Theatre Studies: Production

1. Watch a college, university, or professional level production.

2. Write a 2- to 3-page analysis of what you saw.

Here are some guidelines:

1. You may only see a college, university, or professional level production. This may make the assignment more difficult, but the difference in quality will be worth the work. Don’t confuse “quality” with the budget, which has little to do with good theatre. Most community and high school theatres have a different goal than university and professional theatres: to create a social environment for the participants. We want you to have the experience of watching a play that has more of the elements we’ve been discussing. Most community and high school theatres do not have dramaturgs or director’s concepts. Unless extenuating circumstances exist, for which you must get approval beforehand, you must see a college, university, or professional level production.

2. A musical is considered a play. Remember that Oklahoma! has some serious topics beneath the song and dance.

3. Remember, like all of your other assignments, this is an analysis, not a review. Please do not write like a newspaper critic. You are there to use the tools that we’ve discussed in this class and analyze the meaning of the piece. Don’t say, “I didn’t like that choice.” Instead ask, “Why did they make that choice? How does it fit thematically with the rest of the piece?”

4. Specific examples are essential when writing a paper. Always cite specific examples from any text that you analyze. It’s best to bring a piece of paper and a pen and take notes on the production while you watch it. This will help you remember what you’ve seen and engage with the text. Ask questions in the margins. Figure things out. This will make your papers better, because you will have a concrete memory of the event and many specific examples to draw on.