AS 211.346 - 20th Century French Theater and Performance

Institution:

Johns Hopkins University

Subject:

Description:

Taught in English. In this course, we will survey the themes and techniques that marked the theory and practice of theater in France in the 20th century. As we make our way from the early century avant-garde movements such as Futurism and Surrealism to Antonin Artaud’s Theater of Cruelty, from the Theater of the Absurd and mid-century existentialists to the post-1968 turn to collective authorship, our goal will be twofold: First, we will examine the prominent plays of the era as literary products, generated from within specific socio-political contexts. Second, we will attempt to re-construct their three-dimensional lives in performance, how they looked, sounded and felt to those watching. In addition, we will examine how French theater went from being a playwright-centered institution to a director-centered one, and how acting styles transitioned from psychological realism to a focus on the human body. Course materials will include plays, theoretical texts on the theater, as well as directors’ manifestos, rehearsal notes, set and costume designs and filmed recordings of theatrical events. Cross-listed with Theatre Arts and Studies THIS COURSE CAN COUNT EITHER AS A 212 (LITERATURE--AS.212.346) OR AS A 211 (CULTURE) COURSE FOR THE FRENCH MAJOR AND MINORS.

Credits:

3.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.jhu.edu

Phone Number:

(410) 516-8000

Regional Accreditation:

Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Semester

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