This course explores the kinetic transition of drama from static page to multidimensional stage. Tracing 150 years of theatrical evolution, students will engage in a comparative literature approach, pairing close readings of seminal texts with the analysis of live productions. With a trusty copy of Fisher's How to Write About Theater for reference, we begin with the Victorian wit of Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest and the clockwork precision of Christie’s The Mousetrap, before diving into the raw emotional landscape of Williams’ Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. The curriculum then pivots to contemporary works where smaller student groups can study The Laramie Project, Water by the Spoonful, or Father Comes Home From the Wars. Students will oscillate from auteur theory, studying the playwright's singular vision, to the collaborative necessities of stagecraft, where the shared efforts of producers, directors, and actors redefine the work and bring it to life. By the end of term, students will hone their close reading and analytical writing, take on various acting personas, and draft an original one-act play for good measure! 

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