American Drama 565-01

Spring 2008
MWF 12:00-12:50, GH 302
Instructor: Dr. K. Nichols, Office: GH 450
Email: knichols@pittstate.edu

Syllabus

Course Description

This course is an upper-division survey of 19th- and 20th-century (including contemporary) plays written by American playwrights. Representative dramatists from each literary-historical period and a range of dramatic styles will be covered, with the emphasis on modern drama. Although analysis of dramatic texts will be our main focus, some attention will be paid to the theatrical, cultural, and historical contexts.

Required Textbooks

Judith E. Barlow, Plays by American Women 1900-1930. Applause, 2000.
Clifford Odets, Waiting for Lefty. Dramatists Play Service Inc, 1989.
Lillian Hellman, The Children's Hour. Dramatists Play Service Inc, 1953.
Thornton Wilder, The Skin of Our Teeth. HarperTrade, 2003.
Arthur Miller, Death of a Salesman. Penguin Group (USA), 1976.
Tennessee Williams, A Streetcar Named Desire. Penguin/Signet, 1986--to be ordered.
Eugene O'Neill, Long Day's Journey into Night. Yale University Press, 2002.
Lorraine Hansberry, A Raisin in the Sun. Knopf/Vintage, 1994.
Edward Albee. The Zoo Story and The Sandbox: Two Short Plays. Dramatist Play Service, 1961.
Suzan-Lori Parks. The America Play and Other Works. Theatre Communications Group 1995.
David Henry Hwang. M. Butterfly. Plume, 1993.

Grading

2 Literary Analysis Papers, 5-7 pp. each. See Paper Directions.
3 Take-home Essay Exams

All major assignments must be completed to pass the course.
You may e-mail papers to me at knichols@pittstate.edu, but make sure they are attached as a .doc file.

Extra Credit

You may earn extra credit points by viewing filmed versions of Death of a Salesman and Raisin in the Sun and by attending the PSU Theatre production of The Uninvited (Oct 30-Nov 1, Pittsburg Memorial Auditorium, 8 pm). Other theatrical events are sometimes available, but get my permission to go to them for extra credit.

To earn the credit, you will have to write a two-page report analyzing one or more aspects of the films that enhanced your understanding of the written texts, giving specific examples to illustrate and support your points. For the live production, fill out a fairly simple, two-page "Cultural Events Report Form." See Cultural Event Report Form (online). These reports are due no later than one week after the event. Each report will add 2 points to your final average, with 6 points raising your final grade by 1/2 letter grade.

Late Work Policy

Late papers will be graded down one letter grade for each day they are late.

Absence Policy

Regular attendance is required. Everyone has three pre-excused absences for those difficult times in life that interfere with class attendance, so you do not need to clear absences with me, but it is a good idea to check with me (or a classmate) to make sure an assignment was not changed while you were gone. Students who miss more than three classes may be dropped from the roster for "excessive absences."

Plagiarism

I strongly support the policies of the English Department and the University on plagiarism. Undocumented use of someone else's material (including "borrowing" their language or their ideas) will result in an F on the paper or for the course--or worse for the most egregious cases.

See me if you have questions about what is or is not plagiarism. I'm always happy to help students who are making good-faith efforts to do things right.

Course Web Pages

You can quickly access our online syllabus by typing in one of the following addresses:

Engl 565 Course Syllabus: faculty.pittstate.edu/~knichols/dramabm1.html.
Engl 565 Reading Schedule: faculty.pittstate.edu/~knichols/dramabm2.html.
Dr. Nichols Home Page: members.cox.net/academia/nichols.html.

You can also access my home page (which links to all my web pages) by going to the PSU home page and then typing "Nichols Home Page" in the "PSU Search" box (top of page).

Office Hours (Grubbs 450)

MWF 11:00-12:00; 1:00-1:40
Or by appointment

I am always happy to meet with students in my office to discuss any questions about our class or related matters. The most efficient ways to contact me are 1) to see me before or after class, 2) to e-mail me at knichols@pittstate.edu, or 3) to tape a note to my office door.

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