Do you enjoy "an evening at the theatre" but want to know more about what you're seeing? Have you ever wondered if knowing about historical context of a play, a theatre company, or a style would help you better enjoy a production you see? If so, this is the class for you! Through a timed series of readings and guided discussions, we'll educate ourselves as audience members for four local theatre productions put on by four different companies.
The first session of the course will be a general introduction. Then one week we'll read a play or the source material and explore it from a literary, dramatic, and historical point of view. You'll see the production, and the following week we'll come back together to explore what we saw, considering performance style, technique, and production values. Discussions of the plays and the productions will be facilitated by an instructor trained in theatre history and dramatic theory, and experienced as a director and dramaturg.
This course requires attendance at the four plays. Students will be responsible for securing their own tickets to the following productions: A LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA at Arena Stage (see between 3/30 and 4/5), METAMORPHOSIS at Synetic Theatre (see between 4/13 and 4/19), LADY WINDEMERE'S FAN at the Little Theater of Alexandria (see between 4/27 and 5/3) and AMERICAN BUFFALO at Studio Theater (see between 5/11 and 5/17).
Handouts & Links:
handout - course guidelines (.pdf)
handout - resources & glossary terms (.pdf)