A study of selected Dramas with emphasis on Brecht's use of images and imagery of "Epic Theater" to re-interpret familiar icons. Attention also given to the role of women in his life and work. Dramas studied include "Caucasian Chalk Circle," "Mother Courage," " Saint Joan Of The Stockyards" and "Three Penny Opera".
Texts:
Thomson and Sacks: The Cambridge Companion To Brecht (CCB)
Brecht:
The Good Person Of Szechwan (TGP)
The Three Penny Opera
(TPO)
Saint Joan Of The Stockyards (SJS)
The Mother (M)
Mother Courage And Her Children (MC)
The Caucasian Chalk Circle (CCC)
Course Packet:
Ladislaus Lob: "German Drama Before Brecht: From Neo-classicism To Expressionism"
in Brecht In Perspective,
ed. G. Bartram, A. Waine , pp. 11 - 29. (LL)
Erwin Panofsky, "Iconography And Iconology: An Introduction to the Study
Of Renaissance Art", in Meaning In
The Visual Arts, pp 26 - 41 (EP)
John Willett, ed., Bertolt Brecht, Poems, 1913 -1956 (selected Poems)
(JW)
Elizabeth Wright, Postmodern Brecht, pp.:1 - 48. (EW)
Raman Seldon, Practicing Theory And Reading Literature, pp 1 - 15;
133 -164 (RS)
Seldon & Widdowson, Contemporary Literary Theory, pp 1 - 9;
174 -193; 203 - 218 (SW)
Course Requirements:
Journals/class discussion/quizzes 30%
(Journals due: Sept. 21, Oct. 28, Dec. 09)
Midterm Exam (Oct. 28) 30%
Final Paper/Project (Due: Dec. 09) 40%
Class Schedule (Reading assignments for next class are in parentheses
at end of each topic.)
Part I. Brecht, The
Man; Brecht, The Artist
Sep. 07 T
Introduction to Course (CCB xvii - 42; 104 - 116)
09 Th Brecht's Germany
and Brecht's Lives (CCB 201 - 217); (JW selected Poems and Notes)
14 T
Poetic Innovation (LL pp 11 - 29); (CCB 167 - 200)
16 Th Theater: Theory
and Practice (CCB 218 - 272)
21 T** Theater: Music, Design,
and Actors (RS 1 - 15; 133 -164) **Journals
Part II. Introduction To Literary
Criticism And Postmodern Brecht
23 Th Iconology,
Literary Criticism, Postmodern Brecht (SW 1 - 9; 174
-193 (SW)
28
T Iconology, Literary Criticism, Postmodern Brecht (EW 11 - 48) (EP
26 - 41)
30
Iconology, Literary Criticism, Postmodern Brecht (TPO); (CCB 43-68)
.
Part II. Dramaturgical
and Critical Discussion of Selected Plays
Oct. 05 T
Three Penny Opera (TPO); (CCB 43 -68)
07 Th** Three Penny Opera (TPO);
(CCB 43 -68) **Trinity Square Production
12 T
Class suspended - Monday's schedule
14 Th
Three Penny Opera (TGP) (CCB 117 - 128)
19 T
The Good Person Of Szechwan (TGP) (CCB 117 - 128)
21 Th
The Good Person Of Szechwan (TGP) (CCB 117 - 128)
26 T
The Good Person Of Szechwan
28 Th** Midterm Exam (SJS);
(CCB 96 - 103) *Journals
Nov. 02 T
St. Joan Of The Stockyards (SJS); (CCB 96 - 103)
04 Th St. Joan
Of The Stockyards (SJS); (CCB 96 - 103)
09 T
No Class
11 Th St. Joan
Of The Stockyards (MC); (CCB 128 - 138)
16 T
Mother Courage And Her Children (MC); (CCB 128 - 138)
18 Th Mother
Courage And Her Children (MC); (CCB 128 - 138)
23 T
Mother Courage And Her Children (CCC); (CCB 153-166)
25 Th Class
suspended - Thanksgiving holiday
30 T
The Caucasian Chalk Circle
Dec. 02 T
The Caucasian Chalk Circle (CCC); (CCB 153-166)
07 Th
The Caucasian Chalk Circle (CCC); (CCB 153-166)
09 Th** Final Discussions **
Journals; Papers; Projects