• English 8
• Electives
• English Course Selection

What makes theater exciting? What makes it dangerous? What does performance offer that reading does not? This course will explore how theater makers of different cultures and eras have answered these questions as we study the structure of stories and the tools we use to tell them on stage. As we read theatrical works and historical sources from diverse but connected traditions, we will consider the role of costume, mask and makeup, movement, and stage space in establishing character, developing plot, and evoking emotion. Students will learn to think like performers, producers, and critics; assessments will include performances, creative projects, and written reflections. This is a course for students who are interested in theater, history, or storytelling in any medium.

Works studied may be drawn from traditions including classical Greek tragedy, feudal Japanese nō, Yuan Dynasty zaju, 17th-century French and Spanish drama, 19th-century Italian opera, and 20th-century movements including realism, epic (Brechtian) drama, post-colonialism, and devised theater. This class is open to 11th and 12th grade students as a selective.

Essential Questions

• What are the core components of a story?

• What methods and materials do theater makers use to tell stories?

• What kinds of stories get told on stage? Who is represented? What conflicts are investigated? What counts as resolution?

• What opportunities does live performance afford? What challenges does it present? What risks does it pose? What feelings should it inspire?

• How can performing help us understand stories and texts? How can we use performance to develop and communicate our interpretation of stories and texts?