Course Syllabus

Jump to Today

THE 2305 Script Analysis for the Theatre

School of Performing Arts, College of Arts and Humanities

3 credit hours

Table of Contents

General Course Information
Course Description
Course Materials and Resources
Student Learning Outcomes
Course Activities
Grading Information
Course Schedule
Policy Statements

Instructor Information

Instructor: Tim Brown
Office Location: TH 232
Office Hours: All online- no in person office hours this semester- Tu/Th 12-1:30pm & 3-4pm and by appointment
Phone: 954-560-1913
Digital Contact: timbrown.theatre@ucf.edu or Webcourses@UCF messaging

Course Information

Term: Spring 2021
Course Number & Section: THE 2305
Course Name: Script Analysis for the Theatre (for Designers, Stage Managers, and Technicians)
Credit Hours: 3
Class Meeting Days: Tu/Th
Class Meeting Time: 10:00am-11:15am
Class Location: Online
Course Modality: V - Synchronous Zoom Classes

Course Description

Exploration of dramatic form with focus on playscripts for productions.

Course Purpose

This course will focus on understanding playscripts for production. We will explore common script structures and tools that playwrights use in creating their play so that we can better understand and mine information out of the script that is useful for a production team. Our goal is to better understand how to interpret a script in a way that honors the play’s intentions while inspiring a creative production. By the end of the course you should be able to understand the process that is required in order to answer the many questions that arise from being on the technical and creative team of a production.

Course Materials and Resources

Required Materials/Resources

Required Materials/Resources

Thinking Through Script Analysis, by Suzanne Burgoyne, Ph.D and Patricia Downey
- Amazon Link
Shrek, Movie and Broadway Musical

Plays, subject to change, will give you enough time to get a copy before reading is assigned, these plays are easy to find online or in the library.

Oedipus Rex, Sophocles
Tartuffe, Moliere
Topdog/Underdog, Suzan-Lori Parks
Macbeth, Shakespeare
Baltimore Waltz, Paula Vogal
Final Play TBD

You will also need to have access to a computer and be able to present images and research from a computer.

Student Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students should:

Be familiar with play structures, character traits, major dramatic questions, themes, creative and critical thinking, root action statements, beats, production metaphors, and concept development
Become familiar with how to mine through a script to discover the given circumstances, design requirements, prop requirements, rehearsal requirements, etc.
Be able to use appropriate vocabulary is describing the characteristics of a play.
Develop visual, analytical, research and presentation skills.

Course Activities

We will be using the text, Thinking Through Script Analysis as a guide throughout the semester. Please bring this book to every class. There will be required reading assigned.
We will also be practicing our script analysis techniques by reading plays and discussing them in class as well as using their text for projects.
There will be graded discussion boards, quizzes, and assignments.
Small projects/papers will be assigned during the semester.
There will be group projects in this class.
There will also be one final capstone script analysis project/assignment due at the end of the semester.

Each project/assignment will have clear goals and guidelines and rubrics.

Activity Submissions

All assignments should be turned in online via Webcourses. You will also may be required to present some of your projects over zoom.

Attendance/Participation

Because of the Covid-19 crisis attendance will be very flexible this semester, but communication about your attendance is required. Please keep me in the loop on any attendance issues so accommodations can be made.

On the other hand, participation in this course is required. That means that you will be required to participate in discussions and assignments. Participation is best demonstrated by attending all zoom classes and being active in discussions. Zoom classes will not be recorded for this class, meaning that if you miss a zoom class it will be just as if you missed an in person class. Please note that zoom logs attendance.

The Undergraduate Catalog states, “Reasons for acceptable absences may include illness, serious family emergencies, special curricular requirements (e.g., judging trips, field trips, professional conferences), military obligations, severe weather conditions, and religious holidays.”

Synchronous Zoom Participation

This class is classified as a Video format with synchronous class meetings. Meaning that it is expected that we meet together via Zoom each class period. By now, we should all be familiar with taking classes via Zoom. There are advantages and disadvantages. Remote learning requires that all parties communicate clearly and often and are prepared and responsible. Attending a class via Zoom has the same weight as attending in person and my expectation is that you will be prepared and act professionally while on Zoom.

Some expectations for our Zoom classes are listed below.

We will start the class on time. Please log in and be prepared to start class on time. I usually will wait a minute before starting but expect to start class on time. If you get disconnected you will log back on ASAP.
Students will try their best to log into zoom in a quiet location free from distractions.
You will use the mute button when not speaking, and try to have your camera on when you are talking. I understand technology issues and other camera issues, but find that our classes are more successful when cameras are turned on. All I am asking is that you make an effort to have your camera on every now and then if not on all the time. So we can get to know each other.
We will log into class prepared, awake, and ready to participate. Examples of not being prepared to pay attention in class would be Zooming while laying in bed, while driving, or while decorating a cake.
You will communicate if something isn't working or you don't understand something. In person classes make it possible for me to see that you might not be understanding something, but on Zoom, I can't see if you are not getting it. So please reach out. No question is too small.
Use of the chat once class has started should be limited to talking about what is happening in class. Know that the chat can be distracting so limit the chat to questions, comments and resources relating to class and the topics of discussion.
Life goes on, so it's ok. Don't worry if your family member or roommate are walking around behind you, don't worry about if you have to have your child on your lap, or your cat jumps on your keyboard. All I ask is that you are aware of your surroundings and that you pay attention and participate in our class. If you feel like the activity in your life may be distracting to others, feel free to turn off your camera.

It is a violation of the privacy of others to capture audio, photo, or video footage of our class time without the consent of others, or to share class videos recordings outside of our Webcourses class space. Please be respectful of everyone.

Gordon Rule

This is a Gordon Rule class. Your four Essay Responses will serve to fulfill the Gordon Rule Requirement. Your writing will be evaluated based upon college level writing.

The University of Central Florida’s definition of “College-Level Writing” is as follows:

1. The writing will have a clearly defined central idea or thesis.

2. It will provide adequate support for that idea.

3. It will be organized clearly and logically.

4. It will show awareness of the conventions of standard written English.

5. It will be formatted or presented in an appropriate way.

Make-up Exams and Assignments

Per university policy, you are allowed to submit make-up work (or an equivalent, alternate assignment) for authorized university-sponsored activities, religious observances, or legal obligations (such as jury duty). If this participation conflicts with your course assignments, I will offer a reasonable opportunity for you to complete missed assignments and/or exams. The make-up assignment and grading scale will be equivalent to the missed assignment and its grading scale. In the case of an authorized university activity, it is your responsibility to show me a signed copy of the Program Verification Form for which you will be absent, prior to the class in which the absence occurs. In any of these cases, please contact me ahead of time to notify me of upcoming needs.

Late Assignments

Late assignments will receive a grade deduction. Assignments more than 2 weeks late will not be accepted. There will be a 3% deduction each day an assignment is late, until it is 2 weeks (14 days) late, in which case the assignment will receive a grade of 0.

Academic Integrity

Become familiar with the Academic Integrity section below, which outlines UCF's policy on plagiarism and cheating among other items. If a student is found to have violated UCF's academic integrity policy on an assignment they will receive a failing grade on the assignment, be reported to UCF's disciplinary board and may receive a failing grade in the course.

For more information about plagiarism and misuse of sources, see “Defining and Avoiding Plagiarism: The WPA Statement on Best Practices (Links to an external site.)”.

Communication

Communication is required. All class wide announcements will be made through Webcourses. Please make sure that you have set up notifications so you are alerted when an announcement is made. It is your responsibility to check your email and check your webcourses communications often.

"Not checking your email" is an excuse that is not accepted for assignments, missed assignments, make-up announcements, or grade related emails. Please act professionally and get in the habit of checking and responding to emails and messages in appropriate time frames.

Assessment and Grading Procedures

The table shows the weight distribution for each assignment.
Assignment	Percentage of Grade
Discussions/Class Participation	30%
Assignments / Projects	50%
Final Paper/Project	20%
Total	100%

The table shows the range for each letter grade and uses a plus/minus system.
Letter Grade	Points
A	93 – 100 points
A-	90 – 92 points
B+	87 – 89 points
B	83 – 86 points
B-	80 – 82 points
C+	77 – 79 points
C	73 – 76 points
C-	70 – 72 points
D+	67 – 69 points
D	63 – 66 points
D-	60 – 62 points
F	59 and below

Consult the latest Undergraduate or Graduate catalog for regulations and procedures regarding grading such as Incomplete grades, grade changes, and grade forgiveness.

Course Schedule

Follow the link to the course schedule.

Please note that this schedule is subject to change and will change. If you ever have questions about due dates or assignments please email me to clarify. Even if it is the night before.

University Services and Resources

Academic Services and Resources

A list of available academic support and learning services is available at UCF Student Services. Click on "Academic Support and Learning Services" on the right-hand side to filter.

Non-Academic Services and Resources

A list of non-academic support and services is also available at UCF Student Services. Click on "Support" on the right-hand side to filter.

If you are a UCF Online student, please consult the UCF Online Student Guidelines for more information about your access to non-academic services.

Policy Statements

COVID-19

To protect members of our community, everyone is required to wear a facial covering inside all common spaces including classrooms. Students who choose not to wear facial coverings will be asked to leave the classroom by the instructor. If they refuse to leave the classroom or put on a facial covering, they may be considered disruptive (please see the Golden Rule for student behavior expectations). Faculty have the right to cancel class if the safety and well-being of class members are in jeopardy. Students will be responsible for the material that would have been covered in class as provided by the instructor.

Depending on the course of the pandemic during the semester, the university may make changes to the way classes are offered. If that happens, please look for announcements or messages in Webcourses@UCF or Knights email about changes specific to this course.

COVID-19 and Illness Notification

Students who believe they may have a COVID-19 diagnosis should contact UCF Student Health Services (407-823-2509) so proper contact tracing procedures can take place.

Students should not come to campus if they are ill, are experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19, have tested positive for COVID, or if anyone living in their residence has tested positive or is sick with COVID-19 symptoms. CDC guidance for COVID-19 symptoms is located here: (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html)

Students should contact their instructor(s) as soon as possible if they miss class for any illness reason to discuss reasonable adjustments that might need to be made. When possible, students should contact their instructor(s) before missing class.

If the instructor falls ill during the semester, there may be changes to this course, including having a backup instructor take over the course. Please look for announcements or mail in Webcourses@UCF or Knights email for any alterations to this course.

Accommodations may need to be added or adjusted should this course shift from an on-campus to a remote format. Students registered with Student Accessibility Services should speak with their instructor and should contact sas@ucf.edu to discuss specific accommodations for this or other courses.

Academic Integrity

Students should familiarize themselves with UCF’s Rules of Conduct. According to Section 1, "Academic Misconduct," students are prohibited from engaging in:

Unauthorized assistance: Using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information or study aids in any academic exercise unless specifically authorized by the instructor of record. The unauthorized possession of examination or course-related material also constitutes cheating.
Communication to another through written, visual, electronic, or oral means: The presentation of material which has not been studied or learned, but rather was obtained through someone else’s efforts and used as part of an examination, course assignment, or project.
Commercial Use of Academic Material: Selling of course material to another person, student, and/or uploading course material to a third-party vendor without authorization or without the express written permission of the university and the instructor. Course materials include but are not limited to class notes, Instructor’s PowerPoints, course syllabi, tests, quizzes, labs, instruction sheets, homework, study guides, handouts, etc.
Falsifying or misrepresenting the student’s own academic work.
Plagiarism: Using or appropriating another’s work without any indication of the source, thereby attempting to convey the impression that such work is the student’s own.
Multiple Submissions: Submitting the same academic work for credit more than once without the express written permission of the instructor.
Helping another violate academic behavior standards.

For more information about Academic Integrity, students may consult The Center for Academic Integrity.

For more information about plagiarism and misuse of sources, see “Defining and Avoiding Plagiarism: The WPA Statement on Best Practices”.

Responses to Academic Dishonesty, Plagiarism, or Cheating

Students should also familiarize themselves with the procedures for academic misconduct in UCF’s student handbook, The Golden Rule. UCF faculty members have a responsibility for students’ education and the value of a UCF degree, and so seek to prevent unethical behavior and when necessary respond to academic misconduct. Penalties can include a failing grade in an assignment or in the course, suspension or expulsion from the university, and/or a "Z Designation" on a student’s official transcript indicating academic dishonesty, where the final grade for this course will be preceded by the letter Z. For more information about the Z Designation, see http://goldenrule.sdes.ucf.edu/zgrade.

Course Accessibility Statement

The University of Central Florida is committed to providing access and inclusion for all persons with disabilities. This syllabus is available in alternate formats upon request. Students with disabilities who need specific access in this course, such as accommodations, should contact the professor as soon as possible to discuss various access options. Students should also connect with Student Accessibility Services (Ferrell Commons, 7F, Room 185, sas@ucf.edu, phone (407) 823-2371). Through Student Accessibility Services, a Course Accessibility Letter may be created and sent to professors, which informs faculty of potential access and accommodations that might be reasonable.

Campus Safety Statement

Fully online course sections (W, V)

Though most emergency situations are primarily relevant to courses that meet in person, such incidents can also impact online students, either when they are on or near campus to participate in other courses or activities or when their course work is affected by off-campus emergencies. The following policies apply to courses in online modalities.

To stay informed about emergency situations, students can sign up to receive UCF text alerts by going to https://my.ucf.edu. and logging in. Click on “Student Self Service” located on the left side of the screen in the toolbar, scroll down to the blue “Personal Information” heading on the Student Center screen, click on “UCF Alert”, fill out the information, including e-mail address, cell phone number, and cell phone provider, click “Apply” to save the changes, and then click “OK.”
Students with special needs related to emergency situations should speak with their instructors outside of class.

Sections with face-to-face components (M, RA, RV)

Emergencies on campus are rare, but if one should arise during class, everyone needs to work together. Students should be aware of their surroundings and familiar with some basic safety and security concepts.

In case of an emergency, dial 911 for assistance.
Every UCF classroom contains an emergency procedure guide posted on a wall near the door. Students should make a note of the guide’s physical location and review the online version at http://emergency.ucf.edu/emergency_guide.html.
Students should know the evacuation routes from each of their classrooms and have a plan for finding safety in case of an emergency.
If there is a medical emergency during class, students may need to access a first-aid kit or AED (Automated External Defibrillator). To learn where those are located, see the AED Locations Page.
To stay informed about emergency situations, students can sign up to receive UCF text alerts by going to https://my.ucf.edu and logging in. Click on “Student Self Service” located on the left side of the screen in the toolbar, scroll down to the blue “Personal Information” heading on the Student Center screen, click on “UCF Alert”, fill out the information, including e-mail address, cell phone number, and cell phone provider, click “Apply” to save the changes, and then click “OK.”
Students with special needs related to emergency situations should speak with their instructors outside of class.
To learn about how to manage an active-shooter situation on campus or elsewhere, consider viewing this video You CAN Survive an Active Shooter

Deployed Active Duty Military Students

Copyright

This course may contain copyright protected materials such as audio or video clips, images, text materials, etc. These items are being used with regard to the Fair Use doctrine in order to enhance the learning environment. Please do not copy, duplicate, download or distribute these items. The use of these materials is strictly reserved for this online classroom environment and your use only. All copyright materials are credited to the copyright holder.

Third-Party Software and FERPA

During this course you might have the opportunity to use public online services and/or software applications sometimes called third-party software such as a blog or wiki. While some of these could be required assignments, you need not make any personally identifying information on a public site. Do not post or provide any private information about yourself or your classmates. Where appropriate you may use a pseudonym or nickname. Some written assignments posted publicly may require personal reflection/comments, but the assignments will not require you to disclose any personally identity-sensitive information. If you have any concerns about this, please contact your instructor.

Course Summary:

Course Summary
Date	Details	Due

December 2025

Calendar
Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
30 November 2025 Previous month Next month Today Click to view event details	1 December 2025 Previous month Next month Today Click to view event details	2 December 2025 Previous month Next month Today Click to view event details	3 December 2025 Previous month Next month Today Click to view event details	4 December 2025 Previous month Next month Today Click to view event details	5 December 2025 Previous month Next month Today Click to view event details	6 December 2025 Previous month Next month Today Click to view event details
7 December 2025 Previous month Next month Today Click to view event details	8 December 2025 Previous month Next month Today Click to view event details	9 December 2025 Previous month Next month Today Click to view event details	10 December 2025 Previous month Next month Today Click to view event details	11 December 2025 Previous month Next month Today Click to view event details	12 December 2025 Previous month Next month Today Click to view event details	13 December 2025 Previous month Next month Today Click to view event details
14 December 2025 Previous month Next month Today Click to view event details	15 December 2025 Previous month Next month Today Click to view event details	16 December 2025 Previous month Next month Today Click to view event details	17 December 2025 Previous month Next month Today Click to view event details	18 December 2025 Previous month Next month Today Click to view event details	19 December 2025 Previous month Next month Today Click to view event details	20 December 2025 Previous month Next month Today Click to view event details
21 December 2025 Previous month Next month Today Click to view event details	22 December 2025 Previous month Next month Today Click to view event details	23 December 2025 Previous month Next month Today Click to view event details	24 December 2025 Previous month Next month Today Click to view event details	25 December 2025 Previous month Next month Today Click to view event details	26 December 2025 Previous month Next month Today Click to view event details	27 December 2025 Previous month Next month Today Click to view event details
28 December 2025 Previous month Next month Today Click to view event details	29 December 2025 Previous month Next month Today Click to view event details	30 December 2025 Previous month Next month Today Click to view event details	31 December 2025 Previous month Next month Today Click to view event details	1 January 2026 Previous month Next month Today Click to view event details	2 January 2026 Previous month Next month Today Click to view event details	3 January 2026 Previous month Next month Today Click to view event details
4 January 2026 Previous month Next month Today Click to view event details	5 January 2026 Previous month Next month Today Click to view event details	6 January 2026 Previous month Next month Today Click to view event details	7 January 2026 Previous month Next month Today Click to view event details	8 January 2026 Previous month Next month Today Click to view event details	9 January 2026 Previous month Next month Today Click to view event details	10 January 2026 Previous month Next month Today Click to view event details

Assignments are weighted by group:

Group	Weight
Reading Assignments	0%
Discussions/Participation	30%
Assignments/Projects	50%
Final Paper/Project	20%
Imported Assignments	0%
Total	100%