To be announced. See http://www.briandavidphillips.net/nccu/ for updates. The actual content schedule will be based upon student participation within the context of the course. This is a media-based course that uses audio recordings, television, and film presentations as a core component.

Periodically, films for outside viewing may be assigned for viewing to supplement the readings.

We will begin with a discussion of early Greek Comedy as it developed in the Dionysian Festival as compared to the Apollyian tragedies, including a discussion of Aristotole’s Poetics and contemporary conjecture regarding a Poetics of Comedy.  The Greek influence upon Plautus and the transplantation of his plots into the work of Shakespeare and later writers will be next.  We will conclude with examinations of the theory, technique, and form of three of the most pervasive comedic sub genres extant today, improvisational comedy, standup comedy, and the situation comedy (sitcom).  The birth of improvisational comedy and its roots in the commedia dell’arte will be of particular interest as well as the nature of monologue comedy in the work of the stand-up comedian.  The sitcom is of particular interest in the scenario form as drama.  We will likely conclude the semester with a Neo-Aristotelian examination of sitcom structure and plot.

As part of our exploration, we will definitely cover the following in detail: Lysistrata, A Funny Thing Happened On The Way to the Forum, the Carry On films, The Big Lebowski, Help, The Goon Show, the Umbilical Brothers, and Tripod Vs The Dragon as well as Terry Pratchett and Thorne Smith materials and PG Wondehouse's Jeeves and Blandings stories.

The rest specific reading list and schedule is not posted at this time, as it depends in part upon the interests of the seminar participants.  However, some of the topics to be covered will definitely include at least some of the following:  Poetics of Comedy (compared to Tragedy and other Dramatic forms), Farce, Satire, Parody, Slapstick, Burlesque, Screwball Comedy, Romantic Comedy, Sitcom (television situation comedy), Standup Comedy, and Improvisational Comedy.  In our study, we may look at some of the work by a few of the following playwrights and authors:  Aristophanes, Plautus, Oscar Wilde, GB Shaw, Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin, Howard Hawks, Bob Hope, Abbot and Costello, Joe Orton, Neil Simon, and Woody Allen.  We may also explore contemporary comedy by Dennis Leary, Jack Black, Robin Williams, Billy Crystal, Steve Martin and others.

Assignments Per Week

The specific course schedule is To Be Announced.  See http://www.briandavidphillips.net/nccu/ for updates as well as the class facebook pages and other resources.  See below for additional information on course requirements.

This is a graduate seminar so be prepared to read, read, read, and discuss, discuss, discuss . . . in an intelligent and critical manner.



Readings. Discussion. Films. Oral Presentations.



Term Paper: Judicial use of critical theory may serve to focus content and to clarify concepts. Please use the MLA style sheet for your papers.

There are two major papers and presentations for this course as well as expected participation in class discussions.

Misc projects and video project.

N/A or TBA

1.           Regular attendance

2.           Participation in classroom activities

3.           Completion of assignments

Oral and Written Examinations.  Participation.  Fluency.  Projects.  Note that students receive participation points for each course session, so absences lower final grades. If a student has three unexcused absences then that student will not be allowed to participate in final projects or take the final examination. Five absences (excused or unexcused) lead to automatic failure in the course. Except in unusual cases late assignments will not be accepted. Plagiarism may  result in an automatic failure of the course.

Students should familiarize themselves with course policies, including those specifically related to Attendance, Participation, and Extra Credit opportunities (if any).

¨          ATTENDANCE & PARTICIPATION POLICY:  For the most current Attendance and Extra Credit policies, please see the webpages at http://www.briandavidphillips.net/nccu/ or the class Facebook group files section. . . Attendance and Participation in this course are required.  Students who are tardy or absent will be penalized through lower possible participation points.  Attendance is taken regularly and penalties are applied.  Typically, students receive on average ten to fifteen participation points each class period (more or less depending upon activities of the week and actual participation).  Participation Grade Penalties are as follows:  Tardy, -5 participation points; Second Hour Tardy, -10 participation points; Absence, no participation points possible.  Use of Cellphone, tablet, computer, or mobile device without specific permission or instruction from the instructor, no participation points possible, -10 to -15 participation points and possibility of device being confiscated for the period (yes, just like elementary school students).   Attendance Points and Penalties are as follows:  Penalties for tardiness or absence are grade points taken from the course final grade of the semester.  Tardy, -1 grade point; Second Hour Tardy, -2 grade points; Unexcused Absence, -3 grade points; Three Unexcused Absences, not allowed to take final exam and zero points for final project; Five Absences, automatically fail course.  Note, students who missed the first few course sessions are still penalized for attendance and participation, even if they had not yet registered for the course.  Always verify attendance policies in the Attendance handout provided in the files section of the class Facebook group.

¨            EXTRA CREDIT POLICY:  For the most current Extra Credit policies, please see the webpages at http://www.briandavidphillips.net/nccu/ or the class Facebook group files section . . . Students may makeup for points lost due to missed classes or gain additional grade points by completing optional extra credit activities.  Extra credit is always optional.  However, certain extra credit opportunities are not available to everyone and others are time sensitive.  It is to your advantage to sign up for extra credit earlier rather than later to ensure that you are eligible and that the schedule allows for the activity.  If you wish to pursue extra credit, do so early.  Extra Credit is NOT available within the last two weeks of the semester. Always verify extra credit policies in the Extra Credit handout provided in the files section of the class Facebook group.

¨            Days in which students are scheduled to make presentations or in which interactive drama or similar activities are planned count as DOUBLE ATTENDANCE DAYS and all participation and attendance points or penalties are double. 

• Missed Appointment, if you make an appointment to see Dr. Phillips in his office and are tardy, -1/2 grade point; if you do not show, -1 grade point; if you do not contact Dr. Phillips and let him know you are missing the appointment by email at least twenty-four hours prior to the appointment or by phone within twenty-four hours, an additional -1 grade point. Failure to contact the instructor within one day before or after is an additional -1 grade point.

• Taking Notes:  University students are expected to have pen/pencil and paper with them during all class sessions.  You should take notes during class of information presented in lecture or discussion as well as of content of media presentations.  Please take notes with pen and paper and later transcribe to your digital note files (lit screens from mobile devices or notebook computers can be distracting to other students during class).

Presentations

Each student will also be asked to make a number of short presentations on topics related to the course.  Unlike other seminars, the presentations will supplement a section of the syllabus and address issues related to the topic-at-hand.  These presentations are shorter than those of other seminars.  Students are expected to be prepared and ready to participate in discussions.

At least one presentation will be predominately theoretical while at least one other will be applied in nature.  For the theoretical pieces, students will be asked to discuss humor strategies and gambits within an example drama, film, comedic piece, or scenario, or theoretical frameworks for humor.  For the applied pieces, students will most likely be asked to present a brief humorous monologue, standup, or dialog as a demonstration of the strategies and tactics we have learned.  Alternatively, students could write a humorous essay or script and discuss the strategies employed.

Term Paper

Your term paper may or may not be related to one of your oral report topics, it is up to you.  It is perfectly acceptable to choose a term paper topic that is inspired by discussion during another student’s presentation or by one of the readings or remarks made by Dr. Phillips in lecture.  Since this is a Seminar in Drama, the term paper topic should be primarily related to drama or film albeit additional discussion of other literary forms is acceptable (novel, interactive drama, short story, recorded media, or others) as well as specific comedic forms (improvisational, standup, sitcom, or others).  Judicial use of critical theory may serve to focus content and to clarify concepts.  It is very important that your term paper be written in a scholarly style and discusses material in a manner befitting an academic setting, albeit the subject matter may seem frivolous (as often is the nature of comedy).  Please use the MLA style sheet for your papers.

Since this is a graduate seminar, students are encouraged to write their term papers with scholarly publication in mind.  It is recommended that you target your writing style and research approach specifically to the journal (if you’ve questions on how to do this, feel free to ask Dr. Phillips).

As per the English Department guidelines this course employs realia (authentic materials) including television programs films music games and more.

Naturally, this list is subject to change (it will change; seriously, it will change) - while we will read the main pieces in toto, we may only read significant excerpts from some selections. This list is a representation of some of the pieces we may approach, our selection is not limited to this list nor will we use everything on this list.



Allen, Steve.  How to Be Funny: Discovering the Comic You

Allen, Woody.  The Films of Woody Allen

Aristotle.  Poetics

Carter, Judy.  Standup Comedy: The Book

Foreman, Kathleen, and Martin, Clem.  Something Like a Drug: An Unauthorized Oral History of Theatresports

Goldberg, Andy.  Improv Comedy

Halpern, Charna; Close, Del; and Johnson, Kim.  Truth in Comedy

Horn, Delton T.  Comedy Improvisation

Johnstone, Keith.  Impro for Storytellers

Martin, Steve.  Picasso at the Lapin Agile

Orton, Joe.  Complete Plays

Perret, Gene.  Comedy Writing Step By Step

Perret, Gene.  Successful Stand-Up Comedy.

Phillips, Adam.  On Kissing, Tickling, and Being Bored

Rudlin, Johm.  Commedia dell’Arte

Simon, Neil.  Complete Plays

Sweet, Jeffrey.  Something Wonderful Right Away: An Oral History of The Second City and The Compass Players

Vorhaus, John.  The Comic Toolbox: How to Be Funny Even if You’re Not