Readings

[W] = Worthen, W. B. The Wadsworth Anthology of Drama, Brief Sixth Edition. Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2010. ISBN: 9781428288157.

SES # TOPICS READINGS
1 Overview No readings assigned
2

Drama: Realism, Semiotics (I)

  • Glaspell, Trifles (1916)
 [W] Glaspell, Susan. "Trifles."
3

Drama: Realism, Semiotics (II)

  • Elam, The Semiotics of Theatre and Drama (1980)
 Elam, Keir. "Foundations: Signs in the Theatre." Chapter 2 in The Semiotics of Theatre and Drama. 2nd edition. Routledge, 2002. ISBN: 9780415280181.
4

Western Origins: The Stranger (I)

  • Aristotle, Poetics (c.335 BCE)
 [W] Aristotle. "Poetics."
5

Western Origins: The Stranger (II)

  • Sophocles, Oedipus The King (431 BCE)
 [W] Sophocles. "Oedipus The King."
6

Western Origins: The Woman (I)

  • Euripides, Medea (431 BCE)
 [W] Euripides. "Medea."
7

Western Origins: The Woman (II)

  • Euripides, Medea (431 BCE)
 [W] Euripides. "Medea."
8

Western Origins: Religious Drama (I)

  • Hrotswitha, Dulcitius (965–75?)
 The Plays of Roswitha: Dulcitus, Internet History Sourcebooks Project, Fordham University.
9

Western Origins: Religious Drama (II)

  • Anonymous, The York Crucifixion (c. 1376 CE)
 [W] Anonymous. "The York Crucifixion."
10

Theatre Review

 No readings assigned
11

Classical Japan (I)

  • Kan'ami, Matsukaze (15th century)
  • NOH drama

[W] Kan'ami, Kiyotsugu. "Matsukaze."
12

Classical Japan (II)

  • Zeami, "A Mirror Held to the Flower" (1424)

Workshop on Paper 1

 [W] Zeami, Motokiyo. "A Mirror Held to the Flower."
13

The Transition to Modern Europe (I)

  • Calderón, Life is a Dream (1636)

[W] de la, Barca, and Pedro Calderón. "Life is a Dream."
14

The Transition to Modern Europe (II)

  • de la Cruz, Loa to the Divine Narcissus (1687)
 [W] de la Cruz, Sor Juana Inés. "Loa to the Divine Narcissus."
15

Discuss and prepare group presentations

 No readings assigned
16

Workshop on Paper 2

No readings assigned
17

Modern / Experimental: Europe (I)

  • Ibsen, A Doll's House (1879)

[W] Ibsen, Henrik. "A Doll's House."
18

Modern / Experimental: Europe (II)

  • Ibsen, A Doll's House (1879)
  • Cixous, "Aler á la mer" (1984)

[W] ———. "A Doll's House."

Cixous, Hélène. "Aller à la mer." Modern Drama 27, no. 4 (1984): 546–8. (Translated by Barbara Kerslake)
19

Modern / Experimental: England (I)

  • Shaw, Major Barbara (1905)

[W] Shaw, George Bernard. "Major Barbara."
20

Modern / Experimental: England (II)

  • Shaw, Major Barbara (1905)
  • Brecht, "The Street Scene" (1938)
  • Brecht. "Three Cheers for Shaw" (1926)

[W] Shaw, George Bernard. "Major Barbara."

[W] Brecht, Bertolt. "The Street Scene."

———. "Three Cheers for Shaw." Chapter 4 in Brecht on Theatre: The Development of an Aesthetic. 13th edition. Edited and translated by John Willett. Hill and Wang, 1977. ISBN: 9780809005420.
21

Twentieth Century Experiments: America

  • Treadwell. Machinal (1928)

[W] Treadwell, Sophie. "Machinal."
22

Twentieth Century Experiments: Performance Art

  • Smith, Fires in the Mirror (1992)

[W] Smith, Anna Deavere. "Fires in the Mirror."

[W] "Aside: Performance Art."
23

Twentieth Century Experiments: Contemporary China

  • Gao, The Other Shore (1985)
 [W] Gao, Xingjian. "The Other Shore."
24 Group presentations (I) No readings assigned
25 Group presentations (II) No readings assigned
26 Group presentations (III); Final class No readings assigned