Modern Drama

ENG 340 Winter 2021

University of Toronto

Lenny Henry in The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui (UK, 2017)

COURSE OUTLINE
Instructor: Dr. Matt Jones [email protected]
Lecture: 90-120 minutes, asynchronous, posted on Quercus every Friday afternoon
Workshop: Thursdays, 10-11am (Zoom)
Office Hours: Thursdays, 11am-1pm or by appointment (send me a quick email)

Course Description

“Petroleum resists the five-act form”

– Bertolt Brecht, 1929

This course explores how ideas about the nature and purpose of drama changed in tandem with
the major social, political, intellectual, and artistic transformations of the early twentieth
century. Taking a global approach, we will survey innovations in dramaturgical theory and
practice developed during this period by major figures in European, North American, and
postcolonial theatre. At the centre of these changes lies the contentious question of “the
modern.” How would dramatists find a style that could capture the vast transformations of a
disruptive modernity? And if modernity was often articulated as a Western notion, then how
would postcolonial authors find a style appropriate to their context? The course is framed
around four genres of modern drama: realism, epic theatre, the avant-garde, and the absurd.
We will begin by examining foundational texts in each genre and then exploring how playwrights
in the period engaged with and adapted these models as they sought to express wider realities.
Objectives
By the end of this course, you should be able to discuss major playwrights, theorists, and
movements in modern drama and have a solid sense of the diverse roles that drama has played
in the period. You should have a sense of significant theoretical debates in the discipline and be
able to articulate your own theoretically informed perspective on them.

Course Format
This is an online course. Lectures and workshops will be run via Zoom. The workshop is a live
event that meets synchronously on Thursdays. The following week’s lecture will be posted on
Quercus on Friday afternoons. Students should watch the lecture prior to attending the
workshop. Please check Quercus regularly as this is where course announcements will be posted,
and assignments will be submitted. All students will need to have an active online presence in
the course. Please ensure that your equipment can handle video streaming, and that your
documents are saved and backed up.

Marks Breakdown (details provided in later pages)

Class Participation 10% weekly
Scene Analysis Paper 20% Feb 4
Essay Proposal and Bibliography 10% Feb 25
Online Play Review 20% Mar 18
Final Essay 40% April 12

Required Readings
The texts you will have to read have been posted on Quercus as PDFs or links to online sources.

Plays:
Anton Chekhov, The Cherry Orchard (Russia, 1901)
Rabindranath Tagore, The Post Office (India, 1912)
Bertolt Brecht, The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui (Germany/USA, 1941)
C.L.R. James, Touissant L’Ouverture (USA, 1934)
Karel Čapek, R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots) (Czechoslovakia, 1921)
Roger Vitrac, The Mysteries of Love (France, 1927)
Derek Walcott, Dream on Monkey Mountain (St. Lucia, 1967)
Samuel Beckett, Play (Ireland/Germany, 1963)
Tawfiq al-Hakim, The Tree Climber (Egypt, 1950)
Gertrude Stein, Doctor Faustus Lights the Lights (USA, 1938)

Theory:
Konstantin Stanislavski, “Action, ‘If’, ‘Given Circumstances’” (USSR, 1938)
Bertolt Brecht, “The Modern Theatre is the Epic Theatre” (Germany, 1930)
Antonin Artaud, “Theatre and the Plague” (France, 1938)
F.T. Marinetti, “The Manifesto of Futurism” (Italy, 1909)
Sigmund Freud, Excerpt from “The Dream Work” (Austria, 1913)

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Scholarship:
Elaine Aston, Excerpt from “Room for Realism?”
Anita Desai, “Re-Reading Tagore”
Arnab Dutta Roy, “Deconstructing Universalism”
Elin Diamond, “Brechtian Theory/Feminist Theory”
Cedric J. Robinson, “C.L.R. James and the Black Radical Tradition”
Susan Sontag, “Approaching Artaud”
Irene Gammel and Suzanne Zelazo, “‘Harpsichords Metallic Howl”
Valery Oisteanu, “The Dada Baroness”
Michael Szollosy, “Freud, Frankenstein and Our Fear of Robots”
“The Interpretation of Dreams: A guide to Sigmund Freud's theory”
Franklin Rosemont and Robin D.G. Kelley, “Invisible Surrealists”
Marvin Carlson, “Negotiating Theatrical Modernism in the Arab World”
Sarah Bay-Cheng, “Atom and Eve”

Video:
Anton Chekhov, The Cherry Orchard. Digital Theatre+ https://www-digitaltheatreplus-
com.myaccess.library.utoronto.ca/education/collections/stage-russia/the-cherry-orchard.
Samuel Beckett, Play. Vimeo. vimeo.com/28766126.

Note: all readings should be done prior to Thursday’s workshop.

Submitting Assignments
All assignments should be submitted to Quercus. Please use .doc, .docx, pdf (no .pages files
please!)

COURSE POLICIES

About the Instructor

I am a settler scholar of theatre and performance studies. I have Welsh and German ancestry
and use he-him-his pronouns. My research explores the representation of war, terrorism, and
race in contemporary performance and I'm currently working on a project examining how artists
in the performing arts are coping with COVID-19. You can find out more about my work here:
www.mattjones.space and here: quarantineperformance.weebly.com. You’re welcome to call
me either Matt or Dr. Jones.

Office Hours and Email Policy

You are welcome to meet with me (virtually) to discuss any aspect of the course. In fact, you are
encouraged to do so! I’m happy to talk about the readings, the assignments, or any difficulty you
might be having. I will endeavor to respond to email within 24 hours.

Late Policy
Late assignments will be docked 3% per day. In a case of illness or emergency, please
communicate with me to make alternate arrangements to submit your work.

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No-Fault Extension Policy
Each student may request one extension of up to five days for one assignment in the term. No
reason is required; simply write to me and tell me you would like to claim your extension. Note
that a shorter extension may be necessary for the final essay because of the tight deadline for
submitting final grades to the department.

Smartphones and Laptops and other Distractions

Please try not to do multiple things at the same time while participating in online lectures.
Research shows that multi-tasking while listening is responsible for poor retention of information
and can increase problems with learning (see, for example, this article about the neuroscience of
multi-tasking: time.com/4737286/multitasking-mental-health-stress-texting-depression). Please
leave the Zoom meeting if you wish to use an electronic device for social purposes.

Video Recording and Sharing Policy

This course, including your participation, will be recorded and will be available to students in the
course for viewing remotely and after each session. Course videos and material belong to your
instructor, the University, and/or other sources depending on the specific agreements of each
situation and are protected by copyright. Please do not copy or share any course or student
materials or videos without the explicit permission of the instructor. For questions about
recording and use of videos in which you appear please contact me directly.

Accessibility
This course welcomes students with disabilities, health-related issues, and unique learning styles.
I am committed to accessibility but remember that you need to disclose your disability to me; I
am happy to work with Accessibility Services to ensure that you have everything you need to
achieve your academic goals. If you require accommodations, or have any accessibility concerns
about the course, the classroom, or course materials, please contact Accessibility Services (416-
978-8060/ [email protected]). I am available to meet with you early in the
course, if you wish, to discuss how best to accommodate your needs. I welcome feedback about
the accessibility of this course.

Names and Pronouns

This course affirms the right of students to choose the names and pronouns they wish to be
addressed by, and to change them over time if they choose to. If you prefer to be called a
different name than what is on Quercus, please let me know. Feel free to correct me on your
preferred name, the pronunciation of your name, or your preferred gender pronoun.

Mental Health and Self Care

University studies can place enormous stress on anyone’s mental health, and this is especially
true during a pandemic. The Health and Wellness Centre (located at the Koffler Student Services
Building, 214 College St., 2nd floor) offers many valuable resources to help you cope with stress,
anxiety, and other difficulties you may face during your studies (416-978-8030,
[email protected]).

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Respectful Conduct and Trigger Warnings
I expect that all students will carry out discussions in class and online with civility and mutual
respect. This will be especially important when we discuss subjects that are emotionally and
politically sensitive. This course includes material on racism, colonialism, sexual violence, and
other forms of oppression. Please contact me if you are uncomfortable being in a space where
these issues are presented. We will need to work together to ensure that our classroom is a safe
space for all students, where we can discuss difficult issues of oppression in an environment that
is free from racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, and other forms of
discrimination. Concerns about equity and diversity can be taken up with the University’s Tri-
Campus Equity offices at (hrandequity.utoronto.ca/inclusion/equity-offices) or with the
University of Toronto Students’ Union Vice President, Equity at [email protected].

Academic Writing Resources

Writing skills are innately connected to research skills. Every course you take should be an
opportunity to develop your writing style. To that end, I have listed a number of resources on
Quercus that will help you with your writing and research. The University of Toronto is home to
several excellent writing centre, based in different colleges (writing.utoronto.ca/writing-
centres/arts-and-science/). They produce wonderfully clear handouts on academic writing and
their one-on-one writing tutorials can be useful at any stage of writing.

Academic Integrity
The University’s position on academic integrity is extremely strict. Using other people’s ideas is
fundamental to informed academic discussion but it is equally important to make sure that
people are credited for the ideas they produce. That means that it is imperative that every idea
that is not your own is properly cited. In this class, we’ll be using MLA format to cite other
people’s ideas (see the excellent guides produced by the Writing Centre: writing.utoronto.ca).
The ideas you offer in class, in your reading responses, in your methodology assignment, and in
the final essay will be taken to be your own unless you indicate otherwise. Failing to properly cite
your references can result in severe penalties, from receiving a “0” on the assignment to
suspension or expulsion from the University. For more information, see the Academic Handbook
(www.academicintegrity.utoronto.ca).

Policy on Religious Observances

If you observe religious holy days other than those already accommodated by ordinary
scheduling and statutory holidays, please get in touch with me to arrange accommodation.

Drop Date
The last date to withdraw from this course without academic penalty is March 15, 2021.

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 HOW THE COURSE FUNCTIONS

Each week, we will discuss one aspect of modern drama. We will read one full-length play or two
short plays, as well as theoretical articles and scholarship that examines the week’s theme from
a different angle. The weekly recorded lecture will touch on specific elements of the readings.
Our live meetings will be hands-on workshops during which you can ask questions about the
readings. In addition to group discussions, the workshops will include practical group
assignments that are designed to deepen your engagement with the course material and help
you develop your own critical scholarly response to it. Please come to class prepared to respond
to all the readings.

Class Participation (10%) Weekly

The success of this course depends on everyone’s active and informed participation in class
discussions. I expect every student to contribute to the discussion over the term. I understand
that participating in class discussions can be a difficult art to learn and I do not assume that
everyone will be entirely comfortable with it at the beginning. Your grade will reflect, in part, the
progress you make over the semester.

Scene Analysis Paper (20%) Feb. 4

For this assignment, you can choose a scene from any play we are reading and write a short
analysis of what happens in it (600-800 words). Consider how elements of form and content
shape the meaning of the scene. In terms of content, consider how the dialogue advances the
plot and what the actions tell us about the characters. In terms of form, describe how the style
adds to or alters what is happening in the scene.

Online Play Review (20%) Mar. 18

The university has subscriptions to two services that offer HD video captures of recent
productions, Digital Theatre+ and Drama Online. I will provide a list of productions that
correspond to the era that we are studying. You may choose any production on this list to
review. After watching the production, you will write a short review of the production (2-3
pages, 800-1000 words). You should begin by describing aspects of the performance that stuck
out for you: the set, acting, movement, use of sound, music, lights, and special effects. Consider
everything that happens on the stage as a choice made by the company, then interpret how
those choices affect the meaning of the play, and whether they were successful.

Essay Outline (10%) Feb. 25

Your one-page outline should offer a tentative title and thesis for your final essay. It should
indicate which work(s) of modern drama you will be analyzing and list at least five scholarly
sources that you will be using to support your analysis. Your outline should demonstrate that
your essay idea is specific, interesting, and manageable in the scope of a short essay.

Final Essay (40%) Apr. 12

Your Final Essay can refer to one or more works of modern drama that you have an interest in,
whether we’ve discussed it in class or not. Your essay should demonstrate your skills in close

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analysis and should position your interpretation in dialogue with the ideas of other scholars and
thinkers. You may choose to compare two or three works or analyze a single work. Pay attention
to the ways that the form of the work impacts its meaning. The required length is 1500-2000
words plus Works Cited on a separate page.

COURSE SCHEDULE

Week 1 Jan 14 Drama in the Maelstrom of Modernity

Thinking through global theatre history from the end of the nineteenth century to the early
twentieth. Defining theatre, drama, performance, and “modernity.” Explanation of how the
course functions, overview of syllabus, explanation of assignments, discussion about how to read
drama and how to get an A in this class.

SECTION 1: REALISMS

Week 2 Jan 21 Stage Realism

Readings:
1) Konstantin Stanislavski, “Action, ‘If’, ‘Given Circumstances’” An Actor’s Work. Translated
by Jean Benedetti. Routledge, 2017 [1938], pp. 39-62.
2) Anton Chekhov, The Cherry Orchard. Translated by Laurence Senelick. Norton, 2006
[1904], pp. 979-1048.
3) Elaine Aston, Excerpt from “Room for Realism?” Twenty-First Century Drama: What
Happens Now. Edited by Siân Adiseshiah and Louise Lepage. Palgrave Macmillan, 2016,
pp. 17-21.
Optional video (you may choose to watch this video instead of reading the play):
4) Anton Chekhov, The Cherry Orchard. Directed by Adolf Shapiro. Moscow Art Theatre,
2016. Stage Russia HD, Digital Theatre+ (2h48m).

Week 3 Jan 28 Realism in South Asia

1) Rabindranath Tagore, The Post Office. MacMillan Company, 1914, pp. 7-38.
2) Anita Desai, “Re-Reading Tagore.” Journal of Commonwealth Literature, vol. 29, no. 1,
1994, pp. 5–13.
3) Arnab Dutta Roy, “Deconstructing Universalism: Tagore’s Vision of Humanity.” South
Asian Review, vol. 36, no. 2, 2015, pp. 177-194.

SECTION 2: EPIC

Week 4 Feb 4 The Epic Theatre

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 1) Bertolt Brecht, “The Modern Theatre is the Epic Theatre.” Brecht on Theatre: The
Development of an Aesthetic. Edited and translated by John Willett. Methuen, 1964
[1930], pp. 33-42.
2) Bertolt Brecht, The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui. Translated by Jennifer Wise. Methuen,
2013 [1941], pp. 4-88.
3) Elin Diamond, “Brechtian Theory/Feminist Theory: Toward a gestic feminist criticism.”
Unmaking Mimesis: Essays on Feminism and Theatre. Routledge, 1997, pp. 43-55.

Week 5 Feb 11 Black Radicalism

1) C.L.R. James, Touissant L’Ouverture: The Story of the Only Successful Slave Revolt in
History. Edited by Christian Hogsbjerg. Duke UP, 2012 [1934], pp. 49-133.
2) Cedric J. Robinson, “C.L.R. James and the Black Radical Tradition.” Black Marxism: The
Making of the Black Radical Tradition. U of North Carolina P, 2000 [1983], pp. 241-286.

FEB 15-19: READING WEEK

SECTION 3: AVANT-GARDES

Week 6 Feb 25 dada and the Avant-garde

1) Antonin Artaud, “Theatre and the Plague.” The Theatre and its Double. Translated by
Mary Caroline Richards. Grove Press, 1958 [1938], pp. 15-32.
2) Susan Sontag, “Approaching Artaud.” Antonin Artaud: A Critical Reader. Edited by Edward
Scheer. Routledge, 2010 [1973], pp. 83-95.
3) Irene Gammel and Suzanne Zelazo, “‘Harpsichords Metallic Howl—': The Baroness Elsa
von Freytag-Loringhoven's Sound Poetry.” Modernism/Modernity, Vol. 18, No. 2, 2011,
pp. 255-271.
4) Smirna Kulenović, “Elsa von Freytag-Loringhoven.” Widewalls, 24 Apr. 2017.
https://www.widewalls.ch/artists/elsa-von-freytag-loringhoven.

Week 7 Mar 4 Futurism and Robots

1) F.T. Marinetti, “The Manifesto of Futurism.” The Guardian 13 Nov 2008 [1909]
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/nov/13/first-world-war-futurism.
2) Karel Čapek, R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots). Translated by David Wyllie. Adelaide,
2006 [1921], pp. 1-69.
3) Michael Szollosy, “Freud, Frankenstein and Our Fear of Robots: Projection in Our Cultural
Perception of Technology.” AI & Society, vol. 32, no. 3, 2017, pp. 433–439.

Week 8 Mar 11 Surrealism

1) Sigmund Freud, Excerpt from “The Dream Work.” The Interpretation of Dreams,
Abika.com n.d. [1913], pp. 121-125, pp. 137-143.

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 2) “The Interpretation of Dreams: A guide to Sigmund Freud's theory of dreams and his
method for dream interpretation,” Chapters 1-5. Freud Museum London, n.d.
https://www.freud.org.uk/education/resources/the-interpretation-of-dreams/.
3) Roger Vitrac, “The Mysteries of Love.” Modern French Theatre: The Avant-garde, Dada,
and Surrealism: An Anthology of Plays. Edited and translated by Michael Benedikt and
George E. Wellwarth. Dutton, 1966 [1927], pp. 227-268.

Week 9 Mar 18 Subaltern Surrealisms

1) Derek Walcott, Dream on Monkey Mountain. Faber, Straus and Giroux, 1970 [1967], pp.
1-88, http://go.utlib.ca/cat/13370135.
2) Franklin Rosemont and Robin D.G. Kelley, “Introduction: Invisible Surrealists.” Black,
Brown and Beige: Surrealist Writings from Africa and the Diaspora. Edited by Franklin
Rosemont and Robin D.G. Kelley. U of Texas P, 2009, pp. 1-20.

SECTION 4: THE ABSURD

Week 10 Mar 25 Theatre of the Absurd

Readings:
1) Samuel Beckett, “Play.” Collected Shorter Plays. Faber and Faber, 1984 [1963], pp. 147-
162.
2) Tawfiq al-Hakim, The Tree Climber. Translated by Denys Johnson-Davies. The Essential
Tawfiq al-Hakim: Plays, Fiction, Autobiography. Edited by Denys Johnson-Davies, The
American University in Cairo Press, 2008 [1950], pp. 108-196.
http://go.utlib.ca/cat/13116012.
3) Marvin Carlson, “Negotiating Theatrical Modernism in the Arab World.” Theatre Journal,
vol. 65, no. 4, 2013, pp. 523–535.
Optional video (you may watch this instead of reading the play):
4) Samuel Beckett, Play. Directed by Anthony Minghella, 2001. Vimeo.
https://vimeo.com/28766126. (watch twice!)

Week 11 Apr 1 The Queer Absurd

1) Gertrude Stein, Doctor Faustus Lights the Lights, Alexander Street Press, 2005 [1938],
http://go.utlib.ca/cat/9824228.
2) Sarah Bay-Cheng, “Atom and Eve: A Consideration of Gertrude Stein's Doctor Faustus
Lights the Lights.” The Journal of American Drama and Theatre, vol. 12, no. 2, 2000, pp. 1-
24.

Week 12 Apr 8 Review

Course Review.
SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE

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WK DATE THEME READINGS PAGES NOTES

1 Jan 14 Intro Drama in the Maelstrom of Modernity

2 Jan 21 Stage Realism Stanislavski, An Actor’s Work 39-62

Chekhov, The Cherry Orchard 979-1048
Aston, “Room for Realism” 17-21
3 Jan 28 Realism in South Tagore, The Post Office 7-38
Asia Desai, “Re-Reading Tagore” 5-13
Roy, “Deconstructing Universalism” 177-194
4 Feb 4 The Epic Theatre Brecht, “The Modern Theatre is the Epic Theatre” 33-42 Scene
Brecht, The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui 4-88 Analysis Due
Diamond, “Brechtian Theory/Feminist Theory” 43-55
5 Feb 11 Black Radicalism James, Touissant L’Ouverture 49-133
Robinson, “C.L.R. James and the Black Radical...” 241-286

Feb 15-19 READING WEEK

6 Feb 25 dada and the Artaud, “Theatre and the Plague” 15-32 Essay Outline
Avant-garde Sontag, “Approaching Artaud” 83-95 Due
Gammel and Zelazo, “‘Harpsichords Metallic Howl” 255-271
Kulenović, “Elsa von Freytag-Loringhoven” web
7 Mar 4 Futurism and Marinetti, “The Manifesto of Futurism” web
Robots Čapek, R.U.R. 1-69
Szollosy, “Freud, Frankenstein and Our Fear of…” 433–439
8 Mar 11 Surrealism Freud, “The Dream Work” 121-125, Drop Date
- 137-143 (Mar 15)
“The Interpretation of Dreams: A Guide” web
Vitrac, The Mysteries of Love 227-268
9 Mar 18 Subaltern Walcott, Dream on Monkey Mountain 1-88 Online Play
Surrealisms Rosemont and Kelley, “Invisible Surrealists” 1-20 Review Due

10 Mar 25 Theatre of the Beckett, Play 147-162

Absurd al-Hakim, The Tree Climber 108-196

11 Apr 1 The Queer Stein, Doctor Faustus Lights the Lights web
Absurd Bay-Cheng, “Atom and Eve” 1-24

12 Apr 8 Review Course Review Final Paper

Due (Apr 12)

Note: Readings should be completed prior to class.

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