Cultural Experience
Instructions
For your report, choose one virtual venue from this pre-approved list that most interests you, or contact your professor for approval of your own online choice. If your choice below has both a website and a video, make sure you examine both. If you need special accommodations to complete this assignment, please inform your instructor and contact the Accessibility Accommodations office for guidance.
Watch the entire performance or thoroughly explore the venue you choose.
THEATER PLAY
Shakespeare
First Encounter: King Lear (adapted for children)
The Tragedy of Richard II
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
The Importance of being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
NEW MA by Dora Dee Hunter
Watch a full performance of one of the plays on this list of full length plays available on Youtube.
Watch a full performance of a Broadway musical that is available for streaming on various paid services. A list is available here:
Write a report after you have explored or viewed the online resource.
Your report should include the following information. Include photos or links that help convey the information. As always, be sure to document all sources you consult in preparing your work. This includes any learning resources from the class, or information from the websites that informed you about the particular item you explored.
Name and location of event or name and director of the film, writer’s name etc. If there is on-line information about what you viewed, be sure to include a link to it within the text of your essay in an appropriate place.
Type of event. For example is it a film, ritual, service, ceremony, poetry reading, festival, author interview etc. Make sure to include the name of the authors, directors, producers, speakers, author of your favorite poem (if poetry festival or event).
Briefly describe the general setting by talking a bit about the location (you can research the location online) and the general overall “vibe” of the place or places viewed.
Describe at least one aspect of what you viewed that you found especially interesting. For example, you might write about the different ways the same ritual is conducted by different groups, a poem you really liked from the reading or poetry festival, something an author or direct said that really struck you. Explain what impressed or affected you, and why. Your reaction can be positive or negative, as long as you offer an explanation.
Identify and use at least two tools, concepts or methods that you have learned about in this class in the Learning Resources to talk about your viewing. For example, if you view a director’s commentary, you might point out what the director says about lighting or the set, or if you view to a ritual, talk about the myth the ritual is based on, or if you watch a spoken word or poetry reading, you can talk about specific literary language or imagery. Make sure you are explicit in identifying the tools/concept/methods you are using and the specific learning resources they come from. Be sure to inform the reader about the tool/concept/method through a quote or paraphrase from the learning resource. Then, make sure to tell the reader how you interpret and/or analyze some elements of what you experience with the tools.
Reflect on the relevance–if any–of your viewing to your everyday life. How did the experience engage your feelings or emotions, if at all? What does this tell you about human culture, and/or about yourself?
