Outline

Overview

In recent decades, there has been an explosion of interest in what is sometimes called 'non-fiction theatre' or 'reality theatre'. Forms such as documentary theatre, verbatim, solo autobiographical shows, lecture performances, and performance ethnography - while they are often very different stylistically - involve negotiating similar dramaturgical, ethical and political questions. In this unit, we will address these issues primarily through practice. You will select a topic of interest, conduct original research, edit transcripts and archival materials into a script, rehearse and perform a short documentary piece. Key theoretical readings and rich case studies will help inform your practice.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Theatre and Performance Studies
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	12 credit points at 2000 level in the Theatre and Performance Studies
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Paul Dwyer, paul.dwyer@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Creative assessment / demonstration	Documentary Theatre Presentation Performance and Discussion Panel	50%	Multiple weeks Due date: 24 Oct 2024 at 11:00 Closing date: 31 Oct 2024	Equivalent to a 2500 word tutorial paper
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Documentary Theatre Proposal A written research proposal	20%	Week 06 Due date: 02 Sep 2024 at 23:59 Closing date: 27 Sep 2024	750 words per group member
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Case Study Analysis Short Essay	30%	Week 10 Due date: 08 Oct 2024 at 23:59 Closing date: 23 Nov 2024	1250 words
Outcomes assessed:

Assessment summary

Task #1: The Documentary Theatre Proposal will be a group-authored document (for which a template is provided) in which you and your colleagues propose a topic/theme for an original piece of documentary theatre, explain the rationale for your idea, outline your research strategy, and include some sample source materials with a commentary on their dramaturgical potential.

Task #2: The Case Study Analysis is a short, solo essay in which you will analyse key features of the dramaturgy and staging of a professional piece of documentary theatre (scripts and video documentation for potential case studies will be provided).

Task #3: The Documentary Theatre Presentation will be a ‘work-in-progress’ performance by you and your group of student peers (those with whom you worked with on Task #1), followed by a panel discussion (led by your group) about how your practice illuminates (or perhaps challenges) some of the theoretical writing surveyed in this unit of study. Your group will be randomly assigned a time to present in-class in either Week 12 (Thursday 24th October) or Week 13 (Thursday 31st October).

Detailed information for each assessment will be provided on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

Result Name	Mark Range	Description
High Distinction (HD)	85 – 100	When the learning outcomes have been achieved to an excellent standard
Distinction (D)	75 – 84	When the learning outcomes have been achieved to a very high standard
Credit (CR)	65 – 74	When the learning outcomes have been achieved to a superior standard
Pass (PS)	50 – 64	When the learning outcomes have been achieved to a satisfactory standard
Fail (F)	Below 50	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

For written assignments, 5 whole marks will be deducted for each day late (unless a Simple Extension or Special Consideration or an Academic Plan has been approved). Please note that Saturdays and Sundays are included in the calculation of late penalties. Except for the most extraordinary circumstances, no extensions of time will be possible for Task #3: The Group Documentary Theatre Presentation.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

You may only use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator. If you do use these tools, you must acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section. The assessment instructions or unit outline will give guidance of the types of tools that are permitted and how the tools should be used.

Your final submitted work must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of generative AI tools that have been used in the assessment, and any material that forms part of your submission must be appropriately referenced. For guidance on how to acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the AI in Education Canvas site.

The unapproved use of these tools or unacknowledged use will be considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

Studiosity is permitted unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission as detailed on the Learning Hub’s Canvas page.

Outside assessment tasks, generative AI tools may be used to support your learning. The AI in Education Canvas site contains a number of productive ways that students are using AI to improve their learning.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Support for students

The Support for Students Policy reflects the University’s commitment to supporting students in their academic journey and making the University safe for students. It is important that you read and understand this policy so that you are familiar with the range of support services available to you and understand how to engage with them.

The University uses email as its primary source of communication with students who need support under the Support for Students Policy. Make sure you check your University email regularly and respond to any communications received from the University.

Learning resources and detailed information about weekly assessment and learning activities can be accessed via Canvas. It is essential that you visit your unit of study Canvas site to ensure you are up to date with all of your tasks.

If you are having difficulties completing your studies, or are feeling unsure about your progress, we are here to help. You can access the support services offered by the University at any time:

Support and Services (including health and wellbeing services, financial support and learning support)
Course planning and administration
Meet with an Academic Adviser

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Introduction to Verbatim and Documentary Theatre Practices	Seminar (1 hr)
Week 01	Examining Case Studies and Possible Themes for a Documentary Project	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 02	Tensions between Orality and Literacy in Documentary Practices	Seminar (1 hr)
Week 02	Interviewing, Transcribing, Coding and other Research Strategies	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 03	Rhetorical and Authenticating Conventions of Performance	Seminar (1 hr)
Week 03	Working with Rhetorical and Authenticating Conventions	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 04	Functions of Documentary Theatre	Seminar (1 hr)
Week 04	Working outwards from autobiography towards documentary materials	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 05	The "Promise of Documentary" (Janelle Reinelt)	Seminar (1 hr)
Week 05	"Headphone Verbatim" Techniques	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 06	Documentary Theatre and the "Public Sphere"	Seminar (1 hr)
Week 06	Using task-based performance strategies with transcripts of official discourses	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 07	The Ethics of Documentary	Seminar (1 hr)
Week 07	Feedback on Students' Documentary Theatre Research Proposals	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 08	"Post-Verbatim" Modes of Oral/Aural Performance	Seminar (1 hr)
Week 08	Session on Performance Analysis Strategies	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 09	Seminar with Guest Artists	Seminar (1 hr)
Week 09	Practising performance analysis strategies on guest artists' case studies	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 10	Rehearsing Group Documentary Projects	Workshop (3 hr)
Week 11	Rehearsing Group Documentary Projects	Workshop (3 hr)
Week 12	Performances of Work-in-Progress	Workshop (3 hr)
Week 13	Performances of Work-in-Progress	Workshop (3 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

As far as your overall class attendance is concerned, we will be following the resolutions of the Board of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences: you are expected to attend at least 90% of all classes; if your attendance drops below 50%, the Board of Examiners meeting will decide whether you should pass or fail the unit of study.

Advice on other requirements (eg. referencing guidelines for your assessments) will be made available through Canvas.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

The list below includes the main readings for each week up until the “mid-semester” break. Please refer to the Canvas site for more information, including a range of supplementary readings.

WEEK ONE

Brown, Paul (ed). 2010. Verbatim: Staging Memory and Community. Sydney: Currency Press. 2-21.

WEEK TWO

Ong, Walter. 1982. Orality and Literacy: The Technologizing of the Word. London: Methuen. 31-57.

WEEK THREE

Burns, Elizabeth. 1972. “Conventions of Performance”. Chapter 4 in Theatricality: A Study of Convention in the Theatre and in Social Life. London: Longman. 28-39.

WEEK FOUR

Martin, Carol. 2006. “Bodies of Evidence”. TDR: The Drama Review 50 (3): 8-15.

WEEK FIVE

Reinelt, Janelle. 2009. “The Promise of Documentary”. In Alison Forsyth and Chris Megson (eds), Get Real: Documentary Theatre Past and Present. Houndmills, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. 6-23.

WEEK SIX

Botham, Paola. 2008. “From Deconstruction to Reconstruction: A Habermasian Framework for Contemporary Political Theatre”. Contemporary Theatre Review 18 (3): 307-317.

WEEK SEVEN

Burvill, Tom. 2008. “‘Politics Begins as Ethics’: Levinasian Ethics and Australian Performance Concerning Refugees”. Research in Drama Education: The Journal of Applied Theatre and Performance 13 (2): 233-243.

WEEK EIGHT
McAuley, Gay. 1998. “Performance Analysis: Theory and Practice”. About Performance 4: 1-12.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. design and execute a research strategy to gather source materials appropriate to a well-justified focus of documentary inquiry
LO2. apply relevant critical theories and methods in the analysis of documentary theatre practices
LO3. apply relevant dramaturgical and performance-making skills to the task of creating a short piece of documentary theatre
LO4. understand how to contextualise your own practice in relation to major traditions of documentary theatre, key artists/companies and relevant social or political developments

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

PRFM3625 is a relatively new unit of study, offered for the first time in Semester Two 2024. It began life, however, as a short module that was included in another unit of study (PRFM3603 Playing Politics) as a bit of an experiment (partly in response to the need for learning activities that could be delivered, if need be, in Covid-safe/online situations). Students in both PRFM3603 in 2021 and PRFM3625 in 2022 have reported satisfaction with the blend of practice and theory in Documentary Theatre. In 2024, I am keen to explore ways in which the practical work could be articulated with opportunities outside the university, eg. producing work for Sydney Fringe Festival.

Additional information

Commitment to Personal Study Outside Class
Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Work, health and safety

Please refer to current advice on the University of Sydney website concerning Covid Safety Protocols: https://www.sydney.edu.au/study/coronavirus-infection-university-of-sydneyadvice.html

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Work, health and safety

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

PRFM3625: Documentary Theatre

Semester 2, 2024 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Work, health and safety

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links