Alles Theater!

3 Credits · Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Theater – as institution and aesthetic experience - has been a dominant force in German culture and has greatly influenced the concept of Germany as a Kulturnation. This course aims to provide a socio-historical and literary perspective on German theater from the late 18th to the end of the 20th century. We will explore the following topics through a variety of texts and genres: plays (tragedy and comedy), (auto)biographies, aesthetic/programmatic statements, socio-historical overviews, playbills, reviews of performances, and secondary literature. I. Theater and Nation: Kulturnation Deutschland II. Theater and Class: nobility, bourgeoisie, proletariat III. Theater and Women: as playwrights and actresses We will read, analyze, and interpret dramas from both male and female as well as canonical and non-canonical authors, for instance, Friedrich Schiller, Georg Büchner, Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach, Elsa Bernstein , Berthold Brecht and Elfriede Jelinek. Throughout the course, emphasis will be placed on acquiring content knowledge in combination with refining and improving students’ advanced language abilities. Learners will become more sophisticated users of German through genre-specific written and oral tasks such as plot summaries, Diskussionsprotokolle, oral presentations, leading of class discussions, creative rewrites of scenes, etc. Students should be willing to perform dramatic readings and excerpts from plays. Depending on student interest, a final performance could be included in course. Assessment: Preparation and class participation 30% 3 major written assignments 30% Oral presentations 20% Final performance 20%