Department of English

This course will explore the current state of the American theatre through an investigation of the work of contemporary American playwrights, directors, theatre companies, and experimental artists and ensembles. The primary focus of the course will be on the reading and discussion of plays by long-established writers such as Edward Albee, August Wilson, Wallace Shawn, and Tina Howe as well as plays such as "Wit," "The Vagina Monologues," "The Laramie Project," "Proof," and others by the new generation of American playwrights. The course will also examine the work of directors such as Anne Bogart and Joanne Akalaitis, as well as the work of local Philadelplhia theatre artists and companies. The course will include attendance at theatre performances and in-class discussion with members of the Philadelphia theatre community.