Laughing Through Tears: The Comedy of Beckett, Pinter, and Frayn

In this seminar we will explore various comic forms in the plays of Samuel Beckett, Harold Pinter, Tom Stoppard, and Michael Frayn, including farce, satire, comedy of manners and menace, situation comedy, and parody. Students will be engaged in class discussion, oral presentations, film viewing, and extensive written work. Acting experience is helpful but not a requirement. 3 hrs. sem.