Theatre Arts 275/English 256
The Seeds of Modern Drama
Professor Mazer
Fall 2009
519 Annenberg Center, 3-2659; cmazer@english.upenn.edu
Office Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays, Noon-1:20, and by appointment
September 10 Introduction
September 15: Alexandre Dumas, fils, The Lady of the Camelias (Camille) (bulkpack)
September 17: Emile Zola, Thérèse Raquin; Preface to Thérèse Raquin (bulkpack)
September 22: Henrik Ibsen, A Doll House
September 24: A Doll House (cont.); G. Bernard Shaw, “Ideals and Idealists” and “The Technical Novelty of Ibsen’s Plays,” from The Quintessence of Ibsenism (bulkpack)
September 29: Ibsen, Hedda Gabler; Shaw, “Hedda Gabler,” from The Quintessence of Ibsenism (bulkpack)
October 1: Ibsen, The Master Builder
October 6: Gerhart Hauptmann, The Weavers (bulkpack)
October 8: August Strindberg, Miss Julie (including the Preface).
October 13: Miss Julie (cont.); Una Chaudhuri, “Private Parts: Sex, Class, and Stage Space in Miss Julie” (Blackboard)
[Approximate due date: first take-home assignment]
October 15: Ibsen, Peer Gynt
October 20: Georg Büchner, Woyzeck
October 22: Frank Wedekind, Spring Awakening
October 27: Strindberg, A Dream Play
October 29: Anton Chekhov, Three Sisters.
November 3: Three Sisters (cont.)
November 5: The Three Sisters (cont.)
[Approximate due date: second take-home assignement]
November 10: G. Bernard Shaw, Mrs. Warren’s Profession (including “The Author’s Apology,” at http://www.gutenberg.org/files/1097/1097-h/1097-h.htm.
November 12: [TO BE ANNOUNCED]:
November 17: Shaw, Major Barbara (including the Preface).
November 19: Major Barbara (cont.)
November 24: H. Granville Barker, The Voysey Inheritance (bulkpack)
[THANKSGIVING]
December 1: The Voysey Inheritance (cont.)
December 3: Elizabeth Robins, Votes for Women! (electronic text available at http://www.indiana.edu/~letrs/vwwp/robins/votes.html
December 8: John Millington Synge, Playboy of the Western World, at http://www.gutenberg.org/files/1240/1240-h/1240-h.htm
December 10: Catch-up and conclusions.
There will be TWO take-home essay assignments (approximately 5 pages), plus ONE final paper (approximately 10-12 pages), due at a date to be announced during reading and exam period, on a topic that must MUST BE APPROVED IN ADVANCE. Attendance in class is crucial; CHRONIC ABSENCE OR LATENESS WILL BE COUNTED AGAINST YOU.
The following books can be purchased at the Penn Book Center, 34th and Sansom Sts.:
Henrik Ibsen, Four Major Plays v. I
August Strindberg, Miss Julie and Other Plays
Henrik Ibsen, Peer Gynt
Georg Büchner, Complete Plays
Frank Wedekind, Spring Awakening
Anton Chekhov, Plays
G. Bernard Shaw, Major Barbara
The bulkpack can be purchased at the Campus Copy Center, 39th and Walnut.
The listserv for this course is THAR275-401-09C@lists.upenn.edu. You have been subscribed automatically. If you do not seem to be on it, or if you drop the course and wish to be unsubscribed, please send a note to cmazer@english. Several electronic scripts and articles are available on the Blackboard website, to which you have been automatically subscribed.
The syllabus for this course is available at http://www.english.upenn.edu/~mazer/2750f09.htm. Make a bookmark on your web browser for this site.