Engl. 2307: Introduction to Drama Instructor: Geneva Canino In this course, we will be reading dramatic plays and
performances with a focus on issues of gender and sexuality. As
we read, we will approach these texts through a literary, as well
as a dramaturgical lens. This means that we are not only
concerned with the standard literary concerns of theme and
genre, but also with author, audience, staging, and above all, the
socio-political context into which these plays appear. Your
assignments will reflect these concerns. We will also be
discussing gender roles, gender identities, representation of
sexuality, and the historical periods that are produced and/or
reflected in these texts. Additionally, each unit will include
viewing of at least one production of the works we are discussing
in class, so that we can analyze the staging, performance, music,
and direction that go into creating the work as a whole. Students should expect to read a whole work or related scholarly
text per week; a reading load of roughly 50-200 pages. You will
be expected to participate in-class discussions, in-class
assignments, and complete homework regularly. In addition you
will complete a group dramaturgical project with your peers, write
several short essays to practice analytical skills, and
consummate the class with an final annotated bibliography and
analytical research paper relevant to the course material. We will cover plays ranging from early Greek texts like Lysistrata,
to plays by Shakespeare such as The Taming of the Shrew and
As You Like It, to 20th and 21st century plays including The
Playboy of the Western World, Zoot Suit, M. Butterfly, For
Colored Girls, Tipping the Velvet, Cloud 9, Rent, and 8.