Final Essay Assignment: 1,200-1,500 wordsFor this essay, discuss how you would stage a scene for Twelfth Night by Shakespeare. Your proposed production should reflect a close reading of the text and demonstrate a clear understanding of its concepts. Here are some elements of stagecraft that you might consider:–Theatrical setting (indoor or outdoor theater;, public theater, private theater or film; furnished or spare; traditional or modern)
–Props (items actors manipulate)
–Acting and figure movement (puppets, masks or live actors; character’s appearance, tone of voice and physical movements)
–Costumes and makeup
–Lighting (bright or shadowed; white or colored; source of light–overhead, candles or windows)
–Dialogue (emphasis and delivery of lines; lines you would exclude, add or clarify)In order to have a coherent essay, you will need to develop an argument about your scene and narrow your focus to only a few of these staging elements. The elements that you choose should be the ones that most effectively reinforce your interpretation of the scene. You might also consider the implications of cross-cultural interpretations. I Identify specific lines that you can use to advance your reading. Then shift towards elements of stagecraft: how would your production help the audience understand these ideas? What might be some of the limitations of your choices? How does it open up new ways of understanding the play? The essay should be well-structured with a clear introduction, argument, transitions, topic sentences, support, conclusion, etc. When writing literature papers, you can assume that the audience for your paper has read the play, so you do not need to give plot summary. Your essay may include visuals such as drawings, but they must captioned, referenced and explained in the body of your paper. Be creative! You are encouraged to use the material we have covered in class, such as discussions and lecture modules. However, you do not need to do outside research, in fact, relying on secondary texts is discouraged. Develop you own response to the topic and questions. Don’t let your own voice get drowned out by the ideas of other scholars or by other productions. Format:Please submit as a word document or pdf file.
