| Course Title: Intermediate Courses in History and Theory: 'From Civil War to Factory Floor: 200 Years of History Plays' |
| Start Date: 01/27/2026 End Date: 05/12/2026 |
| Term: Spring Semester 2026 |
| Description: The word theatre, derived from the Greek word theatron, means "seeing place". How do plays reflect vital aspects of time, place, and people? In this class, we'll use dramatic texts as lenses through which to better understand key historical periods and movements of the last 200 years. What new perspective can we gain from Suzan-Lori Parks' dramatization of the American Civil War in Father Comes Home From the Wars? How does Brecht's Mother Courage reflect the rise of fascism in the late 1930s? What does Tony Kushner's Angels in America tell us about the impacts of HIV/AIDS in the 1980s? And how does Lynn Nottage's 2015 play Sweat invite us to grapple with the complexities of polarized politics in 21st Century America? Students will endeavor to engage critically with these questions, and more. This course will have a moderate to heavy reading-load and will culminate in a significant research paper. |
| Distribution(s): I - Humanities , SI - Speaking-Intensive , WI - Writing-Intensive , TP - Topics Course |
| Academic Level Of Course: Undergraduate | Credits:4.00 |
| Faculty | Phone | Email address |
| Olivia Finch | ofinch@mtholyoke.edu |
| Meeting Dates | Method | Meeting days | Meeting times | Building name | Room | Frequency |
| 01/27/2026 - 05/12/2026 | Lecture | Monday and Wednesday | 10:00AM - 11:15AM | THEA - Rooke Theatre | 105 | Weekly |
| Requisite Courses | ||
| Prereq: 4 credits in Film Media Theater. | Take previously | Required |
| Comments |
| Additional Comments |
| Course Tags | ||
| FMT0004 | FMT-CR: Critical Studies | This course has been approved to count towards the Film, Media, Theater major in the Critical Studies area. |
| FMT0001 | FMT-HS: History | This course has been approved to count towards the Film, Media, Theater major in the History area. |
| Cross-listed Sections |
| None |
| Course Availability | ||||
| Section status: Open | Capacity: 18 | Enrollment: 16 | Available: 2 | Waitlist: 0 |
BOOK INFORMATION
| Book List | Required | Publisher Full Price |
| Title: Angels in America Author: Kushner, Tony Copyright: 2017 Edition: Volume: ISBN: 9781848426313 Publisher: Nick Hern Books |
Required | 22.00 |
| Title: Father Comes Home From the Wars Author: Parks, Suzan-Lori Copyright: 2015 Edition: Volume: ISBN: 9781559365000 Publisher: TCG |
Required | 10.00 |
| Title: Cambodian Rock Band Author: Yee, Lauren Copyright: 2024 Edition: Volume: ISBN: 9781559369817 Publisher: Theatre Communications Group |
Required | 15.00 |
| Title: The People Before the Park Author: Adkins, Keith Josef Copyright: 2025 Edition: Volume: ISBN: 9780573711664 Publisher: Samuel French / Concord Theatricals |
Required | 15.00 |
| Title: Sweat Author: Nottage, Lynn Copyright: Edition: Volume: ISBN: 1559365323 Publisher: TCG |
Required | 15.00 |
| Additional Book Comments |
| This is NOT the complete book list for this class. |