Devising, Adaptation and Docudrama

ENGLISH LITERATURE 3227


This course explores three ways of theatre-making that have revolutionized the contemporary stage: devising (a collaborative process emphasizing physical techniques to realize ideas), adaptation (the transposition of a narrative from one mode to another), and docudrama (the self-conscious staging of history through the assemblage of documentary records). Beginning with a focus on the current "postdramatic theatre" and the pre-histories of these contemporary practices, we will engage current scholarship on each form, learning the "how" and "why" from contemporary practitioners, while considering the rhetorical structure of each form in relation to the social meanings they generate for their audiences. Divided into 3 units, the course will combine the study of each method with hands-on practice, and

will conclude with a showcase featuring an original performance created by the student collective.

A theme (variable by semester) will unite the three sections of the course, helping students see how a single topic can be illuminated in different ways through these three methods of creating performance.
Course Attributes: EN H; BU Hum; AS HUM; AS LCD