"Experiencing London as Audience and Artist"

(1 Credit Hour) · Undergraduate

London is one of the most artistically diverse and culturally rich cities in the world—but how can you as an American student abroad find connection to the arts in this city? This class will challenge you to answer that question yourself, both as a consumer and a creator. To do so, we'll explore film, immersive entertainment, social media, musical theatre, stand up comedy—and many more types of performance-centric art that define London’s cultural history and present. The end goal of this course will be to create a piece of work that reflects how you have spent your semester in London. We will use Shakespeare as a starting point: pick three great speeches and explore their presences in pop culture, watch them in traditional, modern, and experimental performance, and play with them as actors and creatives. Whether you're passionate about history, engineering, politics, music, or theology (and more!) this course will encourage you to use your special academic interests to make a personal connection to the world of London entertainment. This class will use the context of Early-Modern British drama to examine the media landscape of modern London, as well as the personal, academic, and existential experience of being a student in this city. We will experience some of the best entertainment London has to offer, explore ourselves as both audiences and artists, and learn what makes theatre important not only to Britain—but to each of us.