Theatre History | life-long-learning

Western Theatre History: Theatre of England and France in the 17th Century

Registration is Required by Nov. 14

When: Mondays: Nov. 17, 24; Dec. 1, 8, 15

Where: San Marcos Activity Center

Time: 10:00-11:30am

Fee: $35.00

In the 17th century, theatre in England and France followed distinct paths influenced by contrasting political and social landscapes. England saw the closure of its theaters under Puritan rule, followed by the bawdy and satirical Restoration comedy. In contrast, France developed a state-controlled Neoclassical tradition defined by a strict set of dramatic rules.

The five class sessions will be a mix of lecture/discussion and participant engagement with representative comedies:

Class 1: Historical and dramaturgical context, England

Class 2: Restoration comedy: The Rover (Aphra Behn)

Class 3: Historical and dramaturgical context, including Neoclassicism and the flap over Le Cid, France

Class 4: Neoclassical adjacent comedy: Tartuffe (Moliere)

Class 5: Course summation and other representative plays

Presenter: Dr. Angela Latham

Angela is an author, artist, and educator. Her essays and performance texts have appeared in various scholarly and literary publications. She is also a practicing theatre artist who holds a doctorate in Theatre History from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Angela is pleased to pick up the thread of Western Theatre History where she left off this past spring in our Lifelong Learning program. She very much enjoys participating in this community by sharing her expertise and learning from the expertise of others. See more at www.angelajoylatham.com.