English 150B-A - Fall, 2011

Drama from 1800 to the Present

Class Information

Instructor: Shershow, Scott
Time: TR 9:00-10:20
Location: 192 Young

Description

In this class we’ll study highlights of modern and contemporary drama from Shaw and Wilde at the turn of the century to experimental plays from recent decades. We'll be considering in particular plays that rethink in radical ways the possibility of theatrical comedy, including a few that push the boundaries of representation and taste. We will also pay some attention to the interplay of Bertolt Brecht’s “alienation” techniques and Antonin Artaud’s “theater of cruelty” across various traditions of modern theater.

Reading list:

Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest
George Bernard Shaw, Man and Superman
Bertolt Brecht, The Caucasian Chalk Circle
Sarah Kane, Blasted
Caryl Churchill, Top Girls
Mark Ravenhill, Shopping and F**ing
Samuel Beckett, Endgame and Act Without Words
Suzan-Lori Parks, Top Dog/Little Dog

Grading

Two papers, one shorter and one longer; midterm and final examinations; active participation in discussion sections.

Texts

The Methuen Book of modern Drama: Plays of the 80s and 90s, Terry Johnson, Ed.
Man and Superman, George Bernard Shaw
The Importance of Being Earnest, Oscar Wilde
Endgame and Act Without Words, Samuel Beckett
The Caucasian Chalk Circle, Bertolt Brecht
Top Dog/Little Dog, Suzan-Lori Parks