Intro to Humanities 100

Learning how to listen and watch: this week we move into a study of the interactions between theater and cinematography, or more simply, plays and film adaptions of them. Your main task will be to read one of two plays by William Shakespeare, watch one of several film adaptions of the same play and then write about how they compare. Be sure to check the Content/Learning Resources section of our online classroom for the week’s materials.

SPECIAL REQUEST: Do NOT write about the animated children’s film, “Gnomeo and Juliet.” Make other selections for your first Discussion post.

Put aside any fears you might have about Shakespeare. Although these plays were written early in the 17th Century when the English language as it was being used in England was rather different from today’s American usage, these plays are two of Shakespeare’s most popular plays that are the easiest to understand. After a short period of adjustment, you should be able to understand the text with minimal difficulty. Editors’ footnotes usually explain the meaning of unfamiliar words whose meanings have changed over the years or are no longer used at all.

If you prefer, you can look for a verbatim recording of the play and listen to it while you read. That could make it much easier to understand.

In contrast, you may think that—because you have watched many films—you can sail through talking about films. Not so. Over the past century, cinematography has developed as a serious and complex art form with its own terms and theories. This week, you will become familiar with some of them. Get ready to have fun and think seriously at the same time.

For your convenience, attached below are PDF copies of the two plays.
https://learn.umgc.edu/content/enforced/631729-022239-01-2222-OL3-7388/The%20Taming%20of%20the%20Shrew.pdf?&d2lSessionVal=ZA8Ty1uKiKUZA8Lq3OHKFNAc9 https://learn.umgc.edu/content/enforced/631729-022239-01-2222-OL3-7388/The%20Tragedy%20of%20Romeo%20and%20Juliet.pdf?&d2lSessionVal=ZA8Ty1uKiKUZA8Lq3OHKFNAc9
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR DISCUSSIONS: Your contributions should be thoughtful and developed. Answer all parts of the question and use concepts from the course materials. Use a professional style of communication, with attention to grammar, spelling, and typos; cite your sources.

Choose ONE of the following options for a play and a corresponding film adaptation to address this question. You might have to rent the film or find it on an online streaming service

OPTION 1: Read Romeo and Juliet and watch one of the following adaptations: Gnomeo & Juliet (2011), Chicken Rice War (2000), Romeo Must Die (2000), Romeo + Juliet (1996), Romeo and Juliet(1968), Romeo and Juliet (1966), West Side Story (1961), Romeo and Juliet (1954), Romeo and Juliet (1936).

OPTION 2: Read The Taming of the Shrew and watch one of the following adaptations: Deliver Us from Eva (2003), 10 Things I Hate About You (1999), The Taming of the Shrew (1967), McLintock! (1967), Kiss Me Kate (1953), You Made Me Love You (1933),

Now, for the play/film pair that you chose, address all parts of this question.

Clearly identify two scenes from the written play that also appear in the film (however loosely) that you think are significant to the overall story, and explain why.
Offer an assessment of how well you think the film portrayed the two scenes. In other words, was the film’s portrayal of these two scenes effective or ineffective? Why?
Use at least two of the terms and concepts from the Learning Resources for the module explain why the scenes portrayed in the film were effective or ineffective. For example, perhaps the film used specific music and lighting in a scene to effectively emphasize the tension of the scene. Underline or bold the vocabulary, concept or technique you use as an interpretative tool in your post.
Finally, give your overall opinion about how the themes of this play translate to our contemporary world and why you think this play has had so many film adaptations.
Digging Deeper – how is the experience of watching a live stage play different from seeing the film version of the play, or a director’s version of it on film?
Read the text of Edward Albee’s short, one-act play, The Zoo Story (1958). Afterwards, watch the stage version of the play and the film adaption of it in order to answer the questions that follow.

Play text = http://www.lem.seed.pr.gov.br/arquivos/File/livrosliteraturaingles/zoostory.pdf

Film adaption = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P62-5T7S2TE&ab_channel=AndrasOstrom

Stage performance:

Part 1 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4wdqC6S6FU&ab_channel=DirectorQuincyPerkins

Part 2 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jD3oBgRtk9Q&ab_channel=DirectorQuincyPerkins

Some questions:

1. How is the experience of reading the text of the play different from watching the live stage version?
2. In what ways did the film maker adapt the play for his screen version?
3. Why does the stage version have a different impact on the viewer than the film version?
4. As you read the text of the play, recall that the playwright wrote it during a period in the mid-20th Century when Theater of the Absurd was popular. Was this play simply absurd, or was Albee trying to make a serious point? If so, what is it?
5. Great art has a universal, timeless quality. Does this play strike you as having that quality, or does it seem rooted in a particular place in the past?