General Pre-Requisites
This class is a 3000 level course, originating in African and African Diasporic Studies but cross-listed in English. As such, while the class has more literary texts than other performance classes may contain, the class is not strictly a literature class. The questions we ask in this class stem from the interdisciplinary fields of black studies while drawing heavily from texts, ideas, and methods of analysis often featured in the fields of performance and theater studies, visual studies, literary studies, and even dance studies.
While there are no pre-requisites for this course, you should understand that the course is not an introductory course nor a field survey. Students interested in this course need not have prior familiarity with the disciplines of literary studies or performance studies nor an extensive knowledge of black history and culture nor the various scopes and modes of inquiry associated with black studies.
However students should be prepared to approach the materials and discussions in this class with an openness to histories, philosophies, and aesthetic forms, and ways of being and thinking that may differ from and/or challenge the material, ideas, and histories they have previously engaged. In addition to the content goal of introducing students to key historical moments and questions in the study of black performance and black cultural production and exposing students to various black performance texts across a variety of genres, the course aims to introduce and practice students in the following methods for engaging black cultural texts: close reading, visual analysis, performance analysis, and performance research. Those with prior experience in these analytical approaches will find that experience helpful, but for each method I will provide a small lecture about what that method is and how it might help us engage black performance texts. I will also provide on the class site supplementary handouts with definitions, examples, and strategies for how to implement these methods in your respective blog assignments.
This is not an introductory course, and while I will provide relevant handouts on the course site, I expect students to have some familiarity with crafting a logically arguable, appropriately focused, clear and cogent thesis statement. I will also assume some very basic familiarity with using the BC library and the online catalog. In the tool box page, students will find handouts on a variety of relevant topics including but not limited to MLA citation, thesis construction, brainstorming techniques, finding reputable sources, and ways to make use of reference librarians and reference materials.
If at any time during the semester, you have particular questions and/or are confused about the course material, assignment instructions, due dates, writing mechanics, argument development, or any other relevant aspect, please make an appointment to speak with me during my virtual office hours.
Assignments & Grading
25% Class participation: Includes offering generative, genuine, & relative questions; contributing thoughtful and informed ideas to class discussions; sharing relevant historical and current texts on the class website; active listening; thoughtful and respectful responses to others’ comments; and of course the timely and thorough completion of course readings and exercises. You should be complete readings before 4:30 pm (the class start time) the day they appear on the syllabus. Unless otherwise noted, all other assignments should be submitted at least 24 hours prior to the date they appear on the syllabus.
25% Post Assignments Analysis: blog post about a specific textual aspect of one of the dramatic texts on the syllabus OR a textual analysis focusing on the particular performative aspect of a non-dramatic text on the syllabus. (See assignment sheet on the site for more details.)
25% Black Performance Journal: While you will not be responsible for posting every week, you will be responsible for journaling every week. Approximately half the weeks you will be provided with specific prompts that will encourage if not require a variety of different types of responses (analytical, evaluative, reflective, creative, visual, sonic, etc.). The other half of the time you will create and respond to your own prompt. You may use previous weeks prompts as models for your response, but you should make sure your prompt is adopted to the particular texts you’re reading. For more information about the Black Performance Journal assignment, please consult the “Journal Assignment” page.
25% A Performing Thing (Final Project): In groups of three, students will develop a critical podcast or video cast that explores one of the critical questions for the course (see course site for details). The pod/video cast must focus on one or two key texts from the syllabus, or a key artist/writer discussed during the course, or seminal site and/or event in black performance history. Additionally each project must include a mix of textual analysis, performance analysis, performance research, and actual performance! The podcast or video cast must be a complete (performance) object in its own right. (Meaning, you must have some organizing premise. You cannot just read your papers or make a Prezi of your various blog posts interlaced with various images.) To help you think of an organizing structure, students may choose from one of five idea prompts. Otherwise, students can select the sixth option and propose their own idea for the pod/video cast. :
- Prompt 1: Feat. Interview/Review (in the style of Snap Judgement or other NPR podcast)
- Prompt 2: Mock Trailers (in the style of Key & Peels Black Hogwarts OR Honest Trailers)
- Prompt 3: Film Short or Music Video
- Prompt 4: Radio Drama or Web Series pilot (in the style of Awkward Black Girls)
- Prompt 5: Sketch Comedy Show (in the style of Two Dope Queens or The Daily Show)
- Track 6: Propose your own format