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Jul. 26th, 2010 04:27 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bardic_ladySo here's the skinny (fair warning, in the coming months, this journal is probably going to discuss my MA essay a lot):
I now have several ideas for an MA essay, that still need a fair amount of refining, but are closer to the mark than my vague and wishywashy ideas from two days ago.
1. The Kate Percy idea. Kate Percy is rather an awesome character, really, even if she's only in like three scenes. The fact that she's a semi-fictional character in a history play would be more interesting if she was the only one, but still. So far, I've encountered next to no information about her, either real her (Elizabeth Mortimer) or play her. And most of what I've found seems to be from people who haven't read the play. 'Cause... she's not so much patient and she does end up camping out in the woods with her husband and company. So... fail on that, feminist Shakespeare book. Given the dearth of information on her, however, I'm not sure that there's enough for a 20 page paper. This topic may actually be too small. And may bore me to tears in two weeks or less.
2. Re: editing for production: Do an analysis from a dramaturgical perspective (that is, the perspective of a dramaturg, not the text's dramaturgy) of the pre-production text editing phase, including, but not limited to, the collaboration between director and dramaturg, the director's concept as it impacts the text, previous production editions of the play, casting contraints as they affect cutting the play (i.e. necessary doubling, gendered roles), intentional non-constraint related cross-casting, intended length of the production. A) This topic is probably too broad, B) I doubt it's research-heavy enough for my advisor. Still needs phrasing help either way.
3. Re: editing for production: Do a purely textual performance history of a single scene (possibly single speech/interchange) across 200-400 years of production. For this, utilize at least the Bell's Acting Edition of 1774, Cumberland's British Theatre Edition of 1852, the Henry Irving Edition of 1888, the Joe Papp Public Theatre Edition of 1967 and the BBC TV edition of 1991, as well as the Cambridge University Shakespeare in Production series, and any other editions that may exist. Advisor will say that even if it's one speech, there are too many editions there. I say PPPBBBBBTTTTHHH. Needs a solid thesis statement.
4. An in-depth look at the textual implications of cross-casting a single role. Role ideas: Tybalt, Mercutio, Ariel, Puck, Tranio (Shrew), would consider other options as well. (No leading roles, as that would be too broad a topic)
These are my thoughts. I need other brains on this, since I only have two weeks to get into gear. Also, I need to do an MA essay icon.
I now have several ideas for an MA essay, that still need a fair amount of refining, but are closer to the mark than my vague and wishywashy ideas from two days ago.
1. The Kate Percy idea. Kate Percy is rather an awesome character, really, even if she's only in like three scenes. The fact that she's a semi-fictional character in a history play would be more interesting if she was the only one, but still. So far, I've encountered next to no information about her, either real her (Elizabeth Mortimer) or play her. And most of what I've found seems to be from people who haven't read the play. 'Cause... she's not so much patient and she does end up camping out in the woods with her husband and company. So... fail on that, feminist Shakespeare book. Given the dearth of information on her, however, I'm not sure that there's enough for a 20 page paper. This topic may actually be too small. And may bore me to tears in two weeks or less.
2. Re: editing for production: Do an analysis from a dramaturgical perspective (that is, the perspective of a dramaturg, not the text's dramaturgy) of the pre-production text editing phase, including, but not limited to, the collaboration between director and dramaturg, the director's concept as it impacts the text, previous production editions of the play, casting contraints as they affect cutting the play (i.e. necessary doubling, gendered roles), intentional non-constraint related cross-casting, intended length of the production. A) This topic is probably too broad, B) I doubt it's research-heavy enough for my advisor. Still needs phrasing help either way.
3. Re: editing for production: Do a purely textual performance history of a single scene (possibly single speech/interchange) across 200-400 years of production. For this, utilize at least the Bell's Acting Edition of 1774, Cumberland's British Theatre Edition of 1852, the Henry Irving Edition of 1888, the Joe Papp Public Theatre Edition of 1967 and the BBC TV edition of 1991, as well as the Cambridge University Shakespeare in Production series, and any other editions that may exist. Advisor will say that even if it's one speech, there are too many editions there. I say PPPBBBBBTTTTHHH. Needs a solid thesis statement.
4. An in-depth look at the textual implications of cross-casting a single role. Role ideas: Tybalt, Mercutio, Ariel, Puck, Tranio (Shrew), would consider other options as well. (No leading roles, as that would be too broad a topic)
These are my thoughts. I need other brains on this, since I only have two weeks to get into gear. Also, I need to do an MA essay icon.
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Date: 7/27/10 03:19 pm (UTC)I agree with Monster_soup, the 3rd option seems to have a lot of possibilities. The question for me would be, as you say, what's the solid question/angle on the research? Is it to examine how the text/scene was interpreted in each instance, and relate that to the social/economic/political mood of the era? Is it to follow a clear path of how a piece has been "altered" or continously "upgraded" by having one adaptation built on another, and to track a path of altered meaning in the scene through history?
I also have to say that #2 interests me. I enjoy working on new plays, and the various scenes and bits of dialogue left behind in the word processor that never make it to the stage always fascinate me. This is slightly different than what you're discussing, but the interest in HOW and WHY that happens, and how it affects the final product so greatly, is intriguing. It seems to me that this paper would require a deep relationship with a single production, and much discussion/research with the folks involved in it - which could be a lot of fun to do.
Those are my two cents off the top of my head before my morning coffee - but feel free to bounce more questions and thesis statement language off me, I'm happy to offer whatever thoughts I can!