FAQ’s

What is this blog about?

This blog, which you will develop over the course of the semester will be part a journal of your experiences in class and at the performances you attend, and part critique of the work you are seeing. Each blog as been assigned a particular theme or question, that asks you to both describe your reaction to what you have seen, and examine the place of these works in the community of New York City/the US/The world to the best of your ability.

How long should my Blog be?

Blog writing can seem easier than writing a paper- at first. But, in actuality, writing a good blog is just as difficult as writing a lengthy research paper.

You should think of your blog as being something that would be about 1-2 pages long if it were a word document. Because of this, you need to be very concise with your writing, and really organize your thoughts. Often, students try to make their papers longer or pad out a weak or poorly researched idea with “filler” (i.e. long introductory paragraphs and frequent re-statement of the same idea).

What are some tips for writing a better blog?

Blog writing needs to make a clear point in a short amount of space, with well-defined arguments and a passionate point of view.

You shouldn’t try to write what you think I want you to, or what you think is “correct.” The best blogs will speak about your personal experiences and how these have influenced your view of the artworks you will view this semester.

From a critical point of view, you should think of your blog as a way for you to enter the larger conversations that the art community is having about these works, and these issues. What do you have to add to that conversation? This is the kind of thinking that makes for original ideas and original ideas make for an exciting blog.

There are several links to well known theater blogs under the heading “External Links” on our blackboard page. These vary in content and style, and you are encouraged to read them both for information and education, as well as for inspiration. Remember that you cannot re-use any content from the blogs without crediting the source material.

Can I use an idea/comment/quote from someone else in my blog?

Yes. But you must cite your sources. Using a quote, an idea, or cutting and pasting something you found on the web into your blog without proper citations is plagiarism. If you are found to be plagiarizing portions of your blog, you will receive a 0 grade for this assignment, and you will face discipline from the university dean, which can include an automatic F in this course, and possible expulsion from CUNY. Plagiarism is a serious offense, so if you are using material you found somewhere else, err on the side of caution and always use quotes or end notes.

Can I respond to something someone else wrote on their blog?

YES. We have set up your blogs so that you can read and comment and keep a lively dialogue with one another. Please remember that the same guidelines of respect and listening that we use in class apply to the blogs. It’s okay to disagree with each other, but you have to back up your arguments with observations and facts- no snide comments and ad hominem attacks. It’s the Internet, but- keep it articulate, keep it clean…

If you think a point raised in someone else’s blog is relevant to a blog you are writing, then you can quote them. Please see the guidelines for plagiarism and citation above.

Other guidelines/suggestions:

You can write your blog from the point of view that the reader has already seen or read the artwork/play/film/dance piece that you are commenting on. This means there is not a need to summarize the plot or simply describe the artwork. You should be trying to engage with the piece and comment on it, not just offer a bland synopsis of what you saw.

For plays or films, when writing a review, try to touch upon all of the following elements:

1. Acting- what performances stood out to you, good or bad? If you thought they were good, what made them so? If you thought someone gave a bad performance, why (specifically) did you feel this way? Gove examples of how the performance under discussion affected your view of the narrative.
2. Directing- what was the concept of the work? Did the story and ideas come across clearly? How original was the idea?
3. Writing- What did you think of the story? Was the narrative linear, or expressionistic? Did you relate to the characters? To the story in general? How original was the story?
4. Mise-en-scene-Carefully observe the design elements of the piece, costumes, scenery, lighting, and sound. How are they working to help you understand the story (creating a sense of time, place, mood)? Go deeper than just saying “They’re pretty.” Or “I liked it.” Did they support the production’s overall concept? How so?

By examining all of these elements, you are digging deeper into these artworks and trying to understand two key elements- a) what was the artist’s intention with this piece? And b) were they successful in achieving that intention?

While the emphasis of this class is not on proper English grammar, please remember that good writing is clear writing, and blogging is not an excuse for poor spelling, fragments, or incoherent structure. I will be commenting on grammatical errors, especially if they interfere with the overall quality of your blog.

Try to improve the quality of your blogs as the semester progresses. I will be critiquing your blogs in random order every 3-4 weeks throughout the semester, more if you need it. Make sure to read other people’s blogs so you have a strong handle on what others are saying and doing, and also to offer inspiration for how you might improve your own blog.

Contact our trusty tech fellow Tsa-Shiou at tsaishiou.hsieh@qc.cuny.edu if you are having problems uploading information onto your blog, or if you experience other technical glitches.