Spring SAVY 2018, Day 1- Unpacking Adaptation (3rd/4th)
Students of Unpacking Adaptation: From the Page to the Stage,
Thank you for an outstanding first session! I so enjoyed meeting — and, in the case of former students, re-meeting — each and every one of you. I suspect we have a fun and invigorating class ahead of us.
We played a lot of games today. I took a valiant stab at learning your names, and I thank you in advance for your continued patience should I fail remember them; I’ll have everyone’s name by the end of next session, I promise. We played Telephone, Mutation, and two different versions of The Sketching Game. Of course, concepts of adaptation carried through all of our activities, as we noticed progressive changes in sounds, sentences, and creative expressions.
We defined adaptation as a process of change. We also identified examples of adaptation, ranging from the sciences to the arts (I was particularly intrigued by your ideas about architecture). These ideas coalesced around the work that we will do in class, utilizing adaptive tools to unpack C.S. Lewis’ THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE.
You received a crash-course in Aristotle’s POETICS, the the 4th Century BCE treatise that identifies the six hierarchical elements of drama: Plot, Character, Theme, Diction, Music, and Spectacle. These are key concepts for our work, and you did a wonderful job of unpacking some brief stories and poems. Who knew when class began that they’d be talking about Harry Potter, Luke Skywalker, and Humpty Dumpty?
Finally, you amassed a number of impressive new words in our terminology bank. Do tell your parents about “atrophy” “pre-cognition” and “prognostication.” And if anyone remembers the translation of the Greek word “opsis” and its odd literal application pertaining to ancient Greek theatre, I’m sure your parents will be amused.
Have a great week, my friends. I’m looking forward to our time together next Saturday, when we’ll join a Pevensie child or two on their journey through the wardrobe…
Best,
David