Drama 494: An Embodied History of Acting:

This course considers theater histories through the bodies and voices of the actors who performed them. Merging theory and practice, it is a course for both theater researchers and theater practitioners. As we share research, practice physical exercises, and create short performances inspired by historical theater forms, we will center the body as the place where theatrical meaning is made. By focusing on five pre-Realism eras—Greek Drama, Noh Drama, Commedia dell’Arte, Elizabethan Drama, and Melodrama—alongside their related global influences and in-common styles, this course empowers actors and scholars by connecting them to a diverse wealth of theatrical forms that they can use today to deepen their craft.