Course Code

n/a

Duration

A post-graduate taught course lasting for one full academic year from late September until the following August. Formal teaching and coursework will be completed in April, after which students will focus on their dissertations, and need not be resident.

Description

The course offers a study of contemporary strategies of analysis in theatre and performance, with special consideration of the practices of Irish theatre, involving input from the professional field. The course structure consists of two core modules and one elective module (chosen from a range available) leading to a directed research project and dissertation.

Course Co-ordinators

Dr Melissa Sihra (msihra@tcd.ie)

Core Modules

Contemporary Irish Theatre in Context: an exploration of the theatre practice of contemporary Irish and visiting theatre productions, and the institutional frameworks which shape the production or reception of contemporary Irish theatre. Invited speakers will discuss their work with students, supplemented by sessions focusing on contextual or background information.

Strategies of Analysis: an exploration of the various methodologies of critical enquiry in theatre and performance. The seminar covers areas of Gender, Race and Identity, Nationalism and Postcolonialism, Performance Analysis, History and Historiography, Globalisation, Psychoanalysis, Poststructuralism, Phenomenology and Postmodernism.

Elective Modules

Students will choose from a list of modules which have included the following (subject to staff availability and student interest):

Playwriting

Taught by playwright Marina Carr and Dr Melissa Sihra, this course will consider all aspects of playwriting from first to final draft, exploring monologue, two-character, three-character and ensemble scene construction. The course will culminate in a showcase of original work.

Applied Theatre

This course aims to develop the students’ awareness, understanding and experience of Applied Theatre, also known as socially-engaged Theatre.

Orientalism and Performance

This course seeks to explore how one culture represents another in performance and to determine the specificity of the theories of playing the ‘other’ in 19th and early 20th century European theatre.

Intercultural Performance

This course examines the intercultural practices of contemporary performances in differing world contexts, with a focus on directing, casting, design and sound.

Performance and Technology

The course will examine the philosophical and practical problems of theatre and performance practice in our digital culture with its new computer technologies of interconnectivity, imaging and virtuality.

The Comic Body

This module intends to supply students with a theoretical grasp of comic practice, complemented and supported by the actuality of workshop experience.

Theatre and Nationalism

This course considers the relationship between nationalist ideologies and theatre by examining a range of examples from defined historical and georgraphical contexts.

In certain circumstances, students may choose the elective module from a range of courses available on other M.Phil. programmes within the School of Drama, Film and Music, including (depending on the availability of staff and places, and the agreement of course directors): Theatre and Ireland, Irish Music, Cinema and Ireland, Contemporary Irish Cinema, Documentary, World Cinema and Opera.

Teaching Staff

• Dr Sara Brady
• Marina Carr
• Dr Matthew Causey
• Dr Nicholas Johnson
• Chrissie Poulter
• Dr Melissa Sihra (Course Co-ordinator)
• Prof Brian Singleton
• Dr Eric Weitz (Course Co-ordinator)
• Prof Steve Wilmer

Fees

Please check the Treasurers office for the summary of postgraduate degree fees.

Application

Admission Requirements: Candidates should have a good honors B.A. degree of upper second or above (a "B", average 3.0 or above, for North American students), or equivalent qualification. The application process includes an interview, which for overseas students may be conducted by telephone or video link.

General enquiries and correspondence concerning admission to postgraduate courses should be made to: The Graduate Admissions Office, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland. Phone: +353 (0)1 896 1166; E-mail: gradinfo@tcd.ie

www.tcd.ie/graduatestudies

Completed applications for admission must be made by 1 June of the year in which admission is sought.

Assessment

There are three elements to the assessment:

• Essays and/or oral presentations for core modules
• Examination of the elective course by essay, oral presentation, practical presentation, critically reflective journal, play-script or writing exercises, according to the requirements of each module
• Dissertation of approximately 15,000 words