German Theater from Schiller to Brecht

Catalog description

A history of the German stage from roughly 1800 to 1950, with particular attention to the work of prominent playwrights such as Schiller, Kleist, Buchner, Wedekind, Lasker-Schuler, Fleisser, and Brecht. We will place these artists and their works in the context of German history while also considering their relation to international developments in theater arts. Questions we will consider include: How did the theater relate to national identity? How did the theater serve or oppose political revolution? How was authenticity performed in the theater and how did this change? And how did developments in theater relate to concurrent developments in science and philosophy? Taught in English, with option of reading in English or German.