One Week Free Trial Play Review
ATE DUE: Play Review 2 – JUNE 6th no later than 11:59 P.M.
GRADE WEIGHT: 4% of overall grade (4 points)
THIS IS A TWO PAGE ESSAY REVIEW OF A PLAY/MUSICAL, DIFFERENT THAN REVIEW #1! FOLLOW MY GUIDELINES BELOW!
New Revisions in light of COVID-19
- If you have already seen a play live before the theater closures – FANTASTIC! Then complete your play review. Take a screenshot of your ticket/program and fill out the play review form.
- If you HAVE NOT YET seen a live play this semester, then you will need to see a play with one of the following methods I posted in CANVAS such as these below. I listed more in my announcement.
-Digital Theatre + (only available FREE through March 29, 2020 – but why not check and see if there’s a new promotion) www.digitaltheatreplus.com (Links to an external site.)
username: dtremote / password: dtremote
-Broadway HD (one week free trial): https://www.broadwayhd.com (Links to an external site.)
-PBS (select plays not films): Download the FREE PBS app to see one of their excellent selection of plays and musicals recorded live. Click here: https://www.pbs.org/show/great-performances/collections/broadway-pbs/ (Links to an external site.)
-You are welcome to research and find others, but I must approve them! Ask me if you’re not sure.
You must write a review of your selected play and reviews MUST follow my instructions CLOSELY – see below! Musicals are plays, too!
THE PLAY OR MUSICAL MUST BE SEEN THIS SEMESTER: BETWEEN 2/18 AND THE DUE DATE!
STAND UP COMEDY, SHORT PLAYS (LIKE AN IMPROV SET) OR CIRCUS PERFORMANCES (LIKE CIRCUE DU SOLEIL) WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED FOR REVIEWS!
Review #2 can be of any full-length professional or collegiate play or musical you can find online that was recorded in front of a live audience, but I recommend using the links I provided.
GUIDELINES FOR PLAY REVIEW #2:
-Papers must be 2 pages but no more than two (NOT including a “Cover” or “Works Cited” page if you have one).
-Text should be in Times New Roman, with a font size of 12, double spaced.
-No bullets.
-Use paragraphs to organize your ideas. A paragraph should not take up an entire page in a paper of this length. The introduction paragraph should include the scope of your paper or review. The concluding paragraph should convey critical thinking, drawing conclusions from the content of your paper.
Avoid long quotes from a text: No more than 5 lines of a quote (but try for less).
Though research is not required for our papers, if you feel research would add to your paper’s quality the source material must be of a collegiate level. “Wikipedia” and sources of that nature are not acceptable for a college level paper. It is recommended that you consult .edu and .org materials as well as books, films and/or periodicals. Use the GCC library resources. Use proper MLA format and procedure. Google “MLA format” if you do not have a book on it.
You must send your review as a PDF and upload it on the designated Assignment link on Canvas. It must be received no later than the due date and time listed.
Basic review structure:
Begin with an introduction paragraph with details like what play you saw, where you saw it, etc. Then give the basic impression the play made on you. In the next paragraphs (the body of the review) try to answer the basic questions of the play review: What is being attempted or what is the point? Were the intentions achieved? Was the play worthwhile?
Each paragraph should represent a new idea or point. Describe the theatrical elements such as the acting, design (lighting, costumes, set, sound/music), the directing, etc. Finish the review with a closing paragraph or conclusion. Tell me about the play you saw!
GRADE RUBRIC FOR PLAY REVIEW: 15 points each
5 points: Format, grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization, syntax.
5 points: Content – The parallels drawn between the play and your life experiences display a grasp of the themes and events of the source material. Describe the theatrical elements. Clearly communicate your ideas. NO PLOT SUMMARIES! If you mention plot, make it brief.
5 points: Critical Thinking – Your ability to convey meaning, significance, and draw conclusions regarding your life experience as it relates to the themes of the play you saw.