Course Projects

a. Cultural Collection Site-visit Report (minimum 3 pages). In this report you will

·         describe the site you visited,

·         summarize the resources it has relevant to this course,

·         and offer a focused discussion of one or two objects or exhibits and explain their relevance to this course or to your reading for this course.

There are two pre-approved sites: the Chrysler Museum in Norfolk and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond. If you wish to visit an alternative site, you must get the instructor's approval in advance. Sites may include, but are not limited to, museums, art galleries, special college or university collections (e.g. Hampton University, College of William & Mary), or special centers. Within a morning's journey from the campus (Virginia Beach to Richmond) there are many major universities, galleries, libraries and museums; within a day's journey (Washington, DC; Baltimore; Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill; Charlottesville), there are even more. Students should focus their attention on collections of 18th through 20th-century materials from European, African, South American, Middle Eastern, or Asian cultures. A tour of the Chrysler Museum will be offered with notes on its relevant galleries posted on the course's Web site.

 [Point and click here for a guide to relevant galleries and objects at the Chrysler Museum.]  [ Here's an example of a site visit report. |   Here's another example.]

b. Performance Review (minimum 3 pages). Review one live literature-based (play, vocal, choral works) performance. In this review you will

·         Summarize the performance's central themes, motifs, images, elements, or features and analyze how they are related to or use literary texts;

·         to the best of your ability, identify the performers' strengths and weaknesses;

·         define the performance's relevance to this course;

·         and discuss your observations of the performance culture itself (what do people wear, how do they behave, who makes up the audience?).

(I will produce a listing of pre-approved local performances. Please seek my approval before committing yourself to a non-approved performance.)

(Point and click here for a list of pre-approved performances. Please seek Dr. Long's approval before committing yourself to a non-approved performance.)

[ Here's an example of a performance review. | Here's another example.]

c. Film Adaptation Review (minimum 4 pages). Identify a novel or drama from our historical period (17^th century through the 20^th century) that has been adapted for the cinema. Read the novel or play, view the film version of the novel or play, and analyze how the film director adapted and interpreted the novel or film. Your review should give solid evidence that you read the original work, that you have paid close attention to the details of the film adaptation (e.g. what did the director change or cut from the original?). Discuss the director’s interpretation of the original source and evaluate the film’s effectiveness as an adaptation (e.g. how faithful to the text or to the spirit of the book is the film?). Please seek Dr. Long’s approval in advance before committing yourself to a novel or play and film. Suggestions: Some texts have been frequent subjects of adaptation; for example, the Internet Movie Database lists 19 versions of Faust (not to mention numerous films on the Faust theme of selling one’s soul to the devil) Others are less direct; for example, Clueless is widely thought to be adapted from or loosely based on Jane Austen’s Emma.

d. Seminar Presentation (10 minutes). In consultation with Dr. Long, students will focus on a particular topic, question, problem relevant to the general seminar topic, will research it using a variety of sources (paper and electronic), and will make an oral presentation in which they will:

·         introduce the issue or topic;

·         discuss how they researched the topic and identify their research sources;

·         summarize their findings.

The student will also submit a one-to-two page abstract of the presentation and brief bibliography of sources consulted in the preparation of the presentation. The presentations will be evaluated on the following criteria: 1. Research (breadth, depth, complexity); 2. Speaking (audibility, vocal interest); 3. Presentation (clarity, organization, coherence); and 4. Overall Impression (preparation, professionalism, sophistication).