This course is devoted to the study of twentieth century American Drama. It contains major dramatic voices in American Literature that have played a great role in determining the distinctive American strengths in modern theatre.The corpus of primary texts includes canonical works by major American playwrights in the 20th century. The aim is to comprehend how far has the historical, social and cultural development of America shaped the plays of major American playwrights. A brief history of American Theatre in both the twentieth and twenty-first century will also be studied. At the end of the course students will be expected to perform  a scene from one of the plays considered during the semester.

COURSE OUTLINE

 Arthur Miller                  The Crucible

  Eugene O'Neill               Mourning Becomes Electra

  Tennessee Williams         A Street Car Named Desire

  Adrienne Kennedy            Funnyhouse of a Negro

INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES

Upon successful completion of this course, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. Articulate orally and in writing an understanding of key concepts and theatre practices in American drama in the 20th century.

2.  Identify the elements of drama, such as form and scenic contrast, symbol and myth, theme and message, language and dialogue, staging and performance, character and conflict

SUGGESTED READINGS

Bigsby, Christopher (1985). A Critical Introduction to Twentieth Century American Drama: Volume 3, Beyond Broadway (Vol. 3). Cambridge University Press

Bigsby, Christopher. (2010). The Cambridge Companion to Arthur Miller. Cambridge UP.

Manheim, Michael, and Cambridge University Press. (1998).The Cambridge Companion to Eugene O'Neill. Cambridge UP.

Page, Y. W. (2007). Encyclopedia of African American Women Writers. Greenwood Publishing Group.

Roudané, M. C. (1997). The Cambridge Companion to Tennessee Williams. Cambridge University Press.

Timings (Spring 2020)

BS VIII(R)  Monday -Tuesday 11-12:30 pm

Assesment

• Mid Term :30
• Project :10
• Presentation: 05
• Class participation:05
• Final exam:50