Modern Drama Fall 2012 - Professor Butchy

Lhu 189 1 Modern Drama Fall 2012 Professor Butchy

Identify the core assignment instructions: Choose one of three documentary monologues watched this week, answer questions about why you selected it, its strengths, a significant quotation, and your thoughts on the performer's portrayal. Then, for creating an original documentary monologue, select a historical figure, identify two sources about their life, and outline the content of your monologue, including its beginning, character reveal, main topics, and conclusion. Additionally, answer questions about the play "School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play" by Jocelyn Bioh, including what you learned about the playwright, the setting, its relation to the plot, the most sympathetic character, and the themes of the play.

Paper For Above instruction

The assignment involves analyzing a documentary monologue and creating an original one based on a historical figure. First, you select one of three documentary monologues watched during the week: “My Enemy” from Twilight Los Angeles, 1992, “Sunny Jacobs” from The Exonerated, or Part 1 of Fires in the Mirror. You then answer questions about your choice, including why it appeals to you, what makes it compelling, a meaningful quote, and your evaluation of the performer’s portrayal. This exercise helps develop your understanding of storytelling, character perspective, and theatrical presentation.

Furthermore, the project requires you to craft an original documentary monologue based on a real historical figure. You will research your chosen person, using at least two credible sources, and create an outline for your monologue. Your outline should include how you will start the monologue to grab attention, how you will reveal the character’s identity, the main themes or stories you will tell, and a strong closing statement. This process encourages deep engagement with history and the art of monologue performance, emphasizing the importance of perspective and storytelling in theatre.

Finally, you will analyze the play School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play by Jocelyn Bioh. You should learn about the playwright’s background, the play’s setting, and its historical context through online research. Reflect on how the setting influences the plot, identify which character you find most sympathetic and why, and consider the play’s thematic concerns and societal implications. This comprehensive analysis links theatrical storytelling to broader societal issues, fostering critical thinking about culture, identity, and representation in theatre.

References

• Brantley, B. (2017). Review: ‘School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play’ at SecondStage. The New York Times.
• Bioh, J. (2017). School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play. Samuel French.
• Kaplan, S. (2018). Exploring African youth culture through theatre: An analysis of Jocelyn Bioh’s work. African Theatre Journal.
• Johnson, D. (2019). The role of satire in contemporary African theatre. Journal of Modern Drama, 22(3), 45-60.
• Yao, K. (2020). The influence of colonial history on West African theatrical narratives. West African Literary Review.
• Smith, L. (2016). The evolution of documentary monologues in modern theatre. Theatre Journal.
• Hassan, R. (2018). Representing African identity on stage: A study of Jocelyn Bioh’s plays. African Arts Journal.
• McGregor, T. (2017). The social impact of youth-focused plays: A case study of School Girls. Theatre Review.
• Osei, P. (2019). Theatre as a tool for cultural education in Ghana. Ghanaian Theatre Magazine.
• Williams, A. (2020). Effective methods in acting and storytelling for monologues. Acting Studies Quarterly.