Modernist Drama in Contemporary Theatre (DRA2092)

Staff	Dr Adrian Curtin - Convenor
Credit Value	30
ECTS Value	15
NQF Level	6
Pre-requisites	None
Co-requisites	None
Duration of Module	Term 2: 11 weeks;

Module aims

This module aims:

to introduce you to modernism in general, and to modernist drama, in particular
to help you to situate modernist plays in their historical contexts
to examine how and why contemporary dramatists and theatre-makers re-present modernist plays
to enable you to use scholarly writing to interpret dramatic texts and theatrical performances

ILO: Module-specific skills

1. Identify and explain salient features of modernist drama and contemporary re-workings thereof
2. Outline a hypothetical re-working of a modernist play that is artistically nuanced, socially conscious, and historically mindful
3. Analyse, in written form, a contemporary re-working of a modernist play, using critical theory and historiography

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

4. Contribute research to small groups in effective presentations, to evaluate evidence and analyse, critique and manipulate complex material
5. Apply library and IT skills in independent additional research

ILO: Personal and key skills

6. Develop personal research skills using personal initiative; to set personal objectives and to identify and evaluate personal learning strategies
7. Develop group cooperation skills, including the ability to give and receive constructive critical feedback and to improve communication skills and analytic abilities in discussions

Syllabus plan

Whilst the content may vary from year to year, it is envisioned that it will cover some or all of the following topics:

modernism
theatrical modernism
theories of adaptation, particularly as they relate to drama and theatre
critical theory and its application to the analysis of drama and theatre
modernist drama
contemporary theatre
postmodernism

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities	Guided independent study	Placement / study abroad
33	267	0

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Category	Hours of study time	Description
Scheduled learning and teaching	33	Seminar activities and tutorials
Guided independent study	99	Preparation for seminars
Guided independent study	57	Preparation for presentation
Guided independent study	111	Essay preparation and writing

Formative assessment

Form of assessment	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
Presentation plan	1000 words	1-2, 4-5, 7	Written and oral
Essay plan	1000 words	1, 3, 5-6	Written and oral

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Coursework	Written exams	Practical exams
60	0	40

Details of summative assessment

Form of assessment	% of credit	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
Continuous assessment	10	Engagement in seminars over the course of the term	1, 6	Written
Group presentation	40	15 minutes per student	1-2, 4-5, 7	Written
Essay	50	3000 words	1, 3, 5-6	written

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Original form of assessment	Form of re-assessment	ILOs re-assessed	Timescale for re-assessment
Continuous assessment	Re[peat study/mitigation	1-6	N/a
Group presentation	Individual presentation	1,2,5,6	Referral/Deferral period
Essay	Essay	1,2,5,6	Referral/Deferral period

Re-assessment notes

Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.

Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to submit a further assessment as necessary. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Babbage, Frances. Adaptation in Contemporary Theatre: Performing Literature. London: Bloomsbury, 2017.
Berghaus, Günter. Theatre, Performance, and the Historical Avant-Garde. New York: Palgrave, 2010.
Brodie, Geraldine, and Emma Cole. Adapting Translation for the Stage. London: Taylor & Francis, 2017.
Brooker, Peter et al., eds. The Oxford Handbook of Modernisms. Oxford University Press, 2010.
Friedman, Susan Stanford. Planetary Modernisms: Provocations on Modernity across Time. Columbia University Press, 2015.
Gale, Maggie B., and John F. Deeney, eds. The Routledge Drama Anthology and Sourcebook: From Modernism to Contemporary Performance. London: Routledge, 2012.
Johnston, Kirsty. Disability Theatre and Modern Drama: Recasting Modernism. London: Bloomsbury, 2016.
Laera, Margherita, ed. Theatre and Adaptation: Return, Rewrite, Repeat. London: Bloomsbury, 2014.
Lindgren, Allana, and Stephen Ross, eds. The Modernist World. London: Routledge, 2015.
Puchner, Martin. Stage Fright: Modernism, Anti-Theatricality, and Drama. Baltimore: John Hopkins University Press, 2002.
Reilly, Kara, ed. Contemporary Approaches to Adaptation in Theatre. London: Palgrave, 2018.
Shepherd-Barr, Kirsten. Modern Drama: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2016.
Warden, Claire. Modernist and Avant-Garde Performance: An Introduction. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2015.
Wollaeger, Mark, and Matt Eatough, eds. The Oxford Handbook of Global Modernisms. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2013.
Worthen, William B. Print and the Poetics of Modern Drama. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005.
Zinman, Toby. Replay: Classic Modern Drama Reimagined. London: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2014.

Module has an active ELE page?

Yes

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

ELE: https://vle.exeter.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=13112

Available as distance learning?

Origin date

19/02/2021

Last revision date

20/01//2023

Key words search

Modernism, drama, contemporary theatre, adaptation