The Pirates of Penzance” Paper 2-4 pages
NO LATE PAPERS ACCEPTED…PERIOD!!!
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Hi Everyone,
Thank you for your patience while I was out of the country attempting to get everything graded with sketchy wifi connections.
I want to discuss a few common errors on your Much Ado papers that will help you improve on the Pirates papers.
1. Most everyone was way to forensic and general in your responses. You are not writing about a play. You are writing about a very specific production. So your comments should be focused on the production.
2. Some of you wrote about different productions than the one assigned. You need to do the assignments as written. Don’t assume every production of a classic work is the same. They are not.
3. You are writing about an art form called theatre. When you talk mainly about the play as written, you are discussing a different art form called literature…that’s taught in the English department.
4. Do not make your papers a retelling of the plot. I already know the plot.
5. Many of you make claims about great acting performances, interesting set design or costume design, etc., but then don’t follow your claims up with examples from the production. Do so. Know the names of the actors and designers you are impressed with and mention them by name.
The second paper will be graded with an eye to improvement and specificity based on the production that has been assigned.
Thanks,
Robin
Prepared Assignments: There will be written assignments through the course of the semester. The due dates are firm and you will be expected to send those assignments to me when expected. I do not accept late assignments. Representatives of the college need to make sure their assignments are completed prior to leaving for a school sponsored activity or event. All written assignments are expected to be completed by the due date. Of course, turning an assignment in early is always welcome. Every assignment will be due to me by 11:59p.m. on the due date. Canvas will automatically close the assignment making it impossible for you to submit it later.
Informed Opinion Papers: These papers will be written after watching two plays via streaming video. The first paper will be written after viewing the play Much Ado about Nothing, 2 full pages in length, and the second paper will be written after viewing the musical The Pirates of Penzance 2 full pages in length. They should be double-spaced typed pages in 12-point font. Both of these plays can be watched via streaming video through the Holman Library search engine. The second paper should be much better than the first, and that is why it is worth so many more points. The expectation is that they will be “thesis” papers.
A “thesis” paper argues a particular point of view or idea (it makes a case for it while considering possible objections). It is conceptual in structure and uses clear proof, interpretations and/or judgments to make its case. It is an argumentative paper. You must make a judgment or state a particular point of view and then defend it.
The following guidelines apply generally to the paper. However, you may find that you have to adapt them slightly to conform to the requirements of the question you are addressing.
1. Start with an idea that grabs the reader’s attention, not the thesis or name of the artist or artwork. Bring this idea back at the end of the paper to round it out.
2. State your thesis and sketch how you intend to support it in an introductory paragraph. The thesis will indicate what you are trying to show in the discussion that follows. This should be brief and to the point.
3. Maintain your focus, and try to stick to a single point. Probably one of the biggest failings of most papers is their failure to concentrate on and develop a well-focused argument. It is far better to examine a small number of issues in detail than a long list that is treated superficially.
4. Bring your paper to a well-defined close. In the final two paragraphs, you should state what you believe that you have established in the paper, reiterate the most important points, and generally tie the paper together. Bring back the idea from the beginning and develop it a bit further. This gives a satisfying conclusion.
Grading Written Assignments: Grades for written work will take into account content, construction and the appropriateness of the paper in relationship to course content and vocabulary. Spelling and grammar count, so please, please, please proof read before handing in your work. Read your paper out loud. If it sounds bad to you, it is. When discussing theatre topics, it is possible, desirable even, to come to conclusions different from another person. There is more than one appropriate way to analyze art. Therefore, it is not so much the conclusion reached about the art that is important, but the manner in which the conclusions are reached and supported.
Plagiarism: Plagiarism occurs when students knowingly submit someone elses ideas or words as their won. Plagiarism is an act of intentional deception. Not only is this dishonest, but it also denies those students of the most important product of their education – the actual learning. If the instructor suspects that anyone has plagiarized, the student will be invited to a one-on-one conversation and will ask the student to show proof that the work in question is not copied. If found to have committed academic dishonesty, the student will fail that single assignment and may, depending on the seriousness of the offense, fail the course. In any case, the student WILL fail the course after a second incident of plagiarism.
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