THEA-250: World Theatre History I

Traces the development of dramatic art and the history of theatrical production from its ritual beginnings to the English Restoration. It will place dramatic art and theatre history in context by engaging with the social, political and cultural conditions of specific historical moments. Topics of study will include Greek Drama, Roman spectacle, Sanskrit Drama, Noh Drama, early Medieval religious and secular theatre, Italian commedia dell'arte, Renaissance and Baroque pageantry, and the English Restoration. The approach will be a documentary one. Students will read specific play texts in conjunction with primary evidence, both textural and pictorial, using both to illuminate the creation and history of theatre. FILA general education: fine arts and music. Offered alternate years.