History of the American Theatre

Course Objectives: In this course we will look at the history of the American theatre from its beginings to the present day. We will examine how the American theatre has historically reflected the culture and how theatre artists have tried to use the theatrical medium to change the country's basic assumptions. Two points need clarification. 1) This class covers theatre in the U.S. only, not the rest of the Americas. I didn't name the class, or it would be called "History of Theatre in the United States." Make no mistake, I am not so ethnocentric as to assume that "America" means "U.S." 2) Although this is a history class, we will be reading plays each week. This reflects my belief that as far as theatre is concerned, you cannot get a true picture of history without reading how dramatic literature was affected by it. This does not mean that we will look only at text-based theatre. My personal interests lie with non-text-based theatre, so I'll try to get in as much of that as possible. We will not be studying the plays we read in terms of literary concepts or script analysis, however, but will look at them for how they fit with the theatrical practice and cultural milieu of the time. The plays will serve as historical documents for this class.

Course Requirements: 2 Exams and one 4 page paper, plus an in-class presentation. Information about these assignments will be available on the web site. The other significant portion of your grade will come from class participation, which includes answering questions on the online bulletin board system. Since history, especially theatre history, is not an exact science, there is much room for debate about the causes of theatrical trends and even about the basic characterizations of those trends. I will leave as much room as possible for classroom discussion on topics of interest to you. I expect you to come to class with questions and thoughtful comments in mind.

Course Text: American Drama: Colonial to Contemporary Watt and Richardson
Class Packet available at SAS-E Ink

Evaluation:

Attendance Policy: You are permitted 5 absences. (I don't bother with excused or unexcused.) Each subsequent absence will lower your final grade by one-third of a letter grade. On your tenth absence you fail the course. Three tardies (entering the class after I have finished calling roll) equal one absence. You must tell me at the end of class that you were late or risk be marked as absent for the day.

Course Schedule

Week 1
W Jan. 14 - Introduction: Goals and Requirements The Relationship of American Theatre to that of the rest of the world.
F Jan. 16 – The beginnings of American theatre: London goes West.

Week 2
M Jan. 19 MLK day – No Class
W Jan. 21 - Asserting American independence - Read: The Contrast
Read: Moses, The Contrast, American Drama (henceforth AD) pp. 8-18 by 1/26
F Jan. 23 The battle for American minds - Read: Nagler, Stage Battle of Bunker Hill, Audience of the First Park Theater

Week 3
M Jan. 26 - Character types – Read: Metamora
W Jan. 28 American theatre and the Civil War - Read: Nagler, Diagnosis of the Ills of the American Stage
F Jan. 30 Melodramas with a message - Read: Shenandoah

Week 4
M Feb 2 Read: Moses, Shenandoah
Read: AD pp. 147-156 by 2/9
W Feb 4 The beginning of the American class distinction - Read: Whitman, Democratic Vistas
F Feb 6 Vaudeville and minstrelsy - theatre for the lower classes

Week 5
M Feb 9 More vaudeville and minstrelsy - Read: Masaniello - on line and on reserve
W Feb 11 - The 'modern' era brings realism to the U.S - Read: Nagler, Rehearsals Under Daly, An Early American Rehearsal
F Feb 13.- The American identity by region

Week 6
M Feb 16 - Read: The Great Divide, Moses, The Great Divide
W Feb 18 Catch-up and exam review
F Feb 20- Exam #1

Week 7
M Feb 23 'Other' voices begin to be heard - Read: Trifles
Read: AD pp. 338 - 342 by 2/27
W Feb 25 Modernism in the U.S. and the Little Theatre Movement - Read: Wilson, "Community Theatre"
F Feb 27

Week 8
M Mar 1 Expressionism and Feminism - Read: Machinal
W Mar 3 Read: Dickey, Machinal, AD pp. 343 - 349 by 2/5
F Mar 5 - No Class; Susan out of town

Week 9
Spring Break

Week 10
M Mar 15 - Read: Brustein, Legacy of the Group Theatre
W Mar 17 - Political Theatre in the U.S. - Read: Waiting for Lefty
F Mar 19 - more political theatre - The Living Theatre, etc.

Week 11
M Mar 22 - Read: Beck, Notes Toward a Statement on Anarchism and Theatre
W Mar 24 - Reactions to theatrical realism and the continuing conservatism of the American theatre Read: AD pp. 722 - 739 by 3/26
F Mar 26- American Absurdism - Read: The Zoo Story

Week 12
M Mar 29 The Rise of individual voices in the U.S.
W Mar 31- imagistic theatre - Read: A Movie Star Has to Star in Black and White
F Apr 2 - No Class; Susan out of town

Week 13
M Apr 5 - Performance Art - Read: Carr, The Revolution that Won't be Televised; Huxley, Laurie Anderson
W Apr 7 - Controversial Performance Art - Read: We Keep Our Victims Ready
F Apr 9 - Postmodernism

Week 14
M Apr 12 - Contemporary Variety and Popular Theatre - Read: Brustein, Clowns and Vaudevillians; Jillette, Salt in the Wounds .
W Apr 14 - More Contemporary Variety and Popular Theatre
F Apr 16 - Modern Musicals

Week 15
M Apr 19 - Theatrical Realism - still the predominant form - Read: Oleanna
W Apr 21
F Apr 23 - Read: Brustein, Arts Wars

Week 16
M Apr 26
W Apr 28 - Review for exam; or, American Theatre History in 50 minutes of questions.

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