Dramatic Changes and Challenges

In this course we will analyze and discuss major changes and challenges to German Drama since the 17th century. Shifting social and political world views in Europe continuously challenge artistic expression and demand new approaches to the production of plays. With Aristotle’s Poetics as a backdrop, students will familiarize themselves with important German plays that altered traditional views on drama and staging. Examining works by Hans Sachs, Lessing, Lenz, Goethe, Schiller, Hauptmann, Wedekind, Brecht, Dürrenmatt, Löhle, and Jelinek, we will follow major shifts in dramatic theory and practice throughout the centuries. 3 hr sem.