Outside Event Assignment

The basic idea at an outside event is to discuss what you observe and its effect.  Break down the various elements (whether it’s music, theatre, painting, etc.), describe what elements you observed, along with their effect.  Discuss which was the unifying element of the artifact and why.  Discuss the overall effect of the artifact, and whether it was consistent with the purpose of the artist(s).  Remember, the effect that you feel is valid.

Click here for elements for theatre, sculpture, painting

Closely observe the event to be able to discuss elements in detail and arrive at a unifying principle through elements, context, and purpose discussions.

Refer to your handouts for artistic disciplines that we have studied.  For those we haven’t studied, look for what can be observed and infer elements or speak with me in advance.  For example, watching a theatre piece, you can look at:

·        Believability of the actors

·        Effectiveness of the scenery (what does it tell us about the place/time/inhabitants?)

·        Effectiveness of the costumes (what do they tell us about peoples' status/background?)

·        Effectiveness of any music used (what mood does it create? what time period?)

·        Effectiveness of the lighting (what mood is created? what time of day is it?)

·        Clear understanding of the story (if the play tells a story)

Always explain why you believe or responded as you did.  The real points for the assignment have to do with your explanations and support of your ideas, not so much the ideas themselves.

Hints: Use descriptive words that convey not only the descriptive facts of the piece but communicate something of its emotional impact.  For example, the fact of a rhythm may be that it is in 4/4 time, but it may feel “insistent” or it may “float”.  A scenic element in a play may feel “heavy” or “dark”, which can be explained by describing mass and color.  Thinking about the effect that each element creates may help support your statement of the effect that the piece has on you, as well as supporting whether the piece achieves its purpose or not.  Avoid using terms such as “good” or “bad”, since these are so subjective that they aren’t effective in communicating your ideas.

The paper should be 3 – 5 pages long.  This ensures that you provide the kind of depth and detail that will earn a passing (or better) grade for the assignment.

Use MLA format

Proofread your paper carefully.  Do not turn in first drafts.  First drafts will be returned to you and considered late.  Spell check and grammar check are good starting places, but don’t let these substitute for a careful check for errors.

Some common mistakes to look for:

·        Use the correct form of “there” (location), “their” (possession), and “they’re” (they are).

·        “It’s” stands for “it is.”  Do not use “it’s” to indicate possession.  The correct possessive for “it” is “its.”

·        “defiantly” is a much different word than “definitely”

·        Avoid run-on sentences and sentence fragments.

·        Use complete sentences.

Grading

Due: 1 week after seeing your event.  Include your ticket stub on your paper.