Theatre 203: F/Theatre History Since the 17th Century

Spring 2010 Melanie Blood

MWF 11-11:50 121 Brodie

Brodie 214 blood@geneseo.edu, IM TheaProfonCall, x5840

Office hours: MWF 10, TR 10:30

SYLLABUS

English Restoration: Read Brockett ch. 9, pp. 201-08, 223-26 ed 10 (pp. 211-17, 232-37 ed 9)

W 1/20 Course Introduction; video excerpts from Stage Beauty and Cyrano

F 1/22 English theatre conventions, Playwrights and genres; Actors/acting,

Read The Rover Acts 1-2, by Aphra Behn (p. 536 in Anthology)

M 1/25 Read “Playhouse Flesh and Blood” by Maus (p. 622 in Anthology),

SKIM Dryden's "Preface to Troilus and Cressida" (p. 612 in Anthology

W 1/27 Read The Rover Acts 3-5, by Aphra Behn (p. 549 in Anthology)

Oral Report Option 1

Required production: Vocal Miscellany presents Rent by Jonathan Larson. Directed by Sarah Rychlik and music directed by Chris Blasting. Th 1/28-Sat 1/30 at 8 pm. Wadsworth Auditorium. Tickets $8 (bbo.geneseo.edu x5583)

18th Century England: Brockett ch. 9, pp. 208-23 ed 10 (pp. 217-232 ed 9)

F 1/29 18th Century theatre conventions; Loosening of genre requirements; Sentimental drama; “Lesser forms”: pantomime and ballad opera

M 2/1 Read Beggar’s Opera by John Gay

Beggar's Opera video

Oral report option 2

Late 18th Century: Age of Enlightenment; France and Italy: ch. 10 pp, 229-33 ed 10 (pp. 242-46 ed 9) (Italian design); pp 235-44 ed 10 (pp. 248-259 ed 9) (French Drama, Acting Troupes)

W 2/3 English acting innovations, Italian design innovations, French playwriting and Theory

Read: segment of Beaumarchais’ The Marriage of Figaro (mycourses)

F 2/5 Read: Diderot selection from “Paradox of the Actor” (mycourses)

Read: “On Acting Hamlet” Thomas Betterton and David Garrick sections, Anthology p. 439.

Romanticism: Brockett ch. 11 pp. 256-69, ch 12 pp. 283-94 ed 10 (pp. 270—285, 290-92; ch. 12 pp. 293-313 ed 9)

M 2/8 German theatre: Lessing to Sturm und Drang movement

Goethe and Weimar Classicism

W 2/10 Read Faust Part I , pp. 29-120 (through Witch's Kitchen) by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Recommended Production: VegSOUP presents 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee by by Rachel Sheinkin and William Finn. Directed by Chantel Helbig. Thurs-Sat 2/11-13 at 8 and Fri at 11. Black Box Theatre. Tickets $6 (x5833, bbo.geneseo.edu)

F 2/12 Library Instruction (Research Day); Milne 105

You should be prepared with your oral report topic, and some final essay ideas, and should have tried to find academic articles and books so the librarian can address specific difficulties.

M 2/15 Read Faust Part I , pp. 121-end by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Oral report option 3

W 2/17 Spread of Romanticism to England and France; Romantic actors

Melodrama and theatre in the United States to 1870: Brockett ch. 9 pp. 223-26, ch. 13 pp. 309-21, ch. 14 pp. 323-333 ed 10 (pp. 237-239, ch. 13 pp. 328-339; ch. 14 pp. 342-345 ed 9)

F 2/19 Origins of US theatre

Popular theatre of the 19th century; Spectacle; Actors

M 2/22 Minstrelsy, Melodrama, other genres in US theatre

W 2/24 Read The Octoroon by Dion Boucicault, Acts 1-3 (p. 1141 in Anthology)

Early film of Uncle Tom's Cabin

F 2/26 Read The Octoroon by Dion Boucicault, Acts 4-5 and alternate ending (p. 1155 in Anthology)

Oral report option 4

Early Modernism: Brockett ch 15 pp. 355-57, ch. 16 all ed 10, (ch. 15 pp. 368-70, 374-377, ch. 16 pp. 388-402, 406-408 ed 9)

M 3/1 Development of Realism in theatre literature then practice, little theatres

Read “Naturalism in the Theatre” by Emile Zola (p. 1064 in Anthology)

W 3/3 Read A Doll House by Henrik Ibsen (p. 666 in Anthology)

Doll House video

Oral report option 5

Required Production: Wings by Arthur Kopit. Directed by Randy Kaplan. Wed-Sat 3/3-6 at 8, Sun 3/7 at 2. Austin Theatre. Tickets $7 (bbo.geneseo.edu x5583).

F 3/5 Russian theatre; Stanislavsky and Chekhov

Read Stanislavsky "Direction and Acting" in Anthology (p. 1070)

Stanislavsky videos

Midterm Exam Essay Question distributed

M 3/8 Read Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard, Acts 1-2 (p. 758 in Anthology)

W 3/10 Read Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard, Acts 3-4 (p. 772 in Anthology)

Oral report option 6

F 3/12 Midterm Examination; take-home Essay due in class

M-F 3/15-19 – SPRING BREAK

Modern Alternatives to Realism: Brockett ch. 17, all (9^th and 10^th eds); ch. 18 pp. 409-428, ch 20 pp. 460-63 (Czech and German for Svoboda and Brecht) ed 10; (ch. 18 pp. 427-446, ch. 20 pp. 479 (Svoboda), 481 (Brecht post WWII) ed 9)

M 3/22 Appia and Craig: Design, lighting theory; jump to Josef Svoboda Expressionism

Read Craig, section of “First Dialogue” (mycourses), Expressionism handouts

W 3/24 Dada, "Dada" video; Surrealism, Artaud, Futurism

Read "The Theatre and It's Double" by Antonin Artaud, (p. 1084 in Anthology), and class handouts on Dadaism, Futurism

Optional Show: Orchesis Beyond the Studio Mirror dance concert. Austin Theatre. Thurs 3/25 – Sat 3/27. Alice Austin Theatre. Tickets $5. (x5833, bbo.geneseo.edu).

F 3/26 Biomechanics, Constructivism, Bauhaus (Read class handouts)

"Brecht on Stage" video

TOPIC AND 3 SOURCES DUE FOR TERM PAPER

M 3/29 Read Mother Courage and Her Children by Bertolt Brecht, through scene 3 (p.

857 in Anthology) and Brecht’s “Theatre for Pleasure or Theatre for Instruction” (p. 1075 in Anthology)

W 3/31 Finish Mother Courage and Her Children by Brecht, scene 4-end (p. 872 in Anthology

Oral report option 7

Optional Show: Musical Theatre Club Revue. Austing Theatre. Thurs 4/1-Sat 4/3. Alice Austin Theatre. Free.

Theatre of the Absurd: Brockett ch. 20 pp. 451-59 ed 10; (pp. 469-477 ed 9)

F 4/2 Existentialism and Theatre of the Absurd;

Read “Theatre of the Absurd” by Martin Esslin (p. 1091 in Anthology)

M 4/5 Read Endgame by Samuel Beckett (p. 918 in Anthology)

Oral report option 8

W 4/7 Endgame video; other absurdists and their influence

Read: Beckett “On Directing Endgame” (p 1105 in Anthology)

Recommended production: Veg SOUP presents: The Shape of Things by Neil LaButte. directed by Christina Bauerle and Kate Tubbs. Black Box Theatre. Thurs-Sat, 4/8-10, 8 pm, Fri at 11. Tickets $6 (bbo.geneseo.edu x5583).

African Theatre: Nigeria and South Africa: Brockett ch. 25 pp. 568-75, 591-99 ed 10; (pp. 578-586, 602-609 ed 9)

F 4/9 Tribal performance traditions; colonialism; post-colonialism

Read: “A Global Theatre” and “Postcolonial Perspectives” pp. 1509, 1510 in Anthology)

M 4/12 Theatre styles in Nigeria

Yoruba opera video: Oba Kosa

Read Death and the King’s Horseman, Act 1-3, by Wole Soyinka (p. 1586 in

Anthology)

W 4/14 Read Death and the King’s Horseman, Act 4-5, by Wole Soyinka , Frank Rich’s review of Horseman (p. 1600, 1825 in

Anthology)

Oral report option 9

Deadline for term paper argument IF you want help

F 4/16 South Africa; township musicals

Read Sizwe Bansi is Dead by Fugard, Kani, and Ntshona (mycourses)

Sizwe Bansi is Dead video

Oral report option 10

US and English Realistic Theatre 1930's-1968: Brockett ch. 19 pp. 434-47 ed 10; (452-465 ed 9), ch. 21 pp. 472-86 ed 10; (pp. 490-504 ed 9)

M 4/19 The Realistic Tradition in England and the US; Playwrights, actors/acting, design, directing

T 4/20 GREAT Day—look for Acting Beckett and/or Shakespeare

W 4/21 Read Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller (p. 1240 in Anthology)

Oral report option 11

Optional production: Dance Concert. Thurs 4/22-Sun 4/25, 8 pm, Sun at 2. Alice Austin Theatre. Tickets $8 (bbo.geneseo.edu x5833).

F 4/23 Read Look Back in Anger by John Osborne excerpt (mycourses)

Read “Tragedy and the Common Man” by Arthur Miller and “on Death of a Salesman” by Jo Mielziner (p. 1485, 1498 in Anthology)

Evolution of Off and Off-off Broadway and Regional companies

ROUGH DRAFT of Term Paper; final deadline 5 pm

Political Theatres, Postmodernism, Performance Art from the 1960’s –2008. Brockett ch. 23 pp. 511-534 ed 10; (pp. 529-551 ed 9), ch. 24 pp. 538-48 ed 10; (pp. 562-566, 568-76 ed 9); Worthen Anthology box p. 1130

M 4/26 Read Dutchman and “The Revolutionary Theatre” by Amiri Baraka (p. 1275,

1486 in Anthology)

Political theatres of the 1960’s-70’s

W 4/28 Read Fires in the Mirror by Anna Deveare Smith (p. 1397 selections –TBA in class, in Anthology).

Recommended production: GENseng Asian American Performance Ensemble presents directed by Randy Kaplan. 4/29-5/1 Thurs 7 PM, Fri 4 PM, Sat 2 PM, Robert Sinclair Theatre; Tickets $7 (bbo.geneseo.edu x5833).

F 4/30 Read Angels in America by Tony Kushner, Acts 1-2 (p. 1366 Anthology)

M 5/3 Read Angels in America by Tony Kushner, Act 3

Take home essay question for final exam distributed in class

Final draft of Term Paper due in my box by 5 pm

M 5/10, 12-3. Final Examination. Take home essay question due. Brodie 210.