Throughout the year, you will read, analyze, perform scenes from, and compare two plays. One play is an original; the other is an adaptation of that original. During this course, you will investigate meaningful questions, create for authentic audiences, and publish work you can be proud of and answer the question: Why do certain plays remain relevant?
COURSE OBJECTIVES
Write with purpose by creating engaging pieces that inform, persuade, entertain, and inspire a variety of audiences.
Investigate meaningful questions by close-reading a text, evaluating evidence, and thinking critically about stories told in multiple ways.
Grow through the writing process by planning, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing polished work using feedback from others.
Communicate ideas effectively by collaborating with others, participating in discussions, and presenting writing and creative work with confidence.
Use writing and reading to understand yourself and the world by exploring personal experiences, historical events, global issues, works of long-form fiction, and topics you are passionate about.
Exercise critical reading practices to better understand the perspectives, events, and themes/big ideas that make up the stories we explore.
Become confident, competent writers by learning and practicing the rules of grammar, utilizing the classroom dictionaries, and supporting your peers to do the same by providing them with your readerly feedback.
THE IMMORTAL TRAGEDY
We will begin the year by asking ourselves: what is a play? What plays have we heard of, performed in, read, or seen film adaptations of? Are plays still relevant? Students will do a combination of private and full-class brainstorming.
Then, we will get some historical background on Sophocles’ Antigone, the play that we will be reading this semester. Antigone was written between 442 and 440 BCE, and was first performed in Athens, Greece. Students will split into groups and find facts, theories, and images that represent the role of theater in Greece at that time. I will then give a brief presentation with guided notes that provides necessary background on the play.
When we complete our reading, students will then participate in a friendly debate. The two positions of the debate will be Creon vs Antigone – who is in the right? Students will prepare for the debate by taking notes on the two characters’ actions, motivations, and relationships throughout the reading process. Students will then write a short reflective paper on justice, using evidence from Antigone.
Finally, students will participate in a small-group performance of a scene from Antigone. Depending on our time-frame, this might not need to be “off-book,” meaning memorized. Performance can be an anxiety-inducing activity. In order to prepare, we will play low-pressure improv games and discuss our various comfort levels.
Antigone contains roles of various sizes. If you want to do a lot of performing, we can make that happen! If the idea of speaking in front of your peers makes you uncomfortable, there are parts with less speaking, as well as parts that speak in a group. We will make this project work for you, no matter your needs!
It is important to address that Antigone does contain death of various kinds, including suicide. These deaths all occur “off-screen,” are not described in graphic detail and are somewhat softened by the old-timey language of the play, but, even so, it may be a difficult topic. We will be discussing the significance of these deaths, and of death in Ancient Greek tragedy, in class. If you or your family would prefer not to engage with this material, reach out to me at fdowd@kreiva.org and I will make an adjustment for you/your child.
Creon vs. Antigone Debate
Reflective Paper
In-Class Performance
Is it Just?
Our papers on justice will be available for the community to read during Kreiva’s first exhibition!