RLFR 240 - Moliere in Performance

Institution:

Williams College

Subject:

French

Description:

Like Shakespeare, the work of France's greatest playwright is less a timeless monument than a living body, perpetually in motion, yet constantly changing. This course offers a dual approach to the theater of Moliere. The first half of the semester will focus on readings and analysis of printed plays: Le Depit amoureux, L'Ecole des femmes, Tartuffe, Le Misanthrope, L'Avare, Le Bourgeois gentilhomme, Les Fourberies de Scapin, and Le Malade imaginaire, among others. We will consider the broader socio-political, intellectual, and aesthetic forces at work in the Age of Louis XIV, as well as the formal and thematic features of each play. Turning from the seventeenth century to the twentieth, the second half of the semester will examine modern interpretations of Moliere, especially those of major theater directors including Jouvet, Planchon, Vitez, and Mnouchkine. Discussions will be informed by viewings as well as interviews, reviews, and critical essays. Throughout the semester, we will explore the dynamic relationships between tradition and innovation, elite and popular culture, actors and audience, past and present. The semester culminates in student-led micro-performances inspired by our readings, viewings, and discussions. Conducted in French.

Credits:

3.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

French 201, 202, or 203, or by permission of the instructor

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Seminar

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.williams.edu

Phone Number:

(413) 597-3131

Regional Accreditation:

New England Association of Schools and Colleges

Calendar System:

Four-one-four plan

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