DRAMA 202A/B : History and Performance
Arts
2025 Semester One (1253) / Semester Two (1255) (45 POINTS)
Course Prescription
Course Overview
DRAMA 202A/B is a core course that is designed to offer a capstone experience in Drama by offering both theoretical and practical study of theatre including the staging of a full-length play. The course encourages students to develop skills in the staging of dramatic texts through practical sessions. These staging exercises are designed to help students build up necessary skills for our stage production in September. This course examines a number of theories of drama, with reference to their practical applications in play-texts and productions. We also explore dramatists’ engagement with the existing genres and traditions.
Course Requirements
Capabilities Developed in this Course
| Capability 1: | People and Place |
| Capability 3: | Knowledge and Practice |
| Capability 4: | Critical Thinking |
| Capability 5: | Solution Seeking |
| Capability 6: | Communication |
| Capability 7: | Collaboration |
| Capability 8: | Ethics and Professionalism |
Learning Outcomes
- Identify historically significant playwrights with their dramatic tradition and conventions. (Capability 3 and 4)
- Situate your view in a theoretical debate including Stanislavski and Brecht (Capability 1, 3 and 4)
- Develop a sense of the expressive possibilities of different dramatic languages, such as naturalistic dialogue, poetic rhetoric, mise-en-scène and movement (Capability 5, 6 and 7)
- Create and participate in staging of a full-length play (Capability 3, 6, 7 and 8)
- learn to find solutions and to work with other students during staging exercises (Capability 6, 7 and 8)
Assessments
| Assessment Type | Percentage | Classification |
|---|---|---|
| Coursework | 100% | Individual Coursework |
| 100% |
Across the two semesters, the class includes a range of assessments, including staging presentations, a full production in semester two, and written components.
Workload Expectations
Student workload for this course is expected to be around 10 hours per week in Semester One and Two, and additional 40-50 hours per week during the mid-semester break and production week in Semester Two. Students are required to attend all lectures and tutorials, and to read texts in advance of the lectures and tutorials. Also, your participation and presentation are essential.
For this course, every week you can expect 1.5 -hour of lecture and 1.5 hour tutorial or workshop session, 3 hours of reading and thinking about the content and 4 hours of work on assignments and/or test preparation.
Delivery Mode
Campus Experience
Attendance is required at scheduled activities including workshop sessions and group projects to complete components of the course.
The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable for regular class sessions.
Attendance is required during the entire rehearsals that is scheduled during the mid-semester break of Semester 2 (9am to 6pm) as well as during the production week in Week 7 of Semester 2, every evening from 5pm to 10pm.
Learning Resources
Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).
Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.
Please see the Talis Reading List for Drama 202 via the Library.
Student Feedback
At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.
Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.
Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.
Academic Integrity
The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework, tests and examinations as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against electronic source material using computerised detection mechanisms. Upon reasonable request, students may be required to provide an electronic version of their work for computerised review.
Class Representatives
Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.
Inclusive Learning
All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.
Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz
Well-being always comes first
We all go through tough times during the semester, or see our friends struggling. There is lots of help out there - for more information, look at this Canvas page https://canvas.auckland.ac.nz/courses/33894, which has links to various support services in the University and the wider community.
Special Circumstances
If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.
If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.
This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.
Learning Continuity
In the event of an unexpected disruption we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and your assessment is fair, and not compromised. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the University Website for information about how to proceed.
Student Charter and Responsibilities
The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.
Disclaimer
Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.
In this course you may be asked to submit your coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. The final decision on the completion mode for a test or examination, and remote invigilation arrangements where applicable, will be advised to students at least 10 days prior to the scheduled date of the assessment, or in the case of an examination when the examination timetable is published.