DRLIT-UA 730 - 20th-Century Drama

Institution:

New York University

Subject:

Description:

Transportable Drama: Stock character types, dramatic figures, and archetypal plots are to a certain extent independent and transportable terms that appear and reappear in multiple play texts, versions of those texts, and in diverse media. Beyond that, the experience of what we call "drama" is not limited to play texts and their presentation; it is present in fiction, news, film, television, the visual and electronic arts, and advertising. In this course, we explore how the dramatic impulse of several plots, figures, and characters is expressed in play texts and other media across several historical periods. For example, we may choose to look at Zola's novel and play of Thérèse Raquin, followed by Marcel Carné's 20th-century film adaptation. Or, we might examine one or more of the historical Don Juan plays in combination with the Byron poem, the Mozart opera, and/or a modern film treatment. Similarly, Shakespearean texts have been widely adapted to the present day, not only in theatrical spin-offs and films, but also through renderings by visual artists. A play based upon a news event, such as Treadwell's Machinal, may be examined in light of the original reportage and public records. By looking at clusters of related works in tandem, rather than as freestanding objects of study, we will gain a greater understanding of drama as a transportable art form and of adaptation in both its practical and theoretical aspects.

Credits:

4.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.nyu.edu

Phone Number:

(212) 998-1212

Regional Accreditation:

Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Semester

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