Production Analysis Papers—20 points each
Instructions—Read Carefully!
Write an analysis that responds to the prompts below with your original analysis and insight about the production. We want to know what you thought about what you experienced and saw on the stage, not what you liked or didn’t like.
Your analysis must express a point of view about the production and must be at least 2 full pages but no more than 3 pages long. Assume your reader viewed the production. Provide context for your discussion and analysis without retelling the entire plot of the play, if a brief synopsis of the story might help you set up your arguments.
Pay attention to the production’s artistic credits. We recommend that you take notes while watching the show so that you can properly reference artists’ names in your paper. Failure to credit artists properly will result in a loss of points. The library link may also contain a note from the director or dramaturg, information that you might find helpful on this assignment.
I. Prompts
• A Design Element. Examine the use of ONE design element in the production. (A design element includes scenery, costumes, props, lighting, sound, or media design). Properly credit the artist whose work you are critiquing. How did these specific design choices create meaning and contribute to the world of the play and the storytelling? Use specific moments from the production to support your aesthetic interpretation and analysis. How does this reinforced the setting of the play or the status, class, gender, or relationship of a character;
• Choice of a Staging Moment or a Performance or another Point of Interest. You are free to choose another aspect of the production to analyze; for example, a specific director’s choice, an actor’s performance, a piece of choreography, or something else that captured your interest. How did these choices create meaning? What does this aspect of the production suggest about the production as a whole?
• Issues of Diversity: Examine the politics of the play by choosing an issue of diversity (such as race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, class, religion, disability) and evaluating its depiction. How does the play’s depiction reinforce or challenge conventional (traditional) understandings of the issue under examination? What does this particular issue under examination suggest about the play as a whole?
Do not let the above prompts limit your response; rather, use them to inspire, expand, and deepen your thinking about the play and its production.
II. Format
Follow MLA style. guidelines: MLA Sample Paper. You paper must contain your name, the course number, your recitation instructor’s name, and the date, formatted per the example provided. MLA guidelines can be found at (http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/).
• Give your paper a creative title.
• Italicize play titles. They do not belong in “quotation marks.”
• When talking about a production that you have seen, use the past tense.
• You should name each artist whose work you are discussing.
• This is a scholarly paper. Use a formal voice. Avoid slang. Writing should be polished— your grade for presentation includes grammar, syntax, and spelling.
• Proofread. Your writing should be free of typos, misspellings, and other mistakes.
• If you use any sources, be sure to include a citation. This applies to the dramaturg’s program note. Here is the general format for citing a show’s program:
Program Notes. Name of Play by Playwright. Producing Company. Location. Date you saw the show.
SUBMISSION DIRECTIONS
•
Upload your production analysis paper and include the image file of your signed ticket stub or program at the end of your paper (in Word or PDF format only) to the correct Carmen Production Analysis assignment. We reserve the right to refuse late or emailed papers.
• Failure to turn in your paper in a readable format will result in a loss of points.
NOTE: This is an individual, not a collaborative assignment. The essay you turn in should be your own work. In this course, we use Turnitin originality check on all written work. Avoid plagiarism!
III. Other Tips
Be honest! You do not have to express any particular opinion just to try to please your instructor. But remember, you must support your opinions using specific examples and thoughtful analysis about the production. It is not enough just to have an opinion, positive or negative. You must tell your reader why. Talk about what really interested or excited you about the production!
Grading Rubric:
5 pts A Design Element
5 pts Point of Interest
5pts Issues of Diversity
3pts Presentation (organization, grammar, etc.)
2pts Proof of Attendance and proper credit to production crew and actors
IV. Grading Rubric 20 points
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Criteria
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5
Sophisticated
(Paper goes above and beyond the assignment)
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4
Skilled
(Paper successfully
fulfills the
parameters of the assignment)
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3
Competent
(Paper fully meets the parameters of the assignment)
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2
Fairly Competent
(Paper does not address some aspects of the assignment)
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1
Not Yet
Competent
(Paper does not address the assignment)
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0
No Marks
(Paper demonstrates no
effort to fulfill the assignment)
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Design Element
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This paper contains an exemplary examination of a production design element. The writer presents specific and compelling examples to support his/her aesthetic interpretation. The argument clearly and compellingly articulates how the design choices create context and meaning in the world of the play.
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This paper contains a strong examination of a production design element. The writer presents specific examples to support his/her aesthetic interpretation. The argument clearly articulates how the design choices create context and meaning in the world of the play.
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This paper contains an adequate examination of a production design element. The writer presents relevant examples to support his/her aesthetic interpretation. The argument articulates how the design choices create meaning in the world of the play.
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This paper contains a lackluster examination of a production design element. The writer engages in description rather than analysis. The argument consists of opinions rather than critical insights that articulate how design choices create meaning.
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The ideas in this paper are unfocused, underdeveloped, and/or unconvincing. Argument is repetitive and provides no critical insight.
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This paper failed to
fulfill the requirement.
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Point of
Interest
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The writer choses an exceedingly compelling aspect of the production to examine. He/She demonstrates keen critical insight about the significance of this aspect of production. The argument clearly and compellingly articulates how this point of interest informs the play as a whole.
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The writer choses an interesting aspect of the production to examine. He/She
demonstrates
critical insight about the significance of this aspect of the production. The argument clearly articulates how this point of interest informs the play as a whole.
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The writer choses an important aspect of the production to examine. He/She demonstrates insight about the significance of this aspect of the production. The argument articulates how this point of interest informs the play as a whole.
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This writer’s choice betrays a lack of
interest in the production. He/She fails to provide insight about the significance of this aspect of the production. Little effort is made to connect this aspect of the production back to the play as a whole.
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This writer choses an insignificant aspect of the production to examine. His/Her ideas are unfocused, underdeveloped, and/or unconvincing. Argument is repetitive and provides no critical insight.
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This paper failed to
fulfill the requirement.
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Issue of Diversity
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This paper contains an exemplary examination of an issue of diversity. The writer presents specific and compelling examples to support his/her critical analysis of the play’s politics. The argument clearly and compellingly articulates how the play’s politics inform. the play as a whole.
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This paper contains a strong examination of an issue of diversity. The writer presents specific examples to support his/her critical analysis of the play’s politics. The argument
clearly articulates how the play’s politics inform. the play as a whole.
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This paper contains an adequate examination of an issue of diversity. The writer presents relevant examples to support his/her critical analysis of the play’s politics. The argument articulates how the play’s politics inform. the play as a whole.
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This paper contains a lackluster examination of an issue of diversity. The writer engages in description rather than analysis. The argument consists of opinions rather than critical insights that articulate how the play’s politics inform. the play as a whole.
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The ideas in this paper are unfocused, underdeveloped, and/or unconvincing. Argument is repetitive and provides no critical insight.
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This paper failed to
fulfill the requirement.
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Presentation
(3 points total)
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This paper is written in formal language, consistently uses strong and varied sentence structure, and employs precise and unambiguous wording and coherent and logical organization. The writing demonstrates clear enthusiasm for the topic. All sentences are complete and grammatical. Paper has been spell-checked and proofread, and has no punctuation or formatting errors.
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This paper is written in formal language, consistently uses strong and varied sentence structure, and employs
precise and unambiguous wording and coherent and logical organization. The writing demonstrates an interest in the topic. The paper is generally free of grammar, spelling, punctuation, and formatting errors.
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This paper is written in formal language. It attempts to use varied sentence structure and
precise and unambiguous wording. The writing demonstrates care for the topic. The paper had one or more of the following problems: organization was difficult to follow; contained multiple spelling, grammar, punctuation, and formatting errors.
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This paper is not written in formal language and is hindered by one or more of the following:
disjointed/illogical organization; confusing sentence structure; imprecise or ambiguous wording; grammar, spelling, punctuation, and formatting errors.
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This paper has all of the following problems: informal tone and language; poor organization; awkward sentence structure; imprecise wording; grammar, spelling, punctuation, and formatting errors.
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This paper has all of the following problems: informal tone and language; poor organization; awkward sentence structure; imprecise wording; grammar, spelling, punctuation, and formatting errors.
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Proof of
Attendance and proper credit to production crew
and actors
(2 points total)
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This paper provides proof of attendance that is submitted correctly and gives proper credit to all artists included in the paper.
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This paper provides proof of attendance and give proper credit to the artists included in the paper.
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This paper either does not provide proof of attendance or fails to give proper credit to some of the artists included in the paper.
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This paper either does not provide proof of attendance or fails to give proper credit to most of the artists included in the paper.
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This paper either does not provide proof of attendance or give proper credit
to the artists involved in the production.
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This paper fails to provide proof of attendance and fails to give proper credit
to the artists discussed in the paper.
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