Focus of the Essay:

On the various arts, crafts, and skills that are combined to produce a theatrical event.  Develop a personal point of view through research into various aspects of the field of theater.

 

Graded on ability to show these things:

Knowledge about theatrical aspects and explanation of a justified point of view.

Consideration of the knowledge gained and the effects on a specific practice of theater.

Historical/socio-cultural context of the argument/evaluation.

 

Choosing the Topic:

Choose a question that you are excited about.

Avoid letting the argument be dependent on textbooks.

Focus on multiple aspects of theater that combine to create a performance.

Differentiate between "theater" and events that take place in a theater.

Avoid choosing a topic related to film.

Comparisons between aspects of two or more theatrical practices must be clear but also include objective analysis.

Comparisons can be made between two differing interpretations of a performance.

Include the process of theater and its historical context.

Spend time framing the research question and the title.

 

Sources:

Balance primary and secondary sources.

Primary Source: direct knowledge of a specific performance from own experience or interviews with someone directly related to a performance.

Secondary Source: material from other spectators or critiques.

Use online sources sparingly.

 

Treatment of the Topic:

Formulate a research plan that can be moderated as knowledge is gained.

The essay is an investigation rather than a factual report, so the works cited should be more than books and journals.

The main body of the essay should be the expression of the argument rather than a collection of facts.

 

Problems in the Past:

Many essays had a lack of theatrical aspects, little personal points of view, or little analyzation of the topic and of the secondary sources.  One needs to show how to the work that goes into a performance affects that performace with a personal point of view.  And analysis of historical context must also be made by the candidate.