AMERICAN THEATRE HISTORY ONLINE (THE 369) SPRING 2013

Patrick Bradley
Campus Office Hours: Tues/Thurs by Appointment

COURSE DESCRIPTION
In this course we will examine the history of American Theatre from colonial times to the
present in a seminar and online-environment. Our foundational premise is that theatre is a social
institution, the various components of which (e.g., creators and audiences, market forces,
producing and funding organizations, the critical establishment, training programs, theatre’s
relation to other social institutions, etc.) will comprise the focus of our inquiry. The first half of
the course will cover colonial times to the late nineteenth century and the emergence of a
national theatre tradition, our indebtedness to and divergence from British theatre, the
democratizing forces of early theatre, and the distinction between ―highǁ and ―lowǁ art forms.
The second half focuses on twentieth and twenty-first century developments, especially theatre’s
politicization during the interwar years, the establishment of psychological realism as a dominant
form and style, the rise of counter-establishment theatre, theatre’s relationship to film and other
media, and contemporary developments. Emphasis will be placed on how individual artists and
theatre groups have responded to and represented changes in American society in relation to
issues such as identity (e.g., race, class, gender, ethnicity), multiculturalism, globalization, and
censorship. We will examine historical artifacts, dramatic and performance texts, select theatre
personalities, and significant performances alongside scholarship generated from the fields of
theatre studies and the social sciences.

COURSE OBJECTIVES
If students complete all requirements and readings, they will be able to:
• Understand the history and traditions of theatre, dramatic literature, and theatre/performance
studies as constitutive of the evolution of theatre as a social institution in America;
• Correlate instances of American theatre with political, social, and cultural manifestations at key
historical junctures;
• Describe the significance of practitioners, dramatists, theorists, movements, groups, texts,
manifestos and select performances in the history of American society and culture;
• Analyze artistic responses (individual and groups) to sociopolitical conditions, and how dramatic
character has evolved to be more inclusive of changing notions of identity;
• Utilize a variety of resources for researching topics in theatre history, drama, and performance,
and apply a range of methodologies to assess theatre as a social institution;
• Understand the relationship between theatre (& other representational modes) with the American
popular consciousness, and how they reflect, shape, and conceal social, economic, political, and
cultural realities.
This course supports the objectives of Tier II of ECSU’s Liberal Arts Curriculum. As a
result of this course and the cumulative activities of Tier II courses, students should be able
to:
• Identify and apply diverse methods of inquiry and ways of knowing in making and evaluating
decisions in human affairs;
• Develop the ability to think creatively, and come to value ingenuity and originality by engaging
in multiple modes of problem solving;
• Apply ethical principles to practical problems of life and work.
This course is also designed to meet the learning objectives of the “Individuals and Society”
category of Tier II, which provides opportunities for students to:
• Demonstrate the ability to analyze factors that affect the behavior of individuals and the nature of
social structures and processes;
• Apply the theories and methods of social sciences to social issues and social contexts;
• Evaluate the role of social institutions (e.g. family, government, economics, religion, education)
in the promotion or diminution of human well-being;
• Make informed evaluations of social, economic, and political phenomena and issues.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Weekly Seminars: Required login for 1 hour online sessions to interact with Professor and
other students. Note: Attendance will be taken during the online session. You may login to either
(or both) of the two sessions per week; missing more than one week will result in a reduction of
3 points from the total final points accumulated for each week missed. No exceptions. If you
cannot log-in at either of the times determined, please contact Professor Bradley by e-mail
immediately (bradleypa@easternct.edu) or you may need to drop the course.

Online Discussion: Weekly login to review Learning Modules and other required activities, with
at least one posting to the threaded discussion. Note: Every missed week of postings to the
Threaded Discussion will result in a reduction of 2 points from the total points accumulated.

Online Quizzes: Students must complete 5 of 6 online quizzes (20 points total). These will
normally be due on Sunday, the last day of the seminar week.

Online Assignments: The first two assignments are mandatory (5 points each). Students must
then complete three of the subsequent four assignments (10 points each) (40 points total). Like
the above quizzes, assignments are typically due on Sunday, the last day of the seminar week.

Midterm: Material will be drawn from readings and online Learning Modules (20 points).

Final Exam: Material will be drawn from readings and online Learning Modules (20 points).

Required Texts: All play texts, documents, and artifacts will be located in the Learning
Modules on Vista. Video material will be accessed through several venues, including YouTube,
library reserve, and the Theatre in Video electronic resource. Note: To access Theatre in Video,
students may follow this link: http://www.consuls.org/record=b2866783~S16. Alternatively,
simply search "Theatre in Video" in the ECSU Library database.

Note: If you are a student with a disability and believe you will need accommodations for this
class, it is your responsibility to contact the Office of AccessAbility Services at (860) 465-0189.
To avoid any delay in the receipt of accommodations, you should contact the Office of
AccessAbility Services as soon as possible. Please note that accommodations are not retroactive,
and that accommodations cannot be provided until an accommodation letter from the Office of
AccessAbility Services has been received. Your cooperation is appreciated.
 COURSE OUTLINE
WEEK ONE: January 14 – January 20
MOD ONE (Part I): Orientation to Course Material
Review Syllabus, including Course Requirements & Due-Dates
Read "Orientation to VISTA"
Quiz # 1 (no points) on syllabus and course components

MOD ONE (Part II): Examining Evidence / Colonial Era Theatre

Review Power Point #1
Read Hewitt Chapter (VISTA READING—follow link)
Mandatory Assignment # 1 – (Regarding Hewitt reading)
Threaded Discussion #1

WEEK TWO: January 31 – February 6

Theatre & Revolution
Review PowerPoint # 2
View VISTA Artifacts "Colonial Theatres v. Contemporary Theatres"
Watch Prelude & First Curtains - The Search for an American Voice
(on Library Reserve)
Threaded Discussion # 2

WEEK THREE: January 28 - February 3

Into the Hands of the People
Review PowerPoint # 3
Read Richard Butsch's The Making of American Audiences (1-43)
Read Heather Nathans' Early American Theatre: From Revolution to Jefferson (71-90)
Review Sample Outlines on Butsch & Nathans
Review Artifact: Theatres of Revolutionary Era
Threaded Discussions #3

WEEK FOUR: February 4 to February 10

Towards an American Tradition in Theatre Activities
Review PowerPoint # 4
Read Heather Nathans' Early American Theatre: From Revolution to Jefferson (pgs. 106-
120; 150-169)
Royall Tyler's The Contrast (play) [Available on Project Guttenberg, see link]
Mandatory Assignment #2: Outline Nathans Readings
Assessment Quiz #1 (option): The Contrast
Threaded Discussion #4
 WEEK FIVE: February 11 to February 17
B’hoys, Matinee Ladies, and the Rise of Stars
Review PowerPoint #5 (with audio by David Pellegrini)
Read Anna Cora Mowatt's Fashion (play)
Read Richard Butsch's The Making of American Audiences (80-138)
Assessment Quiz #2 (option): Fashion
Assignment #3 of 6 (option): Outline Butsch reading
Threaded Discussion #5

WEEK SIX: February 18 to February 24

(Melo)dramatizing the Civil War; Toward the End of the 19th Century
Review PowerPoint #6
Read Daniel Gerrould's "The Americanization of Melodrama"
Read George Aiken's Uncle Tom’s Cabin (play)
Read William Winter's "The Art of Edwin Booth: Hamlet"
Threaded Discussion #6

WEEK SEVEN: February 25 to March 3

Midterm
NO READINGS OR POWERPOINTS!
Post Essays online by Sunday, March 3
Students will submit three 3-page essays chosen from six open-ended prompts

WEEK EIGHT: March 4 to March 10

The Rise of Modernism
Review PowerPoint
Read "Theatre of the United States to 1917" and "Theatre and Drama in the United
States: 1917-1941" from Brockett's History of Theatre: Foundation Edition (371-
375; 400-407)
Read excerpt from Brenda Murphy's "Plays and Playwrights: 1915-1945" in Cambridge
History of American Theatre (328-331)
Read Susan Glaspell's Trifles, available at http://www.gutenberg.org/files/10623/10623-
h/10623-h.htm#TRIFLES
Quiz #3 of 6 (option): Trifles

WEEK NINE: March 11 to March 17

Eugene O’Neill, The Father of American Drama
Read excerpt from Brenda Murphy's "Plays and Playwrights: 1915-1945" in Cambridge
History of American Theatre (289-307)
Read Eugene O'Neill's Long Day’s Journey Into Night
(Optional) Watch Long Day's Journey Into Night (Run Time: 3 hours)
Act One: http://youtu.be/WYgPsvvQTno (32 min.)
Act Two, Sc. 1: http://youtu.be/UIUB0L1hRNc (16 min.)
Act Two, Sc. 2: http://youtu.be/-1WfBVtffvw (23 min.)
Act Three: http://youtu.be/mGlL3z8xKac (33 min.)
Act Four: http://youtu.be/eYYxsRmdO2k (70 min.)
 (Optional) Read Eugene O'Neill's Emperor Jones, available at
http://ebooks.gutenberg.us/WorldeBookLibrary.com/empjones.htm
Other Possible Material TBD
Quiz #4 of 6: Long Day's Journey Into Night
Assignment #4 of 6: Create an outline of the PBS documentary on Eugene O'Neill
directed by Ric Burns. Like your previous outline assignments, this should begin
with a brief summary of the director's approach (in your own words). You should
then clarify this argument by showing how the author supports his arguments with
sub-sectioned details. I am primarily interested in what you perceive to be the
primary argument or focus of the piece. Ultimately, the goal is to create an outline
that allows you to quickly view -- not only the linear narrative of O'Neill's life --
but also the events/ideas that are the foundation of his work.

WEEK TEN March 18 – March 24

The Group Theatre and Method Acting
Review PowerPoint (w/ audio by David Pellegrini)
Read excerpt from Mark Fearnow's "Theatre Groups and Their Playwrights" in
Cambridge History of American Theatre (343-45; 356-74) [Note: I provide the
entire article, but you are only responsible for the listed pages!]
Read Foster Hirsch's "Actors and Acting" in Cambridge History of American Theatre
(490-511)
Read Clifford Odets' Waiting for Lefty
(Optional) Confirm Intent for Final Paper by submitting a topic

SPRING BREAK: March 25 – March 31

WEEK ELEVEN April 1- April 7

Arthur Miller, Tennessee Williams, and Post-WWII Theatre
Review Powerpoint
Read Arthur Miller's "Tragedy and the Common Man"
Watch Tennessee Williams: Wounded Genius (Parts 1-5) (45 min. total)
Part 1: http://youtu.be/Ur3XB80FE3k
Part 2: http://youtu.be/bRuj73GW8LI
Part 3: http://youtu.be/8DdL4QxYtQ8
Part 4: http://youtu.be/rVxYtNs70mM
Part 5: http://youtu.be/p3sVRawu6-s
Other Reading/Viewings TBD
Assignment #5 of 6: Research three major revivals of two of the following plays: A
Streetcar Named Desire, The Glass Menagerie, Death of a Salesman, All My
Sons. In a total of four paragraphs (i.e. two for each play), discuss the differing
approaches of the directors, actors, and designers. Try to find at least two reviews
for each production so that, as you begin writing, you will have a wide variety of
perspectives to draw upon. Other documentable production materials (photos,
behind-the-scenes video clips, interviews, etc.) can also be used. Be sure to
include a list of works cited.
 WEEK TWELVE April 8 - April 14
Representing Race & Ethnicity
Review PowerPoint (w/ audio by David Pellegrini)
Read August Wilson's Fences
Read August Wilson's "The Ground On Which I Stand"
(Optional) Read Robert Brustein's rebuttal, "Subsidized Separatism?"
(Optional) Watch American Theatre Wing's episode "August Wilson's Legacy"
Available at: http://youtu.be/Qy3L1HIjCmc
Quiz #6 of 6: Fences
Assignment #5 of 6: Read Amiri Baraka's theatre manifesto "The Revolutionary
Theatre" along with his best-known play Dutchman (both are relatively short) In
2-3 pages, discuss how Baraka's ideology on black theatre differs from Wilson's
and how this is reflected in their respective works. Be sure to account for the
social/political factors that likely contributed to each author's viewpoint. It will be
helpful, before you begin writing, to do some basic research on both authors and
the time period(s) in which they lived. Include a list of works cited if necessary.

WEEK THIRTEEN: April 15 to April 21

Early American Entertainment: Vaudeville and Musical Theatre
Read Thomas Riis' "Musical Theatre " in Cambridge History of American Theatre (411-
442)
Watch Vaudeville excerpts on YouTube
PBS documentary: http://youtu.be/8kbnn3E7Gp8
Historic Footage (1 of 2): http://youtu.be/vZo4imTt4Og
Historic Footage (2 of 2): http://youtu.be/PsVQ9e8nWx0
Other Reading/Viewings TBD
(Optional) Submit Abstract for Final Paper with Draft of Bibliography

WEEK FOURTEEN: April 22 – April 28

Contemporary American Theatre
Read Sam Shepard's True West
Read interview with Sam Shepard from The Paris Review: Playwrights at Work (329-45)
Read excerpts from David Mamet's Writing in Restaurants ("A National Dream-Life," "A
Tradition of the Theatre as Art," "First Principles," and "An Unhappy Family")
(8-11, 19-27, 31-33)
Other Potential Reading/Viewings TBD
Quiz #6 of 6: True West

WEEK FIFTEEN: April 29 – May 1

Final Exam
Final Exam due Sunday, May 5
Final Paper due Friday, May 10 – No late submissions will be accepted!
[Note: I will be available for questions during the usual times for Online Seminars]