Alan W Friedman

This course, a discussion and participation class designated with a writing flag, emphasizes Shakespeare as a man of the theater, a player as well as a creator of many roles, a writer of acting scripts, a member of an acting troupe. To read his plays merely as literary texts, rather than as scripts, is to miss something crucial about them.  Students are not expected to be theater majors, but should be interested in aspects of performance -- staging, speaking, enacting characters, directing each other, and so on -- that help us to understand both the texts of Shakespearean drama and their historical and theatrical context.

We will study eight plays, reading and viewing them in multiple versions in order to see how productions work as translations/interpretations.  We will also work with videos of the series Playing Shakespeare by John Barton, former Royal Shakespeare Company director, and with Actors from the London Stage (AFTLS), a troupe of five classically trained British actors from England who will be in residency at UT during the first week in October, teaching classes (including ours) and performing The Merchant of Venice.  Classes will be primarily detailed discussion of the day's assignment and the productions, both live and on video, and acting out scenes from the plays.  Class attendance and active participation are required.  Students will view films of plays (and live theater when possible), participate in two groups that are responsible for presenting plays to the class, and engage fully in the AFTLS residency.

Texts/Readings:

David Bevington, ed., The Essential Shakespeare

John Barton, Playing Shakespeare

Assignments:

Play Journals                          20%

Two short papers, 15% each    30%

Term Paper                             30%

Class participation                   20%

About the Professor:

Alan Friedman, who holds a doctorate from the University of Rochester and an endowed professorship, is a former Director of Plan II, the founder and director of the English Department's Oxford Summer Program, Coordinator of the AFTLS residency program, and faculty advisor of the student organization, Spirit of Shakespeare.  He specializes in twentieth-century British and American literature, although he regularly teaches a Shakespeare seminar for Plan II, which has honored him with its Chad Oliver Teaching Award.  The most recent of his five authored books is Party Pieces: Oral Storytelling and Social Performance in Joyce and Beckett, which concerns performances within the fictional texts of James Joyce and the plays of Samuel Beckett.  His ten edited books and journals include Situating College English: Pedagogy and Politics at a Contemporary American University, about hot cultural and educational issues and life in the English Department at UT, and Beckett in Black and Red: The Translations for Nancy Cunard's Negro.  He has taught at universities in England, Ireland, and France, and is an avid squash player, theatergoer, traveler, and family man.  He recently received UT’s Civitatis Award, which is given annually to a faculty member who is recognized as “a person of such integrity, stature, demonstrated ability, and renown that the university community… will take pride in and be inspired by his or her recognition.”

This course, a discussion and participation class designated with a writing flag, emphasizes Shakespeare as a man of the theater, a player as well as a creator of many roles, a writer of acting scripts, a member of an acting troupe. To read his plays merely as literary texts, rather than as scripts, is to miss something crucial about them.  Students are not expected to be theater majors, but should be interested in aspects of performance -- staging, speaking, enacting characters, directing each other, and so on -- that help us to understand both the texts of Shakespearean drama and their historical and theatrical context.

We will study eight plays, reading and viewing them in multiple versions in order to see how productions work as translations/interpretations.  We will also work with videos of the series Playing Shakespeare by John Barton, former Royal Shakespeare Company director, and with Actors from the London Stage (AFTLS), a troupe of five classically trained British actors from England who will be in residency at UT during the first week in October, teaching classes (including ours) and performing The Merchant of Venice.  Classes will be primarily detailed discussion of the day's assignment and the productions, both live and on video, and acting out scenes from the plays.  Class attendance and active participation are required.  Students will view films of plays (and live theater when possible), participate in two groups that are responsible for presenting plays to the class, and engage fully in the AFTLS residency.

Texts/Readings:

David Bevington, ed., The Essential Shakespeare

John Barton, Playing Shakespeare

Assignments:

Play Journals                          20%

Two short papers, 15% each    30%

Term Paper                             30%

Class participation                   20%

About the Professor:

Alan Friedman, who holds a doctorate from the University of Rochester and an endowed professorship, is a former Director of Plan II, the founder and director of the English Department's Oxford Summer Program, Coordinator of the AFTLS residency program, and faculty advisor of the student organization, Spirit of Shakespeare.  He specializes in twentieth-century British and American literature, although he regularly teaches a Shakespeare seminar for Plan II, which has honored him with its Chad Oliver Teaching Award.  The most recent of his five authored books is Party Pieces: Oral Storytelling and Social Performance in Joyce and Beckett, which concerns performances within the fictional texts of James Joyce and the plays of Samuel Beckett.  His ten edited books and journals include Situating College English: Pedagogy and Politics at a Contemporary American University, about hot cultural and educational issues and life in the English Department at UT, and Beckett in Black and Red: The Translations for Nancy Cunard's Negro.  He has taught at universities in England, Ireland, and France, and is an avid squash player, theatergoer, traveler, and family man.  He recently received UT’s Civitatis Award, which is given annually to a faculty member who is recognized as “a person of such integrity, stature, demonstrated ability, and renown that the university community… will take pride in and be inspired by his or her recognition.”

Description:This course, a discussion and participation class with a substantial writing component, emphasizes Shakespeare as a man of the theater, a player as well as a creator of many roles, a member of an acting troupe. To read his plays merely as literary texts, rather than as scripts, is to miss something crucial about them. Students are not expected to be theater majors, but should be interested in aspects of performance -- staging, speaking, enacting characters, directing, and so on -- that help us to understand both the texts of Shakespearean drama and their historical and theatrical context.We will study eight plays, reading and viewing them in multiple versions in order to see how productions work as translations/interpretations.  We will also work with videos of the series Playing Shakespeare by John Barton, former Royal Shakespeare Company director, and with Actors from the London Stage (AFTLS), a troupe of five classically trained British actors from England who will be in residency at UT for a week in November, teaching classes (including ours) and performing a play.  Classes will be primarily detailed discussion of the day's assignment and the productions, both live and on video, and acting out scenes from the plays.  Class attendance and active participation are required.  Students will attend screenings of plays (and live theater when possible), participate in two groups that are responsible for presenting plays to the class, and engage fully in the AFTLS residency.

Texts/Readings:David Bevington, ed., The Essential Shakespeare John Barton, Playing Shakespeare

Assignments:

Play Journals            20%

Two short papers, 15% each    30%

Term Paper            30%

Class participation        20%

About the Professor:

Alan Friedman, who holds a doctorate from the University of Rochester and an endowed professorship, is a former Director of Plan II, the founder and director of the English Department's Oxford Summer Program, Coordinator of the AFTLS residency program, and faculty advisor of the student organization Spirit of Shakespeare.  He specializes in twentieth-century British and American literature, although he regularly teaches a Shakespeare seminar for Plan II, which has honored him with its Chad Oliver Teaching Award.  The most recent of his five authored books is Party Pieces: Oral Storytelling and Social Performance in Joyce and Beckett, which concerns performances within the fictional texts of James Joyce and the plays of Samuel Beckett.  His ten edited books and journals include Situating College English: Pedagogy and Politics at a Contemporary American University, about hot cultural and educational issues and life in the English Department at UT, and Beckett in Black and Red: The Translations for Nancy Cunard's Negro.  He has taught at universities in England, Ireland, and France, and is an avid squash player, theatergoer, traveler, and family man. This year he received UT’s Civitatis Award, which is given annually to a faculty member who is recognized as “a person of such integrity, stature, demonstrated ability, and renown that the university community…will take pride in and be inspired by his or her recognition.”

This course has a writing flag.

Description:

This course, a discussion and participation class with a substantial writing component, emphasizes Shakespeare as a man of the theater, a player as well as a creator of many roles, a member of an acting troupe. To read his plays merely as literary texts, rather than as scripts, is to miss something crucial about them. Students are not expected to be theater majors, but should be interested in aspects of performance -- staging, speaking, enacting characters, directing, and so on -- that help us to understand both the texts of Shakespearean drama and their historical and theatrical context.

We will study eight plays, reading and viewing them in multiple versions in order to see how productions work as translations/interpretations.  We will also work with videos of the series Playing Shakespeare by John Barton, former Royal Shakespeare Company director, and with Actors from the London Stage (AFTLS), a troupe of five classically trained British actors from England who will be in residency at UT for a week in November, teaching classes (including ours) and performing A Midsummer Night’s Dream.  Classes will be primarily detailed discussion of the day's assignment and the productions, both live and on video, and acting out scenes from the plays.  Class attendance and active participation are required.  Students will attend screenings of plays (and live theater when possible), participate in two groups that are responsible for presenting plays to the class, and engage fully in the AFTLS residency.

Texts/Readings:

David Bevington, ed., The Essential Shakespeare

John Barton, Playing Shakespeare

Assignments: 

Play Journals                                    20%

Two short papers, 15% each            30%

Term Paper                                    30%

Class participation                        20%

About the Professor

Alan Friedman, who holds a doctorate from the University of Rochester and an endowed professorship, is a former Director of Plan II, the founder and director of the English Department's Oxford Summer Program, Coordinator of the AFTLS residency program, and faculty advisor of the student organization Spirit of Shakespeare.  He specializes in twentieth-century British and American literature, although he regularly teaches a Shakespeare seminar for Plan II, which has honored him with its Chad Oliver Teaching Award.  The most recent of his five authored books is Party Pieces: Oral Storytelling and Social Performance in Joyce and Beckett, which concerns performances within the fictional texts of James Joyce and the plays of Samuel Beckett.  His ten edited books and journals include Situating College English: Pedagogy and Politics at a Contemporary American University, about hot cultural and educational issues and life in the English Department at UT, and Beckett in Black and Red: The Translations for Nancy Cunard's Negro.  He has taught at universities in England, Ireland, and France, and is an avid squash player, theatergoer, traveler, and family man. This year he received UT’s Civitatis Award, which is given annually to a faculty member who is recognized as “a person of such integrity, stature, demonstrated ability, and renown that the university community…will take pride in and be inspired by his or her recognition.”