123210 VO Literatures in English (2015S)

In his survey on Modern American Drama, Christopher Bigsby wonders about the neglect of the genre. "Whatever happened to American Drama? Why is it that literary critics [. . .] find so little to say about the theatre in general and the American theatre in particular?" Counteracting his diagnosis, this lecture course will provide a selective survey on the genre and theories of American drama, from its origins in Native North American performances through the twenty-first century;including canonical plays by Eugene O'Neill, Tennessee Williams, or Arthur Miller as well as less frequently produced work (e.g., by Suzan-Lori Parks, Eve Ensler, or Hanay Geiogamah).