Papers are to be 5 pages long, double-spaced, with a clear introductory paragraph stating
your thesis (argument) as well as the main supporting points. In your paper, you should:
italicize the titles of plays and provide page number references for all quotes and specific
textual references.
Please choose to answer one of the following questions:
1. We have studied several plays in class. Please compare two of the plays and
reflect on how the different plays allow for a range of approaches to questions of
inclusion and discrimination?
2. Playwrights develop different techniques to tell the stories of people who come
from different ethnic, racial and cultural backgrounds. Reflect on how two of the
following plays do this from among the plays we read this term.
3. Some of the plays we have read focus on important historic events or adapt
previous plays. Address the way one play allows the playwright to explore a
theme based on an historic event or a previous play.
4. Analyze the way one of the plays we have read is structured by making reference
to the following terms: point of attack, inciting incident, climax and structure.
Choose the two play comparisons below
Susan Glaspell, Trifles (PDF provided)
Lynne Nottage Intimate Apparel (eform of the text is available in the library)
Suzan-Lori Parks Top Dog / Underdog (the eform is available at the UCR library, PS3566.A736 T662001)
Lope de Vega, The Widow of Valencia (PDF provided)
Heather Raffo, 9 Parts of Desire (Hard Copy is in the library on reserves)
Luis Alfaro, La Mojada (Film version & anthology The Greek Trilogy of Luis Alfaro)**
Euripedes, Medea (PDF at https://www.gutenberg.org/files/35451/35451-h/35451-h.htm)
Trans. Gilbert Murray (but any version will do)
August Wilson, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom***
*The PDF versions, when available will be listed under “course materials” in iLearn. If you have difficulty accessing the materials, please let me know.
** You can view La Mojada as performed for an online viewing at the Kirk Douglas Theater with the Getty Museum and the CTG: