PRFM2609: Semester 2, 2024

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Units PRFM2609 Semester 2 2024 [Normal day]

Unit outline_

PRFM2609: Approaches to Acting

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

Overview

Hollywood actors are the makers of dreams. How did the Hollywood style become the pinnacle of acting and the American movie industry the goal for actors worldwide? This unit examines the emergence of American Method acting in the 1920s, a style of acting uniquely suited to the silver screen and explores its key exponents. It interrogates the truth claims of these teachers in order to reveal the social, cultural and historical contingency of Method.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Theatre and Performance Studies
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	12 credit points in 1000 level PRFM including PRFM1601
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	PRFM3606
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Glen McGillivray, glen.mcgillivray@sydney.edu.au

Assessment

The census date for this unit availability is 2 September 2024

Details
Criteria

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Online task	Reading summary and quiz Reading summary and quiz	20%	Week 04 Due date: 23 Aug 2024 at 23:59	500 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Essay Essay	40%	Week 07 Due date: 13 Sep 2024 at 23:59	2000 words
Outcomes assessed:
Creative assessment / demonstration	Student presentation Short scene presentations	40%	Week 13 Due date: 30 Oct 2024 at 10:00 Closing date: 30 Oct 2024	2000 words equivalent
Outcomes assessed:

Assessment summary

1. Reading summary and quiz: this assignment will require you to complete a short summary of a prescribed reading and complete a short on-line quiz.

2. Essay: this assignment will require you to integrate information from lectures and practicals to create a concise written argument.

3. Student presentation: this assignment will require you to complete a short scene to demonstrate your experiential understanding of Method acting.

Assessment criteria

Result name	Mark range	Description
High Distinction	100-85	Awarded to students who, in their performance in assessment tasks, demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at an exceptional standard as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars established by the faculty.
Distinction	84-75	Awarded to students who, in their performance in assessment tasks, demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at a very high standard as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars established by the faculty.
Credit	74-65	Awarded to students who, in their performance in assessment tasks, demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at a good standard as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars established by the faculty.
Pass	64-50	Awarded to students who, in their performance in assessment tasks, demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at an acceptable standard as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars established by the faculty.
Fail	49-0	Awarded to students who, in their performance in assessment tasks, fail to demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at an acceptable standard established by the faculty. This grade, with corresponding mark, should also be used in cases where a student fails to achieve a mandated standard in a compulsory assessment, thereby failing to demonstrate the learning outcomes to a satisfactory standard. In such cases the student will receive the mark awarded by the faculty up to a maximum of 49.

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:

The Assessment Procedures 2011 provide that any written work submitted after 11:59pm on the due date will be penalised by 5% of the maximum awardable mark for each calendar day after the due date. If the assessment is submitted more than ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

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.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

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 2023 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 2023. 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: Significance of the American Method. In this lecture I will provide an overview of American Method acting and identify what it is and why it is important	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 01	Relaxation and freedom. Fundamental to all Method acting is the idea of physical relaxation and the creative freedom it gives to the actor.	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 02	Origins of the Method: Stanislavsky in America and the Group Theatre. in this lecture we will examine how Stanislavsky's 'system' was transformed into the Method by his American followers, principally through their work in the Group Theatre in the 1930s.	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 02	Relaxation and improvisation. We will continue our work on relaxation and explore the importance of improvisation for connecting to the actor's imagination and emotions.	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 03	The master teachers: Adler, Meisner and Strasberg. The principal Method teachers were Lee Strasberg and Stella Adler, followed by Sandford Meisner. Although the first two had a significant impact in the middle of the twentieth century, Meisner's approach has grown in popularity since the late-twentieth century.	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 03	Relaxation and sense memory. Our work on relaxation continues and now we will begin to explore using sensory memories as an acting tool.	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 04	Method and the Cold War. The golden age of Method acting in the 1950s coincided with the end of the Hollywood studio system and American paranoia over Communist infiltration of US society; especially in the entertainment industry. This lecture will discuss how the Method, with its focus on the individual, reflected US ideology at the time.	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 04	Relaxation and the given circumstances. Our work on relaxation continues and we turn to consider the importance of examining the detail and specificity of a play's given circumstances.	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 05	The Method and Judaism. All three of Method's teachers were Jewish and had been influenced by the Yiddish theatre. In addition, eleven of the original members of the Group Theatre were also Jewish and had an important impact on American theatre, film and acting. This lecture discusses how, while often needing to deny their Jewishness to get work in the industry, aspects of Jewish culture strongly informed the emphases and approaches of the teachers.	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 05	Relaxation and given circumstances 2. Our work on relaxation continues and we continue to explore how a play's given circumstances inform characterisation.	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 06	Race, gender and class. This lecture will examine some critiques of the Method, especially through the lenses of race and gender. Despite espousing a universal "truthfulness", in its teaching the work was frequently misogynistic and racist.	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 06	Objectives, Super Objectives and throughlines.	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 07	Queens and queers: resisting Method's heteronormativity. In addition to its racism and sexism, Method was also homophobic, valorising heterosexual relations and repressing homosexuality. This is despite one of three teachers being gay or bisexual and prominent male movie stars also being gay and bisexual.	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 07	Learning how to rehearse and give feedback. In preparation for the next block of work we will explore how to give effective feedback. What are questions that will help actors' creativity?	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 08	Scene work preparation and rehearsal	Workshop (3 hr)
Week 09	Scene work preparation and rehearsal	Workshop (3 hr)
Week 10	Scene work preparation and rehearsal	Workshop (3 hr)
Week 11	Scene work preparation and rehearsal	Workshop (3 hr)
Week 12	Scene work preparation and rehearsal	Workshop (3 hr)
Week 13	Scenework presentations	Performance (3 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance: According to Faculty Board Resolutions, students in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences are expected to attend 90% of their classes. If you attend less than 50% of classes, regardless of the reasons, you may be referred to the Examiner’s Board. The Examiner’s Board will decide whether you should pass or fail the unit of study if your attendance falls below this threshold.
Lecture recording: as the lecture room is a studio, it is NOT equipped to record lectures. LECTURES WILL NOT BE RECORDED.
Preparation: Students should commit to spend approximately three hours’ preparation time (reading, studying, scene preparation, essays, etc.) for every hour of scheduled instruction.

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

All readings for this unit can be accessed through the Library’s reading list system Leganto, available on Canvas.

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. Identify and distinguish the key features of different Method schools of acting.
LO2. Analyse and compare these approaches to acting in order to determine the implicit theories that govern them.
LO3. Offer a political critique of Method acting.
LO4. Provide an experiential account of certain Method acting techniques.

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.

This is the first time this unit has been offered in this form. It is an adaptation of a unit previously offered at third year level. This unit identifies and makes explicit key themes covered by PRFM3606 while, following student feedback, reducing the theoretical complexity of that unit.

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

Disclaimer

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