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Spring 2001 | |
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English 128 |
Rice 9, (440) 775-8579 |
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E-mail: Deborah.Geis@oberlin.edu |
What happens when theater comes down off the stage and into the world around us? This colloquium focuses on the ways that drama can engage audiences in immediate political contexts. The three components of this course -- reading, written work, and active practice -- will all draw upon Brazilian activist Augusto Boal's Theater of the Oppressed. The course's "activist" component will consist of learning exercises from the Theater of the Oppressed and developing Forum Theater performances in conjunction with several local community groups, as well as on campus.
ATTENDANCE: Because our time together is extremely limited and because each class session will cover a great deal of material, it is absolutely essential that you attend class regularly, arrive on time with the required material for each session, and participate in class discussions and activities. A significant percentage of your final grade (see GRADES) will be based on your attendance and participation. If you miss more than three class meetings (not including any class for which you have a documented medical excuse), it will lower your grade. If you know that you have conflicts that will prevent you from attending class regularly and arriving promptly, please do not enroll for this course.
LATE PAPER POLICY: I expect you to hand in all work, prepared according to the format specified for each assignment, on the required due dates. If you have a good reason for submitting an assignment later than the deadline, please notify me in advance so that we can negotiate a new deadline. Any late work will be penalized by one letter grade for each weekday past the due date (e.g., a "B-" paper submitted two weekdays late becomes a "C" and so forth).
CONFERENCES: For help with your work, or if you have questions about anything else, please feel free to meet with me during my office hours. If my office hours don't fit your schedule, you may also make an appointment with me at a different time. You are also welcome to contact me by email at any time. When you make an appointment and are unable to keep it, please notify me in advance.
PLAGIARISM: Students in this course are expected to follow Oberlin's honor code. Plagiarism occurs when you use someone else's words or ideas without acknowledging the person and/or source appropriately. This includes the work of another student as well as any other type of source. For more information on proper acknowledgment of sources and on the definitions of plagiarism, you can consult a recent edition of any college writing handbook. If you have any questions about whether your use of material constitutes plagiarism, please don't hesitate to ask me. If you submit work that appears to be in violation of Oberlin's honor code, it will be submitted to the student honor code committee. Believe me, plagiarism is simply not worth the risk!
Frankly, I would prefer not to assign you letter grades at all, but I don't have that option. Please keep in mind that a grade is my evaluation of a specific piece of work, not of "you" or of your background. Try not to become so anxious about your grade that you lose track of the more important educational aims of the course.
Mon. 2/12 Suzan-Lori Parks, Venus
(no class Mon. 3/26, Wed. 3/28, Fri. 3/30: spring break)