This is our catalog of courses. We will occasionally adjust the course listing to reflect the addition of new courses and the retirement of others.
Drama is exciting and learning about Drama is even more exciting! Join professional actor and playwright Kevin O’Brien as he leads us through a brief survey of the History of Drama, showing how Drama expresses and enlightens the Human Spirit!
Duration per class: 55 minutes
Prerequisite: None
Suggested Grade Level: 9th to 12th grade
Suggested High School Credit: 1 full semester Literature or English
Description
This is the High School version of our popular class for Middle School Students. From its beginning in ancient Greece and from its inception in England in the context of the liturgy, drama has always been about man’s relation to God (or “the gods”). This survey course will examine some of the great works of drama and comedy, focusing on how dramatic art grapples with the question of the meaning of life and the revelation of God in the human heart.
Outline
Class One: An Overview of Theater from Ancient to Modern Times.
Class Two: “The Libation Bearers” and “The Eumenidies”
Class Three: Medieval Mummers’ Plays
Class Four: Medieval Allegories: “Everyman” and “The Great Adventure”
Class Five: Scenes from “Julius Caesar”
Class Six: Commedia Dell’arte
Class Seven: “The Forced Marriage”
Class Eight: “The Happy Journey”
Class Nine: “A Doll’s House”
Class Ten: “Rhinoceros”
Class Eleven: American Musical Theater
Class Twelve: “It’s a Wonderful Death”
Materials and Homework
Course Materials: All materials will be provided as PDFs by the instructor.
Homework: Tests, Reading, Midterm, and Final exams. Expect about three hours of homework per week.
