21L.005 | Fall 2016 | Undergraduate

Introduction to Drama

Readings

[W] = Worthen, W. B. The Wadsworth Anthology of Drama, Brief Sixth Edition. Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2010. ISBN: 9781428288157.

SES # TOPICS READINGS
1 Overview No readings assigned
2

Drama: Realism, Semiotics (I)

  • Glaspell, Trifles (1916)

[W] Glaspell, Susan. “Trifles.”
3

Drama: Realism, Semiotics (II)

  • Elam, The Semiotics of Theatre and Drama (1980)

Elam, Keir. “Foundations: Signs in the Theatre.” Chapter 2 in The Semiotics of Theatre and Drama. 2nd edition. Routledge, 2002. ISBN: 9780415280181.
4

Western Origins: The Stranger (I)

  • Aristotle, Poetics (c.335 BCE)

[W] Aristotle. “Poetics.”
5

Western Origins: The Stranger (II)

  • Sophocles, Oedipus The King (431 BCE)

[W] Sophocles. “Oedipus The King.”
6

Western Origins: The Woman (I)

  • Euripides, Medea (431 BCE)

[W] Euripides. “Medea.”
7

Western Origins: The Woman (II)

  • Euripides, Medea (431 BCE)

[W] Euripides. “Medea.”
8

Western Origins: Religious Drama (I)

  • Hrotswitha, Dulcitius (965–75?)

The Plays of Roswitha: Dulcitus, Internet History Sourcebooks Project, Fordham University.
9

Western Origins: Religious Drama (II)

  • Anonymous, The York Crucifixion (c. 1376 CE)

[W] Anonymous. “The York Crucifixion.”
10

Theatre Review

No readings assigned
11

Classical Japan (I)

  • Kan’ami, Matsukaze (15th century)
  • NOH drama

[W] Kan’ami, Kiyotsugu. “Matsukaze.”

12

Classical Japan (II)

  • Zeami, “A Mirror Held to the Flower” (1424)

Workshop on Paper 1

[W] Zeami, Motokiyo. “A Mirror Held to the Flower.”
13

The Transition to Modern Europe (I)

  • Calderón, Life is a Dream (1636)

[W] de la, Barca, and Pedro Calderón. “Life is a Dream.”

14

The Transition to Modern Europe (II)

  • de la Cruz, Loa to the Divine Narcissus (1687)

[W] de la Cruz, Sor Juana Inés. “Loa to the Divine Narcissus.”
15

Discuss and prepare group presentations

No readings assigned
16

Workshop on Paper 2

No readings assigned

17

Modern / Experimental: Europe (I)

  • Ibsen, A Doll’s House (1879)

[W] Ibsen, Henrik. “A Doll’s House.”

18

Modern / Experimental: Europe (II)

  • Ibsen, A Doll’s House (1879)
  • Cixous, “Aler á la mer” (1984)

[W] ———. “A Doll’s House.”

Cixous, Hélène. “Aller à la mer.” Modern Drama 27, no. 4 (1984): 546–8. (Translated by Barbara Kerslake)

19

Modern / Experimental: England (I)

  • Shaw, Major Barbara (1905)

[W] Shaw, George Bernard. “Major Barbara.”

20

Modern / Experimental: England (II)

  • Shaw, Major Barbara (1905)
  • Brecht, “The Street Scene” (1938)
  • Brecht. “Three Cheers for Shaw” (1926)

[W] Shaw, George Bernard. “Major Barbara.”

[W] Brecht, Bertolt. “The Street Scene.”

———. “Three Cheers for Shaw.” Chapter 4 in Brecht on Theatre: The Development of an Aesthetic. 13th edition. Edited and translated by John Willett. Hill and Wang, 1977. ISBN: 9780809005420.

21

Twentieth Century Experiments: America

  • Treadwell. Machinal (1928)

[W] Treadwell, Sophie. “Machinal.”

22

Twentieth Century Experiments: Performance Art

  • Smith, Fires in the Mirror (1992)

[W] Smith, Anna Deavere. “Fires in the Mirror.”

[W] “Aside: Performance Art.”

23

Twentieth Century Experiments: Contemporary China

  • Gao, The Other Shore (1985)

[W] Gao, Xingjian. “The Other Shore.”
24 Group presentations (I) No readings assigned
25 Group presentations (II) No readings assigned
26 Group presentations (III); Final class No readings assigned

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Fall 2016
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Written Assignments with Examples