AL 34108 - British Theatre: The London Scene

Institution:

University of Notre Dame

Subject:

Arts and Letters (Non-dept.)

Description:

London has been described as the theatre capital of the world, home to a unique blend of privately and publicly funded theatre that midwifes new dramatic writing and nurtures a distinctively British style of acting. Visitors think, perhaps, of Lloyd Webber musicals or The Mousetrap, the world's longest running show, but be warned this course includes no outings musicals or The Mousetrap! We can attend only four productions, so the course will focus on four different kinds of London Theatre, plays in performance in the West End and in at least one publicly subsidized space, the National Theatre on the South Bank. Attendance at the performances is mandatory and the Backstage Tour of the National Theatre is also a course requirement. Students will be given a full list of the visits on the first day of the summer term, but until then all the possible dates should be kept free. It is essential that all students see the same performance of each play, and thereby take part in the same communal experience. (Note, the program will provide the tickets for all performances.) This course aims to explore the nature of the theatrical experience and to develop a properly critical appreciation of its constituent elements. This means that you will become far more aware of what you experience in the theatre and better able to judge how the different disciplines within theatre practice can contribute to that experience, namely, playwriting, acting, directing, proxemics (the use of space) and scenography (the use of set design, costume, lighting and sound). Good theatre demands complete concentration, an absolute involvement that is often for as long as three hours. But in order to arrive at a properly critical response to what is being staged you must also cultivate an intellectual detachment that enables you to talk and write about productions with an informed critical judgment. So you will also learn a basic critical vocabulary which you are encouraged to develop in a 'Theatre Journal', in which all students are required to record their personal opinions, first impressions, and, indeed second thoughts on each production that we go to see. The first of each week's classes with begin with a brief introductory lecture followed by a class presentation by students on particular aspects of play we shall be seeing next. We will work then in detail on the script itself and where appropriate view extracts from earlier performances of the play recorded on VHS or DVD. In the second class of the week students working together again will present their first reactions to what the class has seen and that will provide the starting point for a general seminar-style discussion of the production. REQUIRED READING All students must read Peter Brook's The Empty Space during their time in London. Classes will include a discussion of Brook's ideas and ideals. Copies of Brook's text will be available through the London Summer office.

Credits:

1.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.nd.edu

Phone Number:

(574) 631-5000

Regional Accreditation:

North Central Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Semester

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