This elective serves as a natural progression for students of stagecraft, shifting the analytical focus from the live stage to the silver screen. Students will engage in the rigorous close reading of highly acclaimed prose works before analyzing their transformations into Oscar-worthy films. With copies of Sklar's Movie-Made America and Bordwell's Film Art close at hand, we will explore the mechanics of adaptation across media by pairing Chiang's "Story of Your Life" and Kesey’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest with their cinematic counterparts. The curriculum also examines the tonal shifts and structural changes found in the filmed versions of Stephen King’s "Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption" and McCarthy’s No Country for Old Men. By investigating what is gained, lost, or reimagined in the adaptation process, students will develop a sophisticated vocabulary for both literary and film criticism. This course challenges students to better understand the unique artistic demands of visual storytelling, and practice the art of adaptation themselves in a culminating creative project. 


This course utilizes a mixed-level classroom model, offering both Advanced and Standard level options.