Writing can be a bridge that connects the inner world to the outer world, making our individual voices public and eminently visible. Drama is one of the oldest forms of writing which extends to the modern and post-modern worlds and has maintained its social power and social and cultural influence. It is one of the most effective forms of polyphonic writing in which the author reproduces their voice in two or more characters to dramatize either a personal or a social conflict. For this reason, the drama writing process can be deeply challenging and creative.
In Persian 401, the focus will be on drama writing based on social and cultural issues. In the first weeks of the class, we will only concentrate on free writing exercises that help us free the mind from mental obstacles. We will focus on the meaning of drama and its social role. Then, we will turn our concentration to the main elements of drama: character, dialogue and plot. We will read, watch, and discuss a selection of highly-read and inspirational dramatic works in English and Persian in order to discover how dramatic writing can help turn social and cultural ideas into a public discourse. At the end, each student will write a short (5-10 minutes) dramatic piece in Persian. This class will meet in person and will be conducted in Persian.
Prerequisites: you don’t need to have Knowledge of Middle Eastern languages or cultures , But passion and desire to understand is required.
Required materials: All Reading and watching materials Are either online available or Uploaded.
Course breakdown Active Participation 30%
Writing practices 30%
Final 10-15 Play 20%
Translation 20%
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Total 100%
Participation: Show up and be present! Engage the course content by asking pointed questions and making meaningful comments. Any course, no matter how sexy or well-planned in theory, will only be as good as the integrity and intellectual investment both the students and the instructor put into it.
Final Play: You will Complete the final Play gradually through the writing practices in the quarter
Translation: We will work to gether to translate an Iranian Play to English! Super Exiting!
Disability Resources for Students: If you need any type of accommodation, please contact the Office of Disability Resources for Students. I am more than happy to work with Disability Resources to provide appropriate accommodation for you.
Self-Care/Community-Care: There is no learning without self-care. It is important to care for our body, mind, and spirit while we are in school. Toward that end, there are many different kinds of support services on campus, including the Counseling Center, Hall Health, and the IMA. If you are concerned about yourself or a friend who is struggling, Safecampus, at 1-800-685-7233, is a very helpful resource to learn more about how to access campus-based support services.
Given the fact that many services on campus are not operative per usual due to Covid-19, please reach out about your personal needs. I will work with you to find a good method of accommodation. Ultimately, the best type of self-care is community care and our class will be your community this summer.
Religious Accommodation: It is the policy of the University of Washington to accommodate student absences to allow students to take holidays for reasons of faith or conscience or for organized activities conducted under the auspices of a religious denomination, church, or religious organization, so that students’ grades are not adversely impacted by the absences. Click here to read further.
Academic Honesty: Students are expected to treat their fellow classmates and instructors with honesty and respect throughout the course. All exam answers and posters must reflect original work. No form of cheating is acceptable. The following link has information on academic honesty, plagiarism, and consequences. Students are expected to adhere to the University of Washington Code of Student Conduct which can be found at the following link.
Civility for All: I am committed to creating a space that is inclusive to all. By all, I mean whoever may be reading this. The University of Washington is committed to fostering an environment where the free exchange of ideas is an integral part of the academic learning environment. Disruption of classroom discussions can prohibit other students from fully engaging and participating. Any student causing disruption may be asked to leave any class session, and, depending on the severity and frequency of that behavior, an incident report may be filled with Community Standards and Student Conduct. As a condition of enrollment, all students assume responsibility to observe standards of conduct that will contribute to the pursuit of academic goals and to the welfare of the academic community. For more detailed information on these standards, please visit here.
Make-Up Policies: I am quite flexible as long as you communicate with me in advance.
Resources:
-M.R.Ghanoonparvar and Green John, Iranian Drama, An Anthology, Mazda Publishers, California,1989.
-Parsa Soheil and Others, Stories from the rains of love and death, Playwrights Canada Press, Toronto,2006.
-Sahamizadeh Nazanin, New Iranian Plays, Aurora metro publicaions, UK, 2022.
-Floor, Willem, The Story of theatre in Iran, Mage Publishers, Washington DC,2005
https://youtu.be/WBlJkTHxPqE?t=1
https://youtu.be/WBlJkTHxPqE?t=1
Syllabus and The Schedule
*The Reading and watching materials will Post gradually
*That is tentative like everything in the life
Week 1- Everyone has a voice: your narrative is your currency
Requirement: Reading Chapter Six of " The History of Theatre in Iran" ( Uploaded in the files)
3/28: - Introduction: Who are you? What are we going to do this Beautiful Spring?
- writing games: Words are our precious cells!
-An introduction to playwriting in Iran.
3/30: - Reading the writings.
- writing exercises in the class
-What we are going to translate: در دوزخ نوشتم
Week 2- Sources of writing: Arts and writing, the art of writing
Requirement: Reading the Play: The Death of the King ( The English translation is in the Files.)
4/4:-Reading the exercises
-Writing exercises in the class
- Drama writing in Iran: The Death of The king By Bahram Beyzaii
4/6:-Reading the writings
- writing exercises in the class
-Translating the Play
Week 3- Sources of writing: Treasure of reality
Requirement: Reading The Stories from the rains of love and death by Abbas Naalbandian ( Uploaded in Canvas)
4/11:- Reading the writings
- Writing exercises in the class
-Drama writing in Iran: The Stories from the rains of love and death by Abbas Naalbandian ( Uploaded in Canvas)
4/13:- Reading the writings
-Writing exercises in the class
- Translating the Play
Week 4- Drama Writing: Will, Desire, and conflict
Requirement: Reading "Behold The Man" By Mohammad Rezayii Rad ( Uploaded in Canvas)
Special Guest: Mohammad Rezayii Rad
4/18:-Reading the writings
-writing exercises in the class
- Drama writing in Iran: "Behold The Man" By Mohammad Rezayii Rad
4/20: -Reading the writings
-Writing exercises in the class
- Translating the Play
Week 5- Character: The Core of a play
Requirements: Reading English by Sanaz Toosi
4/25: - Reading the wrings
-Writing exercises in the Class
- Sanaz Toosi and ENGLIH
4/27: - Reading the writings
- Writing exercises in the class
-Translating the Play
Week 6- The art of Plotting: A Situation, Hundreds of the Plot
Requirement: Reading A moment of silence by Mohammad Yaghubi( Uploaded in Canvas)
Special Guest: Mohammad Yaghubi
5/2:-Reading the writings
- Writing Exercises in The class
-Mohammad Yaghubi and A Moment Of Silence
5/4:- Reading the Writings
- Writing exercises in the class
- Translating the play
Week 7: The Art of Dialogue
Requirements: Reading Amid the Clouds by Amir Reza Kuhestani ( Uploaded in Canvas)
Special Guest: Amir Reza Kuhestani
5/9:-Reading the Writings
-Writing exercises in the class
y- Amir Reza Kuhestani and Amid the Clouds
5/11:-Reading the writings
- Writing exercises in the class
- Translating the Pla
Week 8- Towards writing a short 10-15 min dramatic piece
Requirement: Reading the Language of Wild Berries,By Naghmeh Samini, Translated by Torange Yeghiazarian.(Uploaded in Canvas)
Special Guest: Torang Yeghiazarian
5/16:- Reading the First drafts
-The Language of wild berries and the translation of Iranian Plays
5/18: -Reading the First Drafts
- Translating the Play
Week 9- Table reading for the Short dramatic pieces
5/23: - Table reading of the Short Plays
5/25:Table reading of the Short Plays
week 10- Table reading of the translation
5/30 - Table Reading of the Translation
Image: Hamlet performed in Tehran