School: Education

This unit information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester.

  • Unit Title

    Contemporary Theatre Practice
  • Unit Code

    DST4165
  • Year

    2024
  • Enrolment Period

    1
  • Version

    1
  • Credit Points

    15
  • Full Year Unit

    N
  • Mode of Delivery

    On Campus
  • Unit Coordinator

    Dr Christina Claire GRAY

Description

This unit examines the role of the ensemble as the makers, directors and writers of theatre in contemporary society. This will include the study of major contributors including Bogart, Margolin, Wilson, LePage, Complicite and Forced Entertainment. It will consider the influence of avant-garde theorists on traditional theatre and explore postmodern performance practice.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Analyse through research presentations the philosophies and theories of theatre experimentation in contemporary society.
  2. Appraise critically the major contributors to change in contemporary theatre including Brook, Wilson, Forced Entertainment, Frantic Assembly and LePage.
  3. Compare and contrast developments in contemporary theatre with those in the other performing arts.
  4. Demonstrate through performance and reflection an understanding of the role of the director as an instigator of change in contemporary theatre.
  5. Evaluate in writing the influence of experimental theatre in translating traditional texts into performance.
  6. Identify through both practice and theory the roles of playwright, director and actor in contemporary theatre experimentation.
  7. Re-visit Stanislavski, Brecht, Artaud in this context.

Unit Content

  1. Creating a director's vision from a contemporary dramatic text.
  2. Deb Margolin and Performance Composition.
  3. Devising with contemporary theatre practitioners and companies such as Robert Wilson, Frantic Assembly, DV8, Ex Machina, Complicite and Sankai Juku.
  4. Immersive, interactive and interdisciplinary theatre.
  5. Provocations, using a variety of stimuli, for solo work.
  6. The creation of an ensemble.
  7. The work of Stanislaviski, Brecht and Grotowski as foundational practitioners of experimental theatre.
  8. Tim Etchells and Forced Entertainment.

Learning Experience

Students will attend on campus classes as well as engage in learning activities through ECU's LMS

JoondalupMount LawleySouth West (Bunbury)
Semester 1Not Offered13 x 3 hour seminarNot Offered

For more information see the Semester Timetable

Additional Learning Experience Information

LMS documents and materials; collaborative group work and discussion; professional reading; independent study; student presentations; skill based workshops; use of multi-media technology. practical workshops

Assessment

GS1 GRADING SCHEMA 1 Used for standard coursework units

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant School Progression Panel.

ON CAMPUS
TypeDescriptionValue
PerformanceWork in Progress60%
Tutorial PresentationResearch presentation and physical workshop40%

Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005)

For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), inherent requirements for this subject are articulated in the Unit Description, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the support for students with disabilities or medical conditions can be found at the Access and Inclusion website.

Assessment

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. Informal vivas may be conducted as part of an assessment task, where staff require further information to confirm the learning outcomes have been met. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant School Progression Panel.

Academic Integrity

Integrity is a core value at Edith Cowan University, and it is expected that ECU students complete their assessment tasks honestly and with acknowledgement of other people's work as well as any generative artificial intelligence tools that may have been used. This means that assessment tasks must be completed individually (unless it is an authorised group assessment task) and any sources used must be referenced.

Breaches of academic integrity can include:

Plagiarism

Copying the words, ideas or creative works of other people or generative artificial intelligence tools, without referencing in accordance with stated University requirements. Students need to seek approval from the Unit Coordinator within the first week of study if they intend to use some of their previous work in an assessment task (self-plagiarism).

Unauthorised collaboration (collusion)

Working with other students and submitting the same or substantially similar work or portions of work when an individual submission was required. This includes students knowingly providing others with copies of their own work to use in the same or similar assessment task(s).

Contract cheating

Organising a friend, a family member, another student or an external person or organisation (e.g. through an online website) to complete or substantially edit or refine part or all of an assessment task(s) on their behalf.

Cheating in an exam

Using or having access to unauthorised materials in an exam or test.

Serious outcomes may be imposed if a student is found to have committed one of these breaches, up to and including expulsion from the University for repeated or serious acts.

ECU's policies and more information about academic integrity can be found on the student academic integrity website.

All commencing ECU students are required to complete the Academic Integrity Module.

Assessment Extension

In some circumstances, Students may apply to their Unit Coordinator to extend the due date of their Assessment Task(s) in accordance with ECU's Assessment, Examination and Moderation Procedures - for more information visit https://askus2.ecu.edu.au/s/article/000001386.

Special Consideration

Students may apply for Special Consideration in respect of a final unit grade, where their achievement was affected by Exceptional Circumstances as set out in the Assessment, Examination and Moderation Procedures - for more information visit https://askus2.ecu.edu.au/s/article/000003318.

DST4165|1|1

School: Education

This unit information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester.

  • Unit Title

    Contemporary Theatre Practice
  • Unit Code

    DST4165
  • Year

    2024
  • Enrolment Period

    2
  • Version

    1
  • Credit Points

    15
  • Full Year Unit

    N
  • Mode of Delivery

    On Campus
  • Unit Coordinator

    Dr Christina Claire GRAY

Description

This unit examines the role of the ensemble as the makers, directors and writers of theatre in contemporary society. This will include the study of major contributors including Bogart, Margolin, Wilson, LePage, Complicite and Forced Entertainment. It will consider the influence of avant-garde theorists on traditional theatre and explore postmodern performance practice.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Analyse through research presentations the philosophies and theories of theatre experimentation in contemporary society.
  2. Appraise critically the major contributors to change in contemporary theatre including Brook, Wilson, Forced Entertainment, Frantic Assembly and LePage.
  3. Compare and contrast developments in contemporary theatre with those in the other performing arts.
  4. Demonstrate through performance and reflection an understanding of the role of the director as an instigator of change in contemporary theatre.
  5. Evaluate in writing the influence of experimental theatre in translating traditional texts into performance.
  6. Identify through both practice and theory the roles of playwright, director and actor in contemporary theatre experimentation.
  7. Re-visit Stanislavski, Brecht, Artaud in this context.

Unit Content

  1. Creating a director's vision from a contemporary dramatic text.
  2. Deb Margolin and Performance Composition.
  3. Devising with contemporary theatre practitioners and companies such as Robert Wilson, Frantic Assembly, DV8, Ex Machina, Complicite and Sankai Juku.
  4. Immersive, interactive and interdisciplinary theatre.
  5. Provocations, using a variety of stimuli, for solo work.
  6. The creation of an ensemble.
  7. The work of Stanislaviski, Brecht and Grotowski as foundational practitioners of experimental theatre.
  8. Tim Etchells and Forced Entertainment.

Learning Experience

Students will attend on campus classes as well as engage in learning activities through ECU's LMS

JoondalupMount LawleySouth West (Bunbury)
Semester 1Not Offered13 x 3 hour seminarNot Offered

For more information see the Semester Timetable

Additional Learning Experience Information

LMS documents and materials; collaborative group work and discussion; professional reading; independent study; student presentations; skill based workshops; use of multi-media technology. practical workshops

Assessment

GS1 GRADING SCHEMA 1 Used for standard coursework units

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant School Progression Panel.

ON CAMPUS
TypeDescriptionValue
PerformanceWork in Progress60%
Tutorial PresentationResearch presentation and physical workshop40%

Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005)

For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), inherent requirements for this subject are articulated in the Unit Description, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the support for students with disabilities or medical conditions can be found at the Access and Inclusion website.

Assessment

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. Informal vivas may be conducted as part of an assessment task, where staff require further information to confirm the learning outcomes have been met. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant School Progression Panel.

Academic Integrity

Integrity is a core value at Edith Cowan University, and it is expected that ECU students complete their assessment tasks honestly and with acknowledgement of other people's work as well as any generative artificial intelligence tools that may have been used. This means that assessment tasks must be completed individually (unless it is an authorised group assessment task) and any sources used must be referenced.

Breaches of academic integrity can include:

Plagiarism

Copying the words, ideas or creative works of other people or generative artificial intelligence tools, without referencing in accordance with stated University requirements. Students need to seek approval from the Unit Coordinator within the first week of study if they intend to use some of their previous work in an assessment task (self-plagiarism).

Unauthorised collaboration (collusion)

Working with other students and submitting the same or substantially similar work or portions of work when an individual submission was required. This includes students knowingly providing others with copies of their own work to use in the same or similar assessment task(s).

Contract cheating

Organising a friend, a family member, another student or an external person or organisation (e.g. through an online website) to complete or substantially edit or refine part or all of an assessment task(s) on their behalf.

Cheating in an exam

Using or having access to unauthorised materials in an exam or test.

Serious outcomes may be imposed if a student is found to have committed one of these breaches, up to and including expulsion from the University for repeated or serious acts.

ECU's policies and more information about academic integrity can be found on the student academic integrity website.

All commencing ECU students are required to complete the Academic Integrity Module.

Assessment Extension

In some circumstances, Students may apply to their Unit Coordinator to extend the due date of their Assessment Task(s) in accordance with ECU's Assessment, Examination and Moderation Procedures - for more information visit https://askus2.ecu.edu.au/s/article/000001386.

Special Consideration

Students may apply for Special Consideration in respect of a final unit grade, where their achievement was affected by Exceptional Circumstances as set out in the Assessment, Examination and Moderation Procedures - for more information visit https://askus2.ecu.edu.au/s/article/000003318.

DST4165|1|2