THEA 301 Topics in Theater and Performance History
Survey
As artists and scholars, we will discuss and study several key moments in theater history from Greek Drama to Medieval religious performances to modern and experimental theater. Throughout the semester we will examine theater-in-context, attending to the circumstances (political, social, historical, and artistic) surrounding the performance event. We will engage with drama theory to deepen our analysis of dramatic texts and the performances of them. With an emphasis on close readings, critical thinking, and creative engagement with the materials, we will interrogate the boundaries between performers and audience and the ways theater makers have used performance to challenge or affirm the status quo. Topics will vary. There is a $25 ticket fee for this course.
History of Indian Performing Arts
This class will delve into the rich and vast history of Indian performing arts and its present forms. Starting at the roots, students will study Indian theater which was an all-encompassing art form that included dance and music as integral elements. The class will include the following: A look at the Naytashastra in its comparison to Aristotle's Poetics; a study of the different forms of theatre (classical and folk) and thereafter the branching out of classical dance; to present day work being done in India in contemporary theater, dance, and Indian cinema (independent vs commercial Bollywood) and its relationship to its roots and how it carries on a performance legacy.
Core Requirements Met
- Fine Arts
- Pre-1800
- Global Connections