUS

I.CourseCourseCourse

PrefixNumberNameCredit Lecture Lab

HUM 131 Introduction to Theater 3 3 0

Prerequisites

None

III.Course (Catalog) Description

Course offers an introductory survey of theater as a performing art form. Content includes analysis of historical, social, aesthetic and technical aspects of traditional and contemporary theatrical expression. This is an appreciation class, not a performance class. IAI F1 907

IV.Learning Objectives

After completing this course, students will be able to:

A.Recognize the artistic and creative elements that contribute to a theatrical

production.

B.Acquire a working vocabulary of the elements of theater.

C.Thoughtfully appraisethe quality and value of a dramatic production using

appropriate concepts and vocabulary.

D.Associate the development of theatrical style periods to their larger cultural, artistic and historical contexts.

E.Identify the primary style periods of European theater history from the ancient Greeks to contemporary American drama.

F.Acquireknowledge of multicultural and global theatrical forms.

G.Demonstrate knowledge of the participatory nature of theater-going, and an understanding of the conventions of attending a performance.

H.Demonstrate knowledge of the basic principles of script analysis.

I.Gain an overview of the role of technology and innovation in the development of theater.

J.Recognize the philosophical and ethical issues raised in major works of theater.

K.Exhibit values related to teamwork and collaboration, fostered by the pedagogy of shared-inquiry and critical dialogue appropriate to the humanities and philosophy.

V.Academic Integrity and Student Conduct:

Students and employees at OaktonCommunity College are required to demonstrate academic integrity and follow Oakton’s Code of Academic Conduct. This code prohibits:

cheating,
plagiarism (turning in work not written by you, or lacking proper citation),
falsification and fabrication (lying or distorting the truth),
helping others to cheat,
unauthorized changes on official documents,
pretending to be someone else or having someone else pretend to be you,
making or accepting bribes, special favors, or threats, and
any other behavior that violates academic integrity.

There are serious consequences to violations of the academic integrity policy. Oakton’s policies and procedures provide students a fair hearing if a complaint is made against you. If you are found to have violated the policy, the minimum penalty is failure on the assignment and, a disciplinary record will be established and kept on file in the office of the Vice President for Student Affairs for a period of 3 years.

Please review the Code of Academic Conduct and the Code of Student Conduct, both located online at .

VI.Outline of Topics

(This is a comprehensive outline of possible topics and is not intended to be prescriptive. An instructor’s outline of topics or course schedule should specify the dates when specific topics will be covered and other important dates such as exams and paper deadlines. Instructors may take either an historical or topical approach to the course.)

A.What is Theater?

B.The Basic Elements

C.The Role of the Audience

D.Theater Criticism

E.The Playscript

F.Theatrical Style

G.Theater of AncientGreece

H.Theater of Ancient Rome

I.Medieval Theater Experience

J.Elizabethan and Shakespearean Theater

K.Italian Renaissance Theater

L.Commedia dell’arte

M.French Neoclassicism and Moliere

N.Restoration Theater

O.Romanticism and Melodrama

P.19th Century Realism and Ibsen

Q.Modernism in the Theater

R.Symbolism, Expressionism, Epic Theater and other Modernist Trends

S.New Design Concepts: Appia and Craig

T.Development of Theater in America

U.Post-WWII Theater

V.Psychological Realism: Tennessee Willams and Arthur Miller

W.Absurdism and Samuel Beckett

X. Decentralization and Subsidization

Y.Musical Theater

Z.Contemporary Theater Forms

AA.Postmodern Theater

BB.Diversity in the Theater (African American Theater, Feminist Theater, etc.)

CC.New Playwrights and Directors

DD.World Theater

EE.Asian Theater

FF.African Theater

GG.South and Central American Theater

HH.Theatrical Production

II.Playing Spaces

JJ.Production Design (Scene, Lighting, etc)

KK.Acting

Methods of Instruction

Lectures and discussion
Attendance at live theater productions
Small group work
Films
Student presentations and debates
Guest Speakers
Field trips

Course Practices Required

Course may be taught as a face-to-face, hybrid or online course.

Please include information here about all expectations you have for your students regarding behavior, work, etc. The following are sample course practices you may wish to cover. Pleasebe aware that you must require students in this course to produce at least 15 pages of criticalwritten assignments over the course of the semester, which should account for at least one third of the final course grade. These may be assigned in a variety of ways including journals, response papers, field trip projects, etc.

The syllabus should include information regarding:

Standards for written work
Quizzes/Exams
Participation
Individual or group presentations
Essays
Final Project
Special policies about make-up exams, late papers, or other matters of concern

IX.Instructional Materials

Note: Current textbook information for each course and section is available on Oakton’s Schedule of Classes.

It is recommended that Instructors select a primary text along with a short anthology of plays

representing primary theatrical style periods. Appropriate texts include:

The Essential Theatre, Brockett/Ball, 9th Ed., Harcourt Brace pub.

Plays for the Theatre, Brockett/Ball, 9th Ed., Harcourt Brace pub.

The World of Theatre by Mira Felner and Claudia Orenstein

Theatre by Robert Cohen, 8th Ed, McGraw-Hill pub

Eight Plays for Theatre, 8th Ed, McGraw-Hill pub.

Selected handouts an in-class video presentations

X.Methods of Evaluating Student Progress

(In this section, please present the percentages or point breakdown for all the elements of the final grade. Please note that at least 40% of the grade must be based on written work rather than exams, presentations, etc.)

For example:

Quizzes/Exams…..40 points

Journals/Essays…..40 points

Final Project………10 points

Attendance and Participation…..10 points

Grading Scale. 90% - 100% = A // 80% - 89% = B // 70% - 79% = C // 60% - 69% = D // below 60 = F

XI.Other Course Information

A.Disabilities

If you have a documented learning, psychological, or physical disability you may be entitled to reasonable academic accommodations or services. To request accommodations or services contact the Access and Disability Resource Centerat the Des Plaines or Skokie campus. All students are expected to fulfill essential course requirements. The College will not waive any essential skill or requirement of a course or degree program.

Oakton Community College is committed to maintaining a campus environment emphasizing the dignity and worth of all members of the community, and complies with all federal and state Title IX requirements.

Resources and support for

pregnancy-related and parenting accommodations; and
victims of sexual misconduct can be found at .

Resources and support for LGBTQ+ students can be found at .

Electronic video and/or audio recording is not permitted during class unless the student obtains written permission from the instructor. In cases where recordings are allowed, such content is restricted to personal use only. Any distribution of such recordingsis strictly prohibited. Personal use is defined as use by an individual student for the purpose of studying or completing course assignments.

For students who have been approved for audio and/or video recording of lectures and other classroom activities as a reasonable accommodation by Oakton’s Access Disabilities Resource Center (ADRC), applicable federal law requires instructors to permit those recordings. Such recordings are also limited to personal use. Any distribution of such recordingsis strictly prohibited.

Violation of this policy will result in disciplinary action through the Code of Student Conduct.

B.Discrimination

The Oakton Community College Catalog states:

OaktonCommunity College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, disability, age, sex, sexual orientation, or marital status in admission to and participation in its educational programs, activities and services, or employment practices. The College does not tolerate sexual harassment or sexual assault by or of its students or employees.

In keeping with this policy of tolerance and non-discrimination, in this class all of us (myself included) should strive to listen and give careful consideration to all ideas expressed in class, especially those that are different from our own, without attacking or demeaning the people who have those views. We should also strive to avoid using insulting terms or telling offensive jokes when talking to or about individuals or groups.

C.Instructor information

Office and office hours:

Phone:

Email and website:

Approval Dates:
(Faculty: Do not include the following information on your individual syllabi created for class distribution.)

Effective beginning term: Fall 2013Ending term:

Syllabus prepared by:Hollace GraffDate:March 2006

Revised by:Kathleen CarotDate:June 2010

Reviewed by Chair:Hollace GraffDate:July 2010

Approval by Dean:Linda KorbelDate June 2013

Generic syllabus format revised 02/18

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