Experiences on Watching Five Different Types of Productions

Show Response Paper
You've learned more about theater, and now you've been out to watch it. Now it's time for you to write about what you experienced. You will have seen five shows by the time you submit this paper. Tell me what you thought about the shows. Don't simply write about what happened in the shows. I don't want to read a synopsis of the five shows you watched. I want to know how you felt about the experiences that you had watching five different types of productions.
Here are some questions you can use to prompt you through the writing of your paper:
Did you like them? Why? Did you hate them? Why? What aspects of the productions did you find successful? What aspects do you feel could be improved upon? Which one was your favorite? Why? Which one was your least favorite? Why? How did they compare to each other? After seeing these five types of productions, which type of theater are you most likely to attend again? How did watching these productions change your appreciation of Theater?
You do not have to wait until the deadline to submit this paper. I would recommend writing this paper as soon as you have completed viewing your fifth show. That way the shows will be fresh in your memory. I would also recommend that after you watch your first, second, third, and fourth shows that you take notes, or perhaps begin the first drafts of this paper. This way you will have notes to refer to for the first, second, third, and fourth shows. Also, it is a good idea to keep your programs for reference as you're writing this paper.
These papers are to be no more than THREE pages long, double spaced, and written in twelve-point font. There's no minimum, but you should probably get pretty close to the three page maximum.
Some things to keep in mind when writing your paper
I want to give you instructions on what is expected in terms of structure, so that you can receive the highest marks possible. Students who follow these instructions often see an improvement in their writing assignment grades, not only in this class but others. Good academic writing is important in any course. Believe me, professors are happy when they see such effort put forth.
Papers for this course have an inherently Subjective grading component; meaning that a portion of the final grade cannot help but be based on my opinion of your work. Therefore, I try to make structure and grammar weigh significantly, so that the grade has a strong Objective base. Strong structure and grammar will earn between a B and a B+ (80-89) depending upon how well the sentences build in each paragraph, etc. Any writing that earns an A (90 or higher) is of strong academic quality and additional points are based on how well the writing flows, builds, and drives.
It is not my philosophy when grading papers that you start with a 100 for the assignment and lose points from there. Rather, you start with a blank expectation and earn the grade by accomplishing the above and below mentioned standards in your writing. Therefore, my best advice is to write academically-
Use strong structure (the body of the paper should have a clear beginning, middle, and end. So should each paragraph- see below).
Be succinct. The assignment is three pages for a reason; to limit the space in which you have to express yourself. Therefore, if you are attempting strong analysis it becomes very important to pick your words well and build to a point. Each sentence should build and drive the thought of the overall analysis, because there is no space to waste.
Spell check and be strict about grammar.
Finally -- and this should go without saying-- don't waste precious space writing about the cost of the tickets, commute to see the show, the lobby of the theatre, what you ate for dinner, etc. Stick to critique and analysis of the show and how it effected you.
Also, here are some helpful examples.
1) PARAGRAPH STRUCTURE:
Think of the paper as presenting an argument. In uncomplicated terms, it should have five parts--
1) Part 1 (Your beginning)-- sets up the Thesis statement (your argument) and is usually the final sentence in the paragraph.
2) Part 2 -- is used to define and present your argument.
3) Part 3 -- is used to present an insightful opposing argument to your thesis statement.
4) Part 4 -- is your defense of your thesis against the Part 3 argument.
5) Part 5 (Your end)-- this is your conclusion and chance to address the stability of your argument and whether or not it held up to the opposing argument in from Parts 3 and 4.
2) BACK UP YOUR CLAIMS WITH SPECIFICITY:
It's fine to claim that you thought something was "amazing", but don't leave it there. Tell me why by backing up your claim. It might mean that you need to streamline what you focus on. Even if one good example for each claim is about as much room as you have, it will make the paper stronger and help the paper have a more clear beginning, middle, and end. Think of it like a magnifying glass getting closer and closer. For example in your SHOW RESPONSE PAPER, you make your claim-
Claim: "In my opinion, the production's design elements were the most compelling."
You back up the claim with more detail-
Back up: "The color pallet used in the costumes was also present in the set and lighting design.
Then finally give a specific example-
Example: "For example, at one point the villain was able to camouflage himself perfectly into the orange, blue, and yellow background causing kids in the audience to gasp and fear for the safety of the hero."
Putting it all together-
"In my opinion, the production's design elements were the most compelling. The color pallet used in the costumes was also present in the set and lighting design. For example, at one point the villain was able to camouflage himself perfectly into the orange, blue, and yellow background causing kids in the audience to gasp and fear for the safety of the hero."
I have attached the play that I choose and their scripts. There are five of them. Three you can go look up online and I will attach the rest of two as wall.
1. script for The Phantom of the Opera is https://www(dot)allmusicals(dot)com/lyrics/phantomoftheoperathe/script.htm
2. script for Three sisters is https://www(dot)ibiblio(dot)org/eldritch/ac/sisters.htm
3. script for The Hunchback of Notre Dame https://www(dot)1qct(dot)org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Hunchback_LIBVB.pdf