Spring 2007 Courses

English 412-01: Theater in the Twin Cities (Tarnoff)

T/TH 1:00-2:30pm, HUM 228

In this course we will study approximately six plays which we will see performed live in theaters throughout the Twin Cities. Our approach will be interdisciplinary, using theoretical and critical methods drawn from, among others, literary and performance studies. As we move from the space of the classroom (and its traditional privileging of texts) to the space of the theater, we will consider how theatrical spectacles ask us to attend to new and manifold ways in which meaning may be generated through the formative interactions between text, performance, and production. We will also focus on plays as narratives of embodiment and on the relationship between the body on stage and the discursive and material practices that render its identity or character legible to us. The list of plays for this class will be made available in December (by which time all of the theaters we'll visit will have announced their spring season). Requirements will include regular attendance in class, ability to attend theater performances that will take place outside of our scheduled class time, two essays, short response writings, and a research presentation.

Spring 2007 Course Listings