Metadrama - Different Aspects Of A Drama Or Play
Like an argument essay, a research essay provides a thesis and supports that thesis through research, observation, and analysis. A research essay will bring together multiple sources (books and/or articles) that address a common theme (or set of themes) relevant to the thesis you want to defend. A research essay based on a play will raise an issue or theme for investigation and address this through the text of the play itself, the performance of the play, and the research you’ve done on the issue(s) you’ve chosen. Note that both the text of the play and the TAPS performance must be referred to and cited in your essay.
There are a variety of themes for exploration in 10 Out of 12, and you are welcome to identify themes that you find particularly interesting and to develop a research trajectory in line with that interest. Regardless of the issue or theme of your essay, all essays should include discussion of the following prompt:
What is metadrama? What is the significance of metadrama? In what ways do the text and production of 10 Out of 12 represent metadrama and its significance? In what way(s) can the notion of metadrama help us think through common themes in the play, such as time, labor, or the expectations of the audience/spectator?
Note, the perspective of metadrama that you decide to emphasize will inform the more specific theme[s] you will explore in the rest of the essay. Here are some brief summaries of such themes, for your consideration.
- Metadrama (i.e., the relation between 10 Out of 12 and the play-within-a-play contained in the script)
- Time
- Tedium
- Labour/Backstage labor
- Audience/Spectator expectations (and how 10 Out of 12 challenges these expectations)
- Sacrifice
- Dramaturgy of the actor (self-creation)
- Hierarchy
This is not necessarily an exhaustive list of themes, and many of these themes can be addressed in connection with each other, when appropriate. It is not advisable to try to take on all of these themes, however; trenchant, nuanced exploration of 1-3 themes will likely result in a stronger essay than a submission that offers superficial, surface-level engagement with 4 or more themes. Note that there are two resources linked on Blackboard to help you understand how to engage a theatrical work in the context of academic writing (the links are under “Readings and Resources” → “Resources: Reviewing a Play”).
Note: Your research essay should bring together no fewer than 6 academic sources.
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