Dangerous Acts: Transgression and Collective Feeling in Greek Drama
CCIV 327
Fall 2014
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01
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The first plays in the history of theater are a form of mass entertainment in democratic Athens--full of action, music, and dancing. At the same time, they stage transgressive acts, like murder and illicit sex, that raise questions for their audiences about warfare, gender relations, and the assessment of responsibility, guilt, and justice on both the personal and the collective level. This course will involve reading the Greek plays along with ancient critical works and modern adaptations to consider questions such as: How do the Greek plays engage their audiences intellectually and emotionally, aesthetically and ideologically? How do ancient poets and philosophers evaluate audience responses and theater itself? How do contemporary dramatists stage the ancient plays to thrill and challenge modern audiences?
During the second part of the semester, we will collaborate with an accomplished actor and director from NYC to stage one of the Greek plays. We will collectively edit the text to create our script, do character studies, work on blocking and acting techniques and more. Questions that we address in the first part of the course will inform our practice to help us inhabit the world of the play and give it new life. |
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| Credit: 1 |
Gen Ed Area Dept:
HA CLAS |
| Course Format: Seminar | Grading Mode: Graded |
| Level: UGRD |
Prerequisites: None |
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Fulfills a Requirement for: (CLST-History, P)(CLST-Literature)(THEA) |
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Past Enrollment Probability: 90% or above |
| SECTION 01 |
Major Readings: Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore
Plays by Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, and Aristophanes.
Selections from Plato's Republic and Laws.
Aristotle' Poetics and Selections from his Rhetoric.
Lycian's On the Dance.
Modern adaptations of Greek plays.
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Examinations and Assignments:
3 papers, short responses, in-class presentation, participation in the production. |
Additional Requirements and/or Comments:
Attendance
Some background in classical literature and/or history preferred. |
| Instructor(s): Visvardi,Eirene Times: ...W... 07:00PM-09:50PM; Location: DWNY100; |
| Total Enrollment Limit: 17 | | SR major: 5 | JR major: 5 | | |
| Seats Available: -1 | GRAD: X | SR non-major: 3 | JR non-major: 3 | SO: 1 | FR: X |
| Drop/Add Enrollment Requests | | | | | |
| Total Submitted Requests: 0 | 1st Ranked: 0 | 2nd Ranked: 0 | 3rd Ranked: 0 | 4th Ranked: 0 | Unranked: 0 |
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