ENG 155 - O'Neill, Miller, Williams: Forces in Modern American Drama

Institution:

Long Island University-C W Post Campus

Subject:

Description:

An intensive study of three playwrights who changed the course of American drama and branded it with a distinctively American quality. Eugene O'Neill, the son of the country's leading actor, knew early-century American drama intimately and decided to set out in a completely different direction. He rejected the popular melodramas; instead, he wrote searing personal tragedies and attempted to capture in his work the quality of ancient Greek tragedy. He wrote of prostitutes, farmers, young wives and domineering fathers. He created new theatrical styles and wrote Long Day's Journey into Night, often called the greatest American play. Arthur Miller broke theatrical ground in completely different ways: he experimented with surrealism in Death of a Salesman, now an American classic. In the body of his work, he continued to probe questions of guilt, individual perceptiveness and moral responsibility, and he continued to master a range of theatrical styles. Tennessee Williams, a genteel Southern rebel, abandoned the predominantly realistic tradition, feeling it was exhausted and called for a "plastic theatre" in which every scene was crafted as a living sculpture. These three playwrights established the uniqueness of American drama in the early twentieth century. Readings in the course will include the major works of the three playwrights. Prerequisites of ENG 1 and ENG 2 are required.

Credits:

3.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.liu.edu

Phone Number:

(516) 299-2900

Regional Accreditation:

Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Semester

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