THE 211 History and Literature of the Theater: Ancient Greece to the Spanish Golden Age
The study of major theatrical works written between the golden age of classical Greek drama and the plays of the Spanish Golden Age will provide the main focus of this course. Attention will be paid to the history of the theater in these periods, the stage conventions and practices prevalent in these eras, along with discussion of varying interpretations and production problems inherent in each play. Among the works to be read and discussed are The Oresteia, Antigone, Medea, The Bacchae, The Eunuch, Dulcitus, The Second Shepherds’ Pageant, Everyman, Lady Han, The Mandrake, Doctor Faustus, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Othello, Volpone, The Masque of Blackness, and Life is a Dream. The plays will be discussed as instruments for theatrical production; as examples of dramatic structure, style, and genre; and, most importantly, as they reflect the moral, social, and political issues of their time. This course is offered in the fall semester, 2009-2010 and alternate years.
Credits: 1
|