Topics in Media Writing (360-0-23)

Topic

Wrtg Terror: Ghosts & the Occult on Stage & Screen

Instructors

Jennifer Lauren Rumberger

Meeting Info

Annenberg Hall G28: Wed 12:00PM - 2:50PM

Overview of class

This course explores the ghost story in horror films and theater performance, with the study of occult films like The Exorcist and Hereditary, and plays like Lucas Hnath's The Thin Place, Conor Mcpherson's Shining City, and classic works like Macbeth. We will explore the purpose and effect of the ghost/occult story to provide depth in storytelling, to create a physical reaction in the audience, and to inspire nostalgia and psychological insight. Teaching method: Class participation, in class writing exercises. Students will workshop and complete the first act (30 pages) of a terror-driven play or screenplay.

Registration Requirements

Regular registration, graduate students can secure a place ahead of time.

Class Materials (Required)

Students will need access to a computer.

Required: Wonderbook: The Illustrated Guide to Creating Imaginative Fiction by Jeff VanderMeer

ISBN 1419729667

Required: On Poetry and Style by Aristotle

ISBN 0872200728

Required: Shining City by Conor McPherson

ISBN 1559362553

Required: Macbeth by William Shakespeare

ISBN 1904271413

Required: Peerless by Jiehae Park

ISBN 9780573705878

Required: The Thin Place by Lucas Hnath

ISBN 9780573709036

Class Materials (Suggested)

Recommended: Danse Macabre by Stephen King

ISBN 1439170983

Class Notes

All films will be available for viewing online via CANVAS. Additional readings may be assigned to the class via handouts and electronic copies.

Enrollment Requirements

Enrollment Requirements: Students must have completed RTVF 260-0 in order to register for this course (concurrent registration is not allowed) Students must have completed RTVF 260-0 in order to register for this course (concurrent registration is not allowed)