RUSS 402(S) Senior Seminar: Russian Drama and Performance
The theater has been widely called the most collaborative of the arts, involving
the participation of playwrights, artists, directors, designers, musicians, actors,
technicians, and even spectators. This seminar will explore the tension resulting
from the collaborative nature of dramatic performance, as well as attempts to
resolve this tension on the Russian stage. Readings will include a variety of
plays, contemporary theories of drama and the theater, criticism, and reviews. In
addition to reading the classics of the Russian dramatic repertoire (Griboedov,
Pushkin, Gogol, Ostrovskii, Chekhov, etc.), we will also explore the role of drama and performance within Russian culture. All course readings will be in the
original, and the seminar will be conducted entirely in Russian.
Format: seminar. Requirements: active class participation, frequent short writing
assignments, class presentations, and a final research project.
Prerequisites: Russian 202 or permission of the instructor. No enrollment limit
(expected: 3-5).