AJ24084 Contemporary Drama in English: Comparative Perspectives

Faculty of Arts
Autumn 2008
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 2 credit(s) (plus 3 credits for an exam). Recommended Type of Completion: zk (examination). Other types of completion: z (credit).
Teacher(s)
doc. Mgr. Pavel Drábek, Ph.D. (lecturer)
doc. Mgr. Tomáš Kačer, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
Jeffrey Alan Vanderziel, B.A.
Department of English and American Studies – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Tomáš Hanzálek
Timetable
Mon 18:20–19:55 G31
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
The capacity limit for the course is 20 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/20, only registered: 0/20, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 0/20
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 12 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
The course is designed as a thematic survey of the development of contemporary drama written in English and the reflection of political oppression and later transformation in the concerned countries. It approaches the dramas from comparative perspectives anchored in the theories of Post-colonial and Minority Studies with regard to the particular authors and their works. The dramas have been written in the following (some partially) Anglophone countries and cultures: South Africa, Nigeria, Northern Ireland, and United States of America. The main authors dealt with in the course are the following, respectively: Athol Fugard, Wole Soyinka, Brian Friel and August Wilson. The course approaches their works in the context of the histories and cultural studies of the individual countries/cultures (individual plays will be dealt with from a synchronic point of view); this serves as a basis for studying how the authors dealt with the sociopolitical situation and its change in their countries (works by more than one author will be approach from a synchronic point of view, and two or more works by one or more authors from a diachronic point of view). It also focuses on the issues of the representations of racial, opinion and religious differences, their social consequences and the reflection of the social changes in the plays. It approaches theses issues from a comparative perspective.
Syllabus
  • 1. Introduction. 2. Approaches to reading drama. Drama and theatre. The theatrical performance. Discussion. 3. Post-colonialism, African-American studies and the Civil Rights Movement, History of Northern Ireland (lectures). The setting of issues and goals of the course. Discussion. 4.-6. The South African Experience(s) - from the apartheid to transition to reconciliation: "The Blood Knot", "Hello and Goodbye", "Valley Song" (A. Fugard), "Coloured Son X" (A. Johaardien). 7. The Nigerian reaction - "Opera Wonyosi" (W. Soyinka). 8.-9. Religion, Politics and Violence in the Northern Ireland - "Philadelphia, Here I Come", "Translations" (B. Friel). 10.-11. Race, Politics and Emancipation - the Civil Rights and America - "Fences", "The Piano Lesson" (A. Wilson). 12. Conclusion.
Literature
  • FRIEL, Brian. Philadelphia, here I come! (Obsaž.) : Plays. 1 [Friel, 1996]. Online info
  • FRIEL, Brian. Translations (Obsaž.) : Plays. 1 [Friel, 1996]. Online info
  • ASHCROFT, Bill, Gareth GRIFFITHS and Helen TIFFIN. Post-colonial studies : the key concepts. Online. Repr. London: Routledge, 2002. xi, 275. ISBN 0415243602. [citováno 2024-04-23] info
  • FORTIER, Mark. Theory/theatre : an introduction. Online. 2nd ed. London: Routledge, 2002. 266 s. ISBN 041525437X. [citováno 2024-04-23] info
  • BIGSBY, C. W. E. Modern American drama, 1945-2000. Online. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000. xii, 453. ISBN 0521794102. [citováno 2024-04-23] info
  • WERTHEIM, Albert. The dramatic art of Athol Fugard : from South Africa to the world. Online. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2000. xv, 273. ISBN 0253215048. [citováno 2024-04-23] info
  • 2 + 2 plays. Online. Edited by Fiona Coyne - Ashraf Johaardien - Heinrich Reisenhofer - Oscar Peterse. Cape Town: comPress, 2000. ix, 218. ISBN 0919833063. [citováno 2024-04-23] info
  • FUGARD, Athol. Valley song. Online. 1st pub. London: Faber and Faber, 1996. 54 s. ISBN 0571179088. [citováno 2024-04-23] info
  • FUGARD, Athol. The township plays. Online. Edited by Dennis Walder - Athol Fugard. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1993. xxxiv, 236. ISBN 0192829254. [citováno 2024-04-23] info
  • FUGARD, Athol. Blood knot and other plays. Online. New York: Theatre Communications Group, 1991. 202 s. ISBN 1559360208. [citováno 2024-04-23] info
  • ORKIN, Martin. Drama and the South African state. Online. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1991. 263 s. ISBN 071902577X. [citováno 2024-04-23] info
  • SOYINKA, Wole. Six plays. Online. Edited by Wole Soyinka. 1st publ. London: Methuen, 1984. xxi, 407. ISBN 0413553507. [citováno 2024-04-23] info
Assessment methods
Classes: active participation in discussion is required. Assessment: Active participation (20%), max. 2 absences; Position papers (5 of 1-2 pages, 30%); Essay (7-9 pages, comparison of min. 2 plays; 50%)
Language of instruction
English
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2007.
  • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
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