Topic: 21st Century Dramatic Texts and Inter-Cultural Dialogue

Catalog description

Students in this Learning Community will learn how to read contemporary dramatic literature and use it for discussions on a variety of topics that are relevant for their generation, sexuality, body objectification, history revisited, Islamophobia, mental health, stress disorders, relationships, globalization, immigration, et, al. In addition, students will learn how to utilize theatre as a tool for teaching and how to adapt the material for use in community centers, schools, hospitals, homes and other locations. The course capitalizes on the importance of learning how to make clear yet emphatic writing samples. A play will be the platform for reading it closely but will also invite students to think outside its immediate text. Students will also learn to read the dramatic texts both as literature and as blueprints for live productions through class discussions, readings, and lectures, as well as research projects focused on the backgrounds of the playwrights and productions values demanded by each play. Students will acquire skills in writing exercises and short papers, to express clear and focused concepts that explore the literacy and thematic elements of the plays, as well as their theatrical and social contexts.