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CS92PROD
Restoration and 18th-Century Theater
ENGL 252
Fall 2009
Section: 01  

The period between 1660 and 1800 saw a great transformation of England's theaters: The first female actors arrived on the stage and established themselves as celebrities; managers experimented with scenery and spectacular stage effects; and authors developed new dramatic forms to suit the tastes of a changing audience. The plays from this period are remarkable not just for their dazzling wit, irreverence, and formal audacity, but also for their vigorous engagement with the central concerns of the Enlightenment: the proper balance of political authority and liberty; the rise of commerce and empire; the competing claims of family, property, and sexual desire; and the relationship between popular and polite culture. A central focus of the class will be on the theater of the time as a porous social and cultural space, where different classes, parties, and genders mixed with unique freedom and often explosive consequences.

Essential Capabilities: Speaking, Writing
Students will be required to participate in intensive class discussions and to make group presentations. The class will also be writing intensive. Students will write three (4-5 page) essays and 6 short response papers of 300-500 words.
Credit: 1 Gen Ed Area Dept: HA ENGL
Course Format: DiscussionGrading Mode: Graded
Level: UGRD Prerequisites: None
Fulfills a Major Requirement for: None
Past Enrollment Probability: Not Available

Last Updated on MAR-29-2024
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