Introduction to Theatrical Contexts and Research (160-2-25)

Topic

Intro to East Asian Theatre

Instructors

Minjoo Kim

Meeting Info

Locy Hall 213: Mon, Wed 9:30AM - 10:50AM

Overview of class

What are some of the traditional forms of theatrical performances in East Asia, primarily China, Korea, and Japan? How were these traditions adapted, reworked, deconstructed, or challenged in the 20th and 21st centuries? This course first examines major traditional forms of theatre and performance in East Asia, such as Yuan drama and Beijing opera in China, mask dance drama, and pansori in Korea, and noh and bunraku in Japan. After establishing foundational knowledge in these traditional theatrical forms, the course traces how they have been adapted and shifted in relation to political, social, and cultural changes in contemporary East Asia. This course will rely on Anglophone scholarship and plays translated into English, while acknowledging that these works are only the tip of the iceberg. The course primarily centers on plays but also addresses other aesthetic embodied practices such as dance, public protests, and performance art.

This class equips students with critical modes of thinking about theatre as an academic discipline and practice. It features a range of analytical skills and critical approaches for play and performance analysis, incorporating aspects of theatre history, historiography, and performance theory. Through class discussions, readings, study of plays and performances, creative responses, and written assignments, students will develop their analytical skills and learn to craft research papers in a guided process.

Registration Requirements

First-year Theatre majors, attend at 1st class mand

Class Attributes

SoC Humanities and Fine Arts Distro