Death OF a salesman play

3 to 5 pages essay about a theatrical play called death of a salesman.

 

Please find attach

Reviewing

 

and
 Critiquing
 
 
 
 
 
  INTRO
 TO
 THEATRE

 

 

Good
 criticism
 defines
 and
 clarifies
 the
 theatrical
 experience.
 

 
Dramaturg:
 a
 creative
 literary,
 performance,
 and
 cultural
 researcher
 with
 an
 eye
 towards
 
production.
 

 
A
 reviewer
 guides
 public
 opinion
 and
 shapes
 the
 market
 for
 a
 production
 
A
 critic
 hopes
 to
 shape
 the
 dialogue
 about
 a
 work
 of
 art
 

 
“Reviewers
 should
 be
 very
 astute
 and
 attentive
 audience
 members.
 
 They
 need
 to
 be
 extremely
 observant
 
of
 all
 the
 details
 of
 a
 performance.
 
 Professional
 critics
 get
 press
 packets
 when
 they
 come
 to
 a
 show.
 
 These
 
often
 include
 previous
 reviews
 of
 the
 show,
 background
 information
 on
 the
 artists,
 notes
 from
 the
 director
 
or
 dramaturg,
 and
 other
 relevant
 material
 to
 inform
 their
 judgments.
 
 Almost
 all
 professional
 reviewers
 
come
 to
 the
 theatre
 with
 pen
 and
 paper
 and
 make
 notes
 about
 the
 elements
 of
 production
 during
 the
 
course
 of
 the
 show.
 
 Theatre
 reviewers
 need
 to
 be
 educated
 about
 the
 theatre
 to
 write
 with
 accuracy
 and
 
understanding.
 
 Not
 only
 do
 they
 need
 a
 thorough
 knowledge
 of
 theatre
 history,
 dramatic
 literature,
 and
 
theatre
 criticism,
 but
 they
 must
 also
 know
 about
 acting,
 directing,
 and
 design
 elements
 in
 order
 to
 discuss
 
their
 contributions
 intelligently.”
 
 (p.400,
 WOT)
 

 
In
 the
 course
 of
 writing
 a
 critique,
 you
 will
 want
 to
 give
 your
 reader
 good
 reasons
 to
 understand
 
and
 perhaps
 agree
 with
 your
 point
 of
 view
 on
 the
 performance.
 

 
Engage
 with
 the
 emotional
 and
 intellectual
 intentions
 of
 the
 production
 to
 have
 some
 sense
 of
 the
 
standards
 by
 which
 to
 judge
 it.
 

 

 
STYLE
 

  Unity
 of
 elements:
 
 what
 is
 used
 consistently
 

  Emphasis
 of
 elements:
 
 what
 is
 used
 selectively
 
THESIS
 

  Create
 a
 central
 claim
 that
 your
 ensuing
 arguments
 will
 advance
 (usually
 a
 claim
 about
 
the
 play’s
 function,
 effects
 or
 meanings.)
 

 

 

 
Step
 1:
 Organizational
 Structure
 
How
 is
 the
 work
 put
 together
 as
 a
 whole?
 
 Make
 a
 segmentation
 (plot
 outline)
 as
 an
 aid.
 

We
 will
 be
 experiencing
 “typical”
 narratives:
 it
 will
 have
 a
 plot
 that
 cues
 us
 to
 construct
 a
 
story;
 it
 will
 manipulate
 causality,
 time
 and
 space;
 it
 will
 have
 a
 distinct
 pattern
 of
 development
 
from
 opening
 to
 closing;
 its
 narration
 will
 choose
 between
 restricted
 and
 unrestricted
 
knowledge.
 

 
Step
 2:
 Identify
 the
 Salient
 Techniques
 Used
 

  Describe
 what
 you
 see.
 
 What
 techniques
 are
 available?
 
 What
 techniques
 are
 necessary?
 
 

 
Step
 3:
 Trace
 Out
 Patterns
 of
 Techniques
 

  Analyze
 how
 techniques
 are
 used
 systematically,
 as
 a
 pattern.
 
 Synthesize
 observations
 
and
 descriptions.
 
 Identify
 techniques,
 trace
 out
 patterns
 of
 use
 and
 propose
 functions.
 
 Also
 look
 
for
 unique
 use
 of
 techniques
 that
 may
 stand
 aside
 from
 a
 pattern.
 
 Connect
 patterns
 of
 
techniques
 to
 the
 thesis
 you
 have
 developed.
 
 Do
 not
 try
 to
 analyze
 all
 techniques,
 but
 
certainly
 those
 that
 have
 the
 most
 effect
 on
 your
 thesis.
 

 

Step
 4:
 
 Propose
 Functions
 for
 the
 Salient
 Techniques
 and
 Patterns
 They
 Form
 

  Interpret.
 
 Connect
 Technique
 to
 Function
 to
 Meaning.
 

  “A
 direct
 route
 to
 noticing
 function
 is
 to
 notice
 the
 effects
 on
 our
 viewing
 experience.”
 

  “Meaning
 is
 only
 one
 type
 of
 effect,
 and
 there
 is
 no
 reason
 to
 expect
 that
 every
 stylistic
 
feature
 will
 possess
 a
 thematic
 significance.
 
 One
 part
 of
 a
 director’s
 job
 is
 to
 direct
 our
 attention,
 
so
 style
 will
 often
 function
 simply
 perceptually.”
 
 -­‐
 
 YOU
 are
 to
 focus
 on
 those
 elements,
 
however,
 that
 DO
 connect
 to
 the
 functions
 of
 meaning
 and
 are
 to
 comment
 on
 those.
 

 

 
Critiques:
 
 
 
 

DO:
 
 Provide
 striking
 opening
 that
 foreshadows
 your
 judgment
 and
 the
 work’s
 

meaning
 
 Identify
 salient
 techniques
 –
 describe
 accurately,
 synthesize
 uses
 and
 

relationships
 of
 techniques
 
 Utilize
 writing
 skills
 of
 arresting
 openings,
 pointed
 wrap-­‐ups,
 vivid
 descriptions
 
 Identify
 your
 judgment
 of
 the
 INTENTION
 of
 the
 play
 and
 the
 relative
 success
 of
 

achieving
 that
 intention.
 
 What
 did
 the
 play
 set
 out
 to
 do.
 
 Support
 this
 judgment
 with
 incisive
 examples
 

 
DO
 NOT:
 

 Concentrate
 overly
 on
 performance
 
 Compare
 extensively
 to
 other
 plays
 
 Drivel
 on
 about
 likes
 and
 dislikes,
 personal
 biases
 and
 contentions
 with
 the
 

meaning
 of
 the
 work
 –
 assess
 what
 IT
 set
 out
 to
 do
 and
 if
 it
 did
 it,
 NOT
 whether
 
you
 agree
 with
 the
 meaning
 or
 not.
 

 

 

TREE:
 
 
 Thesis
 supported
 by
 Reasons
 which
 rest
 upon
 Evidence
 and
 Examples.
 

 

 

 

Play
 Viewing
 Critique
 and
 Rubric
 

 

NOTE:
 
 rubrics
 are
 intended
 as
 GUIDES.
 
 They
 have
 been
 designed
 to
 identify
 what
 is
 of
 importance
 and
 
how
 it
 is
 assessed,
 NOT
 as
 strict
 “True/False”
 assessments.
 
 
 

The
 successful
 Critique
 will
 identify
 salient
 TECHNIQUES
 of
 the
 medium
 used
 as
 an
 application
 
towards
 final
 artistic
 MEANING.
 
 Techniques
 include
 story
 structure
 and
 genre,
 performance
 style,
 use
 of
 
language,
 aspects
 of
 mise-­‐en-­‐scene,
 and
 sound.
 
 Meaning
 is
 derived
 through
 analysis
 of
 these
 techniques
 of
 
medium
 and
 must
 demonstrate
 an
 understanding
 of
 referential,
 explicit,
 implicit
 and
 symptomatic
 
meaning.
 

The
 quality
 of
 a
 critique
 is
 based
 upon
 clarity
 and
 insight
 of
 writing
 and
 evaluation.
 
 A
 successful
 
critique
 will
 provide
 a
 qualified
 evaluation
 of
 the
 work.
 
 A
 plot
 synopsis
 or
 segmentation
 should
 NOT
 be
 
included
 in
 the
 critiques
 for
 UCD
 departmental
 productions
 –
 however,
 elements
 of
 structure
 and
 plot
 that
 
support
 the
 clearly
 stated
 thesis
 of
 meaning
 should
 be
 included.
 The
 evaluation
 will
 be
 balanced,
 
identifying
 positive
 and
 negative
 aspects
 of
 the
 work.
 
 
 
 

While
 most
 reviews
 concentrate
 upon
 acting,
 our
 analyses
 will
 expand
 to
 concentrate
 on
 a
 wider
 
set
 of
 aspects
 of
 the
 medium
 we
 are
 studying
 (Narrative
 structure,
 form
 and
 language,
 Directing
 and
 Acting
 
(live
 dynamics
 and
 continuous
 staging),
 Mise-­‐en-­‐scene
 (design),
 Sound).
 
 Analyses
 must
 be
 concisely
 and
 
eloquently
 written.
 
 
 

Critiques
 must
 be
 2
 -­‐
 4
 pages,
 Courier,
 Times,
 Bookman
 or
 Times
 New
 Roman
 fonts,
 10
 –
 12
 point.
 
 

 

Play
 Viewing
 Critique
 Rubric
 

 

  Superlative
  Proficient
  Adequate
  Unsatisfactory
 
Grade
 “equivalent”
  A
  A
 to
 B
  B-­‐
 to
 C-­‐
  Below
 C-­‐
 
Writing
 style
 (25%)
 

• Organization
 
• Technical
 
• Creative
 

 

Stimulating
 read;
 
Thesis
 of
 Meaning
 is
 
clearly
 stated;
 Very
 
few
 or
 no
 technical
 
mistakes;
 Body
 is
 
logically
 organized;
 
Stimulating
 use
 of
 
language
 (imagery,
 
metaphors,
 etc.)
 

Easy
 to
 read;
 
Thesis
 of
 Meaning
 
is
 clearly
 stated;
 
Few
 technical
 
mistakes;
 Body
 is
 
logically
 organized;
 
Good
 use
 of
 
language
 

Reasonable
 to
 
read;
 Thesis
 of
 
Meaning
 is
 clearly
 
stated;
 Some
 
technical
 mistakes;
 
Body
 is
 adequately
 
organized;
 
Reasonable
 use
 of
 
language
 

Difficult
 to
 read
 or
 
follow;
 Thesis
 of
 
Meaning
 is
 not
 clear;
 
Many
 technical
 
mistakes;
 Body
 is
 not
 
logically
 organized;
 
Ineffectual
 language
 
use
 

Content
 (75%)
 
• Identification
 

of
 Meaning
 
 
• Balanced
 

assessment
 
• Specific
 

examples
 
• Identification
 

of
 techniques
 

 

Meaning
 is
 clearly
 
identified;
 Evaluation
 
is
 balanced,
 clearly
 
stated,
 including
 
positive
 and
 negative
 
aspects;
 Thesis
 is
 
supported
 and
 
synthesized
 
eloquently
 through
 
breadth
 and
 depth
 of
 
specific
 examples,
 
covering
 a
 range
 of
 
techniques
 and
 
demonstrating
 quality
 
of
 observations,
 
providing
 a
 logical
 and
 
convincing
 argument;
 
Multiple
 areas
 of
 form,
 
style
 and
 technique
 
are
 addressed
 in
 
support
 of
 thesis
 
 

Meaning
 is
 clearly
 
identified;
 
Assessment
 is
 clear
 
and
 balanced;
 Thesis
 
is
 supported
 and
 
synthesized
 well
 
through
 breadth
 and
 
depth
 of
 specific
 
examples,
 covering
 a
 
range
 of
 techniques
 
and
 demonstrating
 
quality
 of
 
observations,
 
providing
 a
 logical
 
and
 convincing
 
argument;
 Several
 
areas
 of
 form,
 style
 
and
 technique
 are
 
addressed
 in
 support
 
of
 thesis
 
 

Meaning
 is
 
adequately
 
identified;
 
Assessment
 is
 
reasonably
 clear
 and
 
balanced;
 Thesis
 is
 
adequately
 
supported
 and
 
synthesized
 through
 
specific
 examples,
 
covering
 several
 
techniques
 and
 
demonstrating
 
reasonable
 
observations,
 
providing
 a
 
reasonably
 logical
 
and
 convincing
 
argument;
 Several
 
areas
 of
 form,
 style
 
and
 technique
 are
 
addressed
 in
 support
 
of
 thesis
 
 

Meaning
 is
 only
 vaguely
 
identified;
 Assessment
 is
 
unbalanced,
 uncritical;
 
Thesis
 is
 feebly
 
supported
 or
 
synthesized
 through
 
specific
 examples
 -­‐
 
examples
 are
 non-­‐
existent,
 generic
 or
 do
 
not
 relate
 to
 assessment,
 
lacking
 a
 demonstration
 
of
 observation
 skills
 
and/or
 ability
 to
 provide
 
a
 logical
 or
 convincing
 
argument;
 Areas
 of
 form,
 
style
 and
 technique
 are
 
not
 addressed
 
meaningfully
 in
 support
 
of
 thesis
 or
 are
 
disconnected
 from
 
meaning