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:
  3. 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.
  4. A musical is considered a play. Remember that Oklahoma! has some serious topics beneath the song and
    dance.
  5. 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?”
  6. 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.