SoC First Year Seminar: Interdisciplinary Topics in Communication Arts & Sciences (101-0-4)
Topic
Adapting Oz for the Musical Stage
Instructors
Brianna Nicole Borger
Elisabeth Hoberman Kinsley
Meeting Info
Louis Hall 118: Thurs 9:30AM - 10:50AM
Overview of class
What compels us to retell old stories in new ways? What's at stake with how we retell them, when and where we retell them, and who does the retelling? This course examines these questions through the lens of musical theatre—specifically, through adaptations of L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, a story whose many meanings have become deeply embedded in the American public imagination for more than a century. Taking a deep dive into The Wizard of Oz, The Wiz, and Wicked (and dipping our toes into the wide range of Oz adaptations across U.S. popular culture), we will explore how adaptive practices and musical theatre form can reinforce, exploit, challenge, and change the artistic, social, and cultural conventions that shape—and are shaped by—this iconic American story as it is retold time and again.
Registration Requirements
Enrollment is restricted to SoC undergraduate first year students.
Learning Objectives
1.To deepen understanding about, and encourage enthusiasm for, research related to diversity. 2.To learn about how scholars from different disciplines examine scientific questions, including the varied methods they use in the process. 3.To engage with scholars from across SoC, including through thoughtful in-class questions and discussion. 4.To consider the many different aspects of the field for communication could be examined and understood and even what cross-disciplinary collaboration might look like.
Class Attributes
SOC First-Year Seminar