Dangerous Acts: Transgression and Collective Feeling in Greek Drama
CCIV 327
Fall 2017 not offered
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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, such as 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 New York City to stage one of the Greek plays. We will collectively edit the text to create our script, do character studies, and work on blocking and acting techniques. 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: None |
Major Readings:
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. |
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