• The first concession, apart from the fact that you will be working in English, is to length.   If an average tragedy runs about two hours, aim for 45 minutes to one hour—about 700-800 lines.

 
• The second concession is to theatricality.  Your group probably will not have the time or the means to mount a full-scale production with costumes, sets, music—all of which were integral to the ancient tragic experience.  Gear your efforts toward a dramatic recitation of the finished text;  at most you might create masks to represent the characters of your play.  Your primary allegiance, however, should be to the story.

 
• The third concession is to form.  While I do expect you to capture the spirit and power of tragic poetry, I realize that not everybody is (or should be) a poet.  So when it comes to speech and speeches, think in terms of verses, perhaps, but do not worry so much about authenticity of style, meter, or diction.  Write in a manner that strikes the ear as formal, but natural.  This is especially true for choral odes.  As we shall see, the Chorus sang and danced during its odes, but for this project choreographed songs are perhaps too much to ask.  Many modern productions simply have the Chorus speak in  unison, or break up the ode among its members, or both.

Phase I:  Subject matter and scope.  (5%)  The first task is to decide what or whom the tragedy will concern.  Since most playwrights of the fifth century featured mythological characters and situations in their works, I strongly advise you to do the same.  You will find ample mythical material in several online databases or in any mythological compendium or reference work, such as Crowell's Handbook of Classical Mythology (E. Tripp, ed.) in the reference section of Scribner.  You might find it easiest to think in terms of individual heroes or heroines;  with the characters selected first, your group can then decide which of their exploits to dramatize.  In any event, do not select your subject on the basis of novelty, avoiding a myth simply because (say) Aeschylus handled it first.  Rather, let dramatic potential be your foremost criterion.  True novelty lies not in obscurity, but in the telling.  Written requirements.

Phase II:  Brief outline.  (10%)  Once the subject has been determined, your group should then plot the play itself.  Consider which characters will appear, where and when the action takes place, and what events will transpire.  You need not produce an actual script at this point, nor must you track entrances and exits.  Simply determine what happens over the course of the tragedy.  Written requirements.

Phase III:  Full outline.  (15%)  With the cast, setting, and plot in place, your group can move on to a more detailed and technical outline of the tragedy.  In this phase it is time to get specific.  Who is onstage and who offstage?  Who speaks and who is mute?  How many songs does the Chorus sing?—and so on.  Of utmost importance is the structure of the play, whose parts must now be planned meticulously, just short of actual dialogue.  Written requirements.

Phase IV:  Rough draft.  (20%)  Having fully mapped out the play, your group may now proceed to the script itself:  the speeches, the exchanges, the songs, and the like.  Your text should be serviceable, focused more on content than anything else;  the polish comes with the next phase.  That said, the group should write with an eye (or ear) toward the final performance.  In fact, it may be useful to compose the script out loud, as what reads well on the page might sound awful on the stage.  Written requirements.

Phase V:  Completed draft.  (25%)  This phase is very much self-explanatory:  smooth out the rough spots, trim the fat, whatever superficial changes are needed.  Bear in mind that you are preparing what is essentially the libretto of your performance, so the group will want a clean script from which to rehearse.  Written requirements.

Phase VI:  Performance.  (25%)  As discussed above, the performance of your play is best handled as a semi-formal recitation—your group sitting or standing before a select audience, and reading through the text.  Other elements, such as masks, may augment the reading, but are not necessary.  Your audience will appreciate best a well rehearsed reading of a well conceived drama.  Requirement.

1 October.  (Phase I)

Group component:  a list of three possible subjects.  Discuss each subject in one paragraph,  stating your reasons for considering it.  Conclude with a fourth paragraph on which subject the group believes would make the best tragedy.

Individual component:  a brief report of your activities during this phase.  For example, what were your duties?  How did you execute them?  Did you consult any reference works?  If so, which ones?  Be as clear as you can.

13 October.  (Phase II)

Group component:  a brief outline of the tragedy.  Include a tentative cast of characters (remember the "three actor rule"), location and time, and a summary of the action.  In the summary be sure to indicate why the group selected these actions, as well as alternative actions that were rejected.

Individual component:  a brief report of your activities.

3 November.  (Phase III)

Group component:  a full, section-by-section outline of the tragedy, from prologue to epilogue.  As with the brief outline, track the movements of characters, and now give an approximation of what is said and sung.  For example, if someone makes a speech, give the gist of it;  when there is a choral song, note its theme and content.  Be as specific as you can without providing the text of the play.  A reader of your outline should feel as if she has witnessed the play—even though she has not.

Individual component:  a brief report of your activities.

24 November.  (Phase IV)

Group component:  a rough draft of the entire play, scripted in full.  At no point may there be gaps in the text.

Individual component:  a brief report of your activities.

8 December.  (Phase V)

Group component:  a complete draft of the entire play.

Individual component:  a brief report of your activities.

?8-11 December.  (Phase VI)

Group component:  performance (dramatic recitation) of the play.