Spring 2018 - ENGL 380 E100

Text and Performance (4)

Class Number: 11203

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Jan 3 – Apr 10, 2018: Wed, 6:30–10:20 p.m.
    Vancouver

  • Instructor:

    David Weston
    dsw3@sfu.ca
    Office Hours: Wednesday 4.30-6.20
  • Prerequisites:

    Two 200 division English courses.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

A study of the performative dimensions of literary and other texts, and/or the use of text in performance. May be organized by genre/medium, social or cultural context, or critical approach.

COURSE DETAILS:

From Eunuchs to Drag Queens: Queer Performances in Restoration and Eighteenth-Century England  

Studying Restoration drama is challenging; we have very few first-hand accounts, almost no objects or artifacts, and the theatres themselves were torn down or replaced. In the absence of these forms of evidence, scholars have used the printed play texts in hopes of filling in the bigger picture, although that too has its limitations since what is on the page cannot always represent what happened on the stage. Performances Studies, the examination of physical bodies and live performances (theatrical, social, ritualistic etc.), however, is one way we can extend our understanding of these historical texts.  

This course will question the relationship between text and performance, and investigate methods of undertaking feminist, queer, and anti-colonial, literary and historical study. Readings are organized around three central ideas: the limitations of printed texts, the body as cultural artifact, and performance as political resistance. For each section we will use performance studies theories to build a methodology, and employ that approach in analyzing canonical Restoration-era plays. For example, how does the materiality of theatre alter our reading of William Wycherley’s The Country Wife? How can thinking about the body as an object possible in transmitting cultural knowledge enrich, and queer, Nathanial Lee’s The Rival Queens? And finally, how can Restoration plays by white straight men, like Colley Cibber’s The Rival Queans, be transformed into sites of feminist political and social resistance? At the end of the course, we will test the methodologies we have developed in a “performance workshop,” where we will put our study into practice.

Grading

  • Attendance and Participation 15%
  • Performance Workshop 10%
  • Presentation 20%
  • First Paper 20%
  • Final Paper 35%

Materials

MATERIALS + SUPPLIES:

Readings on Canvas

Department Undergraduate Notes:

IMPORTANT NOTE Re 300 and 400 level courses: 75% of spaces in 300 level English courses, and 100% of spaces in 400 level English courses, are reserved for declared English Major, Minor, Extended Minor, Joint Major, and Honours students only, until open enrollment begins.

For all On-Campus Courses, please note the following:
- To receive credit for the course, students must complete all requirements.
- Tutorials/Seminars WILL be held the first week of classes.
- When choosing your schedule, remember to check "Show lab/tutorial sections" to see all Lecture/Seminar/Tutorial times required.

Registrar Notes:

SFU’s Academic Integrity web site http://students.sfu.ca/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating.  Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.

Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the University community.  Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the University. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the University. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS