This is a compulsory second year course for BA Hons Contemporary Theatre students. The work of the module supports the content and practical project work of EA221 and EA222 Expressionism I and II. You will begin the work of this module by learning to make the connections between the different era of the evolution of Commedia as a theatrical form. You will prepare for a site-specific interpretation of a classic text later in the year by acquiring a general understanding of the history, politics and cultural life of the Elizabethan era. From this you will progress to analysis of Shakespeare text in both historical and contemporary contexts. In the second term you will examine the work of influential acting theorists and practitioners of progressively increasing complexity so that by the final term you are equipped to undertake a comparative analysis of a range of styles and forms of contemporary 'political' theatre.
A unique and important aspect of this module is the creative writing content. Throughout the year you will work with a creative writing tutor to develop your ability to write self-created work for performance. By the end of the module you will be prepared to progress to the final year of the degree scheme in which the strongest emphasis is placed on students' own work.
Term One
Origins of commedia as a theatrical form
Social and cultural contexts of commedia
Modern commedia dell'arte applications, eg Copeau, Lecoq
Shakespeare and the Elizabethan era
Term Two
Naturalism and Realism: Chekhov, Stanislavski and Strasberg
Contemporary acting theory: Grotowski, Meyerhold and Biomechanics
Term Three
An examination of the term 'political' in a theatrical context
Playwrights and practititioners associated with political theatre: Dario Fo, Bertolt Brecht, Augusto Boal, John McGrath
The emergence of the American avant garde in the 1960s
Post-modernism in the work of Robert Wilson and Pina Bausch.
A unique and important aspect of this module is the creative writing content. Throughout the year you will work with a creative writing tutor to develop your ability to write self-created work for performance. By the end of the module you will be prepared to progress to the final year of the degree scheme in which the strongest emphasis is placed on students' own work.
Term One
Origins of commedia as a theatrical form
Social and cultural contexts of commedia
Modern commedia dell'arte applications, eg Copeau, Lecoq
Shakespeare and the Elizabethan era
Term Two
Naturalism and Realism: Chekhov, Stanislavski and Strasberg
Contemporary acting theory: Grotowski, Meyerhold and Biomechanics
Term Three
An examination of the term 'political' in a theatrical context
Playwrights and practititioners associated with political theatre: Dario Fo, Bertolt Brecht, Augusto Boal, John McGrath
The emergence of the American avant garde in the 1960s
Post-modernism in the work of Robert Wilson and Pina Bausch.
- Module Supervisor: Zois Pigadas
Category: Loughton