richardchambers.net

First-year Seminar:

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Class meets Monday, Wednesday 2:45PM - 04:00PM

Samia 215


Final Exam:

Friday, December 18, 11:00 - 1:30



Professor Richard W. Chambers

Office: Sawyer 1228

Office Hours: By Appointment

Email: rchambers@suffolk.edu

Website: www.richardchambers.net

Phone: 617-305-1722 (better to email me)     


Course Prerequisites: None

Credits: 4


Course Description:


This writing and script analysis intensive course will explore plays across a range periods and styles. The scripts of five plays will be studied and we will attend performances of two or three of those works at professional theatres in Boston. Other activities will range from a backstage tour to conversations with theatre professionals such as producers, directors, actors, designers, playwrights and critics, in order to lift the script off the page and provide a living experience of theatre. Requires students to be available for evening (usually Wednesday) performances. A fee for tickets at student rates will be assessed.


Class Structure:


We will be seeing and studying two to three new plays at professional theatres in Boston. It is a requirement of this course that you see performances of the plays we will be covering in this class. You will pay for the group rate tickets in lieu of a major textbook. It is essential that you arrange your schedule so that you can attend these performances with the class. If you cannot attend the scheduled performance with the group because of serious extenuating circumstances, you must go to the theatre on your own to see a performance. You will need to present a program and a ticket stub from that performance along with your review paper. In some cases, due to short performance runs, there will be a very limited time to see the performance; you need to pay attention to the theatres' schedules. Failure to see a performance will, obviously, result in your inability to do the assigned work.


There may be "talk-backs" and stage tours after the performances. You should plan on each trip to the theatre taking from 3-4 hours.


We may also have guest speakers visit our class. You should make a special effort to be in class and on time at those occasions. You may take notes and use them as research for your papers.


This course is, like all Seminars for Freshmen, writing intensive by design. You will write approximately 24 finished pages for submission this semester.


We will all go to the first performance together. It is essential that we be there on time, which means at least one half hour before the performance starts. If you are late, the tickets will be left at the box office under "Suffolk University". But don't be late!

The Playwright and the Stage