Description
Dramatic tragedy and comedy have from Classical Greece to the present engaged virtually all the art forms, from poetry to painting to puppetry. The plays students will read in this course bring to life such intellectual currents as classicism, neoclassicism, realism, Modernism, psychological approaches to art, feminism, Marxism, racism and anti-Semitism. More importantly, they typify how great drama blends delight and entertainment with serious art and even ritual. Readings include Lysistrata by Aristophanes; The Love Suicides at Sonezaki by Chikamatsu Monzaemon; Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice; Aphra Behn’s The Rover; Stephen Sondheim’s Sunday in the Park with George; Anton Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard; Henrik Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler; Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun; George Bernard Shaw’s Mrs. Warren’s Profession; and, Hoppla Wir Leben! by Ernst Toller. Two papers, a midterm, a final, as well as class presentations.