Patricia Denison

Awesome class, great seminar format that prioritizes in-class discussion and participation about the plays that you read. Every class (except roughly 3) follows the exact same structure: 1 student or a pair, depending on the size of the class, gives a presentation on the play the class had a week to read/watch, involving lots of class discussion and student participation. Incredible array of readings (she does shift them semester by semester) that encompasses classics to more unique and lesser-known plays, and gives you a broad understanding of the modern American drama. Plus, you get to see 2-3 plays in person, many times on Broadway!!!!

Even though this FY seminar has a much higher workload than others (reading 1-2, dense full-length novels/plays per week with assignments) it is really enriching and rewarding! I would not advise someone who does not like theatre to take this seminar but if you do then it is a 10/10. Getting to go see on/off broadway shows with the class and have non-graded discussions where you simply talk with your classmates about what you read/watched was an incredible experience and I wish I could take another seminar like it! The workload can be a bit overwhelming but then again, it is pass/fail! Professor Denison is just as invested in the readings/plays as she expects from her students and provides good feedback on essays that very clearly show where you need to improve/if you are doing well.

I must disagree with the previous review. Pat Denison is NOT useless. Yes, sometimes her tangents may seem irrelevant in the beginning, but she always ties them back. She did an absolutely stunning job arranging the syllabus so that the readings related well and the class maintained a very nice flow. She contributes in discussions because she is interested in the material and has valuable knowledge and experiences to share. In this class, I always felt encouraged to share my thoughts even if they weren't fully developed yet. PD respects her students and recognizes how crazy life can be for them. I left this class with a great deal of knowledge and insight without once feeling overwhelmed by the workload. At the end of the semester, she invites the entire class to her apartment for a nice brunch. I felt like I developed a beneficial relationship with a thoughtful woman, not just a professor.

This professor is a joke. She leads shallow discussions on great texts. She doesn't seem to know much about the books and relies on the students (who don't know anything either) to run the class. She comes to class 10 minutes late EVERY TIME. She is a DC native with what I think is a fake British accent. She grades her papers like a bad fifth grade teacher, overlooking content to correct the tiniest grammatical mistakes. Completely mediocre class.

The essays and the 30-minute (will turn into an hour) presentation can seem daunting, but with the security of pass/fail and the resources in class, it will be fine! The one-page responses after every reading/play can also seem like a lot on paper, but they are not very formal writing and are more a way for you to write out any thoughts about the readings without stress.

Professor Denison is, unfortunately, useless. She is a nice enough woman, but she is actually incapable of making some very interesting readings useful to you. Her teaching style is RIDICULOUS - this is a seminar class, and so discussion is supposed to be encouraged. She interrupts everyone, even the person making a presentation every lesson (which everyone has to do), and makes discussion virtually impossible. When she interrupts, her points are virtually useless - she is off-topic, she rambles, and she tells long, irrelevant anecdotes about her life. Really, it makes this class SUCK. If you can avoid her, do. If you can't, I'm sorry.

Shes pretentious alright: British accent, well dressed, wife of Quigley, but shes a nice down to earth lady. She'll go to plays with you, invite you over to her house, and let you meet her kids. HOWEVER, she's a hard grader. She lies when she says that she grades from class participation, response papers and presentations - she only cares about PAPERS. Yep, shes a harsh grader and gettting a B+ is an accomplisment. It's a hard class to get an easy grade, but she's caring and you do learn in the class. So access yourself.

I don't know how exactly this happened, but I wandered into this class on the first day as a first-year without any concept of the fact that the class would be populated almost exclusively by seniors. Professor Denison warmly invited me to sit in on that first class, and told me at the end that I could stay. Now, as a junior, I realize what a gesture that was. The difference in competence between a first-year and a senior's writing in an English class is huge, but Professor Denison gave me a chance to prove myself in a setting that was fun and interesting, albeit a bit loose in its organization. I earned a B+ at the end of the semester, and Professor Denison announced to the class while we sat in her apartment that I was the only first year there. For me, Prof. Denison embodies the warmth, encouragement, and attention to individuals that Barnard is all about. Along with a couple of other phenomenal English teachers, Professor Denison seduced me into and English major with a theater concentration, and has proven herself to be a thoughtful, helpful and caring advisor. I agree that if you appreciate a dry and empirical experience, the class is not for you. However, if you can adapt to the conversational and elegant way that Prof. Denison shows her love for Shakespeare's work, she will not only enchant you, but will remember your face as well as your work long after the class is o…

Professor Denison though offers little guidance in terms of class discussion (the students do it all). She seems to put little effort into grading papers, and the effort she does put in is to correct the odd grammatical error. Her seemingly false British accent can be unnerving, but she's friendly, so her course in not unbearable. This is a mediocre course at best.

I don't know what the previous review was referring to, Professor Denison is not a joke. She is a charming, sweet, stylish woman who led wonderful discussions and created an air of comfort in her class. This was my favorite class of the semester, the readings were interesting and the two/three required shows we attended were, if not remarkable, entertaining. Denison is always available for help outside the classroom. She is open about her life, telling the class stories about her daughters and inviting us to her home. The class environment was always engaging and insightful. I would recommend any class with this Professor!