Course Information and Schedule

Required Texts:

            Helen Edmundson    The Clearing  

            Brian Friel                Selected Plays

            Billy Roche               The Wexford Trilogy

            Conor McPherson    The Weir and Other Plays

            Hugh Leonard           Da

            Marie Jones               A Night in November

            Martin McDonagh    The Beauty Queen of Leenane and Other Plays

Schedule:

   August:

            29        Introduction and Ground Rules

            31        Film: "Walter Kerr on Theatre"

                        The Clearing: "Historical Note" + First two scenes

    September:

            5        Edmundson, The Clearing

            7        The Clearing / Discussion of Web Sites

            12       Friel, Translations: Acts 1 and 2

            14       Translations: Act 3 / Discussion of various anthologies

            19

                        From the Famine to the Troubles: film clips and oral reports

            21

            26        Roche, A Handful of Stars

            28        A Handful of Stars + film clips from "Trojan Eddie"

   October:

            3        Reports on Roche + readings of selected scenes

            5        McPherson, The Weir

            10      The Weir + This Lime Tree Bower

            12      Reports on McPherson + film clips from "I Went Down"

            17      Friel, Philadelphia Here I Come

            19      Philadelphia Here I Come                Essay # 1 is due.

            24      Leonard, Da

            26      Da + Introduction to The Freedom of the City

            31      Friel, The Freedom of the City

   November:

            2        Reports and readings: Stuart Parker, Christina Reid, Gary Mitchell

            9        Jones, A Night in November

            14      Film clips suggested by students           Movie paper is due.

            16      McDonagh, The Beauty Queen of Leenane

            21      The Beauty Queen of Leenane

            28      Readings and reports: Martin McDonagh

            30      Readings and reports: Tom Murphy and John B. Keane

   December:

            5       Last class: review and evaluation

            7       Essay # 2 is due

Course Credit:

        Essay # 1                                            20%

         Essay # 2                                            30%

         Movie Paper (about 3 pages)              10%

         Class participation                               40%