MA Theatre Directing: Text and Production (Part time)
Key Details
- Attendance
- Part Time
- Award
- Degree of Master of Arts
- Course Length
- 2 years
- Course Start Date
- September 2024
Chat to us on Unibuddy
Any questions? Chat online with current students, staff and experts. This is your chance to ask anything about UEA, university life, Norwich and more.
Study and Modules
Structure
In your first autumn semester, you’ll be integrated into the School of Literature, Drama and Creative Writing in two ways. First, you’ll complete a weekly studio skills course alongside first year undergraduates – including health and safety, sound, lighting and stage management. Once you’ve successfully completed this you’ll be certified to work alone in the building, at any time, by arrangement. You’ll continue to consolidate your familiarity with the technical resources of the UEA theatre throughout the two years.
For your core autumn module, you’ll collaborate with second year undergraduates in their Actor and the Text module. Here you’ll encounter, for example, Shakespearean verse, Laban technique, States of Tension, Status improvisation and the fundamentals of Stanislavskian practice. Throughout this module, you’ll apply the techniques you study in class to a series of scenes, casting undergraduate students and rehearsing out of hours.
In parallel to these modules, you’ll take part in a weekly group tutorial, discussing both the techniques of the moment and their genesis in theatre practice and theory.
For the Spring core module, in your weekly tutorial, you will explore wider themes of genre, theatrical style and tone, and conceptualisation. Here you may encounter Artaud, Brecht, Meyerhold, Grotowski, and other practitioners who incite a non-naturalistic energy on stage and offer an alternative view of theatrical function and form: LePage, Wilson, Bausch, Forced Entertainment, among others. You’ll grow your frame of reference through guest lecturers and practitioners, some with practical workshops and others with close examination of theatre practice and philosophy.
Compulsory Modules
Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring, review and update of modules. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes and their constituent modules, the University will endeavour to consult with students and others. It is also possible that the University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff. In some cases optional modules can have limited places available and so you may be asked to make additional module choices in the event you do not gain a place on your first choice. Where this is the case, the University will inform students.
Teaching and Learning
You’ll be taught by academics and practitioners, many of whom are world experts in their field. Our modules are informed by their specialisms, which means you’ll benefit from access to the latest thinking and research. The expertise of our teaching staff ranges from professional actors and directors to television writers and West End playwrights and experienced research academics.
You’ll also spend time in independent study at UEA’s state-of-the-art library, writing essays or carrying out practical work or projects. This course will give you an excellent balance of independent thinking and study skills, helping you deepen your skills as a self-motivated learner, an expert researcher and analytical thinker.
For most modules, you’ll test your knowledge and practical skills in practice (formative) assignments before your summative assessments, which count towards your final grades. You’ll discuss your formative feedback with your teachers as part of a deepening self-reflective journey through your studies.
Your accuracy and precision in analysis in your written work will be developed through self-directed study and highly responsive feedback and tutorial sessions. The MA will sharpen your time management and organisational skills, as well as your sensitivity in interpersonal dynamics.
To make sure you get the most from your studies and help you reach your full potential, our Learning Enhancement team, based in the Student Support Service, are on hand to help in the following areas:
-
Study skills (including reading, note-taking and presentation skills)
-
Writing skills (including punctuation and grammatical accuracy)
-
Academic writing (including how to reference)
-
Research skills (including how to use the library and online resources)
-
Critical thinking and understanding arguments
-
Revision, assessment and examination skills (including time management)
Assessment
For the practical core module, Text and Production: Scenework, in the autumn semester, you’ll be assessed through coursework and a written critical reflective essay. Each will earn 50% of the module marks. The practical directing is with second-year undergraduate actors in scenework throughout the module.
In the spring semester, your second core module, Contemporary Theatre Directing and Actor Training, will comprise two parts, each weighted at 50% of the module. The first is a portfolio project for a hypothetical production, featuring text, image and influences, critical frame, concept and dramaturgy. The second part is a critical essay on contemporary practice.
You’ll also be involved in directing BA students in a presentation of Post-War texts, consolidating your practical directing skills in the larger Main Studio.
Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring, review and update of modules. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes and their constituent modules, the University will endeavour to consult with students and others. It is also possible that the University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff. In some cases optional modules can have limited places available and so you may be asked to make additional module choices in the event you do not gain a place on your first choice. Where this is the case, the University will inform students.
Structure
In your second year, you’ll choose two optional modules to continue your work.
For the Autumn semester of your second year, you will choose one of your optional modules, drawing on options such as Contemporary World Theatre, Scriptwriting Dramaturgy, or Television and Society.
For the Spring semester of your second year, you will choose your final module, also from the optional range, whether, Contemporary Theatre-Making and Devising, Writing and Performance, Adaptation and Interpretation, or Process and Product in Translation.
Throughout this second year, you will consider research and eventually choose your own practical research project. You’ll discuss your development path and choices in tutorials and your project will take the form of a written dissertation, a public production, or potentially a portfolio combination of the two. If you choose to do a production, this will usually take place in October at the end of your second year, allowing for a late summer rehearsal period.
Compulsory Modules
Optional A Modules
(Credits: 20)Optional B Modules
(Credits: 20)Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring, review and update of modules. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes and their constituent modules, the University will endeavour to consult with students and others. It is also possible that the University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff. In some cases optional modules can have limited places available and so you may be asked to make additional module choices in the event you do not gain a place on your first choice. Where this is the case, the University will inform students.
Teaching and Learning
Throughout your second year, you’ll continue to benefit from all the rich teaching resources described in ‘Year 1’ as you embark on your choice of a range of optional modules (one in each of the Autumn and Spring Semesters). You’ll also be supported by our staff throughout the whole process of developing your Drama Dissertation, from the initial approval of your idea to the development of your project and the writing of your reflective report on it.
Assessment
In the second year, you’ll undertake your optional modules, whose assessments will feature a similar balance of practical and written work, depending on the module that you choose.
Research and Methodology requires attendance and participation in visiting workshops and seminars, but only one submission: a proposal for your dissertation project, which forms the basis for an ongoing discussion throughout the year.
The dissertation is usually completed by the middle of October of your second year. This develops your own interests in greater depth in concentrated study on a topic of your choice, as approved by the Course Director or other authorised person. Several versions of this exist, the most popular of which is the dissertation/production, which is a maximum of 75 minutes’ length public performance, with responsibility for all elements of stagecraft, technical and artistic direction taken by the student director and supervised by the module leader. Following the production and viva, you’ll produce a 3,500-word critical-reflective essay as a commentary on the aims, research and rehearsal experience of the production. The work will be attended where possible by the External Examiner, who will take part in a viva meeting following the submission.