Tuesday, January 11, 2011

10-Minute Script Draft #2 & The Glass Menagerie

If you haven't done so yet, please turn in your Streetcar reviews.

7th period: please revise and work on your play script drafts. If your group agrees you may go on to period 8.

Period 8: Please get into the following groups:
A. Carolyn, Nora, Briyanna, Kaisean, Gabriela
B. Emily, Haris, Madeline, Temielle, Gus
C. Harrison, Angela R., Desire, My, Samantae
D. Hannah, Angela B., Mariah, Shannon, Gracie
E. Erin, Cassidy, Ashley, Taylor, Donyel

Together in your group, please begin reading The Glass Menagerie aloud. As you read, consider Tom's role in the play as "narrator" and the idea that what we are seeing is a reflection of his memory, not the actual events themselves. This technique is lovingly called a MEMORY PLAY.

Characteristics of Memory Plays:
1. Often use a "narrator" or "first person" character to tell the story.
2. Memory is tenuous and therefore set pieces or props, costumes, setting are representative or use synecdoche.
3. Scenes and characters are atmospheric and subjective. We are getting the narrator's (often the protagonist's) opinion and view of other characters, events. Thus, the style of a memory play is often EXPRESSIONISTIC.
4. Not exactly realism (which strives to present all facts realistically and objectively) the memory play allows for a vivid expression to suggest meaning (metaphor, for example).

HOMEWORK: Please complete your reading of the Glass Menagerie. There will be a test on the play next class.

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About this course!

This course stresses understanding the characteristics & techniques in the literary genres of fiction, poetry, and dramatic writing. This course will continue to build on students’ reading and writing skills begun in previous creative writing classes. Readings and discussions of works by major writers in the field will be examined as inspiration and models of fine writing. This educational blog is designed for the use of the students at the School of the Arts in Rochester, NY.