History of Directing (313-0-20)

Instructors

Dassia N. Posner
Music Communication Building 5-167
Office Hours: M 11am-1pm drop-in and MW afternoons by appointment

Meeting Info

Wirtz 235 Seminar Room: Mon, Wed 9:30AM - 10:50AM

Overview of class

This class examines the role of the director in the theatre from historical, aesthetic, and practical points of view. We analyze the theatrical innovations of a variety of twentieth-century directors, including Stanislavsky, Richards, Kazan, Appia, Tairov, Meyerhold, Littlewood, Brecht, Schumann, Boal, Chong, Wolfe, Wilson, Taymor, Mnouchkine, Kaufman, and others. In each case, we consider the director in historical and artistic context, analyze their view of the theatre, and, when applicable, investigate how this view was applied in a specific production. Students engage in focused research projects on directors of their choice, experiment with production reconstruction, and approach theatre history from the perspective of performance analysis.

Registration Requirements

Pre-reg: Theatre maj/min
Open to all during regular registrations; grad students will need to request a permission number

Class Materials (Required)

All readings and videos on Canvas.
Students will purchase one theatre ticket. $1-25