London-Paris Study Abroad Theatre History I THE 3110 (3 credits) Summer Session A, 2014

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1 Dr. Patrick Finelli, TAR London-Paris Study Abroad Theatre History I THE 3110 (3 credits) Summer Session A, 2014 Note: This course is part of the University of South Florida s Foundations of Knowledge and Learning Core Curriculum as an Exit Course. It is certified for Fine Arts and Humanities and for the following dimensions: Critical Thinking, Inquiry-based Learning, Creative and Interpretive Processes and Experiences and Historical Context and Process. Note: This course meets the Liberal Arts Exit Requirements of the General Education Curriculum. Course Objective The purpose of this course is to study the development of theatrical production in its cultural context. The summer study abroad course will focus on theatrical elements from the time of Shakespeare to Louis XIV, The Sun King. The primary emphasis will be on visiting selected theatres with guided backstage tours and other sites of historical importance, providing the foundation for our collaborative learning experience. We will consider representative plays, theatre architecture, the stage, scenery, costume,

2 acting, directing and modes of production. Together we will explore many aspects of theatrical performance, and also consider how theatre reflects politics, society, economics, philosophy and ideology. The course is customized specifically for this tour. For instance, the conventional classroom Theatre History I syllabus contains units on Greece and Rome. The only Roman site we will visit will be the Roman ruins in Bath (a World Heritage Site), but the archeological evidence will provide a connecting thread. Bath was also an important city in the early late 17 th and early 18 th centuries, and we will take a tour of the Theatre Royal and consider playwrights such as Congreve and Sheridan in the context of their visits to that charming city. The traditional classroom syllabus also contains sections on the Asian theatre, but we will not come into contact with that culture. Instead, we will walk in Moliere's footsteps and have a private tour of the Comédie-Française in Paris, providing a context for French theatre of the 17 th century. Those are two examples of substitutions and inclusions that modify the traditional syllabus as we travel to London, go backstage and see a show at Shakespeare s Globe Theatre, take a private guided tour in Stratford-upon-Avon including a workshop at the Royal Shakespeare Company, see a show in the West End (maybe Spamalot), then to Paris to tour the Museum D'Orsay, the Louvre, the Palace of Versailles. Assignments will be connected to the sites we visit and consist of uploading pictures to our Canvas course pages with brief descriptions, discussions, and a short (5-page) summary paper upon return. I will set up a Tumblr blog as another way of documenting and expanding our learning experience. Statement of Outcomes Students will identify and investigate the major sites of influential theatre practitioners, directors and playwrights in England and France from Shakespeare to Moliere. Our goal is to study primary source material in order to learn about the phenomenon of theatre in different cultural epochs, and to animate our own artistic imagination and creative thinking. Students will make connecting threads between Western European theatre history and later developments in American, British and French modes of performance through site visits and attending contemporary performances, increasing our understanding of how the study of theatre history stimulates and informs the work of contemporary theatre practitioners. As we explore the sites together, the student is encouraged to develop a basic understanding of the dramatic experience and become familiar with the known elements of theatrical practice in England and France in the 16 th and 17 th centuries. Required Texts: All of the required readings will be available in PDF format on the Canvas website for the course.

3 Requirements and Grading: Grading depends upon several factors. Since students participate in this class on a study abroad tour, the only attendance requirement is that you show up for scheduled events on time and participate in the activities. You must submit your written assignments by the deadline set by the instructor along with the written assignment. If you are late, it will reduce your grade by one-half a letter grade for each day. Example: If you have an A- grade for the written assignment and it is one day late, your grade will be reduced to B+. 1. All reading assignments listed in the syllabus. 2. Completion of discussion posts for each unit. 3. One research paper of at least 5 typed pages. 4. Active participation. London post 10% Stratford post 10% Bath post 10% Paris post 10% Comédie-Française post 10% Summary Paper 40% Class participation 10% MISSED ASSIGNMENTS: If you do not complete your assignments by the deadlines, it will affect your grade by one letter grade for each day it is overdue. This includes discussion posts, the paper. RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCE: Students who anticipate an inability to meet a deadline due to religious observance should inform the instructor by the second week of the term. STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES: Any student with a disability is encouraged to discuss accommodations with me. Each student must provide a current Memorandum of Accommodations from the Office of Student Disability Services, a prerequisite for receiving accommodations. Accommodated examinations through the Office of Student Disability Services require two weeks notice. All course documents are available in alternate format if requested in the student s Memorandum of Accommodations. Due dates: All assignments are due by the last day of classes of Summer Session A.

4 Course Outline Sunday, May 18 (London) Monday, May 19 (London) Tuesday, May 20 (London) Orientation session. Afterwards, there is free time for some sight seeing on your own. You may consider visiting Westminster Abbey, National Gallery, or the British Museum. Evening: A special welcome dinner at a typical British pub in London. Morning: After breakfast, travel together with your coordinator by public transportation to Shakespeare s Globe Theater and start your private guided tour. The theater is a faithful reconstruction of the open-air playhouse designed in 1599, where Shakespeare worked and for which he wrote many of his greatest plays. Afternoon: The rest of the day is free to explore London on your own. Evening: Optional: Tickets to a performance at The Globe Theater can be arranged at extra cost depending on availability. Morning: Today a backstage tour of the National Theatre awaits you. You will go behind the scenes to see three auditoriums, frontof-house, scenic workshops and backstage areas. The theater belongs to one of the United Kingdom's two most prominent publicly funded theater companies, alongside the RSC. Afternoon: The rest of the day is free for you to spend in London. Evening: Optional: Tickets to a contemporary performance at Donmar Theater or New Drury Lane Theater can be arranged at extra cost depending on availability. London Blog Post: The Elizabethan Stage Readings: Prologue to Henry V The Swan Drawing The Fortune Contract The Omnipotent Design An Early Stuart Masque Costumes and Scenery by Inigo Jones

5 Wednesday, May 21 (London-Stratford-upon-Avon) Thursday, May 22 (Stratford-upon-Avon) Morning: After breakfast, check out of your rooms and travel together with your coordinator by private bus to Stratford-upon- Avon. After arrival, start off your private guided walking tour of Stratford-upon-Avon. Explore Stratford, its history, attractions and fascinating relationship with William Shakespeare. Walk in Shakespeare s footsteps to see the Shakespeare Town Houses, Grammar school, Royal Shakespeare Theater s and Holy Trinity Church from outside. Afternoon: After a break for lunch in Stratford, start your visit to the museums and houses related to Shakespeare in Stratford-upon- Avon, e.g. Anne Hathaway s Cottage, Hall s Croft, Mary Arden s House, Nash s House and the Harvard House (museum pass included). Discover the fascinating story of William Shakespeare's early years, and see where he spent the first five years with his new wife. See how his father earned his living as a glove maker and visit the outstanding gardens. Evening: Optional: Tickets to a contemporary performance in London or Stratford-upon-Avon can be arranged at extra cost depending on availability. Morning: After breakfast, you will attend at a half day workshop at the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC). During the workshop you will explore the depth of dramatic approaches to language and text, characters and themes. Get inspired for writing and explore rehearsal room choices. The RSC s history dates back to April 23, 1879 when the newly completed Shakespeare Memorial Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon staged its first production, Much Ado About Nothing, a title which gave ammunition to several critics. Today, the aim of the RSC is to keep modern audiences in touch with Shakespeare. Afternoon: In the afternoon entrance tickets to the Holy Trinity Church will be provided. The church became famous for its burial of William Shakespeare and attracts more than 200,000 tourists each year. Stratford Blog Post: Shakespearean Acting, Shakespeare Biography

6 Friday, May 23 (Stratford-upon-Avon Bath London) Morning: After breakfast board your private coach bus for your next destination, Bath. Upon arrival a backstage tour of the Theatre Royal awaits you. Join your guide for a glimpse behind the scenes of this over 200 years old theater. It is one of the more important theatres in the United Kingdom outside London, with capacity for an audience of around 900. Afternoon: Explore the heart of the World Heritage Site, the Roman Baths, during an audio-guided tour. Around Britain's only hot spring, the Romans built a magnificent temple and bathing complex that still flows with natural hot water. See the water's source and walk where Romans walked on the ancient stone pavements around the steaming pool. The extensive ruins and treasures from the spring are beautifully preserved and presented using the best of modern interpretation. In the late afternoon board your private bus again and travel together to London. Once arrived, check into your rooms and enjoy a free evening in London on your own. Bath Blog Post: Roman Comedy or British Playwrights in Bath Readings: Terence, Phormio "How to Construct a Roman Playhouse" "Macklin and Garrick Compared" Chaucer, Wife of Bath s Tale Wycherley, The Country Wife (China scene) Saturday, May 24 (London-Paris) Morning: After breakfast, your private coach bus will bring you to the train station in London from where you will board the Eurostar train to Paris. After an approximate 2 hour ride, you will arrive in the capital of France where your local on-site coordinator awaits you and brings you to your hotel. Afternoon: Take some time to get settled into your rooms, and have lunch on your own nearby, before you explore the renowned museum, the Louvre (entrance fee included) in your own pace. It is the biggest museum in the world with about 300,000 works. One of the most famous paintings is the Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci.

7 Sunday, May 25 (Paris) Morning: Your day will start with a private guided tour of the Musée d Orsay. It holds mainly French art dating from 1848 to 1914, including paintings, sculptures, furniture and photography, and is probably best known for its extensive collection of impressionist masterpieces by popular painters such as Sisley, Monet, Manet, Toulouse-Lautrec, Renoir, etc. Afternoon: Learn about Victor Hugo s life during a private guided tour of his house, the Rohan-Guéménée mansion which became a museum in Today, the apartment in which Victor Hugo lived from 1832 to 1848 replicates his live through decisive periods: before exile, during exile and after exile. Evening: Optional: Tickets to a performance (theater or dance) can be arranged at extra cost depending on availability. Paris Blog Post: Neoclassic ideals, Romanticism Readings: "Observations on Le Cid" "Apologetic Letter" "Opinion of the French Academy" "Impromptu Actors in Rehearsal" Monday, May 26 (Paris) Video: Les Misérables Morning: Travel with your coordinator by public transportation to the Comédie-Française / Théâtre du Vieaux-Colombier for a private guided tour. Alternatively, a private guided walking tour of Paris can be arranged for you focusing on Moliere. Afternoon: The rest of the day is free for you to explore Paris. Comédie-Française Blog Post: Moliere, Vieux-Colombier, Comédie-Française Readings: "The Auditorium of the Comédie Française" "The Pantomime Interludes of Eugénie" "Pre-Revolutionary Premiere" The Barber of Seville, Beaumarchais School for Wives, Moliere Video: Comédie-Française

8 Tuesday, May 27 (Versailles Paris) Wednesday, May 28 (Return to Tampa) Morning: This morning features an audio-guided tour of the famous Palace of Versailles, where Louis XIV, known as the Sun King, lived in the 17th century. From 1682, when King Louis XIV moved from Paris, until the royal family was forced to return to the capital in 1789, the Court of Versailles was the center of power in Ancien Régime France. Versailles is therefore famous not only as a building, but as a symbol of the system of absolute monarchy which Louis XIV espoused. Afternoon: Spend the afternoon in Versailles exploring the beautiful gardens and the two small castles Grand and Petit Trianons, the former summer residences of the Kings, on your own before you make your way back to Paris by local train. Evening: A farewell dinner will be arranged for your group at a restaurant in Paris to bid farewell to France.